BUS Autumn Gathering

This year we are excited to meet together in person for a National Prayer Gathering.

Praying together is a high priority for us as a network as we seek God to bring increase to our churches. After several online prayer gatherings in recent years, it is now time for us to come together for a large in-person prayer gathering.

Framed by worship and scripture, this will be an occasion to celebrate God’s good work among us and pray for God’s mission through this land.

The Prayer Gathering is open to all and we hope as many as possible from your church will come along. 

Doors open at 7pm for tea, coffee and muffins; the programme commences at 7.30pm.  

Tea and coffee will also be served at the end of the gathering.

Please register your details below for attending this free event.

We are also inviting every Scottish Baptist church to send delegates to this new BUS Autumn Gathering, which will take place in Queen’s Park Baptist Church in Glasgow on 15-16 November.

This will be comprised of three elements:

• The National Prayer Gathering, on the evening of Friday 15 November (open to all)

• A day for delegates to discuss issues of common concern to us as a network of churches, on Saturday 16 November

• The BUS Annual General Meeting, included in the programme on Saturday 16 November

We do need to know numbers for both gatherings so please confirm your attendance using the links below:

Venue details:

Queen’s Park Baptist Church
20 Balvicar Drive
Glasgow
G42 8QS

Getting there – https://www.qpbc.org/sundays/ click on this link then scroll down to “Getting there”

Here are the key reasons the BUS Council has decided we should gather in this way:

1. We have been holding national online prayer gatherings since 2020. It now seems the right time to have an in-person national gathering for prayer. Praying together continues to be a top priority for our network as we seek God to bring Increase in our churches. We expect a large number will gather in Glasgow but we hope also to stream the event so local churches can join in across the country too

2. We have lacked a space for a national conversation about issues of common interest since the pandemic.

Canopy in the summer is now highly valued by many people in Baptist churches as an inspirational gathering for worship, teaching and fellowship and has become a central gathering point for our churches. However, Council recognises our network will be enriched by a deliberative gathering attended by delegates appointed by churches, where a breadth of insights and views can be heard from the churches, deepening our communal discernment of the Lord’s will for us.

Normally the insights of the Autumn Gathering will feed into the Council, which is our central decision-making body, though there may be occasions when Council refers specific matters to the Autumn Gathering for decision.

3. The online Annual General Meeting has fulfilled our constitutional requirements since 2020, but an in person meeting will allow more time for reporting and questions within that important meeting.