About Us

We are a large, lively and diverse church in Middleton. We attract people of all ages and outlooks to our Common Worship services. We are a member of the Inclusive Church network and hope that you will find a welcome and a place for you here, we are looking forward to meeting you.

New to St. Michael's? Want to know more about the Church and our many activities? Contact a member of the clergy who will happily visit or meet up with you for a coffee with any information you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to dress up?

Not unless you want to! Come just as you are.

Can I bring my children?

Please do! We warmly welcome children to our services and would love to meet them. At the 9.30am service our Junior Church meets in the Old Vic, we also have an area inside church (in the Holy Innocents Chapel) for parents to sit with their pre-school children when the pews get a little uncomfortable.

I am in a wheelchair, is access easy and is there somewhere for me to sit?

Yes. We have a level access entry and someone will help you to find a place to sit.

Do you have a loop system for hearing aid users?

Yes we do.

What happens at a service?

When you arrive, someone will welcome you. They will give you any books you need for the service: usually a service book with all the words to be said and a hymn book which contains all the words you will need to join in the singing. At All Age and Parade services we use a special service booklet and all the words are printed in the one booklet, so there are fewer things to juggle.

Someone will help you to find a place to sit if you are uncertain.

The service book shows you when you should stand and sit, but don’t worry if you don’t get everything right. No one is watching and checking that you are doing it correctly – and God certainly doesn’t mind! The important thing is that you want to come and meet with God.

During the service we sing some songs and say some prayers – for our world, for our community, for those we know and for ourselves. There are readings from the Bible and often a talk or sermon to help us explore and think about the things we have heard, said and sung.

When it’s a communion service, we gather at the altar (the table near the front) to receive bread and wine. We believe God wants to meet you here, and he welcomes everyone to receive from him. So anyone who follows Jesus is welcome to receive the bread and wine. But if you don’t feel comfortable with doing this at the moment, you can come forward for a blessing instead. Someone will point you in the right direction at the right time .

During some services, we also ‘share the peace’. This reminds us that part of being a Christian community is about caring for and forgiving one another. At this point of the service, we generally demonstrate this by greeting each other by shaking hands. Please do what feels comfortable for you and the other person.

After the service, we are sent out to serve God in our daily lives.

If you are new, please do come and introduce yourself to any of the lay leaders (the people helping you when you come in) or a member of the clergy after the service. If you are coming to the 9.30am service, ask someone the way to The Old Vic and you will be given a warm welcome, a cup of tea or coffee and some biscuits. We would love to meet you. If you want to be quiet and anonymous, that’s absolutely fine, too.

What is Communion?

The night before he died, Jesus had a meal with his friends, sharing bread and wine with them. He spoke about this being a sign of the new relationship between them and God to be brought about by his death and resurrection. The bread was a sign of his body and the wine a sign of his blood. He told his followers to go on sharing this meal when he was no longer with them to remember what he had done.

This meal is known as The Last Supper. The church service that commemorates it has different names in different churches: Holy Communion, the Eucharist, or Mass. At St Michael's we call it Holy Communion or the Eucharist.

As we remember Jesus’ last meal at Communion, we remember:

• We too are forgiven and reconciled to God because of Jesus’ death and resurrection;

• We all need God’s help and love;

• We are a church together, not alone. We are a group of imperfect people who need each other’s help and love as we try to follow Jesus and share his love in the world.

• Everyone is welcome to come to eat and drink, to be renewed and nourished by God’s love.