Regular Services
Sunday 10.45 a.m.
Services are about a hour, usually along traditional but informal lines. Sometimes we do something different but try to keep within people’s comfort zones. Everyone is welcome, whatever their background.
The preachers for 2024 are listed at the bottom of this page.
Worship Leaders
We are without a minister for the foreseeable future but services are led by a wonderful variety of visiting preachers or by our own trained lay preachers. Communion is usually on the third Sunday of the month.
Coffee is served in our hall after the service and everyone is welcome.
An open letter of introduction from the Rev’d Alex Jacob
To Members and Adherents of Whiting Street United Reformed Church
Back in October 2023, I was appointed by the Eastern Synod to the ministry post of Synod Transitional Minister. The main role in this appointment is to encourage and help congregations discern and plan for being part of the new Mission Partnership structures. The principles and core values of Mission Partnerships were agreed at the Synod meeting in March 2023. These Mission Partnerships (the current plan is for 19 Mission Partnerships to be established across the Synod) which will begin to replace/develop previous pastorates are now taking place, with eight Mission Partnerships being established over the past two years.
I have worked closely with four of these Mission Partnerships and hopefully have contributed to the mission and future direction of these new Mission Partnerships. I have had the privilege of preaching and teaching within 22 congregations across the Synod in this time. I believe that the structure and wider strategy of Mission Partnerships are very important in helping congregations to be sustained and to flourish but ultimately structures and strategies do not produce ‘spiritual fruit’ – only the Holy Spirit can do this. So, in all our planning and endeavours our heart-felt prayer must be: “Come, Holy Spirit, bless, direct, empower and renew us.”
Whiting Street United Reformed Church has been placed within the Suffolk Borders Mission Partnership. This partnership includes Diss URC, Wattisfield URC, Cloverfield Community Church LEP (Thetford) and Southgate LEP (Bury Sy Edmunds). We are now very close to having this partnership formed. The Partnership will then be moving towards calling a new Minister to serve the Mission Partnership alongside two ecumenical colleagues and a URC local lay leader.
The Synod has asked me to give part of my time to working with you at Whiting Street for the next few months and to help you on your ‘mission partnership journey’. So far, I have met with the Eldership team, and I have four preaching dates fixed (22.02, 1.03, 3.05 and 10.05). In addition, I plan to be at the Church most Wednesdays partly to join in at the weekly coffee and monthly lunch gathering and to also offer a time for prayer and Bible study (more details will follow). Plus, I will also, as guided by the Eldership, offer some pastoral care.
I look forward within this limited timeframe of getting to know you. In terms of a bit of information about me, I am a United Reformed Church Minister ordained in March 1985. Before this Synod role, I led three URC pastorates (1985-2006) and was CEO of an International Mission Agency (2006-2023). I have published and taught mainly in the field of Jewish-Christian Relations and most recently on Christian Discipleship.
I made a Christian commitment as a teenager and trained for Ordination at Northern College, Manchester. I am married to Mandy, and we have three adult children and four grandchildren. I live in Sawston, love travelling, music, eating Indian food and supporting Cambridge United (but not all at the same time). I am a member of Linton URC.
With kind regards and Shalom
Alex
Rev’d Alex Jacob
************
PREACHING PLAN 2024 Bury St Edmunds United Reformed Church, Whiting Street
| Preacher | Service | Festival | ||
| January | ||||