First Time
If it’s your first time at church, don’t be daunted! We can assure you of a warm welcome and friendly faces. Here’s a rough guide as to what you can expect from our regular services, we’d love to see you one Sunday morning.
What Happens
Our 11am service lasts around an hour.
Our music is usually a mixture of styles, including traditional and more modern hymns and Christian worship songs.
There will usually be a couple of bible readings followed by a sermon or a talk on the bible passages we have read. Teaching at St Michael’s is bible-based and aims to explore what we have read from the Old or New Testaments, unpacking what God’s message to us is and looking at the ways that this relates to our everyday lives.
We share Communion together every Sunday except the 2nd Sunday of the month, which is called our ‘Simply Worship’ service. Communion is the sharing of bread and wine within the church family and happens in churches across the world. The liturgy (the words spoken by the service leader) re-tells the story of the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples, where he shared bread and wine with his friends. He told them to keep doing this after his death as a way to remember and honour him – which is why communion is still an important part of our Sunday service.
During term time, we run Junior Church groups at the 11am service for babies & toddlers, children and young people. They start the service in church with the main congregation and then leave to go out for activities, crafts, games, bible teaching and discussion.
We don’t worry about noisy babies and children – they are very welcome at St Michael’s and are very much an important part of our church family!
At 8am each Sunday we have a quieter, more traditional service of Holy Communion, with time for reflection and prayer. This service lasts about 45 minutes.
After both services, we serve refreshments at the back of church – free tea and ‘real’ coffee (Fairtrade). It’s a time when people chat and get to know each other better and is a perfect opportunity to find out more about the church and its activities and groups.
If I come, will I have to do anything?
Nothing at St Michael’s is compulsory! It is perfectly fine just to turn up and be present. You can simply sit and listen – you don’t need to join in with anything unless you want to.
- There’s no dress code and you can sit anywhere in the church.
- We welcome everyone – whatever their background, faith, experience or circumstances.
- We don’t take a collection during the service but if you feel you’d like to give a donation there is a collection plate at the back of the church.
- We won’t hassle you to come again and won’t sign you up to anything!
How do I get there?
St Michael’s & All Angels is accessible from Church Bank in Felton. There are both narrow and wide paths through the churchyard leading to the main church door.
There is a small amount of on street parking outside the church – just drive up Church Bank to the top. See the Contact Us page for map/directions.
Accessibility
There is room for pushchairs and buggies inside the church. There’s a toilet and baby changing facilities at the back of the church.
We have a hearing loop and there is plenty of space for wheelchairs, with a ramp in place to access the main door. Information and service sheets are available in large print.
For those people who would like to come and need assistance with transport, please contact us as we can help with lifts.
