We know it's
not easy visiting a church service for the first time. You may be asking yourself
questions such as: Where do I park? Will anyone speak to me? Will they ask me
for money? Is there anything on for my children?
We understand how this might
feel feel, so we thought we would provide some information that might
make your visit a bit easier...
Who are we?
Bovingdon Baptist Church consists of a wide
range of different people, from all ages and different backgrounds.
Whoever you are, you are assured a very warm welcome.
Arriving: If
it's your first visit then it's probably best to turn up around
10.15am. For directions to reach us please see the 'directions'
page. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. We are an informal
church and accept people as they are.
What to expect: For
some people going anywhere for the first time can be a bit of a
nerve-racking experience. To help avoid any worries here's a quick
summary of what you can expect at Bovingdon Baptist Church.
First of all we aren't
super-spiritual beings, we all had a 'first day' at church, you'll find
we are a friendly bunch. If you don't understand something please
simply ask. We start our meeting at 10.30am with a few minutes of
notices keeping us informed of diary dates etc, then we spend about 25
minutes worshipping. Our worship time consists of modern songs (with
guitar, keyboard and drums), and open times of prayer. Everyone participates
in the worship but at 11am the kids and youth go to their own group. We then have a talk from the
bible that is relevant and meaningful to our modern lives. We finish
our meeting around midday, with tea and coffee. Although the
collection bag is passed round, many of us give by standing order. We don't
expect visitors to put money in.
Our aim is that whether
you are just looking into Christianity for the first time or have been
a Christian for many years that you should be encouraged and inspired
by the morning. We hope that everyone will draw closer to God.
What we believe: We
are a Christian church and believe that all can have relationship with
God. We believe this relationship with God is possible because of Jesus
(God's only son) who invites us to follow him. We have friendly
relationships with other local churches from both traditional and
modern backgrounds. If you are interested in exploring the Christian
faith then please come along on a Sunday or contact the office.
Is it just Sundays? Absolutely
not! God is with us all week long and we aim to lead lives pleasing to
him. We're not perfect and we do make mistakes, but we desire to make a
positive difference in everything we do. To further encourage us we
have midweek small groups (a small group is simply a meeting of up to
10 people in someone's house). Small groups are a great way to get to
know others in the church and to be real with each other about everyday
living. If you are just looking into Christianity you are welcome to
come along to a small group but you may prefer to join an Alpha group.
Alpha is a great way to find out more about God and the claims of
Christianity. No question is too stupid and you'll find other people
also exploring God for the first time. If you are interested in Alpha, then contact the church office.
For disabled people: We
aim to be an all-inclusive church. However our resources are limited so
we try to provide for our current attendees. If you wish to discuss
specific needs please contact the church office. Our premises are
wheelchair accessible. There is a fully wheelchair accessible toilet and level
access into into the church. We do not currently
have a loop for hearing aid users (please tell us if this would be
helpful).
