We’re still here! Coronavirus may have changed the way that we do things, but there is still loads going on!
Contact us directly by calling 0117 970 1058 and leaving a message, or email churchoffice@downendbaptist.org.uk.
We’ve worked really hard over the last couple of months to make our building a safe space for people to gather. Now, after successfully trialling mid-week services in person during August, we’re delighted, at last, to invite you ‘back’ to join us live and in person from Sunday 6th September!
Some other activities are also beginning to take place in the building and details of these and others, as they’re confirmed, will be available via our news sheet and online events diary.
We will be beginning to host our weekly service in our building again from Sunday 6th September at 10.30 am.
Numbers are limited, so to ensure everyone who would like to attend can be accommodated, we do need you to ‘book’ in advance by emailing minister@downendbaptist.org.uk or leaving a message on our office phone – 0117 970 1058. We’re also asking that you arrive with us by 10.15am to allow for the safe check-in process. Please be aware that, due to the current constraints, there won’t be any children’s groups, youth or creche to begin with.
Connecting with those who are unable to join in person is also a top priority. With this in mind we’ll now be streaming our services online at 6pm each Sunday, so you can still watch ‘live’ with others, with recordings available after.
You can watch via our services page or on our YouTube channel.
All our offline connection options will also remain in place.
If you normally organise or serve on a rota on a Sunday morning – please don’t worry for now. We are hoping to get more people involved as we go, but also don’t want anyone to feel they have to be there, so we’ll get in contact with you directly to have a chat if you may be able to help.
To connect with those unable to access the internet, written copies of the weekly message can be delivered each week to anyone who would like one.
We’ve also got a telephone service which enables people to listen to the latest sermon recording simply by calling the number below. It’s fuss free with no codes or options to select. Plus, calls are local rate so would be included in any inclusive minutes! Please do pass on the message to anyone you know who would benefit from this.
Several of our small groups are meeting online via video conference, with the option to join by phone as well – These are at 11am on Sunday plus Tuesday and Thursday evenings and we have the capability to add more. If you’re interested in joining or being part of a group at a different time, please get in touch!
Some of our children’s and youth groups are continuing to meet online, while our leaders also remain available to support families. Many of our younger friends are also involved in a project we’re running called ‘operation lantern’ which connects them with an older person in the church or community who they phone or write to each week. We’ve had lots of really positive feedback about this and how it is benefiting both adults and children. If you’d be interested in getting involved, let us know.
Our pastoral team are continuing to work hard to to keep in touch with everyone in our directory and we also have a small team of volunteers able to assist with practical requests. Our ministers are also glad to offer support within the wider community.
If there are any needs you are aware of where we might be able to help, please don’t hesitate to get in contact by calling 0117 970 1058 and leaving a message, or emailing churchoffice@downendbaptist.org.uk.
As well as being available to our neighbours within the Downend area, we also encourage all our fellowship to get involved in supporting their neighbours and friends and to get involved with their local communities however they can.
Prior to lockdown, we were also beginning to pioneer the Downend Baptist Well-being Hub with the vision of offering safe space to be and to belong for people of all ages and backgrounds. We passionately believe that this is now more needed than ever and are working to resume as soon as we can.
A final particular need we’re keen to help address is local food poverty. With that in mind we collect donations for local food-banks and homeless shelters. These are facing increased demand at this time so even if you can’t get to the drop off points, contact us and we’d be glad to arrange to collect from your doorstep!
Things are obviously a bit different to normal in our building right now – so we wanted to give you a heads up on what to expect. In the video above, David gives a little tour of how things are set up and the points below outline the main things you need to know. Thank you for your support in looking out for one another!
For detailed documents relating to how we’re managing Covid-related risk, handling data etc, please see the documents below. For any queries not covered here, please do get in contact with us.
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Address:
Downend Baptist Church
4 Salisbury Road,
Bristol,
BS16 5RA