New Here ?

We're glad you're here, and hope that having a look around the website will give you a flavour of who we are. The best way to find out about us is to visit us on a Sunday morning, when we gather together for our church service and meet informally over a cup of coffee or tea afterwards.

We love having visitors at Harrow Baptist Church and at most Sunday services there are new people who have come along.  You will receive a warm welcome. If you come to our coffee timeSunday Service there will be a Steward at the door waiting to welcome you and help you feel at home. During the week we have staff in the foyer who will greet you.

Our services are structured but relaxed and not too formal. Hopefully you will leave renewed, happy and wanting to come back again. We usually have around 60-80 people in our service. All ages, all backgrounds and from a great variety of countries.  Our Sunday morning service starts at 10:30 where we sing, pray and receive teaching from the Bible. You can find out more about these here.

Our church is active throughout the week, often from early morning through to the evening, and you are welcome to drop in at any time we are open. Our coffee mornings are a good time to call in.  If you are calling in at other times it may be wise to check that the church is open. Contact us  

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do you meet?celebration lunch

Our church is in College Road , Harrow HA1 1BA

We are 5 minutes’ walk from Harrow on the Hill Station (Chiltern Line and Metropolitan Underground) and the main Bus station. When you come out of the ticket barriers take the right hand exit towards the St Anne’s Shopping Centre. Turn right at the bottom of the stairs from the station and walk along College Road (the main road that you will be on). We are after the short parade of shops, set back from the road with a small courtyard in front of the church.

Travel information

What Time does your Sunday service start (and finish)?

We start at 10:30 and finish around 11:30 to 12:00. 

Some people find it difficult to arrive here by 10:30 if public transport has delays, so we are used to people arriving at different times during the service. That’s not a problem. You are free to leave whenever you would like.

After the morning service we have tea, coffee, squash and biscuits or sometimes cake and a chance to chat and let the children play. Some mornings there is a Fairtrade stall where you can buy various items. On other occasions the Brownies, Guides or other groups may have a cake stall. 

On some Sundays we have a cooked lunch, especially for visitors. Please ask anyone about this – you are really welcome to stay. A small donation is requested to cover the cost of the food but is not necessary, if that is difficult for you.

What happens when I arrive?

There are stewards at the door who will welcome you and give any information you need. They will show you where the toilets are, where to leave your coat if you would like that (our church is warm and comfortable). Most people chat in the foyer and don’t go into the church until near the service time.  At the door to the church sanctuary is another steward who will give you the week’s newsletter and order of service. 

Where do I sit?

You can sit anywhere you like or the steward will show you to a seat if you prefer. Nobody has a 'special' seat that they always sit in! 

The service is relayed into the foyer - if you feel more comfortable sitting there. There are always a few people who sit in the foyer who will make you feel welcome.

Is there a dress code?

No. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. Jeans and a T-shirt, smart casual, a suit and tie, something special  - all are equally acceptable.

Do you have a Crèche?

Yes, we have a crèche upstairs run by experienced volunteers with a wide range of suitablebaby in bouncer chair toys. You can leave your baby or toddler for all or part of the service, whatever suits. You are welcome to stay with them too, if you prefer, as we have an audio connection in the room so you can hear what is going on in the service.

Do you have baby-changing facilities?

Yes we have baby changing facilities in the toilet for the disabled and also in a separate toilet downstairs. The toilets upstairs, reached by stairs or a lift, have toilets suitable for toddlers.

Do you have a Sunday groups for children and young people?

Yes. The children go in to church for the first part of the service. The 4-7 year olds come out after the family topic to go to their group. The older ones come out after the Bible reading. We have groups that go up to 15 years. If your children are close in age but would be in different groups, they are welcome to go together into whichever group is most appropriate until they get to know the other children.

Do the people who work with children and young people have police checks?

Yes, they have all the appropriate checks and certificates. We take child protection very galaxy making a gameseriously and we have rigorous procedures in place to safeguard all our children, young people and anyone considered vulnerable in our care. 

See our Safe to Grow  summary 

             Safe to Grow  full policy 

 Do you take an offering?

Yes, this is the way that church members contribute to the life and work of the church. It is by the financial support of our congregation that we pay our bills, staff salaries and are able to contribute to a number of charities and the work that we do. Many church members give by direct debit so you will see them pass the offering bag by. Our offering is not something that visitors should in any way feel obliged to contribute to. Don’t feel embarrassed to just let the bag pass by. 

Do I need to bring a Bible?

No, there are Bibles available if you would like one. Whenever possible the Bible passage being used in the service is displayed on the multi-media screen.

Do I have to be a Baptist?

No, we have people in our church who have come from a wide variety of church backgrounds or none.

Do I have to believe in a set of statements or creed? I have doubts about many things?

No. Many people have doubts about different things and are trying to work out and explore what faith means. We are an inclusive church and come together to worship and serve Jesus in a spirit of tolerance to each other and understanding of our diversity of backgrounds and faith journey. We do not have a creed or a set of statements that we all have to agree to. We are open to each other and our different points of view as we seek to learn more of God. See here for more information about our faith.

What happens in worship?

You will be given an order of service so you can follow what happens. Most things will be up on the multimedia screen. The service will be led by the Minister or other church members. You will not be asked to say anything, although hopefully you will enjoy joining in with the songs. We stand to sing the hymns and songs and sit to pray. Sometimes there are responses to make to prayers – these will be on the screen or on the service sheet. We stand when the offering is brought forward to be blessed. Don’t worry about doing anything wrong; just follow what the others around you are doing!

The Minister will give a talk about a topic related to the Bible reading. This is a central partyoung piano players of Baptist worship where we learn and are taught about something from the Bible and how to relate it to our lives. The talk usually will last for about 20-25 minutes. 

At the end of the service the person playing the piano or organ plays a short piece of music. This is seen as a time when we are quiet and reflect on what we have learned during the service or maybe make our own silent prayers. It is also seen as polite to listen to the music rather than talk over it.

The Minister will greet you as you leave the sanctuary and there are others in the foyer who will show you where we have tea and coffee. Some people will leave for home at this point and not stay, so don’t feel obliged to stay for refreshments.

Do you have Communion?

Yes we do, on the first Sunday of the month. A communion service is when we remember the last supper Jesus had with his disciples. It was the Passover meal that Jews celebrate every year to celebrate how God saved them from the Egyptians in the time of Moses to start a new life in the Promised Land. The Bible explains what happened during the meal:

‘Jesus took some bread in his hands. Then after he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this and remember me.” After the meal, Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and said, “This is my blood, and with it God makes his new agreement with you. Drink this and remember me.”
(1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

Christians believe that this ‘new agreement’ was a new relationship between God and us. They believe that when Jesus was crucified the next day (Good Friday), He took away all the wrong things people had done and defeated the power of evil, so they could know God as their friend and loving Father. Although communion is a time to remember that Jesus died, it is also a time to be happy and thankful that he did.

The Communion service is also known as Mass, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, and Breaking of Bread in different churches Churches do this in different ways. We serve the bread to each person where they sit and they eat it straight away. It reminds us that we each come to God as an individual The wine (which is non-alcoholic) is brought in individual little glasses to each person and we all drink this at the same time. This reminds us that the Church is one family. Anyone who loves Jesus and God is welcome to receive the bread and wine. You don’t have to come from any particular church or be baptised. If this is not right for you at present just pass them to the person sitting next to you. You will see others doing this.

Do you have facilities for wheelchairs and disabilities ?disabled sign

We aim to make our church inclusive and make every effort to cater for those with disabilities There are disabled parking spaces opposite the church. We also have spaces next to the church which can be used for dropping people off or for parking by prior arrangement with the warden   Contact Us 

We have a car park next to the church which can be used in the evenings and weekends.

Our church site is fully accessible for wheelchairs and others with mobility difficulties. There are no steps into the main foyer from the street and a lift can be used to access the upper floors. The lift has audible notices of the lift operation for those with sigh difficulties. All parts of the building are step free allowing for ease of access across the whole site. There is space for wheelchairs or mobility scooters to be left in the foyer.

We have a toilet suitable for the disabled on the ground floor.

A hearing loop is available in the church sanctuary.

The songs, Bible readings and other information that is displayed on the screen are also printed in large type for those who are partially sighted or who prefer to use a typed sheet. We also have large print hymn books available.
Further information can be found on our page Access Difficulties

Can I arrange a meeting with the minister?

Yes. Simply contact the church office and we will arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time.

Could anyone pray with me?

Yes there are people in our church who are very happy and willing to spend time with you in a quiet place and pray through anything that you need. There is also a book in the foyerreading the Bible where prayer requests can be written. These will be prayed in our church prayer times. Please speak to the Minister or the steward who greeted you at the front door or the sanctuary door.

We hope to see you soon - and if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to get in contact.