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Easter Services 2024

Bessels Green Baptist Church invites you to Experience Easter:

Ukrainian Advent Craft Fair

‘We warmly invite all Ukrainians, young or old, to come to a morning of Christmas craft, celebration of the birth of Jesus, and lunch – all for free! There will be a variety of crafts for everyone to try such as decorating Christmas biscuits, Christmas lanterns, decorations for the tree and the home, Christmas cards. Table tennis and board games for those who like a challenge.

Before we have a buffet lunch (meat, sausages, cheeses, salads and cakes) we will join together in the Chapel to celebrate the meaning of Christmas and say special prayers for Ukraine. We would love to see you all but please sign up quickly – we can only provide 70 spaces.’

Soul Survivor

Message from the BGBC Trustees re: Soul Survivor

You may have recently read of safeguarding concerns and investigation around some individuals associated with Soul Survivor activities to which, in past years, we have taken young people from this church.

BGBC reiterates that it is fully committed to the safeguarding of all our activities involving our young people.

If you are a parent or part of our youth groups, past or present and wish to talk to a church representative about this please contact Josh Amott our Youth Leader or one of our Safeguarding officers Alison Ovens or Jessica Jamieson, details below.

Josh: josh.amott@bgbc.co.uk
Jessica: davidandjessicajamieson@yahoo.co.uk
Alison: alison.ovens@gmail.com

01732 454921

Yours faithfully,
Charlie
on behalf of the BGBC Trustees

Mental health project ideas

Thanks to a substantial legacy gift and following extensive community consultation and needs analysis, we are committed to delivering a new project that will improve the mental well-being of people in Sevenoaks and the surrounding villages.

Christmas 2022

Blue Christmas

Sunday, 11/12, 6.30 pm
A service for anyone who may find Christmas difficult this year.

Children’s Nativity

Sunday, 18/12, 10.00 am
A creative all-age retelling of the Christmas story by our children and young people.

Carol Service

Friday, 23/12, 6.30 pm
Readings, carols, and prayers for peace on earth. (followed by refreshments)

Christmas Day Celebration

Sunday, 25/12, 10.00 am
Children are invited to bring a toy.

New Year’s Day

Sunday, 01/01, 10.00 am

Youth, Children, and Students November Newsletter 2022

Hi everyone! Well a fair bit has changed in my life since I last wrote one of these! Any spelling mistakes can be blamed on lack of Sleep!

Youth Groups

Over the summer we took some our youth group to the new festival “Satellites”. About 20 of us worked our way up to Peterborough for a fantastic week of worship, teaching, games, sunburn, sport, freindship and mass cooking! It really was a great time; the young people seemed to really enoy it and we look forward to going back next year. Of course an event like this is not possible without our amazing team of volunteers who gave up a week of their time to come and hang out with us. Thank you so much, you know who you are! Here’s a group photo of all the SEBA Churches that we camped with and our final night Pizza extravaganza!

This term at both youth groups, Flip Flops (on Tuesdays) and Un Baja (on Wednesdays), we celebrated “Black History Month” and are currently doing a mini series on the Bible- thinking about how we read and understand it, discovering study tools and thinking about how the message of Good News is still relevant today. We’re looking forwards to ending our term with a big Christmas quiz and party!

Children

Baby Plus (Thursday morning) is as popular as ever, with Sarah and the team putting on amazing activities each week. Sarah also runs a couple of SEN groups through the week too. It’s been great to have a few more leaders join our Powerhouse team this term, which means we can go back to having 3 leaders each week. This term we have been using some new material from “Youth for Christ” which provides us with a varied programme of Bible stories, games and activities. As Christmas approaches we are looking forward to the Powerhouse Nativity and being able to hand out Advent calendars to everyone in our groups.

Schools

I truly believe that my work in schools is such an important part of my role, not only because I flipping love it, but also because it offers the opportunity to connect with so many young people who I otherwise probably wouldn’t meet. I’m really enjoying leading the year 9 CU at Trinity School, loving my role as coach with the Amherst girls football team, as well as all the assemblies Charlie, Andy and I get to lead. Being a governor at Amherst has been super interesting, seeing how a school works behind the scenes, and it is a privilege

to continue in that role. Every year Trinity School holds a prayer space event which I have helped at with in the past. This January we hope to welcome well over 1000 students through the prayer space. This always opens up amazing conversations with young people and provides a great opportunity for them to encounter God’s love.

Students

Over the years we have seen our student group grow and we now have around 20 students dotted about the country. We are planning to meet for a Christmas catch up on the 20th Dec to find out how everyone’s doing.

Prayer Points

Please do hold the following points in your prayers over the coming weeks.

  • Giving thanks for all the amazing volunteers who enable everything we do with youth and children at BGBC.
  • Pray for all our young people at BGBC that they will know the Love and peace of God in their lives in a tangible way, especially through the often turbulent teenage years.
  • Give thanks for the amazing work done at Baby Plus and the opportunity it provides to parents and carers to engage with each other and find a network of support.
  • For the schools work we’re involved in; pray that through it we can truly bless the students we meet.
  • For the upcoming prayer space at Trinity school, that it will be a powerful place of encounter.
  • For our students who might be feeling lonely or overwhelmed by the new challenges they face, pray for God’s peace to be present in their lives.

Short Thought

I was recently chatting to a young person who was sharing with me some of the things they are going though and the struggles they have in life (It’s always such a privilege when

someone chooses to share in this way). As we were chatting I got the impression that they didn’t have a very high view of themselves and that they struggle with self-worth and feeling valued. I asked them a question about how they see themselves and their reply was heart-breaking and something along the lines of just feeling like they were useless and a waste of space. It got me thinking about something that had been mulling over in my mind for a while…I meet a lot of young people whose starting point for understanding who they are is founded in Genesis 2 rather than in Genesis 1. They start with the story of the fall, with Adam and Eve, and the message they hear is; you’re born a sinner’. And of course, part of that is true, we are all capable of sin and we all have sinned, all turned our backs on God at points and gone the other way, all in need of being saved from our sin by Jesus, but the story doesn’t start in Genesis 2 it starts in Genesis 1. In Genesis 1 we hear about how God created everything and said it was good, good and very good. That’s the starting place for how we understand how God sees us, me, you, the person next to you. We’re created and God says you are good. I shared this idea with this young person and encouraged them to try some self-reflection and see if this is something that rings true for them. So often our identity or how we see ourselves starts with the negative and hurtful things that people have said or done to us. We start with the shame we feel about something, with the worries and anxiety we have about how we can change ourselves to try and fit in more, all without realising that we have always been included, always belonged, always “good” in God’s eyes. I mean, who can hold a new born baby and their first thought be sinner rather than good! I’m deeply passionate about helping young people discover this truth, in a world where they’re constantly faced with adverts and social media messaging about why they need to change to fit in! The good news of the Gospel speaks a different language, one which I believe is still so important for today.

Josh Amott- Youth, Children’s and Student Worker

Unashamed – Harry Baker

Bessels Green Baptist Church proudly presents the former World Poetry Slam Champion and internet sensation Harry Baker, performing his new full-length show UNASHAMED. 

Get your tickets here (link: bgbc.co.uk/events)

World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker’s heart and humour has been watched by millions online and allowed him to perform all over the world, until suddenly he couldn’t. From reviewing toilet seats online to writing falafel-based diss tracks for Chris Evans, he’s back on stage where he belongs with his most heartfelt, playful, unashamedly Harry Baker-y show yet.

Harry’s TED talk has been viewed over 1.7 Million times!
You can watch it here (link:https://www.ted.com/talks/harry_baker_a_love_poem_for_lonely_prime_numbers)

The full TEDex show is here (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxGWGohIXiw)

“Incredibly life-affirming…This is fringe at its best” – What’s On Stage

“Inventive, accessible…very funny” – Three Weeks

“Immaculate word-smith and genuinely nice guy” – Broadway Baby

“Not one syllable out of place” ***** – The Wee Review

“The Spell Over The Audience Is Tangible” ***** – Broadway Baby

Website: www.harrybaker.co

Twitter: @harrybakerpoet

Facebook: Harry Baker

Instagram: @harrybakerpoet

GLS Sevenoaks 2022

GLS Sevenoaks 2022

VOICE YOUR VISION

Bessels Green Baptist Church

Wednesday, 16 November 2022

09:15 – 16:30

bgbc.co.uk/events

Global Leadership UK & Ireland is back, and this year’s Summit is set to be better than ever! 

With 25+ years of experience delivering fresh, practical, hope-filled leadership development training within a supportive community, The Global Leadership Summit has become more than a conference—it is an invitation to get the leadership tools you need to voice your vision for a better future. 

Due to the pandemic last year’s Summit was online only, so we can’t wait to welcome you back in-person. GLS22 Sevenoaks will be taking place on Wednesday, 16th November 2022 and is hosted by Bessels Green Baptist Church.  

Gathering with a global community of change-driven, growth-minded, hope-filled people, delegates will discover how to “voice your vision for a better future”. With speakers including:  

  • Bob Iger, Former CEO & Executive Chairman, The Walt Disney Company 
  • Dr Heidi Grant, Science of Leadership Expert 
  • Craig Groeschel, Founder & Senior Pastor, Life Church 
  • Jon Acuff, Leadership Expert, New York Times Best-selling Author 

Delegates will be treated to some of the best leadership training globally. Talks are delivered on screen in Bessels Green Baptist Church.

The summit is better experienced together. Who will you bring?       

We look forward to seeing you there.

For more information and to get your tickets please visit bgbc.co.uk/events

Ukrainian Event: A Morning of Encouragement

A morning of encouragement for our Ukrainian friends: You are the God Who sees me – Genesis 16:13. With guest speakers Vera Voronjuk and Oxana Giesbrecht, who work amongst Ukrainians in Germany and in the Ukraine. The morning will start with a breakfast and conclude with a bring and share Ukrainian / English lunch!
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