People come to church for the first time for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they come because they have moved into the area and are looking for a church to call ‘home’. Others might have experienced a special service at church like a baptism, wedding or funeral, or a service at Christmas, Easter, Harvest or Remembrance, and were touched by something that was said, or want to come and connect with God afterwards. A lot of people come into church because something inside them is drawing them to the church community – perhaps they want to find answers to questions or a place to belong. Whatever your reason is, and whatever stage in your faith you feel you are, you will be made very welcome at both of our churches.
So you’ve decided to come to church. But what happens next? Well coming to a new church for the first time can be scary, particularly if we’re not familiar with the place, or don’t know what to expect, or what we will be expected to do. That’s why, when you come through the door at St Peter’s or St John’s, you will be greeted by some of our regular congregation members who will hand you a service sheet and point you in the right direction. They’re also there to answer any questions you might have about the service – no question is out of bounds! So you know what to expect: our said services usually last about half an hour, and our sung services just over an hour; children’s activities are always available, just ask one of the welcomers by door; and, if you’ve come along to the 9 a.m. or 10.30 a.m. on Sunday morning, coffee and refreshments are served after the service, to which you are warmly welcome.
We believe this is an important part of our time together as it gives people an opportunity to meet new members of the church family and catch up with older ones after we have worshipped God. A lot of new people don’t like to stay after the worship has finished when they first start coming to church, and that’s fine – but do introduce yourself to the Vicar, Fr Christopher, who is always delighted to meet new people.
Like a lot of things in life, the answer to the question of ‘Should I go to church?’ is simply to come and try it for a few weeks. We believe that at St Peter’s and St John’s you will find a warm and welcoming community, and we would be delighted to see you!
But I’ve not been to church before – in a nutshell, what’s it all about?
We believe that our faith has been revealed to us by God in his Son Jesus Christ, whom we hear about in the pages of the Bible, through the Tradition of the Church, and through the teaching and ministry of the bishops, who are the successors to Jesus’ first apostles. At the heart of our faith lies the belief that humankind was created out of love by God, who wants us to be in a relationship with him. Our collective history and our personal stories, however, testify to the fact that we prefer to run away from him rather than serve him. The result is often unhappy lives, lived for ourselves, rather than sacrificial lives, lived for God and our neighbour. 
And that is why Jesus came to us. He came to us to sort out the problem of sin, of us running away from God and dwelling in selfishness and pride, by dying for us on the Cross, and showing us just how much God loves us. His death enables us to be reconciled to God, whatever our past, and however far we have strayed from him in the first place. We receive that forgiveness through baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist, which, together, initiate someone into the Christian faith, making them one of God’s own children and a member of his family, the church.
Now this might be a lot to take in, but it is the Christian faith in a nutshell! If, having read this, you have further questions about the Christian faith, or would like to become a Christian through baptism, then please contact the Vicar, Fr Christopher, who would be happy to discuss these things further with you. We hope very much to hear from you soon.