Services – New – St Laurence

Our Usual Pattern of Worship

Sunday Services

Our usual pattern of services on Sundays and during the week is shown below.

8.00 am Holy Communion

This early morning service is a calm time, held in St John’s Chapel. There is no music – it’s entirely spoken. Usually we have around 10 adults in the congregation. The service follows the ‘traditional’ – language version of the service using the Book of Common Prayer.

9.30 am Parish Eucharist

Sunday at 9.30 am is the main service of the week – and the busiest with often about 100 people in the congregation. It is usually held in the Nave. When Baptisms take place they are usually a part of this service on the fourth Sunday of the month. There is an organist and during term time the choir is a significant part of the service, so obviously there is music: hymns, psalms, anthems and so on. On the first Sunday of the month we have a Choral Eucharist where the choir often sings a classical setting of the service.

This is the service which is most appropriate for young families to attend and therefore children and young people are catered for.

After the service most people stay for a while in church for coffee, biscuits and a chat: a chance to catch up, and of course get to know new members of the congregation.

If you’re new to church and you want to find out more about what goes on at this service see our page ‘First time in church?‘.

11.30 am Choral Matins

This service is held with the choir and congregation together in the Chancel on the first and third Sundays of the month during term time.

It follows the Order for Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer.

3.30 pm Choral Evensong

This service is held with the choir and congregation together in the Chancel on the second and fourth Sundays of the month during term time.

It follows the Order for Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer.

6.00 pm Celtic Prayer

A simple evening liturgy in a style used by the Iona Community where we seek to be present to God in word, music and silence. This service is attended by about 20 people sitting in a circle in the Lady Chapel and lasts about 40 minutes.