Seventh-day Adventist® Church

Easter is a great time to be reminded of what the death and resurrection of Jesus truly means, and it can be summed up in one of the most popular bible verses. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17.NLT

The Youth ministry and Music ministry joined forces on Saturday 30th March to bring the powerful story of Christs death and resurrection to life through music and storytelling.

The service started with the song ‘When Sunday Comes’ sang passionately by Jason Nicholson-Porter. Followed by the Clapton praise team and youth praise team leading the congregation in songs that brought home the message of why Christ died on the cross for all of us!

In between the songs, were snippets of the crucifixion story acted out by the youth of the church, which ended with Jesus death on the cross beautifully enacted by Jadean Mason.

Pastor Nerine Barret ended the service with a sermonette that beautifully tied the whole message together. Reminding us that Gods love is bigger that we can ever comprehend.

By Lori Skerritt

Sitting in the North Atlantic Ocean between 180 metres and 340 metres (Mount Hillaby) at its highest level above sea, is the beautiful Island in the sun, Barbados!  It is still considered a Caribbean Island despite its geographical position and is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Caribbean.1

BARBADOS!   Or ‘Los Barbados’ – meaning,  “the bearded ones” - was the name given to this sunshine isle by the Portuguese who visited in 1536.2  The name is said to be derived from either the beard-like roots of the Fig Trees, once found in abundance, or from the long beards worn by the male Carib Indians who were the indigenous people at the time.3  It is also noted that the original name for Barbados, given by the Arawak Indians who were the first occupiers of the Island, was ‘Ichirouganaim’ – possibly meaning one of the following: “Red Land with White Teeth”, “Redstone Island with Teeth Outside (reefs)” or simply “Teeth”.4 

Barbados is comprised of eleven parishes, all of which are surrounded by the sea except two – St. Thomas and St. George.  It is a Christian nation and faith in God is intrinsically woven into the very fabric of Barbados’ vibrant society.  Barbadian people are proud of this heritage, often quipping that, “there is a church on every corner”.  Henceforth, it is no surprise that the Adventist message was first introduced to the island 125 years ago in 1891 and has, by God’s grace, flourished, bringing many souls to Christ.   

The Island’s rich history also encompasses cultures and traditions passed down from their West African ancestors and their British colonial rulers, from whom they gained independence from on the 30th November 1966.5  2016 marks 50 years of independence and celebrations have been held in honour of this auspicious occasion. 

Pastor David Burnett and Clapton Community SDA Church hosted a thanksgiving service on the 19th November 2016.  To commence this special event, Pastor Dr Colin Thorne, one of the leading ministers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Barbados and the Secretary of the East Caribbean Conference, gave the morning’s address.

His Excellency Mr Guy Hewitt, the Barbados High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, was also in attendance and joined with the brethren in giving thanks to God for the 50 years of independence.

His Excellency Mr Lazarus Amayo, the Kenyan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, also conveyed a sentiment of congratulations to Clapton’s Barbadian members and visitors.

In addition, church leaders such as Pastor Augustus Lawrence, a representative of the BUC and Pastor Richard Daly, of the SEC and Area 6b coordinator, joined in the festivities.

The service commenced with a procession of the Pathfinder drum core, in their fine regalia escorting the dignitaries into the sanctuary. 

Barbadian members and visitors were visible as they represented their island, wearing their nation’s colours of blue, gold and black. 

The magnificence of the church building was complemented by the wonderful decor arranged by Sister Gordon and her team. 

Children were given goodie bags filled with Barbados themed items such as an activity booklet, stationary and a Barbados 50th independence pin.  These were lovingly arranged by Sis T. Donaldson and Sis I. Husbands. 

Lunch was served following the morning service, which showcased an array of Barbadian culinary delights.  Most notable were the vegetarian Fishcakes nicknamed ‘Vishcakes’, Rice and Peas and Macoroni Pie, with Coconut Cake, Conkies, Mauby and Sorrell for dessert.

The afternoon program, compéred by André and Eugenie, was full of praise and worship, historical footage of Barbados and quizzes that tested the congregation’s knowledge of all things Barbados.

The day was a delightful display of faith intertwined with culture, unity and joyous thanksgiving to God for the many years that Barbados has flourished.

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Barbados 
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados 
3 http://www.explorefacts.net/12-random-facts-barbados/ 
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados 
5 http://www.explorefacts.net/12-random-facts-barbados/ 

If we don't teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them how not to.

Over the Spring holidays the children's department from Clapton Community SDA church organised a weekend camp away. The children were able to see Gods wonderful creation through hikes, devotions around campfires, and sighting animals. They learned about God's love for them and what His love means to them.

During the summer holidays the department organised a vacation bible school which was open to the public at large. "Knowing God Through Science" was the theme. It was a blast for the children, they were able to take part in a number of experiments relating to creation, the universe and the bible. They enjoyed field trips to parks and museums and we're also active in cooking, crafting and drama. It's a program the department plans to have every year.

The children's department from Clapton Community SDA Church make learning very fun and interesting for the kids consisting of activities planned to deal with every aspect of their spiritual growth.

The bible tells us in Psalms 78:2-4 , that we are not to hide the truth from our children, but tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. As a department and church this is our motto to ensure that this generation and the one to come will stand up for Jesus.

Eric and Monique ended their 4 months 2015 European tour in London, at the Clapton Seventh-day Adventist Church at 5pm on Saturday 28th November.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?” Isaiah 40:28. Eric and Monique are married singer-songwriters and musicianaries from Australia, spreading the gospel through word and song. They are involved in fulltime self-funded music ministry, travelling the world to share their deep love of our Saviour and testify of Him. This couple have now been married for 8 years, while singing and working together for the past 3 years. After previously quitting their respective jobs to start fulltime music ministry their families, though reluctant at first, offered their blessing. God's grace and provisions are immeasurable and has been providing for their ministry. According to the words of one of their songs, they say of God: "even if I doubt sometimes, I still love you and know you're true; You alone are my strength and refuge; God is creator, our life’s sustainer".

"When our world is shaking, God stands firm still". This couples voices blend together with such fluidity, with Eric playing the keyboard melodiously as they share their piano-driven songs. During the evenings programme Monique spoke to some extent of life changing experiences that led her to music, and in writing some of the words of their songs.

This is the start of many peace marches Clapton church will host in the future to help their local community.

Clapton Community SDA Church is housed in a magnificent Grade II listed building which was erected in 1891. We purchased the property in 2006 while it was in a derelict state, and have since committed to restoring the temple of God to its former glory. This restoration work will be a timely and hugely costly enterprise, which we know by the grace of God IS achievable.

To date, significant improvements have already taken place on the building, with the next phase of the restoration project being the building of new toilet facilities. The 28th March saw the beginning of fundraising efforts towards this next phase of project. Any financial contributions towards our restoration project will be greatly appreciated. With everything we are and everything we have, we continue to engage our with community in fellowship while sharing the gospel of Christ.

On Sunday the 31^st August, the sunshine smiled on Clapton Community Seventh-day Adventist church in preparation for their international community fair held on the grounds outside the church building. The family fun filled day consisted of music, international food from a variety of countries, free clothes and fun activities for children in aid of raising funds for the restoration of St Pauls church.

Many members of the community, local businesses and Clapton church’s members worked together to organise this community event. Stalls were set up to offer free treats to every visitor, a bouncy castle and hula hoops were provided for the children, and members cycled for hours on an exercise bike to raise money for the cause.

No activities were held inside the church which allowed visitors to take a tour of the historic building and enjoy some quiet meditation time.

The international fair was a wonderful opportunity for members of the Clapton community church to build bridges with their local community in an open and informal environment, it even inspired a few visitors to volunteer and contribute to the next one! This is the start of a special relationship with the local community, and with God the possibilities are absolutely endless.