I go to a Protestant Church. Read my Story.

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="001d6c00ddvuru.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#3399CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Walmer Baptist Church</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Arial" >    </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > |     </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Walmer Baptist Church"><U><U><IMG SRC="01a581f0.gif" border=0 width="88" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> I go to a Protestant Church. Read my Story.</div> <div> <B>The church I go to is a Baptist Church, there are many of these all over England. Some are very small and are found in villages and some are very large and are found in towns and cities.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>The Baptist Church I go to is in Walmer, hence its name, Walmer Baptist Church. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What makes a Baptist church different from other Christian churches is partly found in the name. At my church people are baptised when they are older teenagers or adults. In the same way as John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the River Jordan, so at a Baptist church people are fully immersed under the water in a special pool of water called a Baptistry. The church leader, called a Minister or Pastor, is in the Baptistry with you, and lowers you under the water to show that your old life has ended. When you come back up out of the water it represents that a new life with Jesus has begun.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>This is a big step for anyone to take, and one which only comes when someone has really thought hard about following Jesus the Christ. This is why it is left until you are older.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="040ae740.jpg" border=0 width="174" height="116" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dedication</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>In my church babies are not baptised, as we think they are too young to have made up their minds about Jesus the Christ. We do have a special service, called a 'service of dedication', and at this special family service babies are brought by their parents to be prayed for. We say 'thankyou' to their birth and life. We ask for His help and guidance for them as they grow up, hoping that one day they will decide to follow Christ and be baptised.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Communion </B></div> <div> <B>Communion is usually celebrated one Sunday morning and one Sunday evening each month. The table is laid with a loaf of bread and small glasses of wine on trays. Here, there is also a silver goblet of wine for the Minister to use when he prays. The Minister invites all "who love the Lord Jesus Christ and have accepted him as Lord and Saviour" to take part. Those who are not Christians but present are invited to allow the bread and wine to pass with no embarrassment.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>The Minister thanks God for the bread, before breaking it and putting it onto silver plates. These are then passed around the congregation. Each person will break off a small piece of bread, remembering Jesus' body broken on the cross. After this, the Minister prays over the wine red like Jesus blood when he died on the cross. Each person will take a glass and drink to remember the passion of the Christ. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Church Meeting </B></div> <div> <B>What also makes a Baptist church a little different, are the church meetings for business which are held over the year. At my church you can join as a member, and this gives you a chance to go to the church meeting, where many decisions are made about the life of the church everyone has the chance to have a say! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The People</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>A Baptist church is led by a Senior Minister. You may have other Ministers with different jobs, it depends on the size of the church.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>You also have Deacons, who often look after the church building and the money that comes into the church. Money is given largely by the members of the church each week. </B></div> <div> <B>Some Baptist have a Leadership Council who look after the people and what they believe. In most churches these people would be called Elders. Then there are the members of the church, and numbers of these are different in each church.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Church Services </B></div> <div> <B>We have two services each Sunday, one in the morning and one in the evening. We think that church should be enjoyable, reflective and reverent as you come to worship God. A candle is lit to represent Christ the light of the world. </B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="04198e40.jpg" border=0 width="152" height="228" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>We then start with a prayer, sing the Lord’s Prayer and are often invited to go and greet other people. We then have a Psalm read before singing some lively songs. We give an offering to God and notices are read out.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04295df0.jpg" border=0 width="149" height="223" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Each week a different person then speaks to the children and this is followed by a children’s song. The children then go out to Sunday school.</B></div> <div> <B>A chorus is sang before somebody comes to lead the church in prayers of intercession. The Minister then gives another reading and teaches the people about the life of faith.</B></div> <div> <B>Following Jesus Christ, and being part of a Baptist church like mine is something I really enjoy!</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>More on the Baptist Church </B></div> <div> <B>The Baptist Church gets its name and main emphasis of belief from Jesus' own baptism, by his cousin John, in the River Jordan. Many religions have stressed the importance of cleanliness linked with holiness. Since Jesus was sinless and did not need to be 'cleansed from sin', his baptism was a means of identification with the people, and marking a beginning of his ministry. While Jesus did not need forgiveness and cleansing from sin, his followers do, and Baptists (along with other evangelical Christians) have followed his example down through the ages.</B></div> <div> <B>For many years after Henry VIII's reformation of the Church of England, the State had strong control over religious worship. There were people, however, who wanted to do what they believed God was telling them in the Bible, rather than what the king's officials told them. One such man was John Smyth. He believed that baptism by immersion should be the basis of church belief. He travelled to Amsterdam, where he and his friend Thomas Helwys baptised each other by pouring water over their heads. They founded their church in 1609 and later practised baptism by full immersion. The first Baptist Church was established in Spitalfields, London in 1612.</B></div> <div> <B>The Baptist Church as we know it today evolved from the belief that the apostolic teachings of the New Testament should have precedent over any 'government or established' teaching of the Church. In other words, neither monarch nor State should rule the Church only God's word, the Bible could. Some Baptists paid dearly for holding to this belief. It was Oliver Cromwell who first allowed Baptists greater freedom and influence. By the 17th century many Baptist churches had been established, particularly in London.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>More on the Baptist Church </B></div> <div> <B>The Baptist church is now one of the largest Protestant and Free churches in the world, with a U.K. membership of 160,000, gathered in 2150 churches. It is found throughout the world, particularly in Europe where it began. America boasts the largest number of Baptists worldwide between 11 and 12 million.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>British Baptist churches today remain independent of the state and established (Anglican) church. They have a unifying body called the Baptist Union, which will oversee finance, staffing, buildings and legal matters, giving mutual support wherever and whenever needed. Churches can choose whether or not to belong to the B.U., and how closely they work with it. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Baptist Union has an active missionary wing the Baptist Missionary Society, sending Christians (many of whom are young adults taking a 'year out') to help in many parts of the world.</B></div> <div> <B>Most Baptist Churches also belong to the British Council of Churches, thus showing oneness with Christians of other denominations.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Church members are people who have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, and will usually have been baptised. It is the church members who have the right to choose how the church is run, how it spends its money, how much is pays its Minister(s) and who leads it. 'Volunteer' workers such as Elders, Deacons, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders etc. are all elected by the church membership, as well as the actual Minister him or herself. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Conclusion </B></div> <div> <B>'Believers baptism' by immersion for those who have chosen to believe for themselves </B></div> <div> <B>Churches run by members usually linked to Baptist Union </B></div> <div> <B>Pastor responsible for the care of the congregation </B></div> <div> <B>Founded in 1609 by John Smyth </B></div> <div> <B>One of the largest Protestant and Free churches in the world </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Glossary: </B></div> <div> <B>Apostolic relating to the first twelve disciples of Jesus (Apostles), or their teachings and practice </B></div> <div> <B>Baptism immersion or sprinkling to show that a persona has been forgiven and joined the church </B></div> <div> <B>Captistry pool for baptism by immersion </B></div> <div> <B>Communion sharing of bread and wine to remember Jesus' death </B></div> <div> <B>Congregation group of people gathered for worship </B></div> <div> <B>Deacons church leaders with practical responsibilities </B></div> <div> <B>Denomination group with its own distinctive interpretation of the Christian faith </B></div> <div> <B>Established to give (a church) the status of a national institution </B></div> <div> <B>Evangelical Christians who believe in the authority of the Bible and the need of forgiveness through Jesus Christ </B></div> <div> <B>Evangelism spreading the Christian 'good news' (faith) </B></div> <div> <B>Protestant Christian who is not a member of the Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches </B></div> <div> <B>Salvation rescued by God from the guilt and power of sin (wrongdoing) </B></div> <div> <B>Service of dedication service giving a child's life into God's care </B></div> <div> <B>Sinless free from wrongdoing </B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Denominations"><U><B><IMG SRC="019581f0.gif" border=0 width="88" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>