The church, which has been based in Swindon for 15 years, says its outreach is focused on helping people find community, express their faith and access support, rather than simply encouraging attendance.
Senior Pastor Timothy Babu said the church was founded in response to the needs of people moving to the town.
“The purpose of this church, and the reason why we started it 15 years ago, was because there was a call and a need to transform lives and impact communities,” he said.
“Many members who joined the church were new to Swindon. They had come to settle in the town, to work here, and many were young families. There was a gap for people to express their spirituality, and we responded to that spiritual call to fill that gap. The main purpose of the church is to transform lives and impact communities.”
Bible Life Fellowship describes itself as a spirit-led church where members are encouraged to play an active role both within the congregation and in the wider community.
Co-Pastor Judy Babu said:
“We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, who inspires and leads us.
“We encourage gifts to be celebrated in the church. It’s not about one person leading, but about many people coming together and finding opportunities to serve, empower one another and impact the community.”
Pastor Babu said evangelism starts with members sharing their faith with those around them.
“We are an outward-focused church,” he said. “Every member has a responsibility, not just to attend church, but to introduce what the church is and who the church is to their friends and communities. Parents invite parents, children invite children, men invite men and women invite their friends.”
Alongside its regular services, the church runs activities aimed at bringing local people together.
“We hold activities like sports days in parks, we do evangelism in the streets, and we have coffee mornings every Wednesday and on the last Saturday of the month,” he said.
“These activities are geared towards opening the doors for the community to come. We offer free coffee, biscuits and a space where people can talk, socialise and meet members of the church.”
The church says people from around 24 different nationalities are currently part of its congregation.
“The church is open to all,” Pastor Babu said. “Whether you are rich or not so rich, highly educated or not, everyone is welcome. The church should reflect its community.”
Young people are also encouraged to play an active role in church life.
“We believe that the old and the young should work together because everyone has something to bring,” Judy Babu said.
“Young people are given opportunities to express themselves and worship in ways that are meaningful to them. They don’t have to conform to everyone else’s style. They have the freedom to connect with God in their own way.”
As part of the discussion around public evangelism, residents in Swindon town centre were asked whether they believed street preaching should be allowed.
One member of the public in Swindon town centre said freedom of expression was important.
“I believe that in this country anyone is entitled to a voice and anyone is entitled to an opinion,” they said.
“It may not be something that I personally enjoy, but one of the biggest things we have in this country is the ability to start a conversation.
“If you take away people’s right to do that, you take away conversation itself, and that’s where people begin to form opinions without learning about others.”
Another resident said street preaching had never caused them any concern.
“They don’t bother me,” they said.
“If someone’s got something to say, I think it’s quite cool that people can voice their opinions and try and bring people in.
“I’m trying to sell a car down there. It’s the same sort of thing. I’m trying to make someone buy something. Someone’s preaching about something they’re passionate about, and I’ve got no problem with it.”
For Bible Life Fellowship, evangelism is about extending an invitation rather than applying pressure.
Whether through conversations over coffee, community events or speaking with people in the town centre, the church says its mission remains to transform lives, impact communities and provide a place where people can explore faith, belonging and spirituality.
