Contrary to urban mythology you will not get struck by lightening if you enter a church and are not a Christian or member.
The exact design and layout of a church will depend on the denomination, age and versatility of the building. The traditional view is of lines of wooden pews with a grand altar at one end, but many churches now have chairs to allow for other activities in the space. Many churches are open to view on days other than a Sunday. Please see more about fixtures and features here
The URC of which this Pastorate is a part of is one of the “low” Churches (please see the article on Denominations in our resources section), but two of our churches are still quite imposing and the Old Meeting House celebrates its 300 year anniversary in 2026. You can see more about each church in its own section.
What is a Service and what can you expect to see
A Service is the global term for a formal act of worship. Some are very structured and others less so. Traditionally they are led by an official. The terms Vicar or Minister are used for those who have been “Ordained” into the Word and Sacrament. There is no need to go into great detail here, but it means that they have been trained and authorised by the church. There are also Lay Preachers and Lay Readers who have had some training but are not fully authorised to lead some types of worship (sacraments). There are exceptions but again, there is no need to complicate things here.
What is the Lord’s Supper or Communion
These are the specific services where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus and share bread and wine. Again they can be very formal or simple. Some Denominations restrict them to their members, but the URC has what we call an Open Table where all are welcome to partake. The wine in our churches is non-alcoholic, but that is not the case in all churches. For now we will concentrate on a simple service of worship without communion.
What happens at a weekly Sunday Service
Hopefully you will be greeted at the door by a friendly face or two. They will offer you a hymnbook and an order of service if available. You will not be escorted to a specific seat. People tend to sit in the same place each time but there are no reserved places. It will be tempting to sit at the back but often there are visual elements that you might need to be closer to see properly. The worship leader is normally on a raised platform, sometimes there is a pulpit, but that is less common recently.
When the service starts people usually stand. This is basically polite reverence but no one will criticise you if you do not or even cannot stand easily. Traditionally we stand to sing and sit for the rest of the time. Some churches have space to kneel during prayers but, again, that is no longer common place. Please do not worry if you do not know the hymns or do not wish to try and join in. The type of music will vary, but most of the churches in our Pastorate use either an Organ or piano.
Most readings will be taken from the Bible and usually there are bibles available for you to follow what is being read. Again, do not feel obliged to use the pew bibles. Most of the prayers are lead from the front. We say Amen to confirm that we agree with what was said. It has always been assumed that people will know the Lord’s Prayer (our Father…). If you do not, you might tell the greeters this and they should be able to provide a copy for you to use. If it is a modern version it will normally be printed out for you already.
The sermon can last twenty minutes. Please do not worry if your mind wanders and it is not unheard of for people to go to sleep! We stay standing after the last hymn for the blessing and then sit for a while before leaving. Most of the Pastorate have a tea coffee afterwards, even a cake or biscuit, but it is not mandatory, we just like to chat amongst ourselves and, hopefully to you as well.
It can seem a bit frightening or unnerving not to know what is going on or to feel left out. The thing to remember is that you are not on show, and people are not watching you specifically or expecting you to “behave”. Children are welcome. Some churches have a play area in the church or a “Sunday School” that meets elsewhere within the church buildings. Again, it is not compulsory, but it tends to be more “fun” than the church Service. Having said that, we hope that you can enjoy the service and come away refreshed for the rest of the week. In essence that is what the service is about.
One last thing. There is a tradition in church to take up a collection. Churches are charities funded primarily by the members. Money and finance are part of the world we live in. Many members pay through the banks and several of the churches no longer take up a collection at all. There will usually be a plate or box at the back of the church if you wish to contribute but it is not demanded. Please do not feel pressured to give us money as that is not our intention.