We welcome you to your Church in the Community
We have been having fun meeting via zoom over these last couple of months. We have been talking and praying together, keeping in touch and being aware of the good things and the tough things we are facing.
If you would like to join us, please do contact us.
Well over 125 years ago, Stanwell Rd Baptist Church was intentionally built right in the heart of the growing community of Penarth to be able to serve its people. That is still our aim.
We are a community of people exploring what it means to know and live out the love of God. We believe that we are all made in God’s image, and that it has always been God’s intention for us to enjoy good relationships with him and each other.
We are a Christian Church with a Baptist understanding of ‘doing church’…
… in that we believe, by trusting in Christ, all believers have direct access to God, we make decisions within the local covenanting faith community and we view baptism as within the context of a voluntary public declaration of personal faith. However, we welcome those from other denominational backgrounds or none, to worship with us and explore what it means to practice community and grow in faith understanding and discipleship.
For more details , look at ‘what we believe’ section
We are committed to worshipping God …
Sunday morning worship generally includes a mixture of traditional and contemporary worship songs, a children’s talk/song (after which the children and babies are taught age-appropriate material or cared for in another room for the remainder of the service), prayer, Bible reading and a preached message based on the reading or theme. However, the style may vary from week to week as most appropriately suits the theme or congregation.
Once a quarter, Parade Services (when the Scouts & Guides Groups and their families attend) have a particularly youth/child focus in music, activities and teaching.
We also hold informal Café-style services where we engage with faith through a variety of topical themes, for those who find regular Church a step too far.
We believe the Bible is God’s written word…
God chose to make himself known to us, over thousands of years, both through the world in which we live and by his encounters with particular nations or individuals, some of whom were inspired by his Spirit to write of those encounters. These were collected together and agreed on by the community of faith as the Bible, which we now study together.
We believe that God’s Spirit is also active in the reading and study of the Bible, allowing it to speak clearly and with relevance into current life situations in the context of our modern world.
Therefore, at Stanwell Road we place a high value on preaching, teaching and encouraging the study of God’s written word and we seek to apply it to all aspects of life.
We are a diverse Church…
… in terms of age, backgrounds, characters, viewpoints and gifting but we believe that under God we are all equal. We are also mutually responsible to show care and seek understanding, one for another, and share the good news of the compassionate and reconciling love of God.
By the way, just come as you are and you will receive a warm welcome. There is no ‘appropriate’ dress code – people tend to default to their own comfort setting!
We are a Church where you can get involved…
How much you get involved is entirely up to you. Visit the Coffee Shop, a specially event like a PADLT (Penarth and District Lesotho Trust) fair, Charity Choir concert, Art exhibition or join us for a Sunday Service – you can come incognito and simply look around, or meet people and introduce yourself.
Try common interest groups to get to know others better – Book Club, Craft Group, Welsh class, Film Night or Nippers n’ Natters if you care for toddlers.
Anyone is welcome to join a Bible study group, either during the day in the Church Lounge or in a home venue in an evening.
For more details on all these, see our ‘What’s on’ page.
We are a Church where you can belong…
In fact, we actively encourage it! Having a sense of belonging, identity and mutual responsibility is a healthy expression of seeing yourself as part of family. However, at Stanwell Baptist Church, membership is always entered into thoughtfully and voluntarily and there is no pressure to make that commitment. Until that time comes, you are welcome to travel with us on your journey of faith, even if it is only for a while.