Our Story
“If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans” - His are always better.
In 2018, Anna and Sam Pollard were called by the Church of England to start a church on the new Barking Riverside development. But on those first prayer walks, God had other ideas: “I’m not giving you vision for a church, but to see this community thriving with Jesus at the heart - and I’m raising up local people to do it.”
“I’m not giving you a vision for a church, but to see this community thriving with Jesus at the heart, and I’m raising up local people to do it.”
Church at Barking Riverside (CBR) was born. By 2024, around 85 adults and children regularly gathered across three discipleship communities: one for youth, one for families and one in Joe’s Fight Gym.
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YOUTH
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FAMILIES
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JOE’S FIGHT GYM
Names like Joe, Hayley, Jeorgina, Zahra, Dee, Charmila, James, Danielle, Chris, Dattain, Jermaine, Samuel, Edith, Alice and many more - each a story in themselves.
From 2024, things began to shift. Practically, doors were closing on continuing as an Anglican church. Spiritually, much of the core community were weaving in and out of other local churches too - and a growing number of people were crossing the path of CBR, who loved Jesus and had dreams for their communities, but nowhere to belong. God kept bringing the Pollards back to that first prayer walk. Solomon’s House began to emerge.
Solomon’s House is a charity and a wider spiritual family.
Today, Solomon’s House is a charity and a wider spiritual family. As a charity, we create spaces for communities to thrive, with the Rivergate Centre as the base and through projects in youth, families, employment and health
As a spiritual family, we’re a motley crew of individuals, churches and organisations - dreamers committed to praying, growing and making a difference for Jesus together. Our story is just beginning…