In our small chapel, quite informal, said (ie: no music) & lasts about half an hour.
Followed by refreshments for those who want to stay.
10.30am Service //
Our new service structure allows for a range of styles of worship as below as fits with our diverse congregation.
Week 1 (ie: the first Sun of the month) / traditional style mass with incense and bells
Week 2 and 4 / a less formal service with communion, some liturgy, no incense (separate kids work)
Week 3 / contemporary service of the word (no communion) with live band. (On this week there is also a 9am communion service). (separate kids work)
Children's work happens in a separate group alongside the service on all weeks except week 1 with our Children's worker and her team. There are bags with service guides and activities for children at the week 1 service.
On the third Sunday of the month we have an earlier, shorter 9am communion. This is traditional in format, with no incense.
Lass about 45 minutes. Refreshments after.
One evening a month on Thursday, normally the third Thursday at 7pm we meet together to pray a shorter form of evening prayer or to participate in a quiet, meditative Eucharist. This is followed by twenty minutes or so of silent prayer before the reserved sacrament which is placed on the altar.
Christians have been meeting together to say morning and evening prayers since the earliest centuries of the Christian Church. It has never been something which just the clergy do but a gathering together of the prayer of the whole Church at the beginning and end of each day. Jesus said “When two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in their midst.” We believe that when we gather we are not praying on our own but sharing in the prayer of Christ in our midst.
This understanding of corporate prayer is reinforced by spending time in silence before the sacrament of blessed bread. God does not need our prayers nor our petitions but in the wonderful mercy of God, they are taken, blessed and shared among the people of need in the world. However, sometimes, we need to let God be God and adore God for what she/he is. Just as we spend time gazing on the people and things we love, so we need to spend time just gazing on the source of all our love and life. Yet the God we gaze on is invisible. We can have an image of God in our minds eye but each person will have their own individual perception. When we come together as a community in adoration of God, then the image of Jesus incarnate, crucified and risen who comes to us in simple bread and wine is something we can share together. That’s why we do so every Sunday : “In remembrance of Him.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God is with us when we pray before the sacrament. Jesus makes himself real to us as a community. Who knows what God can do with this offering? It is enough to bring our hearts and prayer together in love.
Occasionally the date is changed please contact us to check it is going ahead.
Our outdoor service takes place in the churchyard in all weathers* so dress accordingly! We focus on meeting God in creation, looking at nature, activity and craft, plus cooking on the fire pit! Lasts about an hour.
(*If the weather is really terrible, like monsoon conditions bad, then we will go inside but garden church will still happen every time, so don't be put off by wet or cold weather! If buying wet weather gear/wellies etc might be cost prohibitive for you please let us know and we can help out.)