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Tab History

In the early years of the century, an aerial picture of Lancing would have shown the distinctive north and south villages nestling at the foot of the downs. There would have been cornfields, glasshouses and extensive orchards. The early 1930s saw the development of the railway carriage works, resulting in a massive expansion of housing in the village changing the character of the area to something that we would recognise today. Lancing Tabernacle has stood on it town centre site since 1937, but its origins go back around 15 years earlier to much humbler beginnings.

This page gives a brief history of how one lady's inspiration became Lancing Tabernacle Evangelical Free Church.

1922 Church begins in a kitchen

LouiseWilsonMiss Louise Wilson came to live in Lancing in the early 1920s. She was a member of the Church of England with allegiance firmly rooted in the evangelical tradition, and soon became concerned about the need for an evangelical witness in the village. She was sometimes seen giving a practical demonstration of this concern by distributing Christian literature to the employees of the Railway Carriage Works as they left by the main gate.

This courageous lady proved to be God's instrument in bringing together a fellowship of local minded believers, which eventually became Lancing Tabernacle. In order to further this vision, Miss Wilson opened part of her home, ''Sweet Briar Cottage' on the Brighton Road as a centre for Christian fellowship and gospel preaching.


Those who enjoyed the fellowship of those days remember the brightonrdconverted kitchen packed with worshippers. Miss Wilson was led to place a substantial amount of money under the trusteeship of the Pastor and the Elders of Worthing Tabernacle, as her health compelled her to move to Hove. She was was called into the presence of her Lord on 10th July 1930.
 

1927 A new church building


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Challenged by the situation and inspired by their experience of God's faithfulness in the past, the members worked and prayed together until the official opening of the first Tabernacle building, erected on a site in North Road close to the railway station, on Wednesday March 2nd 1927. 
 

1937 Another new church building

 
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After a period of growth and consolidation 1936 it was becoming evident that the expanding population and the 'temporary' nature of the present building, called for a further step forward and plans were made for the building of the present Church, the dedication of which took place on Wednesday, August 18th, 1937. The old church building was taken down and re-erected at Fittleworth where it was used until very recently as the village chapel.
 

Opening Day - From the Argus archives


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Early days inside the Tab at the current location. The organ was installed in 1939.

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Church tea  - 19 April 1950

Tab Tea

 


Claud Trigger

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Claud Trigger was Pastor of Lancing Tab from 1955-1966. When he retired from the ministry he moved back to Lancing and joined the church as a member. In the middle 1990s he was recalled to the Eldership to help the church at that time. In later life he was diagnosed with cancer and had his larynx removed, subsequently becoming well known at the church for his use of an artificial voice. He was known for his pastoral heart, as well as his faithful Bible preaching.

Below you can listen to a couple of Claud's sermons preached on the 1st December 1985.
 
 Recent Media Uploads 
A Vision of Glory
Claud Trigger, 01/12/1985
Vision Under Pressure
Claud Trigger, 01/12/1985



 
  
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Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have this page for you to get to know us.
Click here to read more.

Planning your Visit

Come and join us...

 
Barnaby 4 Hello, my name is Barnaby, and I am the Pastor here at Lancing Tab. The aim of this website is just to give you a flavour of who we are and what we're about as a church.
 

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We’re a church for the whole community in and around Lancing. Come as you are whatever doubts and questions you have.

icon3 As a church family, we all face different challenges, but we believe the Bible’s message about Jesus’ love and rescue are what we most need.
 
icon2 We meet at our building on North Road (next to the Co-op) at 10.30am each Sunday. It’s free and informal with tea, coffee, and kids’ groups.
 
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Sat Nav Postcode BN15 9BB

Our address is:
105 North Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN15 9BB

There is limited street parking around the Tab. A public car park in North Farm Road is a two-minute walk. The charges for the cark park are £1 on Sundays.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets available.

 
 

Sundays...

 


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Our 10:30am service is simple and informal and normally runs for just over an hour. People wear anything from T-shirts to suits. You are welcome to bring kids of any age. 
 
We do the following:
  • Share news – because we’re a family.
  • Sing – because we love God.
  • Confess sin – because we don’t want to pretend, we’re anything but people in need of grace.
  • Look at the Bible – because that’s how we listen to God.
  • Pray – to ask God for his help.
  • We might have a baptism or take the Lord’s supper - to celebrate Jesus’ rescue.
  • We have coffee afterwards - to take real time together.


What about my kids?


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We love having the noise of lively children – so don’t worry!   They stay for the first 15 minutes of the service and then head to some excellent groups.  (Link to Itab) Creche (0-3), 4-10s group, and 11-15s group.   Older teens stay in the service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. 

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games, and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 
 
 
 

More than a Sunday...

 

While Sundays are a fantastic way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our pastoral groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet during the week, some daytime, and some evenings. 

 
kidslogo Kid’s club (£1 per child)
Reception to year 6
Wednesday 6-7pm, term time
Lots of fun. Bible stories. Hide and seek. Sports. Tuck shop!
 
Toddler Group Toddler group (£1 entry)
Wednesday 10-11.15am, term time.
Toys, craft, and songs. A chance for parents to meet and chat and have a cup of coffee.
 
Youth Youth group (£1 entry)
School years 7-11
Wednesday 7.30pm, term time.
Lots of fun. Opportunities to ask questions about the Christian faith. Games, trips to the beach, camping and much more!
 
senior Older people’s group
Tuesday fortnightly, 10.30am.
Hymns, prayer, Bible talk, coffee, and biscuits. A great place for friendship - all welcome.
 
coffee Cafe in the church
1st and 3rd Saturdays, 10am-12.
Free coffee and cake. Kids toys. A friendly space.
 
 

Contact us with any questions...

 
 
If you have any questions or would like to know more details about the church or our activities, please complete the form below.
 
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Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary.