Church Life

We are composed of many different parts; a varied community with many different backgrounds and experiences. We all have different roles to play. We want to make a difference to our community and our world. We can only do that if each one of us takes our place in the bigger picture.

We must, therefore, ask in simple sincerity: show us, Lord, our part in Your great scheme of things and we will do it.  Our desire is that everyone is able to play their part by exercising and developing their gifts within the body of the Church. Every one of us brings something different; a unique flavour and colour that makes the whole richer and more vibrant. These pages describe some of the ways that we connect with one another and our community.

Please speak to a member of the leadership team if you would like to get more involved in the life of the Church.

Members of Opengate contribute to the life of the Church in different ways. Whilst this page outlines ways that you can contribute financially, other pages show how you can get involved in other aspects of life at Opengate.  

Regular Giving
There are two ways to give regularly:-
You can set up a standing order from your bank. If you would like to do this please contact the Church office to obtain our bank details.
If your employer runs a payroll giving scheme you can make donations to the Church by asking your employer to deduct them from your salary.
Other ways to give:
* A collection is taken during each service for the work of the Church
* You can post a cheque to the Church
* Make a donation in your will     

Tax efficient giving.
If you are a UK tax payer you can make regular or one off donations to the Church using the Gift Aid scheme. Simply fill out a Gift Aid declaration form and return it with your one off gift or the first of your regular gifts and we are able to claim the tax back on your donation. At current tax rates this means that for every £1 that you give we can claim an additional 28p. If you are a higher rate tax payer you may be able to make a further claim via your annual tax return.

Men’s prayer breakfast every Saturday at 8am with an opportunity for sharing, encouragement and prayer. Sometimes a speaker is invited to the meeting with a cooked breakfast afterwards or occasionally the meeting is held at a local cafe over a cooked breakfast. Please contact Jon Lex for more details.

Midweek Men’s meeting meets every Tuesday morning at 10.30 in Graham’s office for a time of fellowship, prayer and discussion. Once every few months the group get together to undertake some practical tasks in the Church e.g gardening, painting etc. as well as team building events such as the Arundel Bathtub race! If you are unable to come to the weekly meetings but would like to take part in practical activities please speak to Graham.

Midweek women’s meeting. An opportunity to get together with other women, of all ages, to share a time of fellowship whilst seeking to encourage, envision and affirm one another through looking at God’s word and praying for each other. Meets every Friday from 1-3pm during term time. There are creche facilities for pre school age children.

Home Groups. As a Church we encourage as many people as possible to join a home group. Becoming a member of a home group provides the ideal base from which to become involved in every area of the church. They provide an opportunity for people to get integrated into the heart of the church, to build community, to make friends, to have fun and to develop individual gifts and ministries. Most Home groups meet on a Thursday evening, though others meet on different evenings or in the daytime. Each group is different, reflecting the characters of the people that meet together, though all provide an opportunity for fellowship and sometimes food, as well as bible study, worship, prayer ministry and fun.
There are also two mid week home groups for young people in school years 4-7 and 8-10. Approximately every six weeks there is an event held at the Church providing an opportunity for all groups to meet together.

The outworking of our vision is rooted in prayer. The Church has a weekly prayer meeting, open to everybody, every Tuesday from 8pm - 9pm held in the main Church building as well as a number of prayer and intercession meetings with a specific focus.

The Choir are a group of about 20 ordinary people who love to use their voices to worship God. If you would like to join the choir, we meet on Sundays after the morning service. You do not need to have formal training, but must be confident to sing gospel style songs in parts with a view to sharing them in Church and conferences. The choir have a prophetic role in speaking out the lyrics to the congregation and across Bognor.
Please speak to Sue White or Andre da Silva if you would like more information.

Music plays a key role in our worship, our relaxation, our outreach... almost everything we do! You will find a host of people at Open Gate who are passionate about sharing their love for God through song and sound. We often contribute to conferences, send groups of musicians 'on the road' and have recorded various CDs and DVDs. If you are feel led to contribute in this way, talk to one of the worship leaders. Even if you are just starting out with your instrument, have a chat with us: we love to see gifts nurtured and growing into the life of the church.

We believe that dance, movement, flags and banners can play an important part in worship. The movement can be prophetic, beautiful and inspirational: it can draw us into a place of intimacy or quite literally wave a banner, declaring God's Kingdom. Many of us can feel awkward about expressing ourselves fully in worship. Therefore dance can be a powerful way to to experience a new freedom in your relationship with God.

Dance can break out spontaneously in our meetings, or may be carefully prepared and choreographed sequences. To that end, there are numerous members of our community that meet regularly to practice, pray and explore worship through this dynamic medium. Age, background, experience and training need be no barrier. Our dancers are simply united in their love for God and passion for His worship.

Dance plays a regular part in events such as Open Heart, outreach and meetings throughout the year. If you feel you would like to learn more about expressing your worship in this way, speak to one of the dancers or a member of the leadership team.

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Treasurebox is a full time, professional nursery school based on the church campus. The facilities have been developed over the years to offer a high quality environment where pre-school children can learn and grow. At Treasure Box we believe that the name of our Nursery is relevant and important. It was chosen for two reasons. Firstly, each child is a treasure and we are committed to loving and caring for them. And secondly, we believe that we impart treasure to every child through our standards of care and commitment to their well being, which we hope they will remember throughout their lives.

We are open Monday to Friday(term time only):
8:45am-11:45am +optional 11:45am-12:15pm(Lunch)
1:15pm-4:15pm +optional 12:45pm-1:15pm(Lunch)

Lunchtime Arrangements - As an optional extra to the three hour session, we offer the facility for your child to eat their lunch and have a rest period. This is for half an hour after the morning session (11.45am-12.15pm) and half an hour before the afternoon session (12.45pm-1.15pm). The cost is an extra £1.25. You do not need to let us know in advance if you want your child to stay, just inform us on the day.

We have a number of Toddler groups that take place during term time on the days below. As each group has its own flavour you are welcome to come along and try each group to see which one suits you best. Our aim is to be able to befriend and support the mums, dads, grandparents and childminders who come along, providing a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere for the adults and a happy and stimulating environment for the children. As all our groups are quite busy we do ask that, once you have decided which is the best group for you, you do not attend more than one session each week.

Days and times of Church sessions:
Monday 9.30 - 11am
Tuesday 9.30 -11am
Wednesday 9.15-12.45pm

Young people form an important part of life within our church. As a Church we very much believe that young people are part of the Church of today and not just the Church of tomorrow. We are committed to nurturing our young people and have a range of activities and one off events to help them develop their lives and achieve their full potential.

Open Heart Kids
For for children aged 5-11, Open Heart Kids meets every Wednesday during term time from 5.00-6.30pm.
Open Heart Kids includes: *Learning how to worship, *Bible Stories, *Craft Activities, *Sports, *Dance, *Music, *Puppets, *Choir, *Drama...

A Home group for children in school years 4 - 7 meets every Thursday during term time. The group meets in each others homes from 6.00pm-7.15pm. Contact Jo Parnell for more details. A group for young people in school years 8 - 10 meets at The Evitts house every Tuesday from 7.15-8.45pm. A group for young people in school years 11 and older meets at Emily Blunden Codd’s home every Wednesday from 7-9pm.

Youth Meeting
Friday evening meetings begin at around 7.30pm. It is based in a worship environment, often around a theme with regular opportunity for sharing and hanging out together. There are regular dance, drama and young musician practices at around 6pm or 6.30pm. Check from a leader in charge for the particular practice & for this weeks times.

Alpha is an opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed non traditional church setting. The whole course lasts ten weeks and each session begins with a meal - a chance to get to know others in the small group. There is then a short talk, which looks at a different aspect of the Christian faith each week. This is followed by a time of discussion in the small groups, where everyone is welcome to contribute their opinion, ask questions and discuss with the rest of the group.

The emphasis is upon exploration and discovery in a relaxed and informal environment.

If you would like to explore Christianity in a more relaxed atmosphere over a cup of coffee, we run fun, informal 'Taste' sessions. These are usually outside the church at a handy venue such as Costa Coffee and include music, a short talk and a good opportunity to explore the big questions of life.

The next Alpha Course begins on Thursday 25th February at 6:30pm.