Cafe-style Service
Sunday 26th November 2023 @ 10.30am
Come and join us for a relaxed informal service, suitable for all the family. No pressure to sing or pray. Free filter coffee and cake!
Download the flyer/booking form here
Church Weekend 2024
Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th February
We are delighted to return to the Carlton Hotel in Torquay for our 7th Church Weekend away. It’s sure to be a great time for getting to know one another better, having fun, growing spiritually and worshipping God together. It would be so great if we could fill all 70 rooms in the hotel so please join us … whether it’s your 1st or 7th weekend! EVERYONE is very welcome.
Our Hotel, in the seaside town of Torquay, provides the perfect setting for this with great meals, a hotel bar, comfortable accommodation and a large meeting room for us to gather together.
Saturday afternoon will be free to spend as you please … maybe take a stroll along the seafront, browse the shops or make use of the hotel complex leisure facilities.
Other highlights include a guest speaker, evening entertainment and a separate children’s programme during adult meeting times.
Other highlights include a guest speaker, evening entertainment and a separate children’s programme during adult meeting times.
All rooms are en-suite.
Cost: Adults £135.00 per person
Children in full time primary & secondary education free
Deposit – £30.00 per person at time of booking
Balance – Due by 17th December 2023 please
Payment Cheques payable to – Taunton Baptist Church or Bank Transfer direct to Taunton Baptist Church
Price includes 2 nights’ dinner, bed, breakfast, Tea, coffee & biscuits Saturday morning.
Lunch on Sunday
Free coach transport available (maximum 53 seats).
Programme
FRIDAY
4.00pm Hotel check-in opens
4.30pm Coach leaves Church
6.30pm Dinner
8.30pm Introduction to the weekend
Time of worship & evening devotions
10.00pm Relax, chat or bed
SATURDAY
From 8.00am Breakfast
9.30am Opening Worship
10.00am Teaching 1
11.00am Coffee break
11.30am Teaching 2
12.30pm Afternoon free to spend as you please
6.00pm Dinner
8.30pm Evening entertainment… TBC Style!
10.00pm Relax, chat or bed
SUNDAY
From 8.00am Breakfast
9.30am Time to pack
10.30am Morning worship
12.30pm Lunch
After Lunch Depart (Coach leaves hotel)
Cafe-style Service
Sunday 20th August 2023 @ 10.30am
Following on from the Summer Holiday Club, come and join us for an informal service, suitable for all the family. No pressure to sing or pray. Free filter coffee and cake!
Sunday 24th September @ 10:30am – Harvest
Sunday 26th November 2023 @ 10:30am
Summer Holiday Club
Wednesday 16th August to 18th August 9.30am – 12.30pm
We are excited to be running our Summer Holiday Club this year!
From the 16th to 18th August each morning 9:30am-12:30pm for children aged 5-11 we will meet, worship, learn about a bible story and do some fun activities relating to that story!
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S FREE PLACE HERE!We require each child to be signed up in advance and booking is open from 3rd July to 6th August. We only have limited places so do book quickly to ensure you grab a place! It is completely free to attend but if you’d like to give a donation you can do this the first morning you drop your child off at Holiday Club!
Due to the nature of the activities we cannot accept children under the age of 5.
We look forward to meeting everyone and if you have any questions or queries please contact Amy Farrar, Children and Families Leader using the button below:
Contact Amy
BMS BBQ
Friday 21st July @ 6:00pm
Free admission
We are all invited to a barbecue at Arthur and Christine Whittle’s home: Houndsmoor Farm, Houndsmoor, Milverton TA4 1PU on Friday, 21st July at 6:00 for 6.30 pm.
There will be an opportunity to meet our mission partners Louise and Peter Lynch, who many of us met at our 2022 Church Weekend.
They will tell us more of their life and work in Bangladesh and answer any questions we may have.
If you are planning to come, please sign up on the sheet on the notice board in the church foyer, to give us an idea of numbers for catering.
Stations at the Cross
Good Friday 7 April 2023 13.00 – 16.00
Free admission
An interactive trail following in Jesus’ footsteps on the Friday that changed everything!
Come to the back door (from the car park) anytime between 1.00pm and 4.00pm – the trail starts here!
Film: Morningstar
Friday 17th March 2023 @ 7.30pm
Free admission (donations invited)
Discover the story of the man who translated the Bible into English and changed the world forever. “Morningstar” is a feature length documentary-drama hybrid – a ‘docudrama’ – retelling the life and legacy of medieval philosopher John Wycliffe.
Setting out from Oxford University, seeking fame and fortune, Wycliffe swiftly finds himself caught between the titanic powers of church and state, facing imprisonment and charged with heresy.
Fuelled by suppressed ambition, Wycliffe is forced to face the deepest of questions. Why is the world the way it is? Why are ordinary folk living in thrall to Kings and Popes? And why is the church so different to the Christianity of the Bible?
It is Wycliffe’s new focus on the Bible that brings down on his head the wrath of the bishops, but inspires a revolution of faith in the farms and villages of England..
While Wycliffe’s Bible has ensured his legacy right into the 21st Century, his story has been largely forgotten. Morningstar seeks to address that, and to allow the audience to meet for themselves a man of genius; to witness his struggle against the powers of his day, and to bring into existence a book that would define the English language.
View trailer (01:28):
Written, produced and directed by Murdo Macleod (Halo, Dracula Untold), starring Jared Morgan and Marcus Houden.
www.trinitydigitalfilm.com (78 mins).
Church Weekend Feb 2023
About 100 church members and friends joined us for a weekend at the Carlton Hotel, Torquay.
Some made their own way there, but the majority travelled by coach (courtesy of Blakes Coaches – thank you David and Janet!).
After dinner on Friday evening we shared in a time of worship and Richard reminded us of God’s promises in Isaiah 49: 8-16.
On Saturday morning, Jeff spoke to us about God’s love being ‘covenant’ love – unconditional, not a contract (if you do this, I’ll do that).
Saturday afternoon gave the opportunity for folk to explore Torquay, walk along the sea front – or even go and watch Torquay United play!
Saturday evening saw the (now traditional) TBC Entertainment, with contributions from many, with the added bonus of a marriage proposal!
Sunday morning we shared in communion and heard testimony from a few who had been encouraged or challenged by the weekend, before departing after lunch.
Click on the links below to view video recordings
Friday:
Worship and devotion
Saturday:
Morning Worship and Teaching session 1
Teaching session 2
Evening entertainment
Sunday:
Morning service (including communion)
Our speaker was the Rev’d Jeff Jacobson. He originally comes from Canada and became a friend of Richard’s whilst serving as a pastor in Devon. He is now the pastor at West Leigh Baptist Church. He is married to Antonia and together they have three children. He is passionate about the Bible and the teachings of Jesus for all. He’s also a massive J.R.R Tolkien fan.
Starting 9th January 2023
What’s the best love you’ve ever known?
Discipleship Explored helps followers of Jesus turn up the gospel soundtrack to their lives.
It goes beyond simply teaching the right moves – go to church, pray, read the Bible, share the gospel – and focuses on the music which drives discipleship: the love of Christ. The greatest love anyone can ever know.
This eight-session journey through Paul’s letter to the Philippians is ideal for believers at any stage of the Christian life. It features brand-new documentary-style films and inspiring real-life stories from around the world, Bible studies and weekly reading plans.
Although this course has finished, complete the form below if you want to be advised of the dates of the next course:
Carols by Candlelight
Sunday 18th December 2022 @ 6.30pm
Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We will sing carols together, hear readings from the Bible and afterwards enjoy coffee and mince pies.
In these days when there is so much bad news and the idea of hope is just wishful thinking, a line in the well-known carol ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ reminds us that “the hopes and fears of all the years” are met in Jesus. Not as a baby, but in His sacrificial death on the cross.
It is right to talk about the baby Jesus in this season, but we want to encourage you to consider one of Jesus’ special titles: the ‘Lion of Judah‘. The lion represented kingship, which is why Jesus had a crown of thorns mockingly placed on his head when he was crucified.
In the famous Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, Aslan is a Lion-King who represents Jesus Christ. Susan said to Mr Beaver, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion…”
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver… “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
We hope that this Christmas you will encounter this God-who-became-man, so that He would bring you into a joyful relationship with God your Father, Maker and Redeemer.
Film: The Case for Christ
Friday 25th November 2022 @ 7.30pm
An investigative journalist and self-proclaimed atheist, Lee Strobel, sets out to disprove the existence of God (using his well-honed journalistic and legal skills) after his wife becomes a Christian, with unexpected, life-altering results.
Suggested donation of £5.00 on the door
Director Jon Gunn, starring Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway, Robert Forster and Frankie Faison. 2017 (PG) 1hr 52m.
Cafe-style Service
Sunday 9th October 2022 @ 10.30am
Come and join us for an informal harvest service, suitable for all the family. No pressure to sing or pray. Free filter coffee and cake!
September – December 2022
What’s the best news you have ever heard? Was it surprising? Did it change the way you think? Or was it something you wanted to be true but didn’t dare hope?
The extraordinary claim of the Christian faith is that the message of Jesus is the very best news you could ever hear!
Over several sessions we will explore Mark’s gospel to consider three questions that cut right to the heart of Christianity: Who is Jesus? What did he achieve? How should we respond?
Although this course has finished, complete the form below if you want to be advised of the dates of the next course:
Home Mission BBQ
Friday 5 August 2022 at 6.30pm
Come and hear Carl Smethurst, regional minister sharing stories about churches and individuals in the south west reaching out with missional activities and bringing the love of God to their communities.
For more information about Home Mission, click on one of the two buttons below:
Monday 6th, 13th and 20th June at 7.30pm
There are few emotions more powerful than hope. But these days, hope often feels hard to come by. Where can we find a hope that won’t disappoint us?
Hope Explored looks at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. This three-session series shows that Christianity is about real hope: a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.
It sounds good… but is it true? Whatever you do or don’t believe, this series is your opportunity to explore, to discuss, to question, to discover. This is Hope Explored.
Although this course has finished, complete the form below if you want to be advised of the dates of the next course:
Bike Pilgrimage 2022
Thursday 26 May 2022 at 7.30pm
Come and hear about the work of Release International and CSW supporting persecuted Christians across the world. Retired vicar, Robert de Berry and friends are undertaking a sponsored bike ride from North Foreland Point Lighthouse in Kent to Land’s End, Cornwall – and back between 14 May and 25 June 2022.
On Thursday 26 May they will be stopping overnight in Taunton and in the evening will be speaking at Taunton Baptist Church to raise awareness and encourage prayer.
The ‘Bike Pilgrims’ aim to raise £250,000 through sponsorship.
This video from Release International gives an insight into their work:
Easter Monday Walk
Monday 18 April 2022 at 10.00am
A small group from the church gathered in Vivary Park to walk together, past Sherford Bridge Farm, over Cotlake Hill to Kibbear, skirting around Amberd House and back along Sherford Stream through Trull and Sherford back to Vivary Park for a picnic together.
The weather was kind to us and a good time was had by all!
Film: “The Most Reluctant Convert”
Friday 25 March 2022 at 7.30pm
Cost: £8 (£5 under 18)
Pay at the door – cash please
We are screening a recently-made film about the life of C.S. Lewis, entitled “The Most Reluctant Convert” – a phrase Lewis used to describe himself and his early Christian experience.
If you have ever read any of his books for children – “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, for example, or other tales of Narnia – or have ever read his later books about his Christian faith – “Mere Christianity”, “The Screwtape Letters”, etc – then you will want to see this film. It traces the main events of Lewis’s life, telling his story of grief, loss and redemption in his own magnificent words; and delivers the provocative, intellectual and spiritual insights that made him the most influential Christian writer of the past century.
View the trailer
The film (73 mins) is written for the screen and directed by two-time Emmy and BAFTA winner Norman Stone (BBC’s Shadowlands). It features the American actor Max McLean and the British actor Nicholas Ralph (who plays James Herriot in the recent TV adaptation of “All Creatures Great and Small”).
Church Weekend Feb 2022
Over 100 church members and friends joined us for a weekend at the Carlton Hotel, Torquay.
Some made their own way there, but the majority travelled by coach (courtesy of Blakes Coaches – thank you David and Janet!).
After dinner on Friday evening we heard from our mission partners, Peter and Louise Lynch, working with BMS in Bangladesh.
On Saturday morning, the early birds met for prayer at 7.30am and then breakfast was served from 8.30am. Following a short time of sung worship, Chas Deacon gave his life story and journey with Christ, interwoven with spiritual insights for us today.
Charles (Chas) Deacon is a good friend of Richard’s from his time in Torquay. He is a science graduate originally from Devon and was an arboriculturist before following the call into ordained ministry with the Church of England. Richard says: “He’s more down to earth than me, smarter than me and funnier than me!… You’ll love him, because he’ll make you love Jesus more!!!”
Video recordings of Chas’ talks are available here:
Saturday afternoon was kept free – many went for a walk on the sea front, others took advantage of the hotel’s recreational facilities, including a swimming pool and games room.
After dinner we all settled down to an evening of entertainment compered by Tony and provided by our own talented members and friends! Contributions included:
- The parable of the Talents (TBC Youth)
- Poems (Alan, Christine, Jan, Linda)
- Vocal Solo (Alan)
- Piano duet (Janet and Hazel)
- Oboe solo (Megan)
- Ukelele (Joy)
- Flanders and Swann medley (Tony and Mike)
- Writing home (Carole)
- Jokes (Alan)
The evening was rounded off with the opportunity to sing hits from the 1950’s (in commemoration of the Queen’s 70 years on the throne), including ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Dream, dream, dream’ and ‘That’ll be the day’ when everyone had the opportunity to make their voice heard!
Video recording:
On Sunday morning we had a wonderful time of worship. Tim brought us God’s Word from Ephesians 2:11-22 and we shared communion together, before Peter and Steve lead us in prayers for the persecuted church and local mission opportunities. At the end the children and young people joined us and shared what they had been doing (FAITH = Forever Always I Trust Him).
Video recording:
We shared lunch together before heading home.
Worship and teaching – photo highlights
Food & fellowship – photo highlights
Fun – photo highlights
Nativity Trail
Monday 20 December – Weds 22 December 2021
No need to book, just drop in between 10am and 12pm!
Find the characters from the nativity story and win a sticker!
Carols by Candlelight
6.30pm 19 December 2021
“This is the verdict: light has come into the world” John 3:19
Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ – the Light of the World with carols and Bible readings, with coffee and a mince pie afterwards!
The Hiding Place: The Corrie ten Boom Story
16th and 18th November 2021
By Oddments Theatre
Professional theatre company, Oddments Theatre, are bringing their long running production of The Hiding Place, the Corrie ten Boom story, to Taunton Baptist Church on Tuesday 16th & Thursday 18th November 2021 at 7.30pm. This inspiring true story from WW2 brings a message of hope, forgiveness and God’s love, even in the darkest of places. Tickets are limited to maximise social distancing and are available at: www.oddments-theatre.co.uk/book-your-tickets-here/
