It was such a joy to witness the baptisms of three of our dear friends, Bob Leaver, Ruth Sherman and Sylvia Crompton.

Our Moderator, Bryan Pickard gave a brief explanation of what was about to happen before conducting the baptisms and then brought a timely word from 1 John 1 v 5 – 2 v 11. To listen to this message, head to: Sermons

All three participants told their story of how they came to faith and the recordings are below.

Sylvia:

Ruth:

Bob:

Lord, we thank you for the precious gift of baptism and that Sylvia, Ruth and Bob have been able to publicly declare their love for you.  Lord, we ask that you would bless them abundantly. We pray that you would work deeply within their hearts and souls to renew and refresh them each day. Guide their footsteps and give them a hope and a vision for the future. Father, cover and protect them now, encircle them with your promises and fill their hearts with joy. May this day be one they cherish and remember forever! Amen.

Jane leads our online Prayers this month and carries on from where Gareth left off last month with a focus on Joshua 1 v 9 and Philippians 4 v 4-7.

What a joy it was to witness the baptism of Pete Millis at Rottingdean Beach on Sunday, 18th August, 2024.

I do hope you are all able to access the video below:

https://www.facebook.com/downsbaptistchurch/videos/1591996004981072

Gareth leads our monthly online prayer time this month focusing on Joshua 1 v 6-7 and Philippians 4 v 6.

Please continue in your prayers for Burundi. 

June 2024 update: Richard has sent some photos through showing new believers and also the foundations for a new church building. God is good!

Richard Brunton from Living Hope Ministries has asked Downs Baptist Church to pray for Burundi which is served by Richard and one of his teams.  The work of LHM is to teach pastors and leaders to build effective churches all over the world.  This includes the discipling of new believers.

We have just heard from Richard and Elaine (May 2024) that a new church plant for ‘Pygmy’ people is being planted in the country. Prayer changes things and brings encouragement to the churches and also to the team at Living Hope Ministries. Thank you.

The key person to pray for in Burundi is Pastor Eddy Bukeyeneza who works with four other pastors there.  In 2023 the pastors were responsible for the outreach ministry and preaching of the gospel in different communities and churches throughout Burundi.  They sent back reports of the number of new believers, which totalled 1254.  It was good to hear that some other believers were baptised roundabout Christmas time.

INFO ABOUT BURUNDI

The republic of Burundi is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Africa at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and East Africa.  It borders in the north with Rwanda.  The capital city is Gitega, and the official languages are Kirundi (national language), French and English.  It is densely populated and one of the smallest countries in Africa.  It is primarily a rural society, and the land is mostly used for subsistence agriculture and grazing.  As of 2005 the country was almost completely deforested.  It is probably the poorest country in the world with widespread poverty, corruption, instability, authoritarianism and illiteracy.

It gained independence from Belgium in 1962 and has been ruled in the past by Tutsi dictators.  It experienced a genocide of Hutus in 1972.  55% of the population are of Hutu ethnic origin, 15% are Tutsis and less than 1% are Twa.

The Burundi constitution guarantees religious freedom, but several churches have been banned.  67% of the population are Christians, of which 62% are Roman Catholic and only 5% are Protestant.  32% of the people practise indigenous religions and 1% are Muslim.

If we look at the history of Richard’s team ministry in Burundi before it developed into the lively ministry of outreach and evangelism which we find today, we see that a door was first opened into Burundi, pioneered by Richard himself, in 2016.  Richard later handed over the baton to a team or group of people, so that they could take care of the visits to Burundi.  However, Richard continued to oversee them when they went out on mission. The job of the team or group was primarily to build friendships, to provide teaching for the pastors so that new believers could be discipled, and to encourage and support the churches, which they are continuing to do to the present day.

In particular, a telephone ministry has developed in the countries served by Richard and his teams.  This takes place when people in Africa gather in crusades, seminars and Bible study groups.  Gatherings of leaders pause as a live telephone message produced by Richard himself is translated into their language.  One such group who use this telephone ministry to share the word of God operates in Burundi.

As has already been mentioned, Burundi is very poor and mostly rural.  The pastors therefore have to go into remote  areas to plant churches where people generally are unreached by the gospel.  Pastor Eddy is assisted by Peter in the work who also serves the Lord in Kenya. Eddy’s job is to provide teaching seminars and to develop his friendship with the key country contact who stands with him in his ministry and in the ministry of the other pastors.

Please pray as follows:-

• For the new converts – that they will grow in their faith and be a witness to others.
• For Eddy, Peter and the other pastors as they conduct the outreach  ministry, preaching the gospel in different churches and communities throughout Burundi.
• For Richard’s team as they build up the pastors with their teaching as well as supporting the churches.
• For their telephone ministry.
• That all the resources that the team members need are released to them.
• That they are free to pursue whatever they see appropriate to the spiritual needs of Burundi.

Gareth leads our prayer time this month and his thoughts are based around Colossians 3 v 12-17.

BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) works among some of the most marginalised and least evangelised people, in some of the most fragile places on earth. 

As a church we support their work and have signed up to their Birthday Scheme which is administered by Maria, one of our members. To find out more, head to https://downsbaptistchurch.org/community/mission-works/

BMS World Mission Birthday Scheme has been revamped and exciting changes made in order to achieve its full potential, as follows:-

• Birthday Scheme Secretaries have been renamed Birthday Scheme Co-ordinators.  This means someone who organises the BS in the local church, such as an administrator.
• Resources have been refreshed. These include the gift envelopes and the news bulletins.
• BS gifts will continue to support BMS medical work. We were giving to Guinebor 2 hospital in Chad, North Africa, on the edge of the desert, to support them with medicines, operations, surgeons, nurses etc., etc.  Now, however, our gifts will be used for other urgent BMS work, such as evangelism and church planting, education, justice ministries and relief work.
• Birthday Scheme members will receive a free copy of ‘Engage’, the BMS magazine, 3 times a year, to see their birthday gifts at work. Members can, of course, opt out of any mailing and their details will also be fully data protection compliant.

Appeal for more BMS Birthday Scheme Members:-  

We would love to see some more members in the DBC Birthday Scheme. Why not join us and bless others with a gift on your birthday! It will bring encouragement and hope to so many as well as blessing you!

Bryan Pickard’s prophetic message for Downs Baptist Church  on Sunday, 9th July, 2023 as the members seek to be a light shining into the community of Woodingdean.

(Written from notes taken during his sermon)

In 2 parts:-

1.Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 -3 (especially verse 2- Please read it) 

Faith in Action

Note that the book of Hebrews is written to encourage the believers (Jewish converts) not to lose heart, give up their faith or settle for a second-best experience of God.

It is written for us too, exhorting us not to grow weary or fainthearted in our faith journey.

We are exhorted to fix our eyes on Jesus:-

• The pioneer of our faith – He is the breaker of new ground, blasting a way from death to life.
• The finisher (perfecter) of our faith – He is the One who has run the race and now stands at the finishing post. He will see us safely there, holding us fast.

We will succeed and take the victors’ prize.

There is a danger of becoming settlers. We say that “we like it here!” Don’t tread water and go nowhere. Don’t settle for something safe, easy and predictable – Jesus has begun a good work in us – be a pioneering people – trailblazers! But, Jesus must be number one in our lives: Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 – Seek first the Kingdom of God.

He enables us to move forward again (for example after serious illness).

Example of Abraham – his call into the Promised Land. Abraham settled halfway, but God encouraged him to move on again.

We may need to stop and take a breather.  To get some rest with Jesus.

Warning:-  Rest and reflection must not become a settled state.

Some of us may be old (!!), but we are still in the race!

We stop for a while, but we must not tread water. We take a break, but we can’t settle!

2. Joshua chapters 1 – 3  Crossing the Jordan. READ the whole of chapter 3 – (it’s an amazing chapter! )

When God speaks it generates faith. Faith comes through hearing. Romans 10 v 17. When God says we can go on, we can!

Warning:-  Don’t get stuck in the past.

And faith for the future is great, but we are called to live in the here and now.

There have to be changes from our settled state.

Look at the example of Israel – they wandered in the desert for 40 years, having their faith stretched. The time to move on had come.  The Israelites were called to a new experience, to cross over, to break new ground together, to move into their inheritance, to trailblaze.

Chapter 3 verse 4 emphasises that –  “You have never been this way before.”

We are also called to a new experience, to fathom new ways of doing things. There will be new challenges and new victories. However, the best is yet to come.

Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11:-  For I know the plans I have for you…………

If God calls us, we can be brave and courageous like Joshua. We need to be people with a rucksack still on our backs.  We must be willing to pack up our things and move. And our leaders will have to step into the water first! It will be a new season. For example, things that the Israelites relied on, disappeared.  They had to plant their own crops, to manufacture their own food.

In the same way churches want to settle for a nice, secure life. Warning –  Don’t settle for the wrong reasons.

But we have to let go of past insecurities and relationships and be willing to put our feet into the water.  The Spirit of God is urging us to set out upon the waters. God will give us the strength to trailblaze.

Conclusion

Despite the hurts, we want to finish well.  We want to see the work in Woodingdean move forward.  We want to push on ahead with You.

To listen to the first part of Bryan’s message and to see another precis of the second part, head to our Sermons page

Interested in praying for your local school? Unsure of where to start?

Check out the resource below – Pray For Schools

TWTP-for-Schools_Online-v4

An initiative of CARE in England and Wales, in partnership with:

Youth for Christ
Free Churches Group
Prayer Spaces In Schools
Scripture Union
Association of Christian Teachers
Open the Book

At 7pm on Thursday 23rd March 2023, seven of us met in the building that was the first  real ‘home’ of what was named 100 years previously, Downs Free Church. The purpose was to mark the centenary of our church in Woodingdean, in the place where it all began – at least for Downs Church.

The weather forecast had predicted torrential rain and strong winds and this had kept many of our church family away. However the poignancy of the occasion was, I think, shared by the few of us present.

To set the scene, the building is now utilised as a garage which will indicate to you the space and surroundings in which we found ourselves. Chris Yeatman, the present owner, had very kindly strategically placed heaters to warm us as we sat around on garden furniture. We began our time as you can imagine, by drinking tea and coffee, eating cake and chatting about our surroundings. Chris spoke of what he knew of the family members who started the Church.

It was for the occasion. That is until we started to pray. At this point it felt as if our numbers had swelled! And when we began singing “There is a Redeemer,” It felt as though the building itself was singing with us!

What I want to say and I so hope that you, dear reader understand, is that Jesus was there and the Holy Spirit wrapped us in His embrace. I never want to forget that ‘feeling’ of rightness, of continuity, of the Power of God! I pray that He, as our power source, will carry this wonderful church family on with His strength through the next one hundred years and into eternity with Him.   

Report by Margaret Bradford

Original photos of Downs Free Church by Chris Yeatman – with kind permission.