New to Church?
We are so pleased that you've chosen to find out more about Oakham Baptist Church.
We believe that God has a purpose and role for every person He has created and it's exciting to think that He may be calling you here. This page may answer some of your questions but probably not all so please do call, email or pop into the church building to find out more about OBC.
In terms of doing "church" that basically means gathering together and worshipping God. Here at OBC we have traditional churchy gatherings (in a big room singing together) and we also gather in Missional Communities on Sunday mornings too.
If you want to know more about our Missional Communities then click here.
Here we'll talk about that more traditional style church gathering...
If you've never been to church or are nervous then relax- it's really laid back and accessible. Everything that happens is explained and you don't need to know "church stuff" to come along. Most people who come didn't know anything about church before they gave it a go, and they loved it. It's all about being together and sharing the experience of worship with friends.
If you want someone to meet you before you come then let us know.
Quickly, what happens?
We sing, but you don't have to join in (just like a football match but we put the words on screen).
We pray (you can pray too, or just listen).
We read the Bible (bring one if you've got one or grab one from church- if you don't have one then take one from here to keep).
We listen to stories and talks that speak about life.
Key information about the church...
The church meets through the week in small groups and together every Sunday with services at 10:30am and 6:00pm.
The 10:30am service has children and youth groups available and is a modern, contemporary time of worship and praise, while 6pm is a more laid-back approach to exploring the scriptures.
We meet at:
Melton Road
Oakham
Rutland LE15 6AY
You can see a map on our contact us page.
There is free Sunday parking available onsite. We're 30 a seconds walk from both the train station and bus terminal, and if you can't get here by foot, train, car or bus let us know and we can help.
At Oakham Baptist Church we believe that God has created us to be part of a community. As such we regularly seek to spend time in each other's company. Sometimes this may be whole church events like fun days, but very often it happens in smaller settings like shared meals or social activities.
One way we hope to keep our friendships and family feel alive is by encouraging small groups.
Quite often these are based around home Bible studies, but they can be anything- golf, cycling, crafts, swimming. Jesus says "where two or three are gathered in my name there I am also". And we really do believe that is true. If we're together and Jesus is our focus then God is with us.
Groups are different depending on who is there but each group should contain elements of...
Accountability Prayer Discipleship Growth Evangelism
You may find a small group near you, or one with a focus on similar interests, but if you can't find a group, or would like to start your own then let us know.
First of all, we will try and make sure you receive a very warm welcome, particularly from our Welcome Team who will meet you at the door, introduce you to some people, and answer any questions you have.
Our services vary from week to week, but we are a modern, Bible centred community which means scripture guides the entirety of our service, from music to prayers and also the sermon.
At our 10:30 gathering we share in prayer and the reading of God’s word and our preacher brings a sermon for us that explores our text. Our sung worship is contemporary in style but we also enjoy some older hymns too. Each service is followed by refreshments and a chance for healing and prayer. You can watch some of these services on our YouTube channel if you’d like.
6:00pm is a more laid-back service. We normally sit around tables together and share conversation based on our scripture as well as a time of fellowship and prayer. There’s normally a shorter talk based on our scripture and we often take some time to sing praise together.
We have a fantastic programme for children and young people at the Church:
Adventure is our group for 0-4s
Discover is for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
Explore is for children in Years 3-5
Connect is for young people in Years 6-8
Encounter is for young people in Years 9-13
In the 10:30 service young people stay with their parents at the start of the service as we worship together for the first part of the morning. Our children’s and families’ co-ordinator will announce when the young people need to go to their groups and will explain where they go. You will need to go with your children to sign them in, and with Connect and Encounter the first time to register them.
In the 6:00pm service young people stay in the same room throughout the service and activities are provided for them to engage with.
For more information about what happens in the children's work please visit the Children's Ministry page.
No! Please just be yourself and come dressed in whatever you feel comfortable wearing.
Not at all! You are free to simply observe or participate as much as feels comfortable for you.
It changes depending on the service but modern and contemporary is the way to think of it. Guitars, drums, pianos, that kind of thing; we're blessed with a number of fantastic musicians and we love to sing, dance and praise God. We have some older hymns too, but they're done in a lively way on modern instruments. you'll find the 6pm service more reflective on the whole, and the 1030 more lively.
Please feel free to contact us.
If you want to know who works in the church office, check out our Staff and Leadership page.
The church building is wheelchair accessible. We have a hearing loop installed. All communion is non-alcoholic and gluten free. All text appears on screen in a large, readable format. If you have further needs then let us know and we'll be happy to do all we can to make church a comfortable environment for you.