Message from Tim

Branches of the Vine

‘I am the vine. You are the branches,’ Jesus tells us in John 15:5. Hold that image in your mind for a moment. How much of a distinction can we draw between the vine and its branches? Clearly the vine has branches which can be detached from the vine, and if that happens, then the detached branch cannot bear fruit by itself. To that extent, a branch has no viable existence unless it remains part of the vine – hence Jesus’ injunction to us to remain in him: it is as we remain in him, that he remains in us.

As so often with John’s Gospel, these words can be taken in a number of ways. At one level, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and urging them to keep faith through the coming hours when he will be crucified and it will feel as if everything they have believed in has been stripped away from them. By extension we can hear Jesus speaking to us through these words, telling us not to give up, but to remain in him and to recognise that he remains in us. Our relationship with him is really important and each of us has a responsibility to maintain our end of the relationship through prayer, personal Bible study and discipleship so that we can continue to bear fruit for him. Without him, we will die.

But I also wonder whether, as John wrote these words, he envisaged their application to the church fellowship. Do we abide in the vine by abiding in the church? I don’t think I am being fanciful here. Jesus goes on to talk about abiding in his love and then says that we should love one another, and there is good reason to suppose that our love for each other within the church is part of the fruit he says that comes from abiding in him. That suggests to me that there is a communal dimension to his words.

So, does that mean then that we abide in Christ by abiding in the church? If so, then what form will that take for you? Clearly there is more to abiding in Christ and abiding in the church than pitching up at Brighton Road on a Sunday morning. But if we are not ready or able to return to church, then how will abiding in the church find expression in your life? How will you connect with others? Relationships are crucial. A twig which is not connected to a branch of the vine is not part of the vine. If that image applies to our relationships, then our connectedness to each other is another vital part of what it means for each one of us to abide in Christ. We cannot go it alone. Jesus makes that point when he warns us that apart from him, we can do nothing. Belonging to Christ and belonging to each other go hand in hand.

Not only does a branch bear fruit by sole virtue of its connection to the vine; the only reason the branch exists at all is because it belongs to the vine of which it is an integral part. Correspondingly, a vine does not exist independently of its branches. In the same way a church does not exist independently of its members. True, people may come and sometimes (sadly) go, but the church is not some abstract entity which exists apart from those who belong to it, to Christ and to each other.

Just as a vine is only fruitful to the extent that branches in the vine bear fruit, so the health of the church, the vibrancy of the church, the fruitfulness of the church can be measured only in terms of the health, the spiritual vibrancy and the fruitfulness of us as its members. We really are all in this together. That’s why I entitled this reflection, ‘Branches of the vine’, rather than, ‘Branches in the vine’. On Sunday mornings, we may, or may not, be ‘in church’. Church attendance plays an important part in belonging to Christ, but it is not, strictly speaking, essential. But can you belong to Christ without being part of the church? Can a branch exist unless it is part of the vine?

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.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here

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.

anna-earl-XBDHmIXvsvM-unsplash

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!