We would like to welcome you to the United Reformed Churches of the North Cotswolds. We are a group of four churches united under one Minister; each church has an different style so you may want to drop in to one or more to find the one that suits you! It can be quite daunting setting foot in a church for the first time and so we have put together a list of questions that could be useful for you.
Sunday is one of our main focuses of gathering for the week. We gather to worship God.
Worship is usually led by our minister, church members or visiting preachers from the area. The service is a mixture of singing, bible reading, prayer and a talk.
You are very free to join in as much or as little as you like. If anything feels unfamiliar feel free to ask the person who welcomed you before the service or anyone sat near to you.
Styles of service can vary from church to church and fro worship leader to worship leader- some are very traditional or reflective, others can be more interactive and informal.
In addition to actually being there in person, services from St Andrew’s are also live streamed on YouTube; if you don’t want to be seen then do ask the Steward at the door where the best place to sit is.
Our Sunday services last around an hour and are sometimes followed by coffee and chat depending on the church or the occasion.
Music is important to us and can very often be a means through which we connect with one another. We sing a mixture of modern and traditional hymns and use organ, piano, CD player and sometimes there might be a small music group. Some of our worship leaders have been known to sit at the organ or take up a guitar to accompany a hymn!
There are no fixed rules so you will be fine, but please do feel relaxed and join in as you are able. We normally stand to sing hymns (if we are able) and sit to pray, but ministers will usually guide everyone as to what to do. We are a lot more relaxed about doing “the right thing” than you imagine.
Communion usually takes place once a month and is a moment when Christians share bread and wine to remember Jesus, particularly that Jesus breaks down social divisions to bring us all together. As an “open and inclusive” church everyone is welcome and invited to share communion with us – being invited to share bread and wine together is a gift to us and a sign of being one people.
Communion is usually given to us in our seats by the Minister or by servers. The wine is maybe non-alcoholic and is normally served in small individual cups.
Simply whatever you are most comfortable wearing. There are no expectations about clothing, so please feel relaxed and be yourself in all that can mean for you.
Children are welcome at all our services
There is no expectation or requirement for visitors to support the church financially. But if you feel like you wish to, there is a collection box or plate for members and regular attenders.
Prayer is part of our regular worship and important to us. Prayer is essentially about talking to God.