sunday@5

sunday@5 takes place at a time on Sundays when the shops have closed and most sporting activities for children are over. Each session has a theme. Music, craft activities, prayer, Bible reading, drama and a substantial meal are integrated into a single act of worship which is also fun.

People of all ages are thoroughly engaged. Some have little or no previous experience of Church. Others find the time more convenient, and that meeting in the church hall, set out café-style, rather than the main church building enables them to worship more easily than in a more formal setting.

A recent service was fairly typical. The theme was 'Mayday! Mayday!'. We studied three Bible passages demonstrating how God helps people in distress.

Cartoons were used to tell the story of Moses leading God's people to safety through the Red Sea. The story of Daniel and the lions' den was dramatised, with adults and children playing the different roles. A film clip showed Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal.

We were asked to think how people in distress make their cries for help heard. On mountains people in need of rescue blow six clear blasts on a whistle. Those in danger at sea fire a distress rocket (giant party poppers make an ideal indoor demonstration!). At night people can use lights for signalling. When people need God's help they can cry out to him in prayer. He has promised to listen out for us.

So many people are in need, in our own neighbourhood and across the world. We were all given pieces of paper and were invited to write a brief prayer on them. Then we were shown how to turn them into paper boats. We floated them in a big paddling pool lent to us by one family and prayed some of the prayers written on them.

All the songs we sang reminded us that God is there to help us, and to rescue us. We have nothing to fear. But he calls us to share in his work. We ended with grace and a magnificent tea - and a collection for Christian Aid.

 

'Fresh Expressions'

Fresh Expressions is a joint initiative by the Methodist Church and the Church of England to try to find new ways of 'being Church'. It aims to provide people who have no contact with traditional churches with ways of exploring their spirituality and perhaps discovering Christ for themselves.

Whilst sunday@5 is not a fresh expression of being Church it is a means of refreshing our church life and worship. The fact that almost as many people come to sunday@5 as come to our regular Sunday morning services suggests that it is meeting a need. Do come and try it for yourself. You will be most welcome.

If you would like to know more about sunday@5 or any other activities contact:

The Parish Office, St Mark's Church, Leggatts Way , Watford , Herts WD24 5NQ Phone: 01923 681972

Click here to e-mail us

 

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