Events 

Please note - with all events advertised below, whilst we are publicising them, the views and comments expressed are not necessarily approved by the Association - unless they have been organised specifically by the Association. 

Jobs and Vacancies 

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Assistant Manager - Refresh Café - QE Park Baptist Church, Guildford

QEPark Baptist is a lively Christian church planted in a well-established Estate in North Guildford. Our Café – Refresh - is at the forefront of the Church’s community engagement and seeks to express our values through practical service to others.

We are seeking a highly motivated Assistant Manager who can bring their work, life and faith experience to further develop our much-loved café.

Our Assistant Cafe Manager oversees the daily operations, manages staff, ensures customer satisfaction, and maintains financial and operational efficiency in a café setting.

If you have a passion for good quality food, coffee and proven strong leadership skills, we’d love to hear from you.

Click here for the job description.

Please send your CV (and a cover letter) to refresh@qeparkbaptist.org.uk and we will be in touch.
Closing date 5 October.

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Youth & Families Worker - Make a Lasting Impact! - Folkestone Baptist Church

Join Folkestone Baptist Church on Our Exciting Journey to build on our youth and families work.

Role: Youth and Families Worker (Qualified or with relevant experience)
Location: Folkestone Baptist Church – Two sites: Hill Road and Capel Street
Hours: 20 per week (15/5 split between sites, flexibly arranged)
Salary: £15000 per year, 5 weeks holiday plus pension

Are you passionate about inspiring young people and families? Folkestone Baptist Church is a small but growing family church and we’re looking for someone dynamic to join our team! We believe in the good news about Jesus that transforms lives and communities, and now we have an exciting opportunity for you to be at the heart of this mission.
If you’re ready to help us strengthen existing projects and launch new ventures, we’d love to hear from you! Bring your passion, ideas, and commitment, and join us in making a difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families.
 
To be considered for this role, you will need to provide a full DBS check and references. The post has a Genuine Occupational Requirement for the successful candidate to be a practising Christian who aligns with the church’s values and leads a life consistent with biblical teachings.
 
Interested? Please email katy.ruddle@yahoo.co.uk  for an application pack. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Ministry Lead for Children, Young People & Families - Queens Road Baptist Church, Broadstairs

QRBC is a busy church at the heart of Broadstairs with an established and growing ministry with children, young people and families. We have a range of activities on offer at present including our Sunday clubs, with an average of 30 to 40 children each week and youth church with an average of 15 young people. We have midweek small groups for young people who want to go deeper into the bible, monthly youth worship events and a youth club. We also have a range of activities open to families during the week with The GAP project, including Family Café, Family Connect, Parents and Toddlers, Creche and Baby Focus. Between all these activities we have contact with around 200 children and young people.

We recognise that we need to grow and develop the teams that work across these different groups to ensure that we don’t just maintain but develop our service to our church families and wider community. We want to grow disciples and nurture those who attend regularly but also to show God’s love to the children and young people who are on the periphery of church life and in our wider community. This is an exciting and challenging fulltime leadership role for someone who has the training, skills, experience and gifts to develop this ministry. You will be working alongside a supportive team as we seek to live out the vision and mission of our church together.

We are looking for someone who loves Jesus and has a heart for children, young people and families. You will play a pivotal role in growing and developing the teams who deliver this varied ministry, we need you to be an enabler who will recognise gifts in others and support them as they serve. We would want you to help develop a vision for the future as we seek to show God’s love everyday to the children, young people and families with whom we have contact - from initial contact, relationship building and practical support to teaching and discipling. This is a role for someone who is passionate about helping others grow in faith, feel they belong, and discover their place in God’s story.

For a job description, click here.

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Families' & Children's Worker (full-time) - Findon Valley Free Church (Baptist)

FVFC are looking to employ a full-time* Families' & Children's Worker; 40 hours per week (£26-28k, depending on experience and qualifications).  

FVFC are in the process of becoming a community Hub, and children’s and family work is a very important part of the vision for this outreach project. Pre-Covid, we had very little F & C work happening amongst families, it took place predominantly through our weekly Toddler group. More recently, this area has begun to develop across whole church life, with activities such as Sunday School, Messy Church, FVFC Kids Summer club, the Toddler Group ‘Open House’ and school liaison/assemblies. We are therefore looking for someone with a vision and heart to develop and build on our already established groups, but also someone who is not afraid to develop new ideas. Someone who is a committed Christian with a mature faith, dedicated, a self-starter who obviously can work within a structure but who has a vision for the church of the future.

Full details are available here.

To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter by email to administrator@fvfc.org.uk or by post to Richard Moore, Administrator, Findon Valley Free Church, 1-11 Lime Tree Ave, Findon Valley, Worthing, BN14 0DJ. 

*this post was previously advertised as a part-time role - but has been updated to full-time

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Vacancies to represent SEBA across the area

SEBA have some vacancies on groups that you may be interested in (see list below).

• Two SACRE vacancies - on the panels, who provide input into how Religious Education is taught and collective worship is undertaken in our schools - the vacancies are in LEA areas of Surrey and Medway - click here for the role description - and here for the terms of reference. If you would like more information about the role of a SACRE representative, our current East Sussex SACRE rep, Peter White, is more than happy to have a chat - if you would like his details, please contact Steph Tidy (admin@seba-baptist.org.uk) 
• up to two Trustee vacancies for the Kent Workplace Mission - the KWM work in Kent, Medway, Bromley & Bexley supporting people of faith, at work; developing chaplaincy ministries in workplaces and helping local Christian communities to actively engage with their local economic community.  For more information, go to their website kentworkplacemission.org

If you are interested in being involved in this way, please email Steph steph@seba-baptist.org.uk 

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If you would like to add a church-based or Christian charity vacancy to the monthly email please let me know steph@seba-baptist.org.uk

Please note, we cannot post vacancies for Church Minister positions, as these should go through your Regional Minister and the Settlement system.

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Resources and Information 

 

Everyone Everywhere - NextUp Mentors needed!

We were pleased to let you know recently that Everyone, Everywhere is a partner in NextUp, an exciting new 18-month learning community designed to identify, train, and release Baptist missional leaders aged 18-35 into a wide range of mission contexts.

Running through to October 2027, NextUp brings together young adults from across Baptist churches who have a heart for God’s mission and a desire to grow as leaders - whether they are volunteers, interns, youth or children’s workers, worship leaders, ministers, or simply exploring new ways to serve. But we need your help!

As the programme begins, we're looking for people who can help invest in these emerging leaders in two practical ways.

1. Mentors
Right now we are seeking experienced practitioners who would be willing to meet online with a young leader approximately once every 4-6 weeks throughout the 18-month programme.
We're particularly looking for people who have experience in and a passion for sharing faith, making disciples, building relationships in their communities, and helping develop new Christian communities. Whether you’re a minister with a passion for evangelism, or someone with experience in a church plant, fresh expression, micro-church, missional community, or another pioneering context, your insights could make a significant difference to a younger leader finding their way.
The greatest gift you can offer is not specialist expertise, but the wisdom, encouragement, and perspective that comes from lived experience.

2. Shadowing Opportunities
Later on we’ll also be seeking opportunities for participants to spend a week or two observing and learning alongside practitioners in real mission settings. These will, in part, be shaped by the calling that the emerging leaders are sensing in their lives, but at this stage, we'd love to hear from anyone who may be willing to open up their context in the future.

Could You Help?

Our most pressing need is for mentors, as we'd like to have these relationships in place over the next month or two as the programme gets underway.

If you would be interested in serving as a mentor, offering a shadowing opportunity, or simply finding out more, please contact me at ee@rivertree.org.uk.

If you know of an emerging leader who might benefit from NextUp it’s not too late for them to get involved. They can find out more here, and although the deadline is looming, if they contact Matt Ceasar within the next week or two they should still be able to sign up.

One way we can see the vision of Everyone, Everywhere become a reality is by investing in the next generation of missional leaders. Thank you for considering whether you might play a part in that.

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Single Friendly Church

Single Friendly Church Week

27 September - 4 October 2026  

We are inviting everyone – from church leadership to people in the pews – to join our 8-day campaign Single Friendly Church Week!

For one week, churches, leaders, and individuals across the UK are coming together to say clearly: single people at every stage of life are welcomed, valued, and included here. Whether you're never married, divorced, widowed, or a single parent, you belong at the heart of this community, and not on its edges.

This is your invitation to be part of the movement. Hosting an event during Single Friendly Church Week doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to be intentional. Together, we can inspire a culture shift that helps every person in your congregation truly flourish.

Not sure where to begin?

We want to make sure you have all of the resources you need to take part in whichever way suits your church community, so have created a variety of things to help you. Start with downloading our SFCW Resource Pack, joining our online Q&A sessions, or brainstorm with others how to celebrate Single Friendly Church Week.

Start the journey here
 

Belonging Conference - 26 September 2026 

We're kicking off Single Friendly Church Week with your invitation to our conference ‘Belonging: Every single person: loved, welcomed and valued’.

You are invited to a thought-provoking day of talks, panel discussions and workshops all on theology of singleness, single ministry as mission, the nuances of relationship status, single people's stories, and much more. This is not an event for single people solely but to ask how we can change the culture around singleness in churches across denominations.
 
We've designed the day to be a single friendly experience, with a variety of ways to engage and participate. Full programme details to follow soon.

Register here.

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‘One Body, Many Parts’: Independence or Interdependence?

Disability Awareness Sunday 2026

‘One Body, Many Parts’ (1 Corinthians 12) is the theme of this year’s Disability Awareness Sunday on 27th September 2026. Young autistic Christian author, Triona Brading, is encouraging all churches to ‘save the date'!
 
Triona is one of the authors of a new book: ‘Belonging without Barriers’, a much-needed resource on disability inclusion as a gospel issue, due out on 20 March 2026. Also by Triona Brading is ‘In His Image’, a colourful children’s book on what it means to be neurodivergent.
 
For Disability Awareness Sunday, Triona is teaming up with charity Through the Roof on a new free resource for churches, due out in April, exploring how all types of people are needed in God’s Church – including those who are disabled or neurodivergent.
 
In a video to accompany the resource, Triona will share her story of discovering, aged 21, that she is autistic. She is passionate about sharing the truth that being ‘different’ (in how your body or brain works) does not stop you being part of God’s family or using your gifts to strengthen it. ‘You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.’ (1 Cor. 12:27).

What is ‘Interdependence’?

Interdependence is depending on each other and on God to support our needs. The world encourages us to depend on no-one but ourselves. But Jesus encouraged true community and interdependence. The beauty of an interdependent church is the opportunity to bless and serve each other, bringing our unique gifts, skills, experiences, strengths and weaknesses for God to use to build his kingdom.

Triona herself explains how she sees God’s family, the Church, as interdependent:
‘Every part is needed: [1 Cor. 12] verse 21 gives quite a funny visual to imagine... (As an autistic person, I might chuckle to myself because I will imagine it literally happening!) “The eye can’t say to the hand ‘I don’t need you’. The head can’t say to the feet ‘I don’t need you’. In fact, it’s quite the opposite”.
Can you imagine it?! Body parts going rogue and breaking free of the body, hopping away and trying to live independently of one another? … That’s the thing about us as the Body of Christ. We need one another!’

Tim Wood, CEO of Through the Roof, who wrote the Foreword to the book ‘Belonging Without Barriers’, says:
‘At its core, accessibility is a theological issue. The Church is the Body of Christ and every member is an indispensable part of it (1 Cor 12). … Scripture teaches about inclusion, dignity and (one of Through the Roof's core values) interdependence. In a world that often prioritises independence and perfection, the gospel offers a different vision: interdependence and grace. Interdependence recognises that we are dependent on God and interdependent upon one another. Arguably it is modelled by God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’

Join us to celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday

Celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday on 27 September 2026 or on any Sunday!

It is a chance for churches across the UK to begin or deepen conversations about inclusion of disabled and neurodivergent people. It’s about being God’s family, journeying together.

Download the free resources to show Triona’s video, involve disabled people in worship, and take a step toward a church where every person belongs and can play an active part.

Get a copy the free resources (in English or Welsh) at: throughtheroof.org/forchurches/disability-awareness-sunday

Be part of the movement. Let’s transform lives together.

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Sight Loss Sunday

Sight Loss Sunday is an initiative by Torch Trust, an organisation dedicated to enabling blind and partially sighted people to encounter Jesus, grow in their faith and thrive in Christian community. Sight Loss Sunday is a great opportunity to celebrate those who are blind and partially sighted in our congregations and communities; and to equip the church to achieve it’s aim of welcoming all of God’s people. Even if there is no one in your church who you can currently think of that has sight loss, the RNIB suggest that one in five people will live with sight loss in their lifetime. As we seek to reach out to the world with the good news of Jesus, having churches that are welcoming and accessible for those with sight loss is a demonstration of God’s love in action.

This year, Sight Loss Sunday will be taking place on Sunday 11th October 2026.

There are lots of ways that you can mark Sight Loss Sunday – through a full ‘Sight Loss Sunday service’ or including sight loss in other aspects of church life e.g. in the prayers. Our website has a wealth of Sight Loss Sunday resources that you can access to assist you in this, organised into four different themes.

• Is seeing believing? Resources which look at the many and various gifts people with sight loss have which can be used to enrich their church
• Made in God’s image. Resources with a focus on how blind and partially sighted people are unique and valuable and made in the image of God
• Walking by faith, not by sight. Resources which remind us that we don’t need to have sight to be able to have faith in God and journey with Him
• Who does God call? Resources which look at God’s call on our lives and how God doesn’t see sight loss as a barrier to leading and serving

We would love churches to celebrate Sight Loss Sunday with us on 11 October but if that date doesn’t work for you, the resources can be used at any time of the year.

If you would like any more information about the work of Torch Trust and how we can support you as you welcome those with Sight Loss, please do have a look at our website www.torchtrust.org or get in touch slfc@torchtrust.org

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