Ponders End, in the eastern stretch of Enfield, is an area rich in cultural diversity – home to long-established Bangladeshi and Turkish communities – but also marked by deep material and spiritual need.
With nearly 40% of residents identifying as Muslim* and many facing economic hardship, it’s a community where the gospel is urgently needed and practical care warmly received.
Into this part of London, a newly planted church – St Matthew’s Ponders End – is shining the light of the gospel. Sharing hope through English classes, outreach events at the local park, and door-knocking homes on the local streets.
Just six months since its official launch, around 50 people now gather each Sunday to worship, many of them drawn in through the church’s outreach activities.
At the heart of this growth is a vibrant partnership with London City Mission (LCM), whose missionaries have walked alongside the church from its earliest days.
At one park outreach event, an Iranian man from a Muslim background stops at the cake table with his children. He sees the Christian tracts displayed next to the cakes and pauses.
An LCM missionary takes the opportunity to strike up a conversation with him that lasts almost an hour. At the end, this man leaves with information about St Matthew’s Church and promises to visit.
A Church for the Community
Jeremy, the vicar at St Matthew’s, moved to Ponders End in July 2024 with a clear vision:
“We want everyone in Ponders End to encounter the hope of Christ in the messiness of life.”
That vision is more than a motto – it’s a lived reality.
“People aren’t able to hide their needs here,” Jeremy explains. “There’s addiction, disability, spiritual darkness. But that openness creates space for honest conversations about Jesus.”
Nimo, LCM missionary, recalls, “We started with door-to-door visits and encouraged the team to launch English classes. It was real mission work – getting to know the community, building trust, and sharing the gospel.”
" We teach grammar, vocabulary, and a little passage from the Bible in English and Turkish."
English Classes: Language, Friendship, and Faith
One ministry has been the English conversation classes that LCM has encouraged the church to start.
Liz, a retired IT professional and now a volunteer teacher, describes how she found her place in this work:
“I took a course in teaching English after I retired. Then I joined this church plant wanting to reach this community with the gospel. And when the opportunity to volunteer teaching English came up, it just felt like God had prepared me for this.”
The classes use Scripture – currently the Book of Genesis – as a tool for language learning.
“We don’t push it,” Liz says, “but the Bible is there in their minds. Some students start asking questions about God, about the world. It opens the door to deeper conversations.”
Rayna, LCM Mission Associate, has been helping lead the English classes, currently attended mainly by Turkish speakers.
“We have about 15 people in the class,” she shares. “We teach grammar, vocabulary, and a little passage from the Bible in English and Turkish. They enjoy it and love it – they’re learning, and we’re building relationships.”
Rayna adds, “We try to understand each other and get to know each other better first. Then I ask them about their faith. Those have been encouraging conversations. Please pray that we’ll have good opportunities to share the gospel.”
From the Streets to Sunday Services
The impact of these ministries is tangible.
“Most of the people who come on Sundays have been reached through our outreach,” Jeremy says.
“We’ve had people come because we knocked on their door months ago. Others we met through our outreach in the park.
“One family from Hungary came after their children spent two hours painting T-shirts at our park event. Now they’re following the service in Hungarian using a translation app.”
Nimo echoes this: “We’ve seen people come to faith, be baptised, and become part of the church family.
“One such person is a Turkish man who recently started coming to church, where he found Jesus and made a commitment to follow him. He was baptised only last month.
“The door-to-door work, the English classes, the park outreaches – they’re all part of how God is calling people into his kingdom.”
LCM Missionary, Murat, has helped raise and train a missional team to knock on people’s homes on the local estate.
“It’s been encouraging to work with people with a heart for evangelism coming together to help this church plant thrive,” says Murat.
“About every fourth door opens to a Muslim household and the training we provided was helpful for people to engage with those from Muslim backgrounds.”
"About every fourth door opens to a Muslim household."
Equipping for Long-Term Mission
For Jeremy, LCM’s role isn’t just about doing the work – it’s about equipping others to do it too.
“Evangelism is caught and taught,” Jeremy says. “LCM has done both. They’ve shown us how to do it, and they’ve trained us to do it ourselves.”
From pre-outreach training sessions on engaging with Muslims to one-on-one coaching for volunteers, LCM is helping St Matthew’s grow into a church that reaches its community with confidence and compassion.
“They’ve helped us see the value of consistent community engagement,” Jeremy adds. “And they’ve helped shape how this church does ministry.”
Looking Ahead: A Hub of Hope
The vision doesn’t stop here. Jeremy and the team are dreaming of more.
“We want to open a community café in the church – a place where people can come, have good coffee, and hear the gospel. At the moment, there’s nowhere like that in Ponders End.”
The church has also started an after-school club, is planning midweek home groups, and has launched a preaching group to raise up local leaders.
“We want this to be a church where local people are not just attending but leading,” Jeremy says.
A Story of God’s Faithfulness
From an empty church building to a growing, multicultural congregation, the story of St Matthew’s is a testament to God’s faithfulness and the power of gospel partnership.
As Liz reflects, “I didn’t know what I’d do in retirement, but God had a plan. It’s been amazing to be part of something so purposeful.”
Nimo sums it up: “Together, we’re seeing lives changed, communities reached, and the gospel proclaimed in one of London’s most overlooked neighbourhoods.”
*2021 Census data
