ABOUT BREAD OF LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN CLACTON-ON-SEA

Who We Are & Why We’re Here.

God has a purpose for you, and we want to walk alongside you.
We’re a church built on love, truth and real community.
Whether you’re exploring faith or growing deeper, there’s room for you here.

a Home for Everyone

Bread of Life Community Church is a home for everyone

A Church where Faith is Alive and Jesus Christ is Glorified.

Whether you’re exploring who God is or seeking a Bible-Believing Church in Clacton on Sea, we welcome you. We’re rooted in expository teaching with a love for God’s Word, offering Sunday School, Youth Group, Bible studies, prayer meetings and heartfelt worship, all centred on knowing and serving Jesus Christ together.

After each service, we share food, drinks and fellowship, with our prayer team available to pray with you. With a Ladies Bible Study, Men’s Bible Study and a passion for evangelism. We’re a family of believers walking in truth, grace and love, ready to help you take your next step with God.

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OUR VISION

The Core Values

At Bread of Life Community Church, we stand firmly on God’s Word. As Jesus said, for “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
Because of this, our vision is:

To Share The Good News

To actively preach the gospel to the lost and to make disciples of all nations (Mark 16:15, Romans 10:13-15, Matthew 28:19-20)

To be Bible Centered

To teach the uncompromising unadulterated truth of the Bible, being a source of spiritual food for the faithful remnant of believers in the last days during the famine for the Word of God (John 6:27, Amos 8:11)

To Be Separate

To be set apart from modern day progressive Christianity and mainstream denominations, and to return to the Jewish roots of the early church (2 Corinthians 6:17, Revelation 18:4)

View Our Statement of Faith Meet Our Leadership

CHRISTIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL IN CLACTON ON SEA

Bread of Life Community Church is for the whole family

At Bread of Life Community Church, our Sunday School helps children understand who God is and how Jesus can fit into their lives. Children enjoy engaging Bible lessons by our dedicated Sunday School Teachers, activities, and games that leave them excited to return each week. Guided by Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” – we provide age-appropriate curriculum that nurtures faith and builds lasting foundations in young hearts.

Parent and Toddler Room (Under 4s)

Children under four have the use of a parent-led Parent and Toddler Room. (Parents must accompany children).

Children & Teens

Children and teens have fun and learn about God at the same time, through Sunday School Lessons and activities each week. Suitable for all ages.

Under 4s Youth Sunday School

CHRISTIAN YOUTH GROUP IN CLACTON ON SEA

Youth Ministry: Faith for the Next Generation

At Bread of Life Community Church, we believe every young person deserves a place where their faith can grow and thrive. Our Youth Ministry, led by Pastor Phil, is specifically designed for 11-16 year olds who are discovering their own personal relationship with God. We understand this crucial age when teens are asking big questions, forming their identity, and need guidance that speaks directly to their world. Through engaging programs, relevant teaching, and genuine community, we’re investing in the future pastors, worship leaders, and disciples of tomorrow.

Youth Programs (11-16 years)

Specially designed events and activities that connect with teenage life while building strong foundations in faith and biblical truth.

Community & Discipleship

A safe space where teens can ask questions, explore their faith, and build lasting friendships with peers who share their values.

Youth Ministry

weekly activities at bread of life community church

Grow Strong in the Word of God

We have a weekly Prayer Group in Clacton where believers gather to experience God’s incredible power through prayer. Men can dive deeper into biblical manhood through our Mens Bible Study in Clacton featuring the powerful “Act Like Men” series. Women find encouragement, fellowship and authentic connection in our Ladies Bible Study in Clacton. Strengthen your biblical foundation at our Thursday Bible Study in Clacton on Sea, and for those ready to take the next step, our comprehensive Church Membership Course will equip you with solid doctrinal understanding and prepare you to confidently share your faith.

Your Week, Filled with Purpose

Whether you’re seeking prayer support, biblical teaching, or genuine fellowship, our weekly gatherings create space for real relationships and spiritual growth. Each group offers a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded believers while strengthening your walk with Christ.

Ready to Commit? Take the Next Step

Our 9-week membership course isn’t just about joining a church, it’s about solidifying your faith foundations and equipping you to defend biblical truth. Led by Pastor Stephen Clayden, this comprehensive program will transform how you understand and share your beliefs.

Become a Member of Bread of Life

STREET EVANGELISM IN ESSEX aND AWAY DAYS

Every week we evangelise in Colchester & Clacton on Sea

At Bread of Life Community Church, our evangelism ministry transforms lives through the power of the Gospel. Every week, our passionate team ventures into the heart of Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, sharing hope and salvation with those who need it most. Guided by Christ’s Great Commission – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) – we bring light to our communities through genuine conversations, heartfelt testimonies and the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Weekly Evangelism

Our passionate team shares the Gospel every Wednesday in Colchester (outside Old M&S, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM) and Thursday in Clacton-on-Sea (opposite McDonald’s, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM).

Away Day Evangelism

We venture beyond our local area on special evangelism missions, taking the Gospel to new communities across Essex and beyond.

join our evangelism

Meet our Senior Pastor
Stephen Clayden
Pastor Stephen Clayden’s journey is a stirring testament to God’s redemptive power. Born in the early 80s in Rayleigh, Essex, his early life was shaped by church and community. A move to the South of France at 15 opened his eyes to the Gospel through the passionate ministry of American evangelists, yet his youth led him down a path of rebellion and excess. It was only after leaving the British Army in 2007, and encountering God through the Bible, that his life transformed completely. Embracing faith with newfound strength, he overcame his past struggles and embarked on a life of ministry. Now, as a devoted husband, father, and leader of Bread of Life Community Church in Clacton on Sea, Pastor Stephen Clayden’s story continues to inspire others with its message of hope, resilience and grace.
Read Stephen’s Testimony Discover the Leadership Team

Stephen Clayden’s Testimony

I was born in the early 80s in the Essex town of Rayleigh. As a boy, I attended St Nicholas Church Rawreth with my grandparents, and I also attended the neighbouring Church of England School. During my teenage years, I didn’t spend much time in church fellowship, despite always identifying as a Christian.
At the age of 15, my family and I moved to the South of France—where I received the bulk of my education. I was fairly fluent in French before moving; however, after six months to a year I was completely fluent. It was during my time in France (around 1999) that I first heard the true Gospel from two American evangelists, John and Barbara from Bradenton, Florida. They took an instant interest in our family, and we became close friends. John and Barbara returned to Florida in 2000, and we never saw our family again.
Instead of seeking God, I continued in an ungodly lifestyle of binge drinking and partying, as was common in the 90s. In late 2003, I returned to the UK to join the British Army. My ungodly way of life escalated in service, until I left the military in 2007 and had my first true encounter with God after finally reading the Bible for myself. Although I had a Church of England upbringing, I hadn’t fully understood my relationship with God until I realised that sin was keeping me from true fellowship with Him.
  • 1 John 1:5-10:
    “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
It wasn’t until I read this scripture that I realised I needed a Saviour and to be born again. I took immediate action and gave my life to Jesus. My parents, Lynn and Tony, and my sister, Natalie, were all miraculously saved around the same time.
  • Acts 16:31:
    “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
We realised that John and Barbara must have prayed extensively for us after investing so much time in witnessing to us. Although many attempts were made to contact them and share our salvation, we never succeeded. We began attending Rayleigh Baptist Church, where I was baptised in 2008.

Struggles and Transformation

Despite becoming a child of God, I still struggled to adjust to civilian life after the Army. My walk with God was inconsistent—sometimes good, sometimes bad. It took 4-5 years to fully surrender the sinful habits that were keeping me from experiencing God in the fullest and reaching my full potential. I often compared this journey to the story from Numbers 32, where the tribes hesitated to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land.
Once I decided to stop messing about and to put God first, I experienced true transformation. I spent two years in solid prayer and Bible study, which also saw me becoming involved in various ministry works.

Ministry and Personal Life

In 2015, I met my wife Andrea from Canada. She had moved to the UK to be a teacher only three months before we met. I was grateful that I had spent those two years investing in my relationship with God before beginning a relationship with one of His own daughters. We got engaged in 2016 and married in April 2017. At this point, I became heavily involved in teaching, Bible expository work, and evangelism. In 2020, we moved from Southend to Clacton, where we now lead Bread of Life Community Church. In 2023, we welcomed our first child, Miriam, and now our second baby, Martha.
Since moving to Clacton, I was finally able to trace Barbara—the person who first introduced our family to the gospel in Bradenton, Florida. Sadly, John had passed away in 2015. Barbara was thrilled to hear that we had all been saved and were actively working in ministry. I was recently speaking in Florida and had the opportunity to drive down to Bradenton to be reunited with Barbara after 23 years, bringing my testimony full circle in a very special way. I cannot wait to see what God will do next.
  • Luke 13:6-9:
    “He also spoke this parable: ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?” But he answered, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilise it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.”’”

Our Upcoming Sermons

VIEW OUR UPCOMING SERMONS