It was good to meet again after the winter break, though sadly, quite a few were unable to be with us, largely due to ill-health. Sue reminded us of last year’s motto ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10) and admitted that she hadn’t seen her motto bookmark for a while. Then she realised it must have been in the Good News New Testament that she gave to an A&E nurse last May!

Much had happened to all of us in the past year. There’d been some really tough times and there’d been times of joy, but in all these, we’d experienced the truth of ‘Be still and know that I am God.’

Our motto this year is ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5). The writer of Hebrews was referring back to an occasion in the Old Testament when the Israelites were facing the very frightening and daunting situation of going into the Promised Land. The Lord told them not to be afraid or discouraged because he’d ‘Never leave them nor forsake them’ (Joshua 1:5,9 and Deuteronomy 31:6,8). Looking back later, Joshua reminded them that the Lord had kept his promises (Joshua 23:14).

In the coming year we’ll all be faced with good and tough times, but we can be reassured that when the Lord promises his presence with us ALWAYS, he doesn’t lie. Whatever this year holds he will ‘Never leave us nor forsake us’!

In these difficult times in which we live, it is so important to let this truth sink into our hearts and minds!

Sunday, 29th March, 2026

10am – Palm Sunday Walk of Witness from top of Warren Hill, Woodingdean with possibly, Solomon the donkey making an appearance followed by refreshments back in Woodingdean CP School. Our pastor, Jeryl Bayona will lead an all-age service at 10.30am.

Thursday, 2 April, 2026

2pm – Thursday Fellowship Maundy Thursday service with Communion in the Parish Room of the Holy Cross Church.

Friday, 3rd April, 2026

9.30am – Good Friday Communion at Woodingdean CP School.  Sue Cunningham will lead us.

Sunday, 5th April, 2026

10.30am – Easter Service led by pastor Jeryl Bayona at Woodingdean CP School.

Please do join us.  We can assure you of a very warm welcome!

Sunday, 1st March 2026 – O happy day! The day we welcomed Reverend Jeryl Bayona as he was officially inducted into the pastorate of Downs Baptist Church.

It was good to see many old friends and guests as we joined together for this very happy occasion.

A big thank you was extended to Bryan Pickard for his invaluable counsel and support over the past few years.

We look forward to serving God in this place as we seek ‘to know Him better and to make Him known!’

To hear a recording of the Induction, and to hear an inspiring message by Rev, Dr Myra Blyth, head to: Sermons

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

Isaiah 6 v 3 (NIV)

Consider: “People have become blind to His presence but the glory of God cannot be contained – it spills out through all the earth.” How does this speak to you this week?

The verse of the week is usually inspired by the teaching the previous Sunday and you can listen to any recordings by clicking on the link below:

https://downsbaptistchurch.org/resources/sermons/10.

Thursday Fellowship reconvened for its spring session on 5th March, 2026 and the programme for the first couple of months is listed below. Further dates will follow shortly.

Please do consider joining us at 2pm in the Parish Room of the Holy Cross Church unless stated – we can assure you of a very warm welcome! 

5th March – Sue Cunningham (Motto)

12th March – Ann Dracott

19th March – Graham Dawson

2nd April – Maundy Thursday Service

9th April – Dr Ruth Butlin (Leprosy Mission)

16th April – Rosemary Kemp

23rd April – Jane Leaver

30th April – Praise and Share

For further information head to the following link:- Thursday Fellowship

What does it mean to belong to a church today?

For me, as the new pastor of Downs Baptist Church, it means being part of a shared journey. It is a journey shaped by hope, honesty, and a desire to live well. It is a real privilege to serve this church family and to walk together as we learn, grow, and share life, with all its joys and challenges.

At the heart of Downs Baptist Church is a simple purpose: to know God and to make Him known. Not as a slogan, but as a way of life. We are a community, learning step by step, to place God at the centre not just on Sundays, but in the ordinary moments of everyday life.

When we gather, we do more than attend a service. We worship. We pray honestly. We open the Bible and reflect on it together. We do not treat the Bible as a book of quick fixes or easy answers, but as a living story that helps us make sense of life, hope, and faith in a complex world.

Jesus once said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Those words shape everything we do. Faith, for us, is not about having everything worked out or pretending certainty where there are real questions. It is about getting to know Jesus and in that relationship, finding direction, meaning, and life.

But faith does not end inside church walls.

Downs Baptist Church is a church that looks outward. What we believe must shape how we live: in kindness, compassion, and care for others. We want our faith to be visible not only spoken, but lived. Love, when it is real, always takes action.

Jesus put it simply: “Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbour as yourself.”
These words guide who we are, how we worship, and how we serve our community.

So, whether you are exploring faith for the first time, returning after time away, or simply curious and carrying honest questions, you are welcome here. Downs Baptist Church is a place to belong, to reflect, to grow and to discover life shaped by faith, hope and love in Christ.

Revd Jeryl G Bayona, BTh (Hons), MSc (RCM)

Revd Jeryl G. Bayona is our new part-time minister. His preaching reflects a commitment to inclusive worship and multi-voiced service, shaped by theological study at Oxford, performance science at the Royal College of Music, and current doctoral research into autism-inclusive aviation services.  His ministry time is usually focused between Thursday and Sunday. 

At present, Jeryl will preach on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.

Please pray for Jeryl and his family at this exciting time as they prepare and plan for the big move to Woodingdean.

To know God and to make Him known

A WORSHIPPING CHURCH OF PEOPLE WHO PRAY AND FOLLOW THE TEACHING OF THE BIBLE.

Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14 v 6

A WITNESSING CHURCH OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE OUR FAITH IN WORDS AND ACTIONS.

Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” Luke 10 v 27

On a cold but thankfully dry February morning, Faith and John hosted a Thursday Fellowship coffee morning. I say coffee but tea was in abundance also as were the scrumptious tray bakes that Faith had made to tempt us all. Who cannot resist cheese scones, lemon drizzle cake, chocolate cake and an extremely popular coffee and walnut cake?

12 members gathered and it was good to meet and have fellowship – the winter seems so long and we were all cheered by the thought that our devotional meetings will recommence on Thursday 5th March.

We felt it keenly that a number of regular members were unable to attend and our prayers and thoughts are with Sue C, June, Mick and Barbara at this time. We sang our Birthday song to Sue P, Margaret R, Maria and John asking the Lord to bless them in the coming year.

What a lovely time we had together!

If you would like to join our merry little group then please do come along to the Parish Room of the Holy Cross Church in Warren Road at 2pm on a Thursday afternoon.  For further details head to – https://downsbaptistchurch.org/community/thursday-fellowship/

We can assure you of a very warm welcome.

A group of merry carollers joined together outside DBC Community Greengrocers on Saturday 13th December to spread some festive cheer to passers by.  This year, as it so often does, our event coincided with the Rottingdean and Saltdean Lions collecting at the crossroads. 

It was a beautiful sunny day and we were rather warm dressed in our winter attire.  It was lovely to welcome some new singers this year to swell our number and a visit from our Councillor, Jacob Allen was a nice surprise and encouragement! 

It was a happy and joyous occasion as we sang our way through the Bethlehem Carol sheet with the traditional carols that people are so familiar with.  A few stopped to listen from a distance! 

This event seems to be a firm favourite with singers and the many passers by who waved from the buses and the car drivers who tooted their horns!

A big thank you to Mark who arranged a super backing track and to Sue who supplied us with tea and coffee.

Thursday Fellowship finished the autumn session with it’s Carols, Candles and Cake service – a very fitting end and a beautiful lead in to our Christmas celebrations.

It was lovely to welcome a few visitors as we enjoyed singing familiar carols and heard the retelling of the Christmas story.   

Sue read a very thought-provoking story entitled, ‘Grandpa’s Christmas Tree’. No matter what state of disrepair the tree was in each year, Grandpa was always able to fix it and make it beautiful and serviceable so that his family could decorate it with lights, tinsel and baubles. Sue’s message to us was that no matter what state our lives are in, God is able to ‘fix it’ and transform us so that we can shine for Him in our lives.

How blessed are we that God sent His only Son to be born as one of us and to die for our sins that we might live! He is Immanuel, God with us.  No longer do we walk in darkness – a light has dawned, Hallelujah!

It was lovely to be able to linger a while, chatting and enjoying a cup of tea, nibbles and of course plenty of cake. We even got to take a piece of Christmas cake home beautifully made and packaged by Lis!

Thursday Fellowship will resume on Thursday 5th March, 2026 but we are planning a Coffee Morning in February so watch this space for further details.

We wish you all a peaceful and blessed Christmastime.