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Plan your visit

What to wear

Many members choose to dress smartly (ranging from smart casual to business suits) to distinguish the Sabbath worship from the rest of the week, but we believe coming to God with a willing mind and a sincere heart is most important. Come just as you are. We look forward to seeing you, not what you’re wearing.

Service times

During the morning service we separate into small groups for Sabbath School classes at 9:30am, after which we come together for the main worship service at 11:15am.

Worship service

The main focus of our worship is to glorify God. Around 400 people attend each Sabbath, and our congregation spans a diverse range of ages and backgrounds. Our service includes a combination of singing, studying the Bible and prayer, enabling you to connect with God in different ways. Ushers will welcome you and give you a weekly worship bulletin outlining the service. Ushers can also help you find a seat. Near the beginning, you will be encouraged to greet the people sitting around you, but no one will single you out as a visitor. Also, we don’t expect our visitors to give. So feel free to let the offering plate pass by when it comes down your row. The lyrics of the songs we sing throughout the service are projected on a screen in the Sanctuary where worship takes place.

Preaching

To get a taste of a Sabbath morning worship service, visit the Sermons library to download, listen or watch a sermon.

Children and youth

Worship includes children, youth and young adults. Every main service has a children’s story and each child is welcome. We have a children’s, teens’ and young adult’s Sabbath School and a specialist worship service in the church hall where children can learn and explore in a relaxed and interactive environment. We also have a Cradle Roll class for newborns up to age 4. Parents are encouraged to join in and help their little ones to participate. If you have a little one who you would like to encourage to learn more about Jesus and his love for us, our Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry programs are just the thing for you!

Lunch

On some special days we provide lunch and we encourage guests to stay. This is a great way to quickly get familiar with our church family and get answers to any questions you may have in a less formal setting.

After you visit

1. We would love to see you again so please do come back again. You can find out about upcoming events and activities, or join us for our regular Sabbath program.
2. Keep reading your Bible so you can learn more about who God is and why he sent His Son to die for our sins. Check out the resources available that’ll help you get started.
3. Talk to God whenever you can. He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you, so invite Him into your life.

Get to know us better

Maybe you know a Seventh-day Adventist. Then again, maybe you’ve never personally known any Adventists, but you’ve wondered perhaps, why they go to church on Saturday—a different day than most Christians do. Why do they feel that what they eat and wear is so important? Why do they avoid certain forms of entertainment?

If you’ve ever wondered who Seventh-day Adventists are and what they believe, we’d like to introduce ourselves. This section will hopefully answer any questions you may have about what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist, and why we do the things we do. We would like you to know us better. And we would also like to get to know you better. So in the next few sections LET’S GET ACQUAINTED!

Let’s begin by asking the obvious question—

Who are Seventh-day Adventists?

We are—

How did Seventh-day Adventism begin?

We thought you might like to know a little bit about how the Seventh-day Adventist Church originally started. Although we did not officially organise a church—a denomination with the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist‘ — until 1863, the roots of the SDA faith go back to the early 1800s. After the Great Disappointment of 22 October 1844, the date many theologians had determined would be the Second Coming based on prophecies in the Bible, a lot of people lost their faith. However, a group of Christians came together to re-study the Bible, and found that the date represented the start of Jesus’ special ministry in heaven, not his return to earth.

They also focused on reclaiming Bible principles that had been dismissed or misinterpreted. One of the main reasons our church has expanded over the years is because of its practical application of religious teachings, such as the health message, as well as through our outreach programmes by starting groups such as the Adventist Disaster and Relief Agency (ADRA). We’ve also been able to spread God’s word through books and magazines explaining Bible teachings, and by faith and hard work we’ve grown into a vibrant international church family of over 19 million members.

If you’d like to find out more about the Adventist heritage, visit Our Story page.

What do Seventh-day Adventists believe?

We believe both our worship and the way we live our lives should be based on our knowledge of God’s love for us, as shown in His Bible and our relationship with Him. That is why we think it’s important to always study God’s word, and be open to the wisdom He has placed in the Bible that is still being revealed today. We also believe in following Jesus’ example of showing and telling people about God’s love, and the amazing plans He has for them. To find out more about what our religion is based on visit Our Beliefs page.

What Seventh-day Adventists DON’T believe

We also want to clarify a few things you may have heard about Seventh-day Adventists that are actually misinterpretations of what we believe.

• We do not believe that only Seventh-day Adventists will be saved—or that we are the only church around that teaches Bible truth.
• We do not believe we can earn salvation by works (doing good deeds). We do not believe that we are saved by Sabbath keeping, clean living, or keeping the Ten Commandments— (it’s not wrong to do these things), but the only way to be saved is by trusting entirely in Jesus Christ as our only source of salvation.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are your service times?

Our Sabbath School commences at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings followed by the main worship service (Family Worship) at 11:15 a.m. Prayer meetings take place every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Where do I park?

The church has ample free parking in the surrounding roads. Please note that parking is not permitted on the yellow lines outside the church.

How do I get there by public transport?

The church is located just one hundred yards from Selhurst Train Station which is in travel card zone 4. The church is served by two main bus routes, 75 (Croydon to Lewisham) and 157 (Morden to Crystal Palace). The nearest bus stops are just 2 minutes walk away from the church.

Is there disabled access?

Yes. Our hall on the ground floor is easily accessed. We also have a wheel chair lift that provides access to the first floor Sanctuary where our main worship service takes place.

How many people does the sanctuary seat?

Our sanctuary seats nearly 400 people. If there are no seats left, the ushers will direct you toward our second worship venue on the lower ground floor where you can watch a live video feed of the service on a screen.

When do you hold Communion?

We typically hold Communion every quarter. We welcome those who profess the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior to receive Communion.

What else happens on Sabbath?

We have an afternoon programme called Adventist Youth Society (AYS) every Sabbath at 5:00pm during autumn and winter, or at 6:00pm during spring and summer. Everyone, regardless of age is welcome to attend the AYS service.

What happens on other days?

Sundays: A variety of activities take place which include, Pathfinders and Adventurers.
Tuesdays: We run a community soup kitchen at 7:00pm.
Wednesdays: We also hold a midweek prayer meeting at 7:30pm.

Can I meet the Pastor?

After the morning service we encourage our visitors to stay behind to meet the church leaders and have some refreshments. Usually the Pastor and elders will try and attend these informal gatherings to greet newcomers to Croydon SDA and answer any questions you may have. In the event of the Pastor being previously occupied, our church leaders and/or elders will be available to assist you. Our Pastor also holds a weekly surgery. Contact us if you would like to book a session with him.

How can I learn more about Adventist beliefs?

We believe that the Bible is God’s word, given to us to help us have a better life on earth as well as a better relationship with him. All our principles for worship and living are therefore Bible-based, and you can find an in-depth breakdown of these on Our Beliefs page.

Who is Jesus? Did God really come to Earth in the form of a man to save us?

Watch this video to learn about Jesus.

Who Is Jesus Video

Who is Jesus? Did God really come to Earth in the form of a man to save us?

At Mountainside Seventh-day Adventist Church we always enjoy welcoming people into our church family, and being there to support them whenever they need it.

By becoming a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church you are committing to a relationship with God, and at Croydon SDA we want to help prepare you for this commitment.

We believe in baptism by immersion – being dipped in water and coming up to represent the change Christ has made in your life. If you’re considering baptism you can prepare for this decision by attending our baptismal classes during Sabbath School time.

Membership can also be transferred from another Seventh-day Adventist church to Croydon SDA. If you’re thinking of becoming a member of Croydon SDA or struggling with the decision to commit to a relationship with God please contact us and let us know. We can spend extra time with you to help prepare you for this commitment.

Whether raised as a Seventh-day Adventist, a member of another faith or in a non-religious environment, the steps to becoming a Seventh-day Adventist are all about the same.