News from the Networks 

 

Mid Sussex network

Haywards Heath Baptist Church

As with stories repeated around the country we are seeing a wave of conversions.  As Jennie Allen and the other leaders involved with Gather25.com attest, God is answering the prayers of our generation and doing a new thing around the world.

Pamela* was convicted by the Holy Spirit to come back to God after living as an atheist for over 20 years. She walked into church without knowing anyone.  Shelley* became aware that her involvement with the occult and new-age stuff was bad for her, to get help she walked into the first church she could find and has been overwhelmed by the cleansing love of the Holy Spirit.  Barry* has discovered a desire for God through reading Jordan Peterson, looked for a church to help turn his life around and is pursing Jesus now. Craig* is shocked that he finds himself in church as a former inmate who would never have imagined he could have believed.


These are all new stories, with changed names, from the last 6 months and we get to celebrate them, and others at a baptism service on the 23rd February.  We are doing nothing ’special’ as a church - the photo is us hosting an evangelistic event with Tough Talk in November.  Simply preaching the gospel, praying for our town, loving our neighbour and welcoming the stranger.  It reminds me of a quote from Spurgeon: "Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.”  This is our experience of the last year and our prayer for our brothers and sisters across our network.
 

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North Downs network

Chiddingfold Baptist Church

GOD IS ALREADY THERE
“The Lord your God will go before you” Deuteronomy 31:3a
 
I can’t believe it is already February! So, as we move forward into the new year, we at Chiddingfold Baptist Church look back and reflect on how faithful and good God is. He preserved our lives, nourished our souls and provided beyond our basic needs. And we believe that tomorrow will be no different. It is in God’s nature to be faithful!
 
2024 was a challenging yet rewarding year. We felt God guiding us through and through. We had three evangelist events followed by concerts and are planning for more in 2025. We are sowing the Gospel and focusing on the power of the seed. We pray for a good harvest and know the seeds will yield a good crop soon.
 
A few prayer points:

• For the Gospel contacts, we made last year to mature further and develop into good relationships with the church.
• That the two disciples I am currently working with to fully commit to following Jesus.
• For our church members, health. Quite a few have been unwell lately. 

We give thanks:

• For our toddlers and parents group, which is steadily growing.
• Our monthly Repair Café is going strong. 

We hold on to God’s promises in Deuteronomy. In the face of their fear, Moses reminds the people that “the Lord your God will go before you” (Deut 31:3) and “…he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut 31:8).
 
As we face new challenges, peace of heart and mind is possible because God is already there.
Rev. Joao Bolzan
 

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South Kent network

South Ashford Baptist Church

Last September South Ashford Baptist welcomed Revd. Sophie Carnaby as their Outreach Pastor. Since then, we’ve been focussed on making small changes to our existing programme to make it more missional. Our monthly Breakfast Church now serves one hot food and discusses one hot topic, and we’ve planned to recommence a monthly family-friendly service. At Christmas we held a pop-up nativity and in our recent services we’ve been considering how we can participate in God’s mission in the world.

Please pray for us as we try to discern how we should best engage with our local community.

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Mid Sussex network

Southwick Christian Community Church

We at Southwick Christian Community Church are still without a Pastor after 2.5 years, so prayers are required that the Lord will provide a leader and the means to accommodate them within this coming year.
 

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West Kent network

Tonbridge Baptist Church

We are in a process of discussing how we, as TBC, engage with the LGBT community which will end with a vote in June this year.  Can you please pray that as we listen we treat one another with kindness and dignity?

We are thankful for the 18 baptisms we had in October and December last year and encouraged with our food bank, Sustain, featuring at the end of last year on the BBC Southeast News and in a few interviews on BBC Radio Kent.  Involvement with our local schools is increasing, which is an encouragement.
 
“God doesn’t call me to be successful.  God calls me to be faithful.”  Mother Teresa
 

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East Sussex network

Newhaven Baptist Church

The photo at the beginning of this piece is of the window over the entrance to our church, which is a constant encouragement to us all.

We are currently actively seeking a new Minister, having been without one for nearly a year. We pray that the person who is right for us will emerge, and we will recognise them and be empowered to provide them with the spiritual and material support that they need. While we are waiting for that person, we pray that God will keep giving us the guidance and strength to continue the work as a group of his people, proclaiming and practising the priesthood of all believers.

A key part of our work is our Food Bank, which runs alongside our twice-weekly drop-in ‘Tea and Chat’ sessions. Both the Food Bank and ‘Tea and Chat’ are open to all members of the local community. This work has grown considerably in recent years, now used by over 140 households who collect food bags, with several more people who just come for a warm space, a drink and a chat. We marvel that God has provided for this work via generous granting organisations, local government and many individuals. We pray firstly that one day soon the Food Bank will not be needed, but meanwhile that God will continue to provide both finance and devoted volunteers, and give guidance to run it efficiently and sensitively.