Visiting other churches - Part the first (Summer 2018)

As is our usual practice during the time away from the normal daily existence that is the Summer holidays we found ourselves being Church in a different place to home - Sad to say this is not always a blessing or a joy.

This year we found ourselves visiting a couple of churches in the Weston Super Mare area. The first was for a main Sunday morning Communion service in an evangelical setting and the second was a 'Service of the Word' in a smaller, pretty central, rural church.

MORNING
As we walked in we were pointed towards the tea and coffee that was on offer. Passing up on the offer (you can only drink so much tea in the morning and breakfast had only recently finished) we made our way like good Anglicans to a seat near the back of the church. we were engaged with by regulars and the conversations continued even after they realised we were just passing through (been to more than one place where the locals realising you weren't going to sign up moved on to canvass other strangers).

The service is presented to the congregation by monitors mounted on the pillars around the church building (three on each side) and a couple of larger bits of kit on the stage area.  Good viewing angles and the songs, readings and service were easily visible (I didn't ask about large-print sheets, but assume that a church who had got the  first bit right would also cater for hose who would struggle with a paperless church.

A nice touch was the countdown to the service start and as the seconds ticked away the sound level got progressively louder until at 00:00, having reached a crescendo, it stopped and the Vicar welcomed those present and prayed. It was good to see the Vicar playing tag with a younger person - and as they shared that part of the service we were blessed to see a positive and creative way of encouraging all-member and all-age ministry.

We sang a couple of what seemed to be 'child friendly' songs and then the children disappeared off for their thing and we sang some more, had an update from a former member who was working 'up North', had the readings, a sermon and as the time for the Communion approached, we stopped and chatted to the people around us.

Unlike many of the places we've visited, this was a pause with a purpose as during this the parents were encouraged to collect their children and to help them make sense of the Communion that was to follow. Even more unlike many of the services in churches like the one we were in, the congregation were asked to stand during the Eucharistic prayer ('D' for those who like to know those things) and we we invited at the end to visit one of the four stations in the building (non-alcoholic and gluten-free as suited the communicant). What a joy as we did things 'properly' with respect and decorum a forethought for all to often we get a mumbled prayer and nothing that even approaches consecration of the Anglican kind.

There was a news bulletin on the screens before the sermon and this spoke of what was on offer, the ministry and vision of the church and made more sense that the usual 'mostly inaccurate' piece of paper we normally get posing as information. A great use of the video screens around the place and a cool way of keeping people in the loop and belonging.

There was a word from the front before it all came to an end and prayer ministry was offered for those who had been touched by the service, moved by the Spirit of God or brought their problems in at the beginning and wanted them prayed over. There was even a proper blessing!!

The whole experience was positive and the journey through it was gentle and (in the proper sense of the word) ''Intentional'. It felt like there everything was done with a purpose and that there was a direction and a sense of God in everything that happened throughout. The Vicar seemed to gently stroll through the whole thing ready to catch things should they fall but also moving sensitively to God's prompting throughout.

The only (slight but obvious) niggle for me was the fact that the screens didn't always keep up with the things going on (essential when you don't know the songs). As a former PA/Sound and Video person I know the problems of keeping the person on the desk and the poor soul doing AV focussed on the task before them as the slightest distraction has the potential to render the techies naked and vulnerable. But it's Summer and perhaps they were covering the role or had a chatty guy riding the sliders (guilty as charged :-) ).

But I have to say that should you visit Weston Super Mare, St Paul's is most definitely worth a visit on a number of levels. Ticked all the boxes and saw me leave feeling blessed and that I'd been in the presence of God with family.

Thank you Andrew and the team.