Going into a Church can be very nerve-wracking - particularly if you have never been to one. Unfortunately, unlike a coffee bar or a shop, there is no big window through which you can see what is going on inside. Are you going to be the only one there? Is it all a bit strange? Once inside, you won't feel comfortable leaving until the end - when is the end? Will you end up being there all day? Will you have to sign up for something? Will it only be full of ‘shiny, happy people’?
These are all natural concerns before visiting a Church for the first time. We very much hope that you will join us, so would like here to give a little information to help you to decide that it is a good idea. To see what the church does look like inside, see our building page.
If you want a quiet service, the 8 am Sunday Holy Communion service is quiet and dignified with only a few attendees. There are no hymns and the service is very short - if you just want to drop in then this may be for you. (We normally have a similar service also on Wednesday mornings.) However, if you want more of a community feeling then come to one of our 10 am Sunday services which are longer, lasting just over an hour.
The Sunday 10am service generally alternates between a traditional Communion Service and family services - either 'Worship Together' (family Communion service) or our Revive! Service (which might be a good starting point if church services are unfamiliar to you and you are not particularly seeking a traditional service).
Dates each service can be found on the What's On? page.
You don't need to bring anything with you. By all means bring pushchairs, prams or wheelchairs. Feel free to bring babes in arms or other children and bring something for them to play with if it makes it more pleasurable for them. Why not bring a friend?
When you arrive, you may be given a copy of the service booklet and a song sheet or the book 'Mission Praise' – or it may be that everything will be displayed on the projection screen. Feel free to sit anywhere but arrive early for a back seat (old Anglican joke!). Cushions and a play mat are available to entertain babies at the back of the church and we have bags of toys for other young children.
In term time, during Parish Communion we normally have SonGazers for nursery and primary school aged children. They normally stay with their families at the start of the service and then re-join before the end. As you would expect, our leaders are all CRB checked.
We do have collections at most of our services. There is no obligation to give but we mention it so that you are not surprised. If you are giving we would encourage you to make it a gift aid donation using one of the yellow envelopes that you will find in the pews.
If you want to refer to a Bible during the service, there are bibles available in the racks at the end of each pew.
For most of our services we use service booklets that have all the details of the service, so it is not a case of everybody having memorised a rite that is not known to newcomers. For the Revive! service, the service details are normally projected on the screen.
The regular service leaders will normally invite people to stand up or sit down at the appropriate moments as people are often nervous about doing the 'wrong thing'. Amongst the newer Church traditions is 'sharing the peace'. This is a little ice-breaker where we generally shake the hands of the people around us and say "peace be with you" or ("the peace of the Lord be always with you"). Hopefully it makes you feel more at home and it emphasises that we have come to an act of collective worship, not just as an isolated visitor.
Essentially wear what makes you feel comfortable. What others wear will vary greatly and depends upon their attitude. Casual clothes certainly predominate at our Revive! services with more of a mix at Parish Communion. Some feel that they should always dress smartly in the house of God - others feel an air of humility is more appropriate. Basically your guide will be whether you are more likely to feel uncomfortable being 'under-dressed' or 'over-dressed' if you have pitched it wrong. Our suggestion would be not to be concerned about it at all.