Who we are

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As a Christian community, Swords Baptist Church (SBC), we see ourselves as living proof that there is a God who desires relationship with us and who can be known in a very personal way. He has plans and purposes for our lives and has, at His core, our very best interests. We recognise that in the person of Jesus, God Himself actually visited our world and died for us, and through His death and resurrection the possibility exists of connecting with the God who is more present than we could imagine.

Many of us at SBC would say that we have encountered this God in a way we never dreamed of and are seeking to journey with Him in our everyday life allowing Him to shape and guide us. Scott Peck, in his book “A Road less Travelled” said that ‘life is difficult,’ and while life can at times be great as well, we recognise that knowing God personally gives us substantial resources for living our lives well whatever the circumstances.

We have the Bible, the word of God, at the centre of our lives. We believe that in the person of Jesus, God himself actually visited our world and died for us individually. Through His death we can have forgiveness of our sins and that by belief in His resurrection we can have a relationship with Him, the living God, who is more present than we can imagine. His desire for us is that through our cooperation with the Spirit we would be formed increasingly into the image of Jesus.

There have been Baptist Communities in Ireland since the 1600s. We are a self – governing and self-financing body. We are called “Baptists” because we baptise, by “total immersion” – sometimes at Tower Bay in Portrane and sometimes in a tank in our church garden, those who believe and have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Churches often present a “truncated gospel” which says the good news of Jesus is that he died for our sins so we can go to heaven when we die. While this is true, we believe the good news message of Jesus is much broader and grander than this. We believe Jesus says we can flourish and have joy and a deep sense of fulfilment even as we engage with the challenges life throws at us (John 10:10).

We believe a different kind of life is possible when we live it in relationship with Jesus as his apprentices or disciples. He is not only our sin substitute but also our teacher, our yoke-fellow, our brother and friend. He invites us to follow him in how we live our lives.

Johnny Holland, Pastor at SBC

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at The Riasc Centre Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:45 am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10:45 am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of corporate worship and singing, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 15 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a passage from the Bible. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song.

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What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 12 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Kidzone Juniors (Junior, Senior Infants, 1st and 2nd Class )
Kidzone Middle (3rd and 4th Class)
Kidzone Seniors (5th and 6th Class)
Impact Xtra (Secondary School age students)

Children stay with their parent or guardian at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshiping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Johnny Holland
Lead Pastor

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes