Cafe Worship is a relaxed and informal Sunday morning service in the main church building. Rather than rows of chairs, we use chairs around tables, so that people can sit in groups. The service will include opportunities to sing, hear about God and the Bible, and to have a drink and a doughnut!
What to expect when you come to Cafe Worship
This service happens on the 1st Sunday morning of each month, and is more informal and relaxed than our other Sunday services. It is very popular with families. The service starts at 10am and most people will arrive between 9.45 and 10am. You will enter the church by walking down the slope and using the double doors in the back corner of the building, facing the road. Once inside, there will be someone there to greet you and hand you one of our church newsletters. Ahead of you, there is a table with tea, coffee and squash, and doughnuts or other treats. You are welcome to help yourself to food and drink before the service, and at any point during the service. There are toilets in the adjoining hall, and a disabled accessible toilet just through a set of glass doors. A church member will show you where they are, if you ask.
The church is set out with a number of tables and 8 chairs to each table. You can sit wherever you like. All the information you need during the service, is on the large screen at the front. You will find some colouring and activity sheets on the tables, these are for anyone (children and adults) to use whenever they wish. During the service, there will be a number of songs, where everyone will be invited to stand if they are able, and sing (the words are on the screen). There is also an action song, where everyone can sing and join in the actions, following the person on the screen or the minister at the front. You are welcome to join in or not – whatever makes you feel comfortable. There will be a Bible reading, and a talk from the minister.
At the end of the talk, they will suggest a question that everyone might like to think about, and there will then be “coffee and doughnut time” where people can sit and chat to the others on their table about that particular question, or anything else they wish. People can also use that time to go and get more food and drink. After ten minutes or so, the minister will call everyone back together, and ask if anyone would like to share what they have been discussing. No one is expected to say anything if they don’t want to. In this part of the service, there will be some prayers, where we will sit quietly and listen. Sometimes there is a prayer activity, such as writing on pieces of paper and bringing them up to the front, or coming forward to light a candle. If there is a prayer activity, the minister will explain it, and you can join in if you wish.
The service normally lasts about an hour. At the end of the service, people can stay at their tables and talk, can get more drinks or doughnuts (if there are any left!) or can leave. After a short time, some people will start tidying up, putting the tables away, and putting the chairs back into rows. You can stay and help do this, if you wish to, and can leave whenever you are ready.