The Baptist Union of Great Britain : Baptists Together magazine articles

Resources

A selection of helpful resources

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Additional prayer poems

Baptist minister and spoken word poet Mike Sherburn has created new pieces on baptism to go alongside this edition

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Prayers

A selection of prayers around the subject of baptism

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Young people, baptisms and festivals

The importance of Christian camps and festivals has been a recurring theme of young people’s baptisms as reported to The Baptist Times News Round-up Meghan, Max, Dan, Sophie and Ellie highlight factors that led to their baptisms in 2024.

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Sharing my faith

How would you respond if a non-church member asks about baptism? Together Magazine put some commonly asked questions to Seidel Abel Boanerges, whose varied role at Spurgeon’s College involves teaching apologetics.

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Still making a splash

The baptism preparation booklet has been the best-selling item on the Baptists Together online shop over the last decade. Author Nick Lear shares the thinking behind it

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Preparing young people for the church meeting

Our story from Wokingham Baptist Church, by Clare Hooper

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A baptism in a JCB – A further reflection

In 2018 army chaplain Gary Birch conducted a baptism that went viral, with the short video clocking up more than one million views on social media. He explains what happened, and offers further reflections

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Baptisms in my local prison

By volunteer Prison Chaplain and retired Baptist minister Pam Bryan

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A baptism that provoked many questions

Bread of Life, a micro-bakery, coffee shop and community hub led by Baptist minister John Western, conducted its first baptism this year

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In difficult times, people began to turn to God

Igor Bandura, Vice President of the All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists, reports on an increase in baptisms following the Russian invasion of 2022

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A baptism in the sea

Baptisms are always a time of rejoicing, and this was such a joyous occasion: being baptised in a beautiful calm sea, with glorious morning sunshine and Nina’s family and friends celebrating with her. By Ann Marie Fradgley

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Not owning our building means we’ve had to be inventive

Castle Donington Community Church has baptised people in a variety of unusual places. It has led to miracles of salvation, says Roy Monks

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On a leap of faith, we opened up our baptistry

Chenies Baptist Church hadn’t conducted a baptism in almost a decade - but without a candidate in sight, decided to open its baptistry on Easter Sunday. Minister Jon Bishop explains more

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There’s a preparation and an expectation

After several years of no baptisms, Pollards Hill Baptist Church in south London now intentionally hosts four baptism services a year. Minister Deji Ayorinde shares how, and why

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Baptism and Body

Reflecting on the baptism of her daughter, who has severe and complex special needs, Sally Nelson explores how we understand the concept of the church as the body of Christ

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Why baptism and why Baptist?

Amutha Devaraj was born into a Hindu family in India. Highlighting the significance of baptism, she explains why she became a Baptist minister

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Baptists and Baptism

Baptism is both a simple act… and a profound one. Andy Goodliff traces how Baptists have understood baptism

Baptism - our hearts cry out, 'More Lord'

Believers’ baptism is foundational to our movement, writes Lynn Green. Wouldn’t it be amazing if in 2025 every single one of our baptistries is used right across our Union?

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Summer 2025 edition

Articles from 'Baptism - Are you ready?'

BTTogether

Prayers

These prayers are taken from the Vital Signs resource of The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, and are republished with permission

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Children, young people and families

Every child is important to God, and we need to find ways for churches to be welcoming, safe and inclusive in all ways.

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Resources

A selection of books exploring discipleship

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Discipleship in a digital community

Simon Werrett is part of two church communities - his local, onsite congregation is Burnham on Crouch Baptist Church in Essex, where he is the community digital pastor, and an online community principally through Facebook and Zoom

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Discipleship and the joy of welcoming refugees

How Shoreditch Tab Church is responding to the refugees in its midst. An interview with Baptist minister Georgina Stride

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Discipleship and chaplaincy

Discipleship is not the purpose of most chaplaincy roles, writes hospital chaplain Sarah Crane – but it still features in surprising way

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Making disciples who make disciples

Baptist minister Torquil Allen highlights his involvement with The Rooftop, which seeks to create a global disciple-making movement

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Discipleship on an estate

Baptist minister Tom Grant is the head of Proximity, a new, free resource hub for churches, leaders and anyone working in urban ministry and mission. Proximity will begin 2025 with an in-depth focus on discipleship

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Disciple-making in Toxteth

Members of Toxteth Tabernacle Baptist Church in Liverpool are exploring what it means to be a disciple-making community. Interview with minister Jack Sykes

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Discipleship in later life

Why churches should encourage the discipleship journey for those in later life - and some ideas how to. By Alex Drew

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This intentional style of development should not stop with women

MagnifyYou was a two-year development programme for a group of ordained women leaders - and resulted in several participants sensing the call to ministries they hadn’t previously considered. This article draws on Beth Powney’s MagnifyYou research paper.

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Ministers as fellow disciples

Many people look to ministers to disciple them. But what of a minister’s own discipleship? Tim Fergusson offers a reflection on its importance - and suggestions for how it might happen

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The benefits of microchurch for discipleship

The newest Firestarters book aims to empower churches to become disciple-making communities. It offers the idea that pursuing more scattered ways of being church might help in encouraging a body of believers to put into practice all they are learning.

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Whole-life discipleship in our churches

In his role with The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC), Ken Bennjamin has created a suite of resources called Vital Signs to help us all move from good intentions to best practice on disciplemaking.

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Discipleship, suffering and justice

What we can learn from a Majority World perspective in light of the challenges we face today. By Israel Oluwole Olofinjana

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Cross-shaped discipleship

I wonder how much you and I have our hearts set on human things rather than divine things? By Lynn Green

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Biblical foundations for discipleship

Mark’s gospel suggests four ways of fixing our eyes on Jesus - each of which help us see different dimensions of discipleship and respond freshly to his life-giving, revolutionary invitation to ‘follow him’, writes Peter Morden

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Autumn 2024 edition

Articles from 'Come, follow me'

BTTogether

The practice of centering prayer

In this video Jonathan Vaughan Davies, minister of Bethel Baptist Church, Cardiff invites Rosa Hunt, co-principal of Cardiff Baptist College, to introduce the practice of centering prayer