Ebenezer, Brighton
After 4 years 8 months being out of its own building, the church that meets at Ebenezer Baptist Chapel, Brighton, returned on Saturday 21 August. Over 150 people visited through the day, and there was time for visitors to look around the new building.
Due to the many delays we have faced in opening the chapel (we only got the keys the Thursday before the meeting), the first service held was the opening service at 3.00pm.
David Chapman thanked those involved in the project and looked to the Lord to bless this new venture.
The church has grown smaller over the past four years, and it returns to Ebenezer with only 12 people who attend regularly. In his sermon, Pastor Tony Bickley focused upon the fact that we are there to reach out and tell people about Jesus Christ. Although we have a new building, it is still just a building; it is what happens inside that will make the difference.
The service was followed by refreshments, after which Alec Taylor, former pastor of Chelmsley Wood Reformed Baptist Church, ministered. He spoke on the fact that we are not just identified by our building, we are living stones – made alive by God, to serve him in his Son Jesus Christ, and by the power of his Spirit. The church is a living organism whose head is Jesus, and we are to live our lives serving him.
Since August, we have seen some encouragements, with a few new people attending Sunday services. Please pray for us as we seek to serve the Lord in Brighton. We are approaching the task as if it were a church plant (although the church has been established since 1824).
