Special Services.
    

From time to time our Sunday mornings will be different!  We hope the following will explain:

1. Regular Differences

Communion Mornings

Every second Sunday morning of the month, we will take Communion together.  This is the time when Christians remember "The Last Supper" when Jesus spoke to his disciples about his coming death and what it would mean.

He took bread and broke it and spoke of it saying that what he had just done symbolised what was going to happen - that his single human body was going to be broken (killed) in order to bring into being a new body, comprising millions of people, his church.

He took the wine and told them each to drink of it and said that the pouring out of wine was symbolic of what was about to happen - that his blood (life) was going to be poured out to bring forgiveness for our sins, his life being given instead of ours.

At Communion we take the opportunity to pray and seek God for forgiveness. It is a time of cleansing and a time of healing, a time of putting right outstanding wrongs, a time when profound changes can take place in us.    We do it privately, but together.   A body of people with the same needs.

Reflective Worship Mornings

Every first Sunday morning of the month we provide an alternative "Reflective" worship time which is quieter, and which runs parallel to the main worship time in another room.

2. Occasional Differences

Dedication Services

"Free Churches" tend not to have a "Christening" Service but instead have "Dedication" Services. The difference is a change of emphasis - instead of bringing the baby into the church (which the baby cannot do until it makes it's own decision to be a Christian), the emphasis is upon the Parents of the child making a solemn vow before God to bring up the child to the best of their ability.

Occasionally therefore, we may have a Dedication Service on a Sunday morning, when parents bring their new child, and the focus of the service is upon them, and our supporting them as the family of God.  Such services tend to be even more informal and joyful than usual - a good time!

Baptismal Services

Baptism, in Free Churches is what happens after a person becomes a Christian, and will usually take the form of baptism by immersion, i.e. the person is completely immersed in the water as a graphic picture of dying to their old life and being resurrected by God to a new life.

Because we are an independent church using a public building, we have the freedom to hold such a service wherever we like, so there have been times when we've hired Clements Hall and baptised people in the swimming pool there.   At other times we've hired or borrowed a portable baptistry (a demountable tank) and held the service in a large garden. 

At such times as this there is a great sense of community and the baptisms are very wonderful and memorable occasions.

Weddings and Funerals

Yes, we conduct both, but these don't tend to be on Sundays!!!!

Other Special Times

At Christmas there is a Carol Service.

On Easter Sunday we hold a special celebration service remembering Jesus' death and resurrection.

On Remembrance Sunday we have a special "memory service", when we remember not only those who have given their lives in the wars, but also our loved ones who have gone.

On Mothering Sunday we celebrate families.

In early Autumn we celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving, a time of great thankfulness for all of the things we take for granted in our lives today - not only food, but all of our material possessions.

In other words, within the calendar there is opportunity for great variety, when we can celebrate the many facets of life, and the goodness of God.

.....so why not come and join in the rich diversity of spiritual experience?

Come along... 10.30am, any Sunday morning in the Great Eastern Room of the Freight House.