North Downs Network
Ewhurst Baptist Church
At Ewhurst Baptist Church, we're grateful for the ways God is at work, both within the church and through our connections with the wider village community. Over the past year, we've been working with Andy Twilley through SEBA's Partners in Mission initiative, helping us to think more intentionally about our mission. As part of this, we've adopted a new mission statement:
We are here to worship the living God, encourage one another, and serve our community.
One of our encouragements this autumn has been Alpha. We've welcomed more than ten people from outside the church, alongside five church members and a team of six helpers. We're now six weeks into the course, sharing a meal each week (lovingly prepared by Pippa!), watching the videos and discussing questions of life and faith. We're particularly encouraged that one of our Alpha guests has also begun attending Sunday services regularly.
Our monthly Lunch Club continues to grow in popularity and is greatly enjoyed by those who attend and by the team of volunteers from EBC and our Anglican neighbours who prepare and serve the food. It's a relaxed and friendly gathering where relationships are developing. Following a suggestion from Andy Twilley, we've also introduced a short reflection on faith each month, which has been well received. It's been particularly encouraging to see a couple who attend Lunch Club also joining us for Alpha.
Our Toddlers group is also growing again. As previous children have moved on to school, we're now welcoming around ten new families. It's a positive space for parents and carers to meet, share experiences and support one another.
Alongside these activities, our monthly Men's Group meets socially at the local club. This has proved to be a good opportunity for building relationships, both among men from the church and others who have been invited along.
On Mondays, we hold a Bible study and mission-focused prayer meeting at church, providing regular opportunities for fellowship, encouragement and spiritual growth. We’ve also run a home group alongside selected sermon series, giving people an opportunity to explore the themes together in more depth.
On Sundays, we've welcomed several new people over the past couple of years, and we're
exploring different ways of worshipping together. Having held all-age services for the last two and a half years, we've recently begun experimenting with café-style services. These offer an informal, interactive approach to Scripture, with activities and opportunities for reflection. Our first café-style service for Harvest received positive feedback, and we're looking forward to developing this further with the next planned for December.
Through all these activities, we're seeking to build relationships, offer hospitality and create opportunities for people to encounter God's love.
Please pray for us:
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For our Alpha guests as the course continues, that they will grow in their understanding of Jesus and feel encouraged to continue exploring faith.
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For the relationships developing through Lunch Club, Toddlers and Men's Group, that God will work through these friendships and conversations.
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For our café-style services, that they will help people engage with Scripture and provide a welcoming space for those less familiar with church.
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For continued growth in our congregation and wisdom as we plan for the future. While we've been encouraged by some new people joining us, we continue to face a financial deficit and would value prayer for the church's long-term sustainability.
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For a new treasurer. After many years of faithful service, our current treasurer is stepping down. We're exploring temporary support from another church, but please pray that God will provide someone to take on this important role.
QE Park Baptist Church
In July we marked our 30th anniversary, having been planted as a congregation by Guildford
Baptist Church (Millmead). Since then we have been through some difficult and challenging seasons, but we have also experienced God’s miraculous provision. So it was wonderful to be able to celebrate God’s faithfulness at the service with so many people (old friends and new), who have been a part of our journey over the last 30 years. As we look to the future, we are taking time to discern what God’s plans are for us in this next season.
We have recently seen an increase in the number of people joining us for worship on a Sunday morning, including folk who want to explore Christian faith. This has meant we have had to move into a larger space in our building for our services. We are also looking forward to baptising several people next month.
Please pray for:
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Our Alpha course (our second of 2026), as it comes to an end; that folk will want to continue to journey with Jesus and that we would be able to facilitate this. With the previous group, people were keen to read through a gospel together, some of them for the first time.
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Our outreach over the Christmas period in the local community e.g. Christmas Unwrapped with Year 6 in our local Junior School, Living Nativity (complete with farm animals) and our Carols by Candlelight service.
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For our ongoing process of discernment as we seek to find the most effective ways to share the good news of Jesus with our community and networks.
East Kent Network
Margate Baptist Church
There is much going on in the life of the church that makes us thankful to God for His guidance and blessing. We have just celebrated our Anniversary, 264 years of faithful witness to the town of Margate, with Joth, our Regional Minister, leading the service and
bringing a message of what it means to be a church that makes a difference to its community. This topic is at the heart of a new church vision we have adopted, after a period of prayer, discussion, and discernment, that we believe will shape us in the years ahead. We want to be a church that knows Jesus, being committed disciples that follow in His footsteps, and makes Jesus known, taking that message out to our community in any way we can. We see this principle as being what will guide us in the years ahead.
Our Minister, Rev. Steve Smith, joined us last autumn and has been encouraging the church to understand what it means for us to be committed disciples of Jesus. In our Sunday services we spent time thinking about what it means to be a church with vision, which was an integral part of our adopting a new vision for the church here. We then spent time looking at the gospel of Mark, to help us focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, allowing that to define and shape who we are as God’s people in this place. This has all been focussed on our verse for 2026, Hebrews 12:1-2, ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith’. We believe that it is as we focus on Jesus, that we will be enabled to truly make a difference to the community around us.
Alongside the many groups and activities that continue to run in church life; Brigades, Coffee Mornings, Messy Church, Times for Fellowship and Teaching; in the past year we have also relaunched small groups, calling them Life Groups, with the strapline: Learning together / Initiating growth / Finding fellowship / Equipping for service, and these have been well supported, with almost half of the church joining a group. We have also started a systematic refurbishment of our buildings, which being quite old, means there is a need for constant attention. All this is a challenge for us, but one we are facing with relish, as we prepare ourselves for the next 264 years of faithful witness and ministry in Margate.
We would value your prayers…
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That we would all have continued enthusiasm in the work for God we undertake.
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That the new people we have joining the church would settle well.
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That God would provide the resources we need for the work we are called to.
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That we would truly keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
East Sussex Network
Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne
As we look back on this year, we give thanks to God for His amazing provision in so many areas of the work here at VBC.
We have seen a number of exciting developments. Apart from our adult Alpha courses, we
introduced an Alpha course for youth which was so encouraging we are planning a repeat in the new year. Our Omega group for 18-35 year olds has embarked on the 3-2-1 course and we have had a number of people coming forward for Baptism as a result of these initiatives.
Our Community Fridge has just celebrated its 5th anniversary and continues to flourish. 40-50 people come along every Wednesday morning to benefit from the externally sourced food we provide at a “give-away” price! Not only does this help those in the community who are struggling financially but it also provides opportunities for friendships to develop and meaningful conversations to be had over the tea and coffee we lay on. And on the back of this, we now have Community Breakfasts during school holidays to coincide with the Fridge activity.
We have also developed a Community Allotment in the grounds of the church with 130+kg of fruit and veg - tomatoes, potatoes, rhubarb, carrots, courgettes, and others - being provided for the Community Fridge.
A number of prayer meetings have evolved, with our Friday morning Outreach meeting in particular seeing some significant answers to prayer. We continue to support a church in Ukraine with a weekly prayer meeting – held since the beginning of the war – with updates provided on the situation there through our contact with their church leaders. There are regular prayer events for both men and women plus an early-bird meeting at 7am on Wednesdays.
As we now look forward to the coming months, we are excited at the prospect of major refurbishment in the sanctuary with the sound system being upgraded, the platform at the front of the church being modernised, and a number of other changes which will hopefully result in a more contemporary and welcoming environment for worship.
Naturally, not everything has been plain sailing but again, we give thanks to God for helping us through challenging situations and for the many blessings He has lavished upon us.
West Kent Network
Vine Baptist Church, Sevenoaks
Hello from everyone at Vine Baptist Church!
We’ve had an incredible 2026 so far - thank your for praying for us. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed Jo Playfoot as our Minister in Training whilst she completes her studies at Regents Park College. She’s settled into the church well, and is a great addition to the team. Please pray for her as she completes her training and looks ahead to settlement.
We’ve also been blessed with a great season of people coming to faith, nine being baptised and six coming into Membership. This has been a great season to rejoice and give thanks; long may it continue!
Church life is not, however, without challenges. Like many churches, we are currently facing a difficult financial situation, and 2027 is looking particularly lean. Please pray for our financial team, senior leadership team, and the wider Church as we grapple with matching what we feel called to do with our available resources.
Finally, I’d ask for your prayers for our Youth Group. By the time you read this, we will have been away for our first Youth Weekend Away to Fellowship Afloat (FACT) in Essex. Please pray that the connections made this week will continue to produce fruit in our Young people, and for our CYF workers.
East Kent Network
Westover Beacon
An update from Kate Grant at Westover:
Thank you so much to all at SEBA for all your prayer
and support for Westover Beacon. It's been an amazing journey and God is so good!
It's been more than full on but God has been so faithful. The community are excited about the building, we have a cafe and shop area at the back, a main hall as well as a prayer space. We aim to be open every day/eve with a team of volunteers.
We have now sent out flyers for our official opening / celebration on 22nd November. There is an 11.30am service and activities from 1.30pm including lunch. All at SEBA are invited!
We are busy on a Sunday morning already, many people from the community are showing interest and we are excited about what the Lord will continue to do among us...
South Kent Network
Yalding Baptist Church
We remain a small church (just 20-30 on a Sunday) with a half time paid pastor and a good age range - although we would value prayer for wisdom in how to reach young families and lower the youngest age on a Sunday from 9, as well as reaching more 18-30s! Many of our
members are now well into their retirement years and we pray for them as health declines and they are not able to serve in the ways they used to. We reach into the toddler group, which uses our building, through a volunteer from our church who is helping weekly to run the group. Please pray for continued opportunities for conversation and wisdom over introducing Bible stories and Christian songs. And for the future, as our volunteer currently cannot continue from January onwards.
This year, we have started to run a prayer stall at the Repair Cafe that uses our building. We praise God for the opportunities this gives for conversation, and pray for the impact of gospels and “Try Praying” booklets given away. “Try Praying” has also been distributed to those attending our pastor’s faith group at our local residential addiction rehab (Kenward). Pray for the future inreach into Kenward as our pastor has recently stood down as chaplain – pray that the new chaplain will be able to encourage residents to attend our services, as well as continue the faith group.
We have some people who regularly attend Sunday services, and receive practical help from the church, who do not yet know Jesus. Please pray for them to come to faith, and for wisdom in supporting them with their various needs.
We have a fortnightly evening home group which is well used - praise God for fellowship and discipleship, and please pray for time to start a daytime Bible study for those who have asked for this and find evenings difficult.
We thank God for our continued monthly coffee mornings, with various talks, often from charities, and for a new weekly chair exercises group, run by volunteers, some from outside the church. Pray that these lead to conversations about faith.
Pray for the development of the ideas for a men’s mental health group, and for youth outreach, and for more awareness in the village of our Games Afternoons (board games and table tennis) so that more people of all ages come along and benefit. These are a great intergenerational opportunity, loved by those who do come along!
South Kent Network
Zion Baptist Church, Tenterden
In early September we had our fellowship Weekend Away. We spent the weekend in prayer, worship and fellowship at High Leigh Conference Centre, Hertfordshire. We continued to explore our need to move forward in mission and our theme was Five Ways to Share our Faith.
We give thanks to the Lord because 2026 has been a very encouraging year as we have had two baptism services, one in April and another one in July. Our current outreach activities (Rainbow Tots and Coffee Mornings) continue with a good number of participants.
We are getting ready for our seventh Christmas Tree Festival. We may be a small fellowship, with limited means, but we give thanks to the Lord that seven years ago we stepped out in faith and we did our first CTF which has proved to be very popular in Tenterden as 1300 people visited last year. It offers the opportunity for us to engage with the local community. Also, this year we are planning our outdoor Carol Service.
Please pray for:
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Zion Baptist Church (Tenterden)’s vision and longer-term engagement with the local community through our activities (Toddler’s group, Coffee mornings, Christmas Tree Festival, Art group and AA group that meet in our building); for the Lord to prepare the hearts of local families to hear the Word, and for wisdom to bring in new families into our church.
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More workers to join our pastoral and ministry team as we seek to provide Sunday school (First Fruits) every Sunday and start new outreach activities.
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The works to be carried out in our church building to fix the Structural Subsidence.