Our Ministries

Sundays

Our main church family time runs from 9:45 am (10:30 during school breaks) to about 12:30 pm. In the evening we meet again at 6:00 pm in a more informal gathering, often with questions and discussion following the teaching.

• 9:45 am (10:30 during school breaks): Prayer Meeting - we believe it is important to start the day in prayer.
• 10:00 am (term time only): Bible Classes for adults and young people - these take place for both children and adults from 10:00 to 10:45 am. They run in term time only. We also run a Kids' Club for children.
• 10:45 to 11:15 am: Fellowship Time (with coffee) - we have a break and spend time together as a church family with refreshments. When there are no Bible classes, our family time together starts at 10:45 am.
• 11:15 am: Family Service - this contains a time of praise and prayer, and some Bible teaching (normally split about 50:50 between the two). Sunday Bible Club is held for children during the service. Once a month (usually on the first Sunday) we celebrate the Lord's Supper during our morning meeting.
• 6:00 pm: Evening Service - the more informal evening service includes teaching often linked to the morning meeting as well as opportunities for testimony. There are sometimes slots for questions and discussion following on from the teaching. We celebrate the Lord's Supper in the evening on the third Sunday of each month.
• 7:30 to 8:30 pm: SESAW - the acronym officially stands for Sunday Evening Scripture Analysis Workshop, although some prefer to translate it as Sunday Evening Supper At Wendy's. The meeting is aimed at young people, from about 10 years upwards, and and consists of refreshments (hence the unofficial acronym translation), followed by a variety of activities.

Midweek: Prayer & Fellowship

Prayer is the lifeblood of the church and we meet regularly to pray together. Our midweek meetings have a strong emphasis on prayer.

• Tuesday 8:00 pm (1st & 5th Tuesdays): Prayer Meetings - general prayer meeting.
• Tuesday 8:00 pm (3rd Tuesdays): Missions Prayer Meetings - prayer meeting with a special emphasis on the work of missions, often focussing on news from our partner organisations such as GBM and Delhi Bible Institute.
• Tuesday 10:30 am and 8:00 pm, Monday 8:00 pm (2nd & 4th Tuesdays): Fellowship Groups - fellowship, love and concern are most easily expressed in smaller groups, so we meet twice a month in homes. Each meeting is given to discussing the teaching we receive in the church and praying for the church, its work and for one another. Each member of the church belongs to a group which meet at various times so that everyone can attend.
• Thursday 10:30 am: Ladies' Fellowship - our midweek Ladies' Fellowship group has been meeting for over 60 years. Each week a group of ladies get together to sing, share fellowship and listen to the Bible being taught. Once a month they meet for lunch (12:30 pm). You would be very welcome to any of their meetings.

Midweek: Youth Ministries

These activities take place in term time only.

• Monday 7:30 pm: Youth Club - a session for 14 to 18 year olds which takes place on a Monday evening. There is snooker, pool, table tennis, PlayStation and a short Bible study each week.
• Wednesday 10:00 am: Toddler Time - our friendly church toddler group meets once a month in school term time from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm. Each week there is a short time of songs with a Bible story - and there are plenty of opportunities to meet other mums, play with your child and do craft together. There are occasional bookstalls and presentations from other organisations. Dates for this term include the 6th of October, 3rd of November and 1st of December.
• Wednesday 5:45 pm: SonSeekers - for years 1 to 5, SonSeekers provides a safe and fun environment to play games, sing songs, make stuff and learn about the Bible's message. There is a tuck shop provided. SonSeekers takes place from 5:45 pm until 7:15 pm every Wednesday.
• Wednesday 7:15 pm: T3 - for Years 6 to 9. As well as Bible teaching there is a mix of games and fun, plus outdoor activities when the weather permits.

Other Ministries

We do not want our witness to be limited to our local area, and these are some of the ways we are reaching out to the wider world:

• Missions: we have a full-time worker in Missions, Ian Flanders, who works at the GBM Radio studios in Abingdon, producing the French-language programme Esperance a'jourd hui ("Hope for Today"), which covers a variety of topics, and is broadcast on many local Christian radio stations, mainly in Africa. We also support the wider work of Grace Baptist Missions.
• Partnership: we are delighted to be able to work together with Christian organisations in other countries, particularly the Philip Project, which trains African pastors in the techniques of expository preaching, and the Delhi Bible Institute, which is working to spread the Gospel in northern India.