Going anywhere new can be daunting so we hope that on this page you will find answers to some of your questions.
How do I find St John's Church?
Directions are on the How to Find St John's page. We have our own car park (with cycle spaces). If the car park is full please park on the roads nearby.
What time should I arrive?
Most people arrive between 5-10 mins before the start of the service. Our Sunday@Six evening service starts at 6.00pm with coffee, with the service beginning about 6.30pm. All our service times are listed on our Services page.
What should I do when I get there?
One of our welcome team will be on hand at the door. They can give you information about the church - or just help you find a seat. Ask them anything else you need you know - that's what they are there for!
St John's Church meets in a modern church building. We don't have pews or prayer books. The words for songs/spoken worship (liturgy) are shown on a large screen at the front (except at the 8.00am services where we follow the words on a printed card).
What happens in a service?
Services are very informal. They usually start with music and include some or all of the following:
- A time of singing, usually modern songs (with guitars, keyboards and drums) but we sometimes include more traditional hymns and the organ in our worship
- Prayer
- A reading and talk from the Bible
- Sometimes some spoken worship (liturgy)
- Notices highlighting forthcoming events and any significant news about the members or life of the church
- Communion (Eucharist)
Morning services finish around midday. Evening services usually finish by 8:30.
What about my children?
There are separate groups for children and young people; we also run a crèche for under threes. Children join the first part of the morning service then go off to their own groups. All our leaders have had Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. Ask the welcome team for more information.
Do I need to do anything?
Most services include some singing and spoken worship. If you're not sure you want to sing or follow the spoken parts, that's fine. It is unusual at St John's that you will be expected to do anything without having it explained or displayed on screen - in the unlikely event that this does happen, rest assured you won't be the only one wondering what to do next!
What should I wear?
People wear whatever they feel comfortable in. Some of our members wear suits, others will be wearing jeans, it really doesn't matter. Clergy at St John's rarely wear formal robes.
What we believe:
We are a Christian church and believe that all can have a personal relationship with God. We believe this relationship with God is possible because of Jesus (God's only son) who invites us to follow him.
Is it just Sundays?
We have midweek small groups we call Cells, which meet at people's homes. If you're not sure about Christianity you may prefer to come along to an Alpha group. We also hold a Communion Service on the first Thursday of every month entitled 'Thursday Fellowship'. At this service we have traditional hymns and time for tea and coffee after the service.
Our premises are wheelchair accessible. We have a loop for hearing aid users. Once a month we also host Deaf Church, a service especially for deaf and hearing impaired people.
