FAQ’s
Ever wondered how you join the church?
In England, everyone is born into a parish — there’s a church that’s yours, just down the street. But knowing how to join in is a different thing. You can drop in any time — for a service, for an event — or just for a bit of quiet when the church is open. But if you’d like to get more involved, here’s a road map to get you started:
Fill out a Welcome Card.
(you can find the paper version in church)
Make a Commitment to Worship
The hardest thing about worship is getting around to doing it. Experience teaches that it’s a whole lot easier if you decide once, and just keep holding yourself to the decision. No one is going to ask you what your plans are — but for your own sake, decide what you want, and then stick to it.
At first, it’s good to make a short term plan: come once a week for 6 weeks, or twice a month for 3 months. Just come along to something and talk with one of the clergy before you leave.
Find a Place to Serve
Sometimes we grow just by joining in and doing what’s needed. Maybe you could join the cafe team, do a reading, clean the church, or help with the flowers. Maybe you’d like to join Mothers’ Union, or help with one of the services, or join the PCC who set vision for the church and look after the property and finance. Maybe your life is too busy to join a regular group, but you could bake a cake occasionally, or help welcome baptism families. There are a thousand ways to get involved, and make the community stronger for everyone. To learn how to find a place to serve, send us a message or talk with the clergy after a service.
Find a Way to Give
Faith is ultimately about realising that everything we have is a gift — given by the God who loves us. So we give too — to the Church, and to the needs of the world. If you are ready to join in the work that God is doing here (and yes, sometimes that is as simple as making sure we can pay the bills…) then please set up a standing order, and if you are a tax payer, sign a Gift Aid declaration.
What to expect
Here’s what you can expect when you come to church for the first time.
Entering the Church
When you come in, there will be someone to greet you at the door. They will give you what you need for the service: an order of service, a hymn book and a notice sheet.
You can sit anywhere you wish in the church. Feel free to join others in a pew or row, or to sit by yourself if you prefer.
Before the service some people chat quietly to catch up with one another and to bring the reality of the week into prayer. Others prefer to pray silently. Some sit and some kneel to pray. If you want silence, it’s best to sit still with your eyes closed or to kneel — that way people will know to welcome you after the service, rather than disturb you before.
The Start of Worship
Worship begins with an informal welcome and notices. The service then continues with a time of quiet before singing the first hymn. The congregation stands at the start of the hymn to welcome God’s presence and to begin our formal time of worship together.
Please feel free to join in the singing however you can — hum, sing, listen. Music helps us say things to God that we can’t say in words alone, and it is an important part of our worship.
Stand, sit or kneel?
Feel free to do what seems right for you at any point. In general, we stand to sing, to listen to the gospel, to proclaim our faith, and when we are giving thanks. We sit or kneel to pray quietly, to confess the things we’ve done wrong, or to rest in God’s presence after taking communion. We sit to listen to each other, to the bible, and to the sermon.
Joining in
When we worship, we all join in. Sometimes we join in by speaking — if you have a service sheet, the words will be in bold. We join in by listening — both to words and to music. We join in by praying. And sometimes we join in by laughing, crying, moving, writing or drawing something. You are welcome to join in actively, or to sit, listen and watch.
Communion
Holy Communion is the central service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated (made holy) and shared among the people. It is a celebration of remembrance and thanksgiving instituted by Christ himself.
The tradition of the Church of England is that baptised* adults usually begin to take communion around the same time that they are confirmed, usually after confirmation but sometimes as their preparation for it. Confirmation is a special service, led by a bishop, where we declare our faith before those present as a sign of thanks for God’s presence in our lives.
Children can be welcomed to take communion after a time of preparation. If you or your child has taken communion elsewhere, then you are welcome to here as well.
Jesus gave bread and wine to all who were willing to come and we try to do the same.
*A lot of people come to church unsure as to whether or not they have been baptised or knowing that they haven’t been. This is not a problem. You can be baptised at any time and at any age. Just speak to a member of the clergy to find out more.
The end of the service
At the end of worship, we are sent out “to love and serve the Lord.” Often, though, before we leave, we take time to be with each other informally over coffee. Please feel free to stay for coffee and conversation, or to leave immediately after the service if that is what you prefer.
Practical Questions
Car Parking?
All three churches have a car park
Toilets?
St Paul’s and the Church of the Holy Spirit have toilets on site which are accessible to people with disabilities. St Peter’s doesn't have a toilet on site but has access to a toilet nearby at the Vicarage on Old School Lane.
Baby Changing facilities?
St Paul’s and the Church of the Holy Spirit have baby changing facilities on site. Sadly we are not able to provide these facilities at St Peter’s Church at present.