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What to expect at a Sunday worship gathering
Every Sunday morning we open the Church building at 10:30am, for our Sunday worship gathering at 11am. We have a team of volunteers to welcome you at the door, and to answer any questions you may have.
As we meet together as a church family, we worship God through singing, prayer, and the teaching of God’s Word, the Bible. We have a children’s slot where the kids are invited up to the front for a story and song, and we love to celebrate people’s birthdays as a church family too. We try to ensure that our worship gatherings are contemporary, thought-provoking, practical, and an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with Jesus Christ.
We are guided through our worship gatherings by our minister, so there’s no need to worry about what’s coming next. We normally stand up to sing, but if you’re not able to, you’re welcome to stay seated. The words for the songs are displayed on large screens for all to see. The Bible passages we read are also on the screens but we have Bibles available in the Welcome Centre if you’d like to make use of one. Each worship gathering lasts for about 75 minutes.
At the end of each worship gathering, we’re never in any rush home. We serve refreshments in the Welcome Centre and this provides a great opportunity to get to know others in a relaxed environment.
Q&A
What will be expected of me?
Nothing will be expected of you, and no-one will ask you to do anything during the worship gathering. Just relax, take everything in, and we pray that you’ll enjoy worshipping God alongside others.
What should I wear?
We don’t have strict dress code, simply wear whatever clothes you’re comfortable in. This could be shorts and T-shirt, or a shirt and tie. It doesn’t matter to us.
Can I bring my children?
Of course! We love the fact that St. Andrew’s is an inter-generational family. It’s great when we hear the joyful noises of little children during our worship gatherings.
During the second half of our Sunday worship gatherings we provide various ministries for our children & young people:
Praise & Play (for babies and toddlers): Throughout each Praise & Play session, the little ones get to meet Jonty, our puppet, we praise God with our musical instruments, we enjoy a simple bible story and we play together. There are always a few bubbles on hand too! It’s a fun, relaxed and creative learning environment for our little ones to worship in. Baby-changing facilities are available beside the Praise & Play room. Our aim is for little ones to learn at this young age that God loves them, while preparing them to move up to Kids 4 Jesus.
Kids 4 Jesus (for Pre & Primary School children): Our children stay in the worship gathering for the first 20-25 minutes, before going out to Kids 4 Jesus, where they enjoy games, Bible stories, songs and crafts. It’s a creative learning environment for our children, where they’re able to ask questions and interact with our leaders and with each other, as we explore together what it means to trust and follow Jesus. The children then join with the rest of the church family at 12:15pm as we finish our worship gathering together as one large church family.
Bible Class (for young people in Year 8-12): Our young people are encouraged to join with the wider church family for the first part of worship, and then they have their own special programme for the rest of the morning. This normally includes food and an opportunity to engage with God, through the Bible, as we encourage and support our young people to live for Jesus in their everyday lives. The focus is very much an informal space where young people can feel comfortable in listening and sharing.
What if I have questions or need help?
If you want to find out more about what it means to follow Jesus, we’d love to chat with you. Please get in touch with us using the Contact Us page.
If you hear or see anything during our Sunday worship gatherings that you would like to know more about, please feel able to ask our Minister or any of the Elders. Alternatively, you’re welcome to get in touch via the Contact Us page. We will be happy to chat with you and answer any questions.
