Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

'God Is Using Our Availability' 

June 2013

Baptisms mark the first anniversary of a creative church plant in Brick Lane


God is using our availability
A creative church planting initiative celebrated its first anniversary with four baptisms on Sunday – in a baptistery that many locals had helped to fill.

Kahaila is a church from a coffee shop in London’s Brick Lane and opened its doors to the public on 15 June 2012.

To mark the anniversary it had a celebration on Saturday evening and invited its regulars, many of whom are non-churched.

Towards the end of the night the hired baptistery pool needed filling in readiness for the baptisms the next day. ‘Suddenly you had this line of people with buckets trying to fill it, with party music on,’ said Baptist minister the Revd Paul Unsworth, who leads Kahaila.

‘Most of them are not Christian. It was a great opportunity to talk to them about baptism, and why we do it.’

Such encounters have become the norm for Paul and his team. He explained that Kahaila, a combination of two Hebrew words for life and community, is all about building relationships.

In order to create positive encounters with local people the café runs activities during the week, such as craft workshops, live music and poetry events, and a ‘bring and share’ supper club every Sunday, when the café invites regular customers to come and have a meal together. A church service takes place each Wednesday evening. They don’t try to push the gospel at ‘every opportunity’, explains Paul, but find lots of conversations develop naturally.

‘As you’re building relationships with people and hearing their story, they want to hear your story.’

Paul had the idea for Kahaila after seeing how busy Brick Lane was on a Sunday morning. Takings have been four times higher than anticipated and trustees agreed they would not need any Home Mission support after the end of 2012.

Future plans include setting up a market stall and opening a bakery to help support vulnerable women. The first year culminated in the baptisms.

‘It’s been an amazing year,’ said Paul. ‘We have a lot to be thankful for. It’s amazing how many people have blogged about it and said good things about the café.

‘The church is growing and developing. God is using our availability.’

Hear Paul talk about Kahaila:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TomQ-TOmA2I
 
 
    Post     Tweet
LBA Home Mission Stories
Examples of how Home Mission funds are being used in the London Baptist Association
SubArticleD2019
Fit for mission? 
Albany Park Baptist Church in London is offering a ministry of community fitness and is investing in leadership as this outreach develops
Faith leaders gather in solidarity event for social justice
More than 150 leaders from faith communities across London gathered at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church as part of a powerful demonstration of unity and a shared commitment to social change
'Bringing the community together to work as one so our young people can thrive and be safe' 
Romford Baptist Church hosted a knife crime summit following a rise in violent crime in the area
Prayer walk for Gaza in South and East London 
On Maundy Thursday a group of Christians, including several Baptists, will be undertaking a pilgrimage in prayerful solidarity with the people of Gaza
Baptist minister signs Nelson Mandela tribute book  
The Revd Dr Simon Woodman, Minister of Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church in London, has become the first Baptist to sign the House of Commons Book of Tribute to Nelson Mandela
'His work epitomises what it means to give back to your community and inspire change'
Baptist minister Dave Mann who founded a community association more than 25 years ago has received a prestigious award from his local council
     Regional News 
    Posted: 19/06/2024
    Posted: 04/11/2020
    Posted: 22/09/2020
    Posted: 22/09/2020
    Posted: 22/09/2020
    Posted: 03/01/2020
    Posted: 27/11/2019
    Posted: 18/10/2018
    Posted: 25/05/2018