Sun 2nd August

You may remember that on the first Sunday of the month we used to have one service at 10am. It was great to gather all-together to worship but before long we ran out of space. I miss the feel of us being together but I realise we really don’t have the space. 

As we continue to grow we are now starting to notice the lack of space at 11am. Yes we can all squeeze up to get more people in, but once a place starts to feel full it can put people off stepping inside. When facing this issue previously St Toms has planted congregations out in other building in the parish; Wyvern Main Hall, the Village Hall, Woodlands Community Centre. This certainly deals with the lack of space but it can start to break down the feeling of being one church. 

So, to remind us that we are one church we are going to trialling ‘rolling worship’ on the first Sunday of the month. It’s the idea that we have one worship service on a Sunday morning that rolls throughout the morning with opportunities for people to arrive and leave as they feel. It’s a bit like a stream, it flows without stopping or starting, and we get to jump in. Instead of trying to fit worship fitting to our schedule, it’s a reminder that worship continues all the time across the world, and when we gather, we join in as part of that global worship service. 

This means that we are making worship the priority in our main space. If you enjoy catching up with friends before the service there’ still opportunity to do that in the extension over a cup of tea (or toast if you want some breakfast). As worship is rolling throughout the morning, where possible please enter via the main door to avoid cutting across what might already be underway, and as you enter just be aware that worship may already be underway and be ready to join in!

Here are a few suggested entry points:

1.Come at 9.30 as usual for hymns, sermon and holy communion. 

2.Come at 10.45 for our regular family friendly worship with options.

3.Come at 9am for a quiet and reflective start to the day.

4.Have a look at the list below and give something a try…