Broadmead Way Community Church

We preach Christ crucified, resurrected and alive today!

  • 90 Broadmead Way
  • West Benwell
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • NE15 6TS


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Why Pentecost?  As we say on this header Pentecost is where 'The New Testament Church starts...'  But, before we can begin to under-stand what Pentecost is all about we need to consider what had happened previously:

A Quick Revision:  Even prior to Easter, Jesus had been repeatedly telling His disciples that He was going to leave them.  To begin with they did not understand why He should want to leave them, nor to where He would go. After the mind-blowing incidents of Easter and when He had risen from the dead (which we call the Resurrection) He spent some 40 days appearing to various groups and individuals, comforting, encouraging and instructing them until:

The Ascension:  - Jesus left Jerusalem taking His disciples out to Bethany.  Here, as we read in Luke's account (see Ch.24) He simply blessed them and then amazingly ascended to heaven.  In simple terms, there were two main reasons for Jesus to return to heaven: (1) as we shall see, He was (from heaven) to send the Holy Spirit to His followers, and (2) to sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us as our Friend and Advocate.

Pentecost:  This was the 'starting gun' experience  of the 'Church' although, to begin with, the followers of Jesus were not expecting what happened next!   Pentecost, of course, was the regular Jewish celebration some 50 days after the 'wave offering' of the first-fruits of harvest.  For many it was a time of celebration after abstinence. 

    The followers of Jesus had met together 'in one place' and were suddenly surprised by what happened next.  As we read in Acts Ch.2 the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Jesus with visible effects. 

    The empowerment about which we read in Acts 2 is that work of the Holy Spirit which still works among His people today.  People are still convicted of sin and find newness of life by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.