If you are new to church, or haven’t been to church for a long time, you may be wondering what to expect at one of our services. Here is a handy guide.
Above all, please don’t be nervous. If you are curious or feel drawn to the church, please just come along. You don’t need to wear anything special (no ‘Sunday Best’). You don’t need to know the words to any prayers or songs, or to know when to stand, sit, or kneel; everything will be explained in the booklet that you will be given on your way in. You don’t even need to be sure what you believe in – there is no test to be passed before you step through the door! We love to welcome people who have questions as well as those who are sure in their faith.
When we say that we are a church “where all find a welcome”, we really do mean it. Whoever you are, wherever you come from and however you feel, you are welcome here whatever your age, colour, race, language, gender identity, sexuality, disability or marital status. Children who need to make noise and move around are positively encouraged to do so; people who need silence and stillness will find a service that suits them. If you are worried about any aspect of attending church here you can check out our access and accessibility guide, or just contact us in advance and we will do our best to reassure you. We affirm the ordination of women to all orders of ministry and celebrate the diversity of all God’s people.
So… what happens at one of our services?
Sunday mornings
St Mary’s is an Anglican church in the ‘liberal catholic’ tradition. This means, broadly, that our worship is centred on the celebration of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) and engages all the senses, through the use of music, colour, light and darkness, smells and, yes, bells! The music at our services is provided by our organist and choir.
When we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we remember Jesus’s last meal with his friends as we celebrate the fact that we are part of a Christian ‘family’ or ‘community’. We hope that you will feel welcomed into our family as soon as you walk through our doors. Someone will greet you and you will be given a service booklet. We try hard to make our services as accessible as possible and provide large-print orders of service, gluten free wafers for communion, a children’s corner with activities, and sensory bags (including ear protectors) for those who might find them helpful. If you need any of these things just ask one of our team.
After a welcome, we begin by remembering the ways in which we all often fail to live the kind of lives we’d hope to live, and saying sorry for these. We do this communally – don’t worry, you will never be asked to speak individually or about yourself. We are reminded that God loves us unconditionally and that we are forgiven for anything we may have done wrong.
We then listen to readings from the Bible and a sermon, which usually explains how one or more of the readings relates to our lives here and now. There are some prayers, and then we turn to those around us and offer them a sign of peace by shaking hands and/or saying ‘Peace be with you’. By doing this, we emphasise that sense of being part of one community, with no animosity between us, before we approach Jesus’s table.
In the next part of the service, we remember Jesus’s last meal with his friends. The priest takes and blesses bread (actually a sort of large wafer) and wine and offers them to those who are gathered. Anyone who is baptised in any Christian denomination is welcome to receive communion with us. Simply approach the altar when invited to do so by one of our stewards and hold out your hands when the priest approaches. S/he will put a piece of consecrated bread in them. The usual response to this is ‘Amen’. You will then be offered a sip from the chalice of wine. Again it is usual to say ‘Amen’. If you prefer just to receive the bread that’s fine – just return to your seat once you have received it.
If you prefer, you can bring your service booklet with you when you come up to the altar, and the priest will give you a blessing instead. The priest will usually put their hand on your shoulder whilst saying the blessing, but if you would prefer not to be touched just say so. If you do not feel ready to come up for communion you can simply stay in your seat. At no point will anyone ask you to do anything you are not comfortable with.
After a prayer of thanks for what we have received, there is a final blessing, a hymn, and then we move to the Community Centre to share a cup of tea or coffee together. You are always invited to join us, but if you’d prefer to leave straight away that’s fine too.
Other types of services
Our Wednesday morning services follow a similar pattern to that outlined above, but are a shorter, simpler service without music. They do not have a sermon, although there may be a short homily.
If you prefer something quieter and slower paced then ‘Sanctuary’ is a contemplative Eucharist, offered at 6.30pm on the second Thursday of the month. This also follows the pattern outlined above, but uses fewer words than our Sunday morning service and uses quiet, simple recorded music instead of the organ and choir.
We also have other services which you can read more about elsewhere on our website. These include: Choral Evensong, Compline by Candlelight, Sacred Space, Morning and Evening Prayer (offered daily, except on Sundays and Mondays), Pilgrims in the Park (a short outdoor service at Temple Newsam, followed by a walk and a cuppa at the café) and Messy Church (aimed primarily at under-10s). If you need help finding a service for you then please contact us.