Latest News and Headlines from Selsdon Baptist Church

Jonathon Aitken speaking to Selsdon Baptist Church

Jonathon Aitken at Selsdon Baptist Church

On 24th September Jonathon Aitken visited Selsdon Baptist. The church was packed with about 200 people to hear how Jonathon was introduced to Christ by friends following his arrest for perjury, how the Alpha course deepened his faith, and how his new found trust in the Lord Jesus sustained him in prison. He related how within prison he was able to bring Jesus' love to his fellow inmates.

ALL MEN are invited to share in a men’s national Breakfast event on SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER from 8.30 - 10.00 at Selsdon Baptist Church, Addington Rd

Martin is a London Cabbie. He used to be an atheist who persecuted those who were naive enough to believe the myth of Christianity! He was angry when his wife started attending an Alpha course but was persuaded to attend himself where he “dared to believe”. He is now a part-time Baptist minister working in the community. It is hoped that the number of men coming to the “Bigger Breakfast” all over the UK will be great enough for this to become a record in the Guinness Book of Records! So come and be a part of this record-making breakfast!

David Mayne, who was our student assistant minister from 2005, was ordained and inducted as our full time assistant minister on 5th July. The sermon was given by John Colwell, on the significance of the call to preach the gospel, as exemplified by Paul in Galatians chapters 1 and 2. David explained how God broke through his initial reluctance and showed him the path he had planned for him. Theresa Nichols, our church secretary, explained how David was called to our church. Following the service, we moved to Greenvale school, where one of our congregations meets, for a barbecue in the grounds.

For Saturday 28th June, we had an event with a difference. A small group gathered for two and a half hours of creative expression based on the psalms. We meditated on Psalm 65 , and then spent a little while writing our own psalm in praise of God. We then gave visual expression to our words with fabric and paint.

"Lord God, the creator of colours, we thank you for allthe colours you have put in this world, to delight the senses and lift the spirits ..."

On Sunday 22nd June Mike Elcome's 10 years at SBC was recognised by a thank you from our current church secretary and the presentation of gifts for Mike and a bouquet for Caroline, his wife. We celebrate 10 years of God working through Mike.

In preparation for a joint Selsdon Baptist, Emmanuel Church, and Croham Road Baptist football team joining the South London Churches League next season, we held a friendly with The Slade Church, Plumstead, on 14th June. The team (age range 11 - 14) had an exciting 7-a-side game, with 13 goals being scored. Unfortunately, we only scored four of them! However, everyone enjoyed the game, and I thought we had more control of the midfield. However, The Slade had some awesome long shots, and we couldn't get the ball home enough. More on Football

On Sunday, 1st June, we celebrated with Robert and Louise Yaxley as they were baptised at our morning service at Addington Road. Robert and Louise were married in our church on 17th May, and we share with them in their joy at both events!

Mike Elcome's message reminded us that baptism is about being rooted in Jesus, and drawing on him as our source of strength and nourishment, using him as the anchor of our lives.

Louise gave her testimony. She told how as a child and teenager she had a loose connection with Selsdon Baptist. She had attended two Alpha courses and had been particularly moved by Tim Nichol's baptism a year or two ago. She wanted to be baptised because it's "in the bible". Louise wanted to "..live my life as a Christian. I want to stick to it, because you can't go back as you were before, once you've been baptised."

Robert told how he had been involved with a church up to the age of 12, but then with a change of church he'd been too shy to go back. A year ago he met Lou, and she persuaded him to try Selsdon Baptist at Greenvale. He was scared stiff at first, but came again, this time to our Addington Road service. He attended Alpha with Louise. One evening he came to the point of asking Jesus to come into his life, and used a prayer for beginning Christians he found on the internet, and from there his life changed. He wants Jesus in his life and to become a good Christian.

As part of the Love Croydon event, Selsdon Baptist undertook to spend a few hours on Saturday 10th May cleaning up the local area around the Addington Road and Greenvale congregations in Selsdon. Croydon Council supported the initiative, supplying sacks and collecting the gathered rubbish. All ages from the church were involved.

On Sunday 20th April we were delighted to welcome a number of friends into membership of Selsdon Baptist, at our morning service. These were Gloria Ango, Kate Ashton, Alan and Steph Crooks, Henk and Magda Esterhuyse, and Jennifer Melle. You can listen to their welcome here (available for about 2 months). and read more about membership here.

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN SELSDON AND ADDINGTON - Prayer Week

Don’t miss out!

For the week 12–17 May, St Francis Church will be transformed into a stimulating venue for prayer. Each CTSA church is allotted a day during the week and SBC has been given Tuesday 13^th.

Those who have been before know what a wonderful experience it is. It is based on the concept of a labyrinth with different ways of praying and many different areas of focus for prayer. This year’s main theme is “Love God, Love Selsdon and Addington”.

There are many empty slots remaining for our day. If you haven’t yet signed up, please see if you can find an hour when you could go and pray.

You’ll be surprised how quickly an hour passes and many folk who have attended before wish they’d stayed longer. You don’t have to go alone. Take a friend if you wish. Several people can be there at the same time because of the way it is all set out.

It’s a time of peace and reflection in the presence of God.

Please sign up if you haven’t already done so. Ring the church office to have your name added to the list.

A new innovation this year was International Day, on the Sunday following Easter. Our congregation comprises of people from many nationalities, including Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Poland, France, India, Haiti Kenya and Uganda. People from all these countries took part in the service, including prayers and readings in their mother tongues. Following the service, a variety of national dishes were served for lunch, which was shared by about 140 people. In the interests of journalistic endeavour, you web manager tried nearly all them, and I can advise that they were all excellent! The variety ranged from Ghanaian Grilled Fish, through Boeuf Bourguignon to Korean Gimbap, with puddings to follow.

Our Easter services this year culminated with our 10:30 am service on Sunday, celebrating the resurrection, and that Jesus is alive today. The weather, however, as worshippers arrived was more reminiscent of Christmas, as it was snowing hard! Obviously, the children were delighted with this, although our steward at the door, Andy, was a bit more sanguine.

The service completed our Easter line up, which started with a communion service on Maundy Thursday, commemorating Jesus' last supper with his disciples before he was crucified. On Good Friday morning we joined with our friends from the other Selsdon and Addington churches for a united service reflecting on Jesus death on the cross, and followed by a march of witness up the high street to St John's Church.

Andy waiting to greet worshippers arriving on a snowy Easter morning

Early in the morning on Sunday about 50 of us from both Selsdon Baptist congregations joined together for communion and breakfast, to celebrate that the women found the tomb empty on the 3rd day, because Jesus had risen from the dead.

The LIFE exhibition saw 600 children visit our church in the week beginning 4th March. together with members of the public on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
View of the exhibition set up in the church

View of the exhibition set up in the church

CONGRATULATIONS! - Firstly congratulations to the SBC ‘A’ football team who reached the National Christian Cup Quarter Final but unfortunately lost 1-0 to Focus in Liverpool on 1st March. Secondly congratulations to the SBC ‘ B’ football team who have reached the final of the Mike Laxton Cup for the first time in our history. The match will be against Southborough Lane Baptist Church on Sat 10^th May – book it in your diaries now!! More about SBC football here and here.

2008 Motto Card
Each year we have a motto card for everyone in the church. Here is 2008's
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure

On 3rd February we were delighted to welcome Nigel and Jane Paget to our evening service. Nigel and Jane are both dentists, and spent an hour telling us of the work they have carried out in Liberia with the Mercy Ships. We often dread a trip to the dentist, but in Liberia hundreds of people queue up daily. Because dental care is not available in the country, Nigel and Jane were seeing people who had had toothache for ten years! Infected dental abscesses can go untreated for years, and can even cause death, so the work of the Mercy Ship dentists makes a massive difference. The current ship "Africa Mercy" is a converted Danish train ferry, complete with operating theatres, wards and accommodation, and stays in port for 6 months or more, providing all sorts of medical care as well as dentistry. Find out more at the Mercy Ships website. Audio of their visit

At our January 6th evening service we launched this years floating shelter for the homeless. Each Thursday night we provide friendship, an evening meal, a bed and breakfast to up to 14 homeless people, as part of the "Floating Shelter". Other churches in Croydon provide meals and accomodation on each night of the week. The shelter has been running for five years now, and we heard from Mike, who was a guest in the first year, and is now a regular helper. We joined together in a special prayer:

As a church we celebrated Christmas in a number of ways. We had a gift service in early December, were members of the congregation brought toys and other gifts for later distribution to those who would otherwise not receive any. On 23rd December we had our nativity service in the morning, with reading and drama from our children and young people. Our Greenvale congregation celebrated with a family carol service. In the evening we had a Carol service with the church decorated, and the choir entering by carrying lanterns. A children's service on Christmas Eve, and family services on Christmas morning at Addington Road and Greenvale completed the celebrations of the coming of Jesus.

The Mayor of Croydon, waiting for the service to start.

We had a very enjoyable afternoon celebrating 80 years of witness by Selsdon Baptist Church.

A service at 4:00 pm on November 4th remembered the early days of the church, which first started meeting in the front room of the house belonging to the grandparents of one of our current members. A slide show showed us the people and buildings over the years, and we had a birthday cake, with the candle being blown out by our longest serving member, Lawrence Kennedy. We were joined for our celebratory service by the Mayor of Croydon, local councillors and representatives from other Selsdon Churches and the community. Following the worship, we adjourned for refreshments, and to cut the cake

The Churches Together in Selsdon and Addington Safari Supper is planned for Friday 9th November. Three courses at three different churches for only £5.

Our Gift Day on 14th October raised a substantial amount towards the housing costs for David Mayne, when he converts to a permanent full time role next September

Another trip to Bulgaria is planned for 2008, to support the work of the Cedar Foundation. The church supports BMS missionaries Mark and Penny O'Sullivan, and a team of about 12 is signed up so far to go out for a week to help them. The October Progressive Supper raised over £530 towards the cost of materials to be used for the work at the orphanages. More about the O'Sullivans.

About a dozen members have been filmed for a church DVD, directed by Dave Simpson. The idea is that the DVD will give an idea of the church to newcomers.

We recently showed Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth", as a free event for the community, to highlight the issue of climate change

We had an incredibly jolly evening on 29th September at the Greenvale Harvest Barn Dance. Juts over 40 attended, from both Greenvale and Addington Road congregations, with an excellent caller, and delicious fish and chips

This year's Alpha Course kicked off with an excellent Alpha Banquet. Diane Regan entertained us with her superb singing, and we enjoyed a delicious three course meal.

Our two major summer events were Summer Fun Days, a holiday club for children, and Holiday @ Home, a week of enjoyable activities at the church for 'Seniors'. Summer Fun Days involved art and craft and games, a great time was had by all. The theme for Holiday @ Home was Lakes and Mountains, and whilst we didn't manage a whole lake or mountain, the church did have an alpine feel!

Congratulations to our SBC Football team on retaining the Division 1 Championship in the Bromley and Croydon Christian Football League for the second year running! Well done to Ali Richards and the team for all their hard work. More about football here.

On 23rd April the deacons, ministry team and others were blessed with dry weather for a Prayer Walk in the streets around our church. Keeping our eyes open(!!), we prayed as we walked, for our neighbours, local shopkeepers and businesses, and other groups in our community such as schools and doctors' surgeries. May God bless our community.

Easter Sunday at Greenvale proclaimed that "Empty is Good". In today's world everything should be bigger, better, fuller. Given a choice between an empty packet of sweets and a full one, which would you choose? But for Christians, "Empty is Good". On the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus, the grave was EMPTY! Hallelujah, because this means Jesus has risen, and Jesus is alive! Greenvale's celebration even inclded party poppers!

About 250 people from Selsdon and Addington churches (CTSA) joined together for a Good Friday service, remembering Jesus' death on a cross. We worshipped at St Columba's church and then took part in a march of witness through the high street to Selsdon Baptist, where refreshments were served.

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Harvest

Jonathon Aitken

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN SELSDON AND ADDINGTON - Prayer Week

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