New to Church?

Building with rainbow

Welcome! Whether you've just moved to the area, or have lived here all your life, we hope our website helps you to find out everything you want to know about our Church.
 

Some key information about the church...

 

Where & when does the church meet?

Our Church meets every Sunday at 10:30am for our Sunday Service. Aim to arrive 15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking spot and seat in time for the service to start.

We meet at:

Trafalgar Road
Horsham RH12 2QL

You can see a map on our Contact Us page. 

There is a small car park outside the church, including a disabled spot. There are clear 'IN' and 'OUT' signs so you know how to enter and leave the car park. Please be careful entering and leaving the car park, as there are often people walking through the car park and down the public walkway. If the car park is full, you can park on the surrounding streets around the church. Please consider our neighbours when parking, making sure drives are clear and cars can get past. 

Unable to come to our building? You can watch our live stream of the service right from your own home!
 

What should I expect when I visit the church?

You will receive a very warm welcome, particularly from our Welcome Team who will be able to answer your questions and direct you to where you need to go. The service will last no more than 90 minutes. This will include some times of singing, reading a passage from the Bible, praying, notices and listening to a message, usually given by our Pastor. Once a month we also share in communion together.

Refreshments are available before, during and after the service, so there is plenty of time to meet new people and ask more questions. 
 

Can I bring my children with me?

Of course, you can! We have a programme for children aged between 0-14. Children sit with their parents at the start of the service and join in the worship together with the rest of the church for the first 20 minutes or so. They are then invited to go to ‘Upstairs Church’; special activities designed for their age groups, which are held on the first floor. At your first visit, you will need to accompany your children to register them. All leaders and those who work with children or vulnerable adults operate according to our Safeguarding policy and are DBS-checked. The policy is available here and from the church office.

During the school holidays, and some other times we have All-In services. We all stay together for the whole service and all ages will find it accessible.

For more information about what happens in the children’s work, please visit the relevant age groups:
4 - 14 years old
 

What disabled facility does the church have?

We have disabled access into the building via a ramp.  The main doors into the church are open or manned on Sundays, at all other times they are locked shut and access is by ringing the doorbell or operating the entry phone.  There is no remote opening mechanism and visitors of all abilities have to be let into the building.

Once inside access is possible throughout the building; including a disabled lift to the first floor and a ramp access to the platform in the worship area. There is a disabled wet room on the ground floor which doubles as our ground-floor baby-changing facility, separate baby-changing facilities are on the first floor.  There is a wheelchair-height work surface in the kitchen.

A loop system is used in both the main worship area and the adjoining hall during the Sunday service for the hearing impaired.  Song lyrics are projected yellow on dark blue for the visually impaired.

We aim to make access to worship possible for everyone so if you notice a blind spot please do let us know and we will try to overcome it.
 

Is there a dress code?

No! Please just be yourself and come dressed in whatever is comfortable. Some wear a suit or a dress; others come in jeans and t-shirts. Just come as you are. As with everything we do, we always seek to act and live with both acceptance and respect for others.
 

Will I have to join in?

You are welcome to come and just observe or to participate as much as feels comfortable for you. We recognise that we are all on a journey of faith and each person’s journey is unique. With the Lord’s help, we seek to encourage and support each other.
 

Where should I sit?

You may sit on any seat. Those with arms, at the ends of some rows, are intended for the more elderly or infirm. Occasionally seats are reserved for special services (these are marked by a card on each chair). There is always space available for wheelchair users. Just ask a steward when you arrive and they will be able to help you. 
 

Do I have to give any money?

The short answer is no! This said, we do have an offering bowl as you enter the hall where you can give money, for the work of the church, if you so wish. Sometimes we do have services where all the money given (unless marked otherwise) will go towards the work of a charity that we have been focusing on, but you will be told about that during the service. As a Baptist church, we are financially autonomous and so we fund all ministry and mission through our giving, including the support we give to other charities.  As we like to say there is no expectation on our part that visitors will put money into the offering. More information can be found on our giving page. 

What about Communion? Can I take part?

We celebrate Communion or the Lord’s Supper usually on the 2nd Sunday of every month.  We have an open Communion table, all who confess Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour are welcome to receive the bread and cup (we serve grape juice or alcohol-free wine).  We invite all visitors who would receive Communion in their home church to join with us fully in this part of our worship.
 

I have more questions, how can I get in touch and ask them?

Please feel free to contact us. If you want to know who works in the church office, check out our Staff and Leadership page.