We welcomed back Graham Dawson on a beautiful, sunny, and warm spring afternoon.

Graham’s opening gambit was to pose the question as to why he was a Christian! Now most people might think and say that it is because of Jesus – which of course it is but the crux of the matter is the historical fact of the resurrection. No resurrection – no Bible, no church and no Christianity. Graham reminded us that the disciples and followers of Jesus were not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead even though He had told them it would happen. Nobody expected no body! 

We believe today because the men and women of the time talked about it. The Apostle, Paul said that there was nothing more important than this ….. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred of the brethren at the same time, then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also.” ( 1 Corinthians 15 v 3-8 NIV).

Over the centuries many people have sort to disprove the resurrection, but time and time again those people turned from “cynicism and scepticism to vibrant faith”. Graham gave some examples of people who did just that: Lord Lyttleton, Gilbert West, General Lew Wallis, Robert Ingersoll and Frank Morison (Who Moved The Stone).

The good news is that Jesus is alive and we can have new life through our faith and trust in Him.  Because Jesus is alive we can be assured that:

1. Jesus knows each one of us and cares for us
2. Jesus loves us
3. Jesus hears our prayers
4. Jesus can forgive us – our past, present and future ( 1 John 1 v 9) ” Jesus doesn’t miss any sins!”
5. Jesus makes people friends of God
6. Jesus is with us always and will never leave us nor forsake us
7. Jesus is coming back. For every mention of His first coming, there are 8 mentions of His coming again!

Revelation 21 v 4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain”, He will make everything new.  Jesus is Alive! Christ has risen! How wonderful, how glorious is the love of God!

And Graham’s choice of a closing song? What better than the lovely, old hymn written by A H Ackley in 1933 with the chorus:

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

Thursday Fellowship reconvened for its spring session on 5th March, 2026 and the programme for the session is listed below. 

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

7th May – Rev Karen Bell

14th May – Geoff Harrington

21st May – Quiz Afternoon

28th May – Maeve Whitchurch

4th June – Claire Withams

11th June – Connie Croly

18th June – John Casse

25th June – Anniversary Tea

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

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions.”

Ephesians 2 v 4-5 (NIV)

Remember: There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and there is nothing you can do that will make God love you any less! Think about what this means for you and what response you can make!

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.

We welcomed back Ann Dracott to our meeting.  It is always a delight to see Ann and once again Ann brought a bag full of props (or hotchpotch of items in her words!) for her talk.

This time we were treated to items which had been given as presents to Ann over the years.  Some of the items were very precious and held many memories.

Why do we traditionally give presents?  Out of love, obligation to say sorry, or because it is the thing to do? It is part of our culture and gifts can say a lot about the giver.  Some gifts may be just perfect but others not so and might need to be given away!

Ann reminded us that God always give us the right gift because He knows what we need, what we like and what we can use!

• And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus – Philippians 4 v 19
• Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1 v 17
• There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit – 1 Corinthians 12 v 4. We are all different and we need different things.  God gives us appropriate gifts.
• Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift – 2 Corinthians 9 v 15. God knows just what is right for us and we need to have a personal relationship with Him to truly appreciate His gifts to us.

Everything we have comes from God so what can we give to God that is ours to freely give? Our lives, our free will! It is only when God has our hearts that He can use us.  Can you say in all sincerity, “Your will be done!”

Ann linked her thoughts with the Parable of the Ten Minas in Luke 19 v 11-26. The master gave the servants what they could handle.  To one he gave 10 minas, to another 5 minas and to another just 1 mina. It is a very interesting story to learn what the servants did with the gifts and well worth reading. The lesson is for us all to use the gifts we are given wisely.

Ann concluded with the thought that we should all thank God for the gifts He has given us and not to go comparing our gifts with others. God gives us what we can cope with and He will equip us for works of service. So, lets keep our eyes open and be thankful for the gifts God brings and use them to bless others and bring Glory to our Heavenly Father.

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

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.