Stepping inside a church to attend a worship service for the first time can be an intimidating experience. How will I be welcomed? What will the service be like – and how long will it last? Will people be dressed casually or formally? And can anyone attend a service at St Mary’s?
These are all things people have asked us, and we thought it would be helpful to have a section on our website dedicated to what people can expect when they attend a service at St Mary’s.
All Are Welcome
Some find it surprising to learn that everyone is welcome in church, regardless of whether they are full of faith, have none at all, or are curious about faith but undecided as to what they believe. Some find it surprising to learn that questions and doubts are an integral part of faith!
We also believe that God created diversity and delights in it. We are members of the Inclusive Church network and are together learning how to identify and remove barriers to belonging both inside and outside our walls. LGBTQIA+ people serve, lead and worship at St Mary’s, as do disabled people and people of all ages, classes and genders. We come from different economic backgrounds, ethnicities and families. Some of us are neurodiverse, some have experienced mental health challenges. We all have a lot to offer each other, and we all belong here.
Toilets and Disabled Access
We have five toilets in St Mary’s, including two toilets just inside the main entrance to the church.
Our building is also fully accessible to those who use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, with a specially-designated, fully accessible disabled toilet further inside the church, near the cafe area.
Our disabled toilet also has a baby-changing station.
Worship Style
Our worship style is relaxed and gently liturgical, meaning that there are prayers and words which we say together and there is a shape to the service which we follow each week.
We celebrate the Church seasons, sing praise and worship songs alongside more traditional hymns, and have sermon series at certain times of the year while at other times follow the lectionary. What this means is that some aspects of our worship are more catholic while other aspects of our worship are more informal. People with backgrounds as diverse as Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic often say that St Mary’s feels both familiar and different!
What to expect
on Sundays
Sundays at St Mary’s
St Mary’s has two Sunday services: a 9am Holy Communion service and a 10.30am Morning Worship service, which celebrates Holy Communion twice per month, on rotating weeks.
- You will find that people dress in a variety of ways at St Mary’s, from more formal to very casual.
- Our 9am service is quieter, more liturgical and lasts one hour, while our 10.30am service is busier, slightly more informal and usually lasts longer – often about 90 minutes.
- When you walk in for a Sunday service, there will typically be someone to greet you at the door and answer any questions; they will also help you find a seat if the service is especially full.
- About 300 people regularly or occasionally worship at St Mary’s – and many others come through our doors to visit the cafe or Exhibition Space, or attend other events – so it is common for us to have visitors, and our Sunday Services will often have people visiting for the first time.
- After the service, everyone is invited to stay for free tea and coffee – a great way to meet people at St Mary’s – though there is no obligation to stay.
Holy Communion at St Mary’s
At every 9am service and twice a month at 10.30, we invite children and adults to receive Holy Communion.
Children’s Provision at St Mary’s (10.30am Sunday Worship Service)
With the exception of summertime, St Mary’s offers supervised children’s groups for ages 2-11 on the first three Sundays of the month at our 10.30am Sunday Morning Worship service. The fourth Sunday of the month is an intergenerational service, with all ages together.
Children’s groups typically include a craft and Bible story and are staffed by DBS-checked volunteers, some of whom have professional backgrounds in education or childcare. Our children’s groups are held in the Welcome Centre, which is our church hall, located just across the churchyard from the church.
Children always begin the 10.30am service in the church building, with parents or carers invited to take their child to the Welcome Centre about 15 minutes into the service. A church warden will guide you if you or your child are unsure of where to go.
When you arrive at the Welcome Centre, you will be asked to register your child if you haven’t previously done so, which involves giving some basic information.
You can also securely pre-register your child online by clicking here.
Parents and carers will be advised during the service when they can pick up their child from the Welcome Centre and are always invited to return to the church building with their child for the last few minutes of the service.
For those who have a baby (or whose child would prefer to stay in the service), we have a Baby and Toddler Lounge in the South Vestry of the church where parents and carers can come and go as needed. The Baby and Toddler Lounge has toys and also features a speaker which allows parents and carers to hear the service while they are in the lounge.
We love the sound of children, and parents and carers should feel relaxed about any noise that children make during the service, though the Baby and Toddler Lounge is available if helpful.
What to expect
throughout the week
Morning Prayer at St Mary’s
With the exception of some holiday periods, St Mary’s says Morning Prayer in the church Monday-Thursday at 8.30am and all are welcome.
Each Morning Prayer gathering happens in the side chapel and includes pre-set readings from the Bible, responsive prayers and a short reflection from a member of our clergy team. Morning Prayer lasts 20-25 minutes, with printed booklets for you to follow along. Some people join us on their way to work and then leave immediately after Morning Prayer is over, while others stay for a chat afterwards.
Vespers at St Mary’s
With the exception of the month of August, we meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm for Vespers, which is our service for anyone interested in practising contemplative prayer, exploring faith or for those who just need a quiet place to sit and be still.
Vespers is 40 minutes’ long and includes a poem, a reflection, two pieces of choral or instrumental music, two periods of stillness and a contemplative practice to try. While we draw on over a thousand years of Christian spirituality and teaching, Vespers is for everyone, regardless of background or belief – a quiet, candlelit environment where people are able to gently explore faith or to reflect at their own pace, in their own way.
While people are welcome to speak outside the church after Vespers is over, we always invite everyone to leave silently, giving space for those who might want to sit in the candlelit church a bit longer, as well as for those who might want to take the quiet of Vespers with them as they go.
Online Provision
We always livestream one of our Sunday Services – typically the 9am service – as well as Wednesday Vespers and our weekday Morning Prayer gatherings. You can watch our services live or access past recordings by visiting our Facebook page.