News from the Networks
West Sussex Network
Broadwater Baptist Church
For those who remember our last entry for the SEBA newsletter, Broadwater needed funds to carry out major repairs to the main church building after an engineer’s report stated, “if I’m honest, I’m not sure how the roof has stayed up.” What had begun as straightforward repair work quickly revealed a far more serious problem.
The funds required to complete the work were far beyond anything we could realistically raise ourselves. So we prayed, and worried, and prayed some more. Yet in His generosity, God provided everything we needed. Through remarkable gifts from individuals, anonymous donations, and wider support, we have now been able to move back into a renewed, flexible, and welcoming space.
Where we are now is very new for us. With God enabling us to support the community more effectively and offer our facilities to many others, we are continuing to explore what it means to be the church God is calling us to be in this changed situation.
We have seen growth in both congregation and membership, and we are thankful to witness baptisms as well. Yet we believe that what God has done is not simply so that we can carry on or merely survive. We want to discover more of what He has in store for us and not squander the opportunity we have been given to share with others that our God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” so that “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Please pray with us that we would have the confidence to hear God clearly and the boldness to act faithfully on what we hear.
North Kent Network
Frindsbury Baptist Church
We are a small church set in Frindsbury, part of the Medway Towns and next year we are looking forward to celebrating our 100 year anniversary. One Friday a month we have a CAMEO event (Come And Meet Each Other) where we have a good number of people come and join us. It is good to see them but, sadly, we don’t see them on a Sunday morning. Our Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association is going strong and there are nearly 40 youngsters regularly attending but again this is not leading to increased numbers on a Sunday.
We are, therefore, now in a position of having to seriously consider what the future holds for us. Our membership currently is 23 and, sadly, most of us are getting older. Numbers are starting to decrease year-on-year and probably in ten years we will only have four or five members left. As a result of this we have decided to take part in the Partners in Mission initiative. We are holding a Vision Day when we will look at what we have done in the past to get to where we are now, what we are doing now and if it is working and finally where we feel the church needs to go next. We are currently praying for the Lord’s direction and preparing for whatever He may have in store for us.
Please hold us in your prayers as we look forward to what we hope to be a brighter future.
West Kent Network
New Hope Baptist Church, Eastbourne
New Hope Baptist Church is a Holy Spirit-filled church family situated near the seafront in Eastbourne. In recent years, we have been greatly encouraged by steady growth in church membership and attendance, as well as by the increasing diversity of our congregation, with people from many nations and languages joining our fellowship.
Our youth ministry currently includes about 5 young people aged 14–18 who meet weekly for discipleship, Bible study, and fellowship. They also participate in monthly Christian youth gatherings alongside young people from other churches in Eastbourne. Recently, some of our young people courageously led worship during a Sunday service, which was a joyful and encouraging step for the future of the church.
One of the major highlights of this year is our planned neighbourhood outreach initiative, which will involve door-to-door engagement and evangelism using a Neighbourhood Survey. The church is prayerfully preparing for this outreach in June, and we are encouraged by members' willingness to serve and connect with the local community.
Over the years, we have maintained a meaningful partnership with New Beginning Church in France, as we share a similar vision for ministry and mission. Last year, our Pastor and ministry team visited Saint-Quentin, where Rev. Peterson Anand had the opportunity to preach and strengthen fellowship with the church. We are looking forward to welcoming a team from the church in France to Eastbourne in July. We would value prayer for the Pastor in France, who is currently awaiting heart surgery. During his absence, John will be preaching at our church on Sunday, 19th July.
We are committed to equipping both leaders and congregation members through Alpha, discipleship training, and preaching courses, helping to strengthen in-house leadership and ministry. We are grateful that the church has granted Rev. Peterson Anand a sabbatical from 24 August to 22 November 2026 for study, renewal, and spiritual refreshment.
We would greatly value prayer for future provision for a dedicated youth and children’s worker, as well as prayer for Rev. Peterson Anand during his sabbatical studies, that God would renew, strengthen, and prepare him for future ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you very much for your continued prayers and support.
West Kent Network
Pembury Baptist Church
Spring 2026 was a busy time for us at Pembury Baptist Church!
Alpha Course
We had 25 regular attendees at our Alpha Course - double the size of the previous course we ran here. We broke into 3 discussion groups and had some really fruitful conversations. Congregation members invited neighbours, colleagues and friends - and they came. One attendee to date has started to come to Sunday services and another has joined a small group.
Easter Trail and Baptism
Dan says: "Tanya and I were so privileged to baptise our daughter Erine on Easter Sunday. She gave a powerful testimony of her quest for God and powerful encounter with him while at university." The day before we held an Easter Trail, using Bible Society resources. A good number of children and their families from the village enjoyed taking part, with an Easter Egg Hunt and refreshments back at church afterwards.
Away Day
In March we held our first away day in many years. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and a moment to take stock and cast vision around discipleship.
Equipped to Preach course
We are delighted to host Andy Twilley’s ongoing preaching course here. 7 of our members here are enrolled - along with all the others - and we look forward to seeing them engage in public speaking.
Moving into the summer and beyond our Children and Youth Worker, Nich, is moving on after 4 years serving with us, beginning a new career as an RE teacher. We are praying for her in this transition. We do appreciate your prayers for the church as we consider the future, looking to fill the gaps she will leave.
Mid Sussex Network
Portslade Baptist Church
The church is in the ‘old village’ part of Portslade. Our motto is: ‘Love God, love people, love Portslade’. We pray regularly for people living in Portslade to come to know Jesus. Please join us in this prayer.
Our interactions and outreach activities within the community, to which everyone is freely invited, include;
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Cooked breakfast every Friday morning;
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Parent/carer and toddler group ‘Little Lights’ every Thursday morning in term time;
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Choir concerts several times a year which are led by our choir, which include gospel songs, readings and prayers. These are very popular.
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A monthly ladies’ group ‘Take a Break’ which has a varied programme and ends with a spiritual message or epilogue.
Please pray with us that these activities will continue to bring people closer to the Lord.
The building is also used regularly for several community groups. All these contacts with local people are very precious.
Please pray for God to bless them as they use our building, and to bring them closer to Him.
Young people: A group of older teens and young twenties has come into being over the past year or so, meeting fortnightly for discipleship studies and getting alongside each other. They are all seeking the way forward in life, and at various stages in their walk with the Lord.
Pray with us that they will all follow Jesus and keep meeting together.
Newly arrived associate pastor/youth worker from Brazil:
We are thrilled to welcome Pastor Marcel Trindade and his family who have responded to God’s call to come and work for Him in the Brighton and Hove City Mission (as youth and children’s worker) and here at our church, especially amongst children and young people.
*Please join us in thanksgiving for this family.
*Please pray for the family as they settle in, and for God’s wisdom in all future projects in reaching the children and young people with the gospel.
*Please pray that all the members of the church will grow in commitment to loving and serving the Lord daily.
*Please pray with thanksgiving for our Pastor David Meikle as he lives out his calling to work amongst us.
Thank you all so much for partnering with us in prayer. God’s blessings for all.
East Kent Network
Swalecliffe Free Church, Baptist
Tom Fisk, (our Pastor for 5 years), & his family moved on in Feb. We miss them and greatly value Tom’s legacy of living as Jesus taught.
We continue to enjoy our Sunday service & fellowship, Prayer, Bible Study, and Social (outreach) groups each week, also visits from our local primary school at Easter & Christmas for ‘event days’.
A ‘founder member’ Mrs Joy Bower-Smith died last year aged 99. We particularly remember her prayers of worship, and with very little sight, her enjoyment of crafts in the ‘Monday Club’.
As a small congregation folks are ‘stepping up’ to help in ways needed. We’re also having encouraging contact with churches in the community.
We have good relationships with our letting’s groups, including conversations as they’ve read ‘Bible truths’ cards, and looked in Bibles.
Give thanks for clear answers to prayer, and pray for God’s ongoing guidance for our future & in our outreach.
South Kent Network
South Ashford Baptist Church
SABC is a small church with a big heart for its community. Over the last 18 months we have made reaching out to our community and meeting its needs a priority. We have limited resources and there are many needs, please pray for us as we try to discern the right strategy.
Our Monday Miracles toddler group was always well attended, and it became clear there was a need for a second toddler group. That’s how Wednesday Wonders was born 4 months ago. It was an instant success! We are now hoping to recruit a toddler group worker to help us run both groups. They would also be involved in our Family, Food & Fun sessions that run in the school holidays and are designed to alleviate food poverty and build community. It’s essential that we employ the right person to join our small team, please pray that we do so.
On the first Sunday of every month we have Breakfast Church. We have one hot food and one hot topic. We have discussed whether Christians should be vegans (on a week where we served sausages!) and whether or not we should be involved in protests. We have thought about the Christian approach to those seeking asylum and our response to direct cremations. We have seen new people attending this service. Please pray for wisdom as we tackle challenging topics.
We would love to see more people joining us for our regular Sunday morning services. SABC is an easy-going, welcoming fellowship who are longing to see more people come to know Jesus and join our family. Thank you for standing with us in prayer as we work towards that goal.
West Kent Network
Walderslade Baptist Church
WBC has a strong pastoral care and discipleship approach, and outreach vision. It has been good to have input from RM Andy Twilley re the latter. Our pastoral/missional/theological approach fits together like this diagram,
in the 21st C Medway society context. We seek to reach out, care for and teach people in line with this sensitive and personal approach - please pray for us, as we see God at work among local people, and seek to bring God’s love to heal, restore and empower.
Our prison ministry has ceased for the time being with the closure of HMP YOI Cookham Wood, and the temporary closure of Oasis Restore. We have started a new outreach ministry supporting the chaplaincy work in Kenward Trust, the drug/alcohol rehab centre near Maidstone.
Our various childrens' and youth outreach and discipleship ministries continue with volunteer teams, which themselves include young people. Please pray for another adult or two in the teams.
The recent BUGB process re the question of changing the definition of marriage in the Ministerial Recognition rules to include same-sex marriage has provoked much thought and prayer in WBC about the Bible, the BUGB Declaration of Principle, and our place and participation as a BU church. Please pray for the church to discern how the Lord is guiding.
Please pray for more involvement of members and attenders in prayer, care and mission.
West Sussex Network
West Worthing Baptist Church
Here at West Worthing Baptist Church, we have seen many changes lately: Baptisms on Easter Sunday as well as last Autumn, new children and families joining the church, new families coming into membership, and various events fostering friendships and social cohesion as well as spiritual renewal. This year, we are turning 130 years old, which is both exciting and a chance to ponder the ups and downs of church life.
So we have asked ourselves, how come there has been growth? How come there have been people coming to faith? How come there have been baptisms and people stepping up? And while I would personally love to tap my own shoulders and boldly declare I 
am such a good minister, gifted with such a good church, I cannot. All I can say is that these changes and victories have increased at the rate that our prayer life has increased. We have begun a 5 minute prayer gathering (actually 5 minutes!) twice every week. We have returned to a rhythm of prayers before services and even after services as well. We have started occasional prayer services. We have monthly intercessory gatherings. We have publicized a prayer room (a space designated for prayer at all times) which is open every day of the week. We have discussed at length how we can increase prayers during services. And the more we have prayed, the more we have had reason to be grateful.
So yes, I'd love to say it's all me. But it isn't. I am certain that, had we not prayed, change would not have taken place; even if I were to have all the right words and all the right ideas, surrounded by a group of leaders with all the right enthusiasm. The truth is, none of those things are true. The only truth is that we have prayed and thus far, the Lord has answered in ways we did not ask. Deo Gratias.
Revd Luciana Damascena
West Sussex Network
Worthing Baptist Church
At Worthing Baptist Church, God has been shaping a particular kind of culture 
over the last sixteen years — and this continues to deepen. We often describe ourselves through a handful of values which have gradually become part of our shared life together: uncomplicated, adventurous, diverse, fun, real, and different. Over this time, we have intentionally stripped back much of what can easily make church over-busy and exhausting. Our main focus is gathering together on Sunday mornings for musical worship, prayer, encouragement, teaching, and communion, alongside Life Groups during the week.
We keep things simple. We have a few socials during the year, but not many — informal beach picnics in the summer, relaxed times together at cafes, and at our last Covenant Service we simply ordered fish and chips rather than spending hours catering. Part of our conviction is that church should build people up rather than wear them out. Rather than keeping people constantly busy with church activities, we encourage people to live out their faith naturally in everyday life, within the wider community.
Another significant focus for us is discipleship, inner transformation, and contemplative spirituality — what we often describe as Christ-awareness and self-awareness growing together, by grace. Through sermons, conversations, prayer, and honest storytelling, we try to create space for people to become more awake to God, to themselves, and to one another.
This means we often engage openly with real-life subjects affecting many people today — including addiction, neurodiversity, mental health, physical health and wellbeing, sexuality and gender, singleness, childlessness, and questions of identity and belonging. We are also grateful for the increasingly positive relationships we are building within our local community. Over the last three years we have celebrated three same-sex marriages for members of our church family, and this summer we are delighted that Worthing Pride has invited us to walk in the parade together as a church beneath a banner reading: “You are loved as you are.”
We continue to see signs of God’s grace at work in quiet but meaningful ways: people becoming more open and authentic, deeper friendships forming, individuals growing in faith and self-awareness, and visitors telling us they feel able to breathe and be themselves.
Prayer Requests
• Pray that our members and regulars would continue to embrace discipleship, self-awareness, inner transformation, and contemplative practices as part of following Jesus.
• Pray that we would continue to be seen as good news within our town and beyond — that people from every background would encounter the love, welcome, and grace of Christ through us.
• Pray that we would continue to declutter, simplify, and adapt wisely; and that together we would continue to “see Jesus more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly, day by day.”