What can you expect if you visit one of our churches?
If you are interested in attending a service, but aren't sure what to expect, this page has been written just for you! The first section covers general information on the Church of England and its equivalents around the world (the Anglican Communion); the second section has particular information about our churches in North Shropshire.
What's it all about?
It's about looking for answers to big questions, like: Why are we here? What happens when we die? How should we try to live our lives? Did Jesus really die for me? Why?
It's also about smaller, human issues, like fellowship, getting to know people, looking out for each other and growing in knowledge together. For some people the liturgy (the collective term for the services and rituals of the church), the buildings, or the music are also very important. If you're new to an area it's also a great way to meet people and make new friends.
At this point it's worth pointing out that Anglican is a general term that, in this context, means "of the Anglican Communion", so if you attend a Church of England Church, you're an Anglican. In North America the term Episcopalian may also be used, as the Anglican Church in the US is the Episcopalian Church of the United States of America (ECUSA).
For a brief introduction to the modern Church of England, click here, and for a concise explanation of what it means to be an Anglican, click here. For more general guidance on related subjects, such as what to expect during a typical service, click here to be taken to the relevant section of the Anglicans Online (AO) website.
As the good folks at AO say,"it can be a little intimidating walking into a church for the first time. Or maybe it's just been a long time (like 30 years ago when your mom dragged you to Sunday School). A lot has changed since then. The songs are singable, the sermon understandable, and you don't need to come in a suit. (By the way, we'd love to see you this Sunday.)"
Anglicans Online is a North American website, but says what we wanted to say so well that there's seems little point in producing an inferior version of it.
That covers going to most Anglican churches. What follows is some more specific information about the churches represented on this website.
Our churches
All
of
our churches are "middle of the road Anglican". In non-churchy
terms this means that you can expect a fairly typical Church of England
service. The vicar will wear traditional clothing (vestments)
rather than plain clothes, but there will be no robed attendants or
burning incense. Although our vicar is a man we recognise the
ministry of either gender, so it's not impossible that a female priest
may lead services at busy times in the church year, or if our vicar is
away for any reason.
There
will almost always be a "meeter and greeter" (sidesperson in
church-speak) at the door, who will
welcome you with a friendly smile and a copy of the service booklet
(Order of Service) and
hymn book. Practically all service booklets have clear
instructions on when to stand up and sit down, but if you aren't sure,
watch what the rest of the congregation do - nobody is trying to catch
you
out! All of the churches have facilities for kneeling during the
service, but many people prefer to sit during prayers. If it
would be uncomfortable for you to stand up and sit down during the
service please feel free to remain seated.
As
a
general rule the parts of the service that are said by the congregation
are printed in bold type,
often with the word "all" in the margin beside it. The text in
standard type is said by the person leading the
service. To see an example of the order of service for a typical
Holy Communion, click here.
If you tell the person who greets you that you are "new" they will usually offer to introduce you to someone who will take you under their wing during the service. We can even arrange for someone to meet you at the door and act as your host if you would like. Just let us know which service you wish to attend, and we'll get back to you to confirm the arrangement. Please try to give us a few days notice.
As a guide, most services last about an hour or a little longer, but are unlikely to exceed an hour and a half. The churches at Cockshutt, Colemere and Welshampton have modern toilet facilities and there is disabled access at all of our churches except Petton.
Ready for
the next step?
Then
come along next Sunday - we'd like to meet
you!
If
you fancy a "dry run" before you commit to a service, we will shortly
be publishing a timetable of days when our churches will be open.
We hope this will encourage you to just pop in, have a look around,
and perhaps sit quietly and open your heart and mind. A
combination of busy lives and 24 hour TV and radio mean that many of us
rarely get the chance to just sit and listen to our inner self.
When open,
the churches always have a steward present who will be pleased to
answer your questions, or just talk to you about the life of the parish.
Whether
you come to an open church or attend a service you will be our guest,
so nobody will try to make you feel awkward or put you on the
spot. Neither will anyone rush over and try to "convert"
you!
Most of us have made quite different spiritual journeys, and "blinding
light, road to Damascus" conversions are not that common, so you are
welcome to continue your journey at your preferred course and
speed without having to prove anything. We are all still
traveling that road ourselves, and there
are
resources available - from wise counsel, to books and courses - to help
everyone, no matter which stage they are at. If you would like to
talk to someone about your journey, one of us will be pleased to help
in any way that we can.
More information
If you would like some more information about what happens at Holy Communion, how the church year is ordered, or a glossary of churchy words (why are some priests vicars and other priests rectors? What is the Eucharist? What on earth does "1662 at 5pm" mean?!), please visit the next page.
The rejesus
website is also well worth exploring. Some of the material is
very thought provoking, the whole site has been designed to be easily
accessible and there are some excellent multimedia "experiences", even
if
you're on a dial-up connection.
