News from the Association

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. 

The Nativity Journey - a play for all the family

11-16 December 2024
Wintershall (Holly Barn, Bramley, GUILDFORD, GU5 0LR)

Come and enjoy the real Christmas story at Wintershall Walk with Mary, Joseph and the donkey on the winding, steep road to Bethlehem.

Register for the census and journey with other travellers, Roman soldiers and shepherds as you enter the stable to watch the miracle unfold.

The Wintershall Nativity Journey is an unforgettable experience, bringing the true meaning of Christmas to life for the whole family.

Each performance lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Please note that some scenes are performed outside and some inside Holly Barn theatre, your visit includes a 10 minute walk up a steep hill. Limited disabled parking is available for those who need it most next to Holly Barn Theatre but this must be pre-booked by emailing admin@wintershall.org.uk 

Book tickets now on their website: www.wintershall.org.uk or call 01483 892167

**new** Talking Jesus

Saturday 1 February 2025, 11am-3pm
Shoreham Baptist Church (Western Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5WD)
Guest Speaker: Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf (Executive Director of Hope Together - and the author of the insighful Talking Jesus report)

This event will encourage and equip you to share your faith more effectively.
Discover groundbreaking research into the state of faith in the UK and how best to Talk Jesus in today's cultural conext

The day includes:

• Q&As
• Research facts & stats
• Small group discussion
• Outreach toolds & resources
• Prayer
• Light lunch (*please inform, when booking, of any dietary requirements)

Life Issues programme for 2025 (Godalming Baptist Church)

• Bullying - It's Happening Everywhere - Saturday 25 January 2025, 10am-12.30pm - led by Revd Peter Jackson
  What is bullying? What is the difference between bullying and harassment? We often associate bullying with children but many adults are bullied. In what situations does bullying happen? What are the signs that bullying might be taking place? What does it feel like to be bullied? How do we deal with bullying? Come and join us to look at some of these issues together, and find out ways of combatting bullying whether for our own preservation, or in coming alongside others who are experiencing this intimidating behaviour. The session will be free of charge, but voluntary donations are invited for The National Bullying Helpline. To help with managing numbers, please reserve a place, by Friday 10 January
• Supporting Those Living with Cancer and Beyond - from a Relative's Perspective - Saturday 15 March 2025, 10am-12.30pm - led by Daphne Bleach
  * Do you know what to say, and not to say, when someone says “I have cancer”? * How does a diagnosis of cancer affect someone? * How we can encourage someone to “live well with cancer”? * What help and support is available to patients and their relatives? * Living beyond treatment - the “elephant in the room” * Who is there for those when no further treatment is available’? Following her talk in 2024, Daphne will lead another informative and sensitive talk about how to come alongside and support those living with cancer, to help all of us make the best of the precious time we have together. Please reserve a place, with payment of £7, by Friday 28 February
• Engaging & Empowering Older People - Saturday 26 April 2025, 9.30am-1pm - led by Louise Morse
  What does life hold for us as we get older? How can we continue to make a difference, stay involved and keep well? Led by Louise Morse, a Christian Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, author, and speaker and trainer for The Pilgrims' Friends Society, the morning will cover: God's purpose for older people Faith in later life Christians supporting older people Empowering communities to care How to develop resilience in later life – physically, spiritually and psychologically Please reserve a place, with payment of £8, by Friday 11 April
• Pastoral Care in Challenging Times - Saturday 14 June 2025, 9.30am-1pm - led by Andy Peck
  In this session, we aim to step back and provide an assessment of what pastoral care is and what it isn’t, look together at our mind-sets as we face challenges, and provide a faith-filled expectant outlook that takes Romans 8:28 seriously, knowing that ‘in all things God is at work for the good of those who love him’. Areas looked at will include: • What is pastoral care according to the Bible? • What role might you play in caring for others? • Looking at the five stages of church involvement and the care needed for each • How do we understand the suffering that God allows? • How do we serve at a sustainable pace? • How do we involve others? • How might our care extend beyond the local church? The morning will be a mixture of teaching and small group discussions with time for questions, and notes will be provided. Please reserve a place, with payment of £8, by Friday 30 May
• Trauma: More relevant to every day life than we realise - Saturday 5 July 2025, 10am-12.30pm - led by Libby Williams
  Do you notice yourself or others reacting to seemingly small things in ways that seem out of proportion? Where do these (over) reactions come from? Do you find yourself struggling with certain topics of conversation - feeling like you’d like to escape or noticing you can’t concentrate or keep zoning out? What goes on inside us that makes staying present hard? Do you ever get halfway through a sentence and your mind goes blank, or have a to-dolist but find yourself feeling overwhelmed or procrastinating forevermore? What is happening inside our minds/bodies when this happens? We are familiar with trauma resulting from an accident, abuse or illness, etc. but trauma also encompasses much more. During the session we learn what trauma actually is, where it comes from, and how it is surprisingly relevant to most of our lives. Find out how it effects our bodies, minds, and behaviour, and explore what can be done to help in practical ways. Please reserve a place, with payment of £7, by Friday 20 June

Oasis in the Desert - Ladywell Retreat Centre Away-Day

Saturday 20 September 2025 10 am–4 pm
Ladywell Retreat Centre, Godalming, GU7 1ST
Led by Linda Chamberlain

A day of refreshment & encouragement for Ecumenical women, in the peace and beautiful surroundings of Ladywell Retreat Centre.

Who would wish to live in a desert? Such an extreme environment - vast, dangerous, lonely & barren. Is there any beauty or benefit to be found in such a harsh place? Many Christians experience 'spiritual deserts'. Let's explore together some aspects of desert life through worship, the Word, testimony & creative activities, & discover God's presence & purpose in desert times.

Cost £28 per person (to include lunch & refreshments) - please reserve your place by Friday 22 August 2025 by contacting Sally Pollard, pollard3@hotmail.co.uk, tel: 01483 428646.

Jobs and Vacancies 

**new** Full-time Children's Ministry Leader - Battle Baptist Church

Battle Baptist Church are looking to appoint a fulltime Children’s Ministry Leader. We are looking for someone with a heart to see children transformed as they get to know God, a passion to share the difference knowing Jesus makes and a belief that all, regardless of age, can be filled and equipped by the Holy Spirit. Could this be you?
 
Closing Date for applications, 9am on Monday 18 November.

For more information and to APPLY NOW, go to their website https://www.battlebaptistchurch.org.uk/Groups/430227/Jobs.aspx

Volunteer Ambulance Chaplains - SECAmb

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is looking for Volunteer Ambulance Chaplains - for more details, check out their website.

Full-time Minister - Crawley Baptist Church

Crawley Baptist Church are looking for a full-time Minister to work alongside their Senior Minister, as part of the Staff Team. They are looking for a Minister with a pastoral gifting to work in one of the following three areas:

• a call to work with people on the fringe of the church;
• a call to a church planting ministry; or
• a call to care for the congregation and members of the existing church family

More details about the church and what they are looking for, can be viewed here.

Accredited Baptist Ministers can find the full details on the PVL (Pastoral Vacancy List) - for others, please contact Graham, their Church Secretary if you have any questions.

Full-time Outreach Co-ordinator - West Worthing Baptist Church

West Worthing Baptist church is looking for a Full Time Outreach Coordinator to work alongside the minister, volunteers and premises administrator.

We are looking for someone who has some experience with youth work as well as Outreach/evangelism.  If you are someone who enjoys planning and executing outreach strategies and helping the church to reach out to their communities in different ways and has worked with youth in some capacity, please contact the church office on WestWorthingBChurch@gmail.com or ring the office at 01903 212760 for a job description/person specification document.
Salary will be in the region of £24,500 to 26,000.

Vacancies to represent SEBA across the area

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

• Three 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, Medway and West Sussex- 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

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

If you would like to add a church-based, or Christian charity vacancy to the weekly emailing, 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.

Resources and Information 

Spurgeon's College

Free Taster Day for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies in Theology

10 December, 10am-2.15pm
Spurgeon’s College, South Norwood Hill, London, SE25 6DJ

Come and train to be a competent, capable changemaker in our world today by studying Theology at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

We are inviting you to join us at our Campus during a teaching day to get a feel for life as a student at Spurgeon’s College You will be able to attend our short chapel service, join a lecture, meet with students and staff, tour the campus including the library as well as finding out more about the courses we offer.

For more information, please register here or contact the admissions department for further information: admissions@spurgeons.ac.uk

*We have a café where you will be able to purchase hot or cold drinks as well as snacks and lunch.

The College of Preachers 

Preaching for Advent & Christmas

Saturday 2 November, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: John Woods
This workshop will explore how we can effectively discuss these themes in our Advent preaching, making connections with the Christmas story and the Christian belief that Jesus will return, bringing the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. This workshop will be led by Pastor Dr John Woods. This workshop will be led by Dr John Woods. Dr Woods is the Training Director of the School of Preachers Trust. He has had four decades of experience in pastoral work in the UK and since 1993 has taught preaching in Latvia and other parts of Eastern Europe. He is the author of God is in the House. 

Preaching at Baptisms

Tuesday 14 January, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: Jennifer Brown
In this workshop, we will explore ways to communicate the meaning of baptism, drawing on relevant scriptural passages and the symbols used within the baptism service itself. We will also look at how baptism preaching can be evangelistic, an invitation to those present to start their own journey of faith. The workshop will be led by the Revd Dr Jennifer Brown. Dr Brown is the Director of Training for the College of Preachers and a parish priest in the Church of England's Oxford Diocese, and has more than a decade's experience as a theological educator.

Preaching the Story of Holy Week

Tuesday 25 February, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: Michael Beck
This workshop will explore the narrative that connects these events and consider ways in which our preaching through Holy Week can tell a coherent story of the journey to the cross, while still managing to be effective ‘stand-alone’ sermons. The workshop will be led by the Revd Dr Michael Beck. Dr Beck has been a priest for 44 years in a variety of settings: mainly parish but also 5 years in a major cathedral, as well as having been a police chaplain and a locum hospital chaplain alongside parochial work. He has been a member of the College of Preachers since 1980 and a tutor for over 20 years.

Preaching and Apologetics

Saturday 22 March, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: John Woods
“Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3.15)
This workshop will explore the importance of apologetics within the Church, the relationship between preaching and apologetics, and how our sermons can become effective and powerful tools for equipping Christians to think and speak confidently about their faith. This workshop will be led by Rev Dr John Woods, who is the Training Director of the School of Preachers Trust. He has had four decades of experience in pastoral work in the UK and since 1993 has taught preaching in Latvia and other parts of Eastern Europe. He is the author of God is in the House, which seeks to reimagine how we prepare sermons. 

The Language of Resurrection: Finding the Right Words

Wednesday 2 April, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: Rod Garner
This workshop is for preachers wishing to engage with preaching the resurrection in a secular age. Preparing for Holy Week and Easter provides the fitting, even urgent context, in which teaching and faithfulness to the word of God can be  enriched by the fruits of theology and the creative imagination. This workshop will be led by Rod Garner, Anglican priest, writer and theologian. Rod has served in four urban parishes and taught at colleges and universities in the UK and America. He is an Honorary Fellow at Liverpool Hope University and Emeritus Canon of Liverpool Cathedral. He is the author of numerous books, his most recent being Outsiders: Marching to a Different Drum (Liverpool Hope University Press 2022).
 
For more information about these workshops, including prices and links to book tickets, please visit www.collegeofpreachers.co.uk/events.

Save the date! In addition to our workshops, our next preaching conference, with the theme of ‘The Wonder of Words’, will be taking place in 2025. The conference will be held at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick from 9th to 11th September. 

BMS Regional Speakers

BMS World Mission are looking for BMS Regional Speakers (5 positions across the country), to nurture and strengthen relationships with churches and gain new regular supporters, so they can see more communities transformed in Jesus’ name. Please share the details so BMS can find the  best possible spread of speakers across the UK. Regional Speakers Job advert. 

Baptist Union resources

Project Violet International Symposium

15 & 16 January 2025
Online
The Centre for Baptist Studies in conjunction with Baptists Together are organising this online Symposium, to which we are inviting academically-engaged Baptist women from around the world to discuss the findings of Project Violet and the actions arising from this extensive investigation into women’s experiences of ministry. There will be three 2-hour sessions each day; 8am to 10am, 2pm to 4pm and 7pm to 9pm. All times are GMT, please check how these work for attending from your time-zone. The cost is £45 for online access to all content from both days. We don’t want cost to be a barrier to attending so please contact the conference organizer if cost is a concern as we have some bursaries available. Building on the experience of Project Violet we are making this a woman-only space in order to encourage women's participation.  Further details and the link to register can be found here https://www.cbs-oxford.com/pv.html
 
The direct booking link is https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/centre-baptist-studies/t-zzqlklv