Message from Tim

D.V.

D.V. stands for ‘deo volente’. To my (pleasant) surprise I found that remnants of the Latin I learned over 40 years ago at school have bubbled up in my mind, enabling me to identify this as an ‘ablative absolute’ construction, the equivalent of an English dependent adverbial clause, meaning ‘God willing’, ‘if God wills’.

It’s a long time since I have seen this abbreviation in use – that could be because it has gone out of fashion, or maybe I move in different church circles these days, but I do remember listening to church notices where announcements about the following Sunday were generally accompanied by the phrase ‘the Lord willing’. And if Christians wrote about their future plans, they would sometimes add, ‘D.V’. – just as a way of making clear that everything was subject to God’s will. Part of the reasoning behind this was the idea that the second coming of Christ could happen without warning at any moment (as indeed it could!), and so writing ‘D.V.’ served to underscore the provisional nature of all future arrangements, as well as fostering a sense of the need to be prepared for the Lord’s return.

The sentiment is clearly expressed (albeit without reference to the Second Coming) in James 4:13-16

‘Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.’

No long-term planning here! Instead we find a profound sense of uncertainty about the future - who knows what tomorrow may bring? Nothing can be taken for granted. Instead these verses call for a humble trust in the providence of God – his foreseeing care, guidance and provision.

These are perhaps apt words for our times,. Who could have predicted the last six months? There is certainly no unanimity about how the next six months are going to pan out. I am writing this on 15th October for a bulletin that will be published on the 25th. A bit of me wants to ask Paul to add ‘D.V’ to whatever notices appear in this edition of the bulletin – whatever we are planning for the end of October, there is a real possibility that it may not actually take place.

Of course, government restrictions will probably end up playing a major part in what we can and can’t do, and I acknowledge that. But I am thankful as well that God outranks Her Majesty’s Government in terms of authority: His plans and purposes are not provisional, and He knows what He is doing. That’s why, in a world of turmoil and uncertainty, there is a degree of peace to be found in seeking God’s will and in following His path. Faced with a frightening array of options as to what could happen or go wrong, I am thankful that I can put my trust in the God who is ultimately in charge.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
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Planning your Visit

New to Church?

Here at Brighton Road Baptist Church, you will always be welcome. So it doesn’t matter whether you’ve never been to church before or have been going all your life and want to try something different.

No-one cares how you're dressed, what you believe (or don’t believe), whether you’re over 60 or under 6, or something in between - you're welcome to join us if you're searching or just browsing.

Whatever your circumstances BRBC is a safe place to discover God's love.

We are an extended family made of all ages and a variety of backgrounds. We are single, married, divorced, widowed, happy, sad, confused, motivated, those with time on their hands and those with no time at all. The one thing we have in common is that we want to know more about the God who welcomes us all into his family. We look forward to welcoming you.

What to expect on a Sunday morning:

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will offer you a copy of our weekly newsletter.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. We share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. Following this we have a time of sung and spoken worship. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Often a person will pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. There is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

What about my kids?

For children under three, we have a Creche. Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
For kids from 4-11, we have our Kid's Club, BRBK. Activities vary but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. Part way through the service, the leader will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.

Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

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Getting Connected

Housegroups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our housegroups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Housegroups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

If you want to get in touch, or have any further questions, please contact us!