NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT... Read on...
Someone will be there to welcome you – and on a Sunday morning to help you up the steps if needed. You will always get a warm welcome inside. People gather for the main Sunday service (starting at 10:00am) from about 9:45am. There are no reserved seats… and you will be greeted with a smile. There is a single service sheet to use during the mass and the people around are always there to help if you are unsure of what to do. Afterwards there is tea / coffee and biscuits with regular extra treats for the children as well.
Out of site (in the sacristy / vedstry) the servers and ministers gather with a short prayer and then a bell is rung – everyone then stands. There is a procession into Church to the first hymn. Hymn numbers are on a board at the front.
We generally sit or kneel to pray, and stand to sing hymns, say or sing the Gloria and for parts of the Eucharistic prayer. Please sit if you struggle to stand, that is quite acceptable. As a friendly congregation, people will be happy to share the peace of the Lord with you, but a full-scale walkabout is not necessary!
All communicant members of other churches are welcome to receive communion at St Andrew and St George. We believe that God’s gifts are available to all, and welcome all adults who wish to receive. Children are welcome to come to the front to receive a blessing. If you have not been confirmed and do not wish to receive or are a non-communicant member of another church, you are still most welcome to come forward for a blessing.
If you are unable to walk forward communion can also be brought to you. Please ask about this when you arrive.
Absolutely! Children are always welcome in church. There are books and activities for them in church and space to chill out at the back.
The main Sunday service usually takes about an hour but during the week it is only about 30 minutes. Many of the congregation stay afterwards for fellowship over tea / coffee and biscuits, to which you are most warmly welcome.
Please do not hesitate to come and join us just because you do not have money for a collection and wish to avoid embarrassment. Many of our regular worshippers give by standing order. Others put their gift on the collection plate as they come in or, after the service, donate using our contactless machine.
If you would like to give, and you pay tax, we would be doubly grateful for any gift as we can claim an extra 25% back from tax man. There are more details on this on our Giving page.
Even with an outline of what to expect, sometimes it’s still hard to step over the door the first time. There are often other visitors, or families coming before baptisms or weddings, so you will not feel out of place. If you have an particular question you would like to ask in advance of coming to church, please do call or drop us an email (see Contact Us).
