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| 2575: Baptist
Church, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Aileen.
The church: Baptist
Church, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England.
Denomination: Baptist
Union of Great Britain
The building: The
Baptist chapel was built in 1801 and fronts immediately onto
a main road. The building is of stone with two symmetrical rows
of four windows facing the street and an ornamental gable. It
has been a Grade II listed (protected) building since 1974.
The baptismal area was at the front, under the organ and the
preaching area..
The church:
In this church, in keeping with its denomination, people are
baptised as believers; even if they have been dedicated as babies
they later they choose to be baptised in faith, as Jesus also
was as an adult. In addition to the Sunday service, the church
also has fellowship meetings and a coffee morning during the
week.
The neighbourhood: Shepton
Mallet is a medieval market town and wool trading centre in
the south-west of England. Although it is not huge, it has plenty
of shops and places to eat, with many ancient houses, set in
the middle of rural farmland featuring pastoral scenes of sheep
and cows – indeed, the name Shepton is derived from the
Old English word for sheep pen. During World War II, important
historical documents such as the Magna Carta and the Domesday
Book were brought to Shepton Mallet for safekeeping. It's hard
to believe that the big city of Bristol is just 18 miles away.
The cast:
Kerry Web led the service, in the absence of the pastor, the
Revd Graham Dart.
The date & time: Sunday,
28 July 2013, 10.30am.
Comment:
We have received a comment
on this report.
What was the name of the
service?
Morning Service.
How full was the building?
The building could accommodate a large congregation on two levels,
but there were about 30 people present on this occasion and
we all had plenty of space.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
As we came to the door, there were several people coming in,
who welcomed us. Inside, many more welcomed and spoke to us.
Was your pew comfortable?
It was a padded wooden pew and very comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
People were smiling and greeting each other and listening to the woman who played the piano. It was a congregation of adults.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
Kerry Web started with a prayer to God: "Thank you in Jesus'
name."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Songs of Fellowship, Mission England Praise and
The Holy Bible, New International Version.
What musical instruments were played?
The female pianist was excellent. The organ of the same vintage as the church is not in use at the moment.
Did anything distract you?
I remembered the more modern Baptist church where I was baptised
and at first I wondered where the baptism area was in this church,
but afterwards they showed me it, at the front.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
The singing was very enthusiastic with a lot of raised hands and hand-waving.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
20 minutes, including some words said during the times between
the hymns and Bible readings.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
8 – Kerry Web spoke well so that we could hear him.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
From Psalm 27: God is my light and my salvation. God is against
the devil, not against us. Worship God always, even if we are
not well. Jesus healed a man and asked him if he wanted to be
well. Our soul is joyful in the Lord and exciting and free.
We should be enthusiastic about God. He loves us and has a positive
plan about every life. We serve in different countries and this
work can be difficult, as the whole of the world does not understand
us as we worship God and experience the love of God. All of
us face challenges. We can only do our best and know that God
is the best. God is with us all. We must have faith and pray
for those who do not have faith.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
Singing well about and to God, and hearing that God always loves
us was like being in heaven while we are living now with the
Holy Spirit.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I felt worried about many people in the world not praying to
God and not understanding God.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
People smiled and chatted to us and told us that there would
be tea and coffee. They also said they were pleased we were
here in the church.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Both the tea and the coffee were very nice.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 – If I were living there I would be really pleased to
belong to that church.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
I was pleased to be a Christian and pleased I'd been baptised as a teenager, which made me feel very happy about God loving me and feeling God in me.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The message about letting people all over the world know about
God. |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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