'The Gospel story is central to our church and its mission’ 

Oakham Baptist Church has marked its 250th birthday this year with a renewed focus and commitment to the community, and as a result has ‘grown and reached deeper than ever before’

 
That’s according to minister Tom Bowring, who is keen to share the East Midlands church’s positive story with the wider Baptist family.
 
‘We emerged from Covid with the intention of becoming a place of sanctuary and hope in the local community,’ he explains, ‘and Jesus has been doing amazing things through the church.
 
‘We’ve acted as a vibrant community hub for our county, supporting weekly drug rehab and alcoholics’ groups; we’re a base for CAP (Christians Against Poverty) and host the council’s youth work initiatives.
 
‘We are also pleased to have around a dozen Ukrainian families worship with us regularly, as a follow on from our Ukrainian social space that the council highlight as their primary focus for Ukrainian guest welfare.
 
‘This has all led to us seeing an explosion of evangelism and we’ve baptised 12 people in the past year. We have seen lots come to faith, including those from marginalised backgrounds.
 
‘Our Sunday services are standing room only and the church is full of anticipation and excitement over the future, with us looking to begin an extension project in 2023 to enable us to do more for the Kingdom.’
 

Oakham is the county town of Rutland, a generally prosperous area that nevertheless has pockets of deprivation and need.
 
In wanting to become a place of sanctuary, the church has developed a threefold focus on social care, evangelism and prophecy over the past year. This is underpinned by its overall vision to "Reconcile Rutland to the Kingdom of God."
 
In practice this has meant having an open building, hosting its own activities such as toddler groups, a clothing bank and more recently becoming a warm space, as well as partnering with other organisations which have a similar ethos in wanting to meet people’s needs.   
 
‘We know people are struggling, and we want to do what we can to help them in their struggle,’ Tom explains. ‘So we ask ‘where is the social need?’
 
‘For example there is a real need at the moment of having that warm space, that lifts some of that pressure of economic difficulty over the winter. How can we meet that physical need and that social care need?  
 
‘There's lots of loneliness in society for all sorts of issues. Post Covid we were finding isolation everywhere through society. What, as a church, could we do?
 
‘For the Ukrainians, there was no sense of community for them. So we created a weekly community space with no other reason than saying here's a space you can come and be in to meet other guests, or hosts to meet other hosts.’
 
One of the things the church felt keenly was the need for its building to be available. It’s now open through the week (closed on Tuesday and Saturday to allow times of sabbath), so people know it’s a place they can drop in to. ‘It’s a safe place where people can just come in and be,’ says Tom (pictured below at one of the church's toddler sessions).


 
In terms of evangelism, Tom says the church recognises what Paul writes in Corinthians, about called to the ministry of reconciliation. ‘We recognise that all people are created in the image of God,’ Tom says, ‘so we're not introducing God to them, but reconciling them to God.
 
‘We believe people are built to know God. Sometimes they just need that reintroduction, that idea of reconciling with God.
 
‘We talk with people about Jesus and all he did on the cross for us as people, what life in Jesus means for us as his followers, and what it can mean for them and the world as a whole if they give their lives to him. The Gospel story is central to the church and its mission.’
 
He says this happens naturally in the mutual sharing of stories.

‘A huge part of what we've been seeking to do is to be that place of trust, that place of sanctuary. Saying to people, if you are struggling, then we're here to help you through that struggle, with the love and truth we can give.

 

‘So there's always a definite focus on evangelism, but it's how it’s done. It's more about allowing people to have the space to be and feel comfortable. Then you can share those stories.
 
‘We inviting people to share their stories with us, and when we’re sharing our stories with them, they see the relevance of Jesus in such a real, physical, practical way.
 
‘And it's those natural conversations that occur, but always with that deliberate focus of we want to love you and show that God loves you in such a great way.’
 
He reiterates that trust is key. ‘It all starts with trust. Once the community starts to trust us, they then listen to the words of truth we are trying to speak.’
 
Prophecy, the third area of focus, is all about speaking truth to power. It could be challenging the Council about a lack of funding, or why people struggling financially are now having to pay for a service that was free before. ‘It’s that idea of speaking into the powers we have around us to try and make that kingdom of God here on earth, says Tom.
 
He says through this combination of social care, evangelism and prophecy, people have developed a new understanding about the nature of the church.


 
‘One thing that has definitely struck me was people didn't know what the church was for.
 
‘So as we've started reaching very deliberately into the community and being this open, refreshing space, people say oh, church is great. I love it.
 
‘They thought it was people just going on a Sunday to do Christianity, rather than being what we're actually called to be, which is the people trying to bring the kingdom to earth, re-grabbing that whole life mission way of thinking about things.
 
‘Church happens throughout the week, but we are seeing people come through to the Sunday morning in in so many different ways, from all different types of backgrounds. They are really discovering what church actually is, a family together, as opposed to what they thought it was.’
 
There has been a profound impact on the congregation. ‘It’s been such an encouragement to the church to know that they've had such a strong call: Jesus was calling them to get out in the community and be that centre of hope and sanctuary, and to spread the gospel to the county around them.

'And then to see that Jesus has been faithful in that way.
 
‘It's just great. To see so much life and vibrancy.’
 
He adds, ‘Jesus is still central, He’s still reaching out and He’s still our focus as His people.’
 
 
Images | Oakham Baptist Church