Recently the congregation was asked what sort of service they prefer. The most frequent responses were that people enjoy an informal style and like variety. One person summed it up as ‘dignified informality’.

 

Since we are a parish church (open to everyone) with an evangelical heritage (uncomplicated worship), variety and informality are appropriate in our services. All sorts of people attend – professional people and people unable to work, retired people and young children, able-bodied and disabled people, hearing people and deaf people, people who come to church most weeks and people who have come for the first time. All are welcome and we hope that all leave St John’s better off for having gathered as part of God’s family.

 

We belong to the Church of England, and we use words and prayers used by many Anglicans. These include confession (admitting our shortcomings before God), creed (saying together what we believe) and communion (drawing close to God as we remember Jesus’ death on the cross, a central focus for Christians).

We read from the Bible at every service and listen to a talk based on the passage we have heard. We believe that even centuries after it was written, the Bible is an inspiration, and that it is worth considering carefully what lies in its pages.

 

Christians have something to sing about, and we use different kinds of music in our services. Modern songs often sound better with a music group; traditional songs work well on an organ, so we use both!

 

We welcome children at our 10.30 morning service, and there are special activities arranged in the lounge area at the back of the church. From time to time we hold a family service, where we do our best to make our worship accessible to young and old alike.

 

During the morning services we use a data projector, which allows us to show words to songs, illustrations for talks, and even clips from films. The church has a hearing loop for those using a hearing aid, and most Sundays there is a group using sign language. There is a kitchen at the rear of the church, and refreshments are provided after the service.

 

If you come to a service at St John’s, do come and introduce yourself – we’d love to meet you, whether you’re looking for a church to attend regularly or whether it’s just a visit. Look for the vicar (the one wearing the dog-collar) or one of the people welcoming at the door.