I'm New
This section of our site has been specifically crafted for those of you that are either looking for more information, haven't been to our church before and/or are discovering God.
We want to make you feel welcome and very much at home, and hope that the content below helps you out. May God bless you.
Our History
How Long Has MSCCentre Been Here?
The Centre incorporates the oldest church building in Burgess Hill, dedicated for Christian worship in 1829. The hall is now used mostly for mid-week events, Kids for God on Sundays, as well as being home to the re:charge youth event on a Sunday evening.
The main church was originally known as the Memorial Hall and was completed in 1923. Since then it has been upgraded with a balcony and joined to the original hall with a reception and foyer area built in the late 1980s.
Burgess Hill Pentecostal Church, which was later re-named Mid-Sussex Christian Centre, took over the property in 1976 and has worshipped here since then.
The Centre is always in use and we are constantly looking at the best way to maintain, develop and upgrade our facilities for the benefit of the members and the local community.
How Did It All Start?
MSCCentre has its beginnings with the founding co-pastors, Jean-Jacques Zbinden and the late John Wildrianne, who had a vision to see a Pentecostal church established in Burgess Hill. Both these men, and their wives, were involved with the work of the International Bible Training Institute, a Pentecostal Bible school that itself has a sixty plus year history of ministry in the area.
The IBTI was founded by Fred Squire, a Pentecostal pioneer who came into the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit early in the last century. This experience, which can be traced back to Acts 2, forms the basis for our distinctive ethos as a fellowship.
Our DNA
God Encounter
We believe that every person should be given the opportunity to encounter God personally.
Worship Experience
We aim to worship God in a lively, Spirit-filled, contemporary way through music, prayer, service and lifestyle, reaching for excellence in every way.
Mission Emphasis
We are an outward looking fellowship that wants to connect with people wherever we meet them, sharing the gospel and caring for them.
Everyone Engaged
We want to be a church that helps each person become the best they can be through God, realising true potential and reaching their unique destiny.
Prayer Of Salvation
The prayer of salvation is the most important prayer we'll ever pray. When we're ready to become a Christian, we're ready to have our first real conversation with God, and these are its components:
We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God; that He came to earth as a man in order to live the sinless life that we cannot live; that He died in our place, so that we would not have to pay the penalty we deserve. We confess our past life of sin (living for ourselves and not obeying God). We admit we are ready to trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We ask Jesus to come into our heart and begin living through us.
Faith in God
When we pray the prayer of salvation, we're letting God know we believe His Word is true. By the faith He has given us, we choose to believe in Him. The Bible tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)
So, when we pray, asking God for the gift of salvation, we're exercising our free will to acknowledge that we believe in Him. That demonstration of faith pleases God, because we have freely chosen to know Him.
Confessing Our Sin
When we pray the prayer of salvation, we're admitting that we've sinned. As the Bible says of everyone, save Christ alone: "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
To sin is simply to fall short of the mark, as an arrow that does not quite hit the bull's-eye. The glory of God that we fall short of is found only in Jesus Christ: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)
The prayer of salvation, then, recognizes that Jesus Christ is the only human who ever lived without sin. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Declaring Our Faith In Christ As Saviour And Lord
With Christ as our standard of perfection, we're now acknowledging faith in Him as God, agreeing with the Apostle John that: "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." (John 1:1-3)
Because God could only accept a perfect, sinless sacrifice, and because He knew that we could not possibly accomplish that, He sent His Son to die for us and pay the eternal price. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.." (John 3:16)
If you agree with everything you've read so far, pray this prayer:
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
Now What?
If you have prayed the prayer of salvation and meant it, you are now a follower of Jesus. The Bible tells us that your eternal salvation is secure! (Romans 10:9). We'd love to help you in your journey of discovering God by inviting you to our Alpha course. For more information about it, go to our Alpha page.