Who We Are

Southwick Christian Community Church is a local church, with international links.
We are located in the seaside town of Southwick, on the south coast of England, UK. So if you are passing, or live near we would love to see you!

All are welcome. We’re not a dull church; there is always something going on. You can find out what throughout this website.

As a church we are committed to sharing our faith locally, in the UK and overseas in different continents. This means we often go overseas ourselves helping with different projects. Currently our areas of support include Belgium, Spain, Hungary, Zimbabwe and Nagaland.

This site aims to provide you with relevant and up to date information about the Church.

Affiliation

We are affiliated to:

• The Baptist Union of Great Britain
• The Congregational Federation

Charity Status

We are registered as a Charity, our number is 1134003.

Leaders

Pastor:

• Revd Lynda Hulcoop

Leadership Team:

• Paul Gyoury
• James Benka-Coker
• Paul Hooper
• Graham Towse (Secretary)
• Vivienne Towse (Treasurer)

Get in touch

If you have a query or would like more information related to the Church, feel free to get in touch.

Full contact details can be found on the contact page (use above link).

Our Beliefs

Southwick Christian Community Church stands by the following beliefs:

• We believe that the one eternal God has revealed Himself through His creation and through the whole of the Old and New Testaments and take them as our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
• We believe in the unity of God in three co-equal persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, having distinct functions but the same nature. We believe that God is sovereign in all things, and is holy, just and loving.
• We believe that the human race is created/made in the image of God but is separated from God by sin, and can only be restored through faith in Jesus Christ and God’s Grace.
• We believe that God so loved the world that He gave his only Son to be our true Saviour. God became truly human as well as being truly God. God did this causing His Son to be conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
• We believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, lived as a man but without sinning, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners by taking on himself God’s judgement for sin, was buried and His actual body came back to life after three days. He was taken up into heaven to intercede for the church and to receive the highest honour on the right hand of the Father.
• We believe that Jesus will return in glory to resurrect the dead, to lead the church to its reward in Christ and to bring judgement and punishment on those who rejected him.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit makes us aware of our need of the Saviour Jesus, and when we accept him as Lord and Saviour, He enters our lives, giving us spiritual birth and the spiritual ability to live the Christian life.
• We believe that in accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour it is necessary to repent from sin and accept forgiveness and cleansing, through His atoning work on the cross.
• We believe that our purpose on earth is to glorify God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ by putting our trust in Him and living in the power of God’s Spirit.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit gives us assurance of our salvation and shows Himself by giving any Christian gifts to encourage and build up the congregation or to minister to their spiritual and physical needs. These gifts are received through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
• We believe that Jesus is the head of the church as a whole and is glorified when groups of Christians worship together, accept each other and are committed to each other under the leadership of a local church and in fellowship with other groups of Christians.
• We believe that, although we are engaged in spiritual warfare and temptation, we are assured of victory through Jesus Christ.
• We believe that all Christians should be baptised by immersion as a sign of commitment and obedience to Jesus’ commands to His disciples.
• We believe in the regular sharing of the Lord’s Supper/Holy Communion as a remembrance and as an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual blessing.

Our Mission

The church believes that the following is God’s calling to us as a church.

A Praying People

To be a people who are able to hear, and discern God’s heart and will thus be able to pray with faith, and to experience and exercise all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Matt: 21:18-22, Matt 6:5-13

An Open People

A church that is fully expectant and fully open to manifestations of the Holy Spirit, facilitating our building up, guidance, correction and empowering for service within the kingdom.
1 Cor. 12-14

A Loving People

To be a community of people who love and respect one another; working, praying and caring for each other within the church. A people whose love overflows into their families and the community with the love of Jesus expressed in action and kindness towards all.
1 Jn. 3

A Going Church

To be open and willing to take every God-given opportunity to reach into our community with the gospel, seeking revival within our area and nation, through prayer. This must start with us, must start with me!
2 Cor. 7, Acts 1-8, James 2:14-19

A Worshipping Church

To be a worshipping people, not out of duty, but out of a true relationship with our God in Christ. A people open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in corporate worship, recognising that He alone causes us to worship in Spirit and Truth.
Jn. 4:21-26

A Giving Church

A people whose worship arises out of a Kingdom lifestyle of self-giving to Christ, to each other and to the world. We seek to be generous in all things, even as God blesses us richly with His abundant grace.
2 Cor. 8

A Non-Religious Church

A church that is not legalistic, formal or religious, but non-religious, flexible and grateful for the grace of God. We are committed to one another and the Word of God with a humble and obedient attitude. A church where God is pleased to live by His Holy Spirit.
Eph. 2, Col. 2-3

Our History

The following outlines a brief history of the Church.

In September 1993 the members of Shoreham Baptist Church set up a new fellowship which met at the Quayside Youth Centre, in North Southwick.

A part time pastor was appointed in 1996. Towards the end of 1997, the lease of the former Congregational Church in Southwick was signed over to the newly named Southwick Christian Community Church. The small Church Hall has been prominently positioned in the heart of Southwick, adjacent to the Green, since the turn of the century.

In a two-phase development, completed in September 2003 and October 2007, the site of the old Congregational Hall has been radically transformed into a state of the art Christian Centre, with coffee shop, internet café, and abundant facilities for the whole community.

How was this £1 million plus building project possible in a small church with only 70 or so members? The answer is simple. God touched the hearts of the congregation to inspire continual sacrificial personal giving which has raised almost £590,000. He also opened the way for successful fund raising. Six years on from the start of the project less than £120,000 in loans remains to be repaid.

With these new buildings the church has begun offering a wide range of activities for all in the community including exercise classes, creative arts workshops, IT activities, innovative children and youth activities alongside its Sunday meetings, life groups, outreach groups and healing prayer sessions.

Facilities

The church has a number of facilities:

• Main Hall
• Two Community Halls
• IT Zone
• Coffee Shop
• Smaller Rooms
• Garden
• Rooms with Multi-media facilities

If you are interested in booking a room, please contact us.