Experiment to trial changes to the Parish Communion service approved

A three month trial of "small but helpful changes" to the content and "feel" of the weekly 9.30am Parish Communion service will start on Sunday 13th March and continue until Sunday 12th June, following support from the Parochial Church Council.

Following an initial pre-trial consultation with 25 members who are actively involved in the service as lay ministers, servers, bible readers and intercessors or children's leaders congregation members will be asked to give their feedback on the changes both during and after the end of the period.


The list of changes to be trialled are as follows:

1. Reducing the number of bible readings to one reading only before the gospel; but with greater commitment to periods of silent reflection.

2. Having a gospel procession in appropriate seasons and on high days but not most Sundays.

3. The Creed - using some of the shorter alternative creeds offered in the Common Worship book in place of the full Nicene Creed every Sunday.

4. Improving participation and engagement with hymns. Keeping attention on hymns being known, relevant and not over-long. Introducing new hymns, including both contemporary and suitable older hymns not yet known, intentionally and in a planned on-going way. 

5.  Sermons to be kept under 12 minutes as a rule.

6. Intercessions to be kept under 4 minutes as a rule.

7. Notices of the announcement type to be kept "short and sweet", relevant, and necessary.

8. Using some (but not all) of the time saved for things which are not really notices but " church community" type things including commissioning people to ministries, admissions to choir and other groups etc, thanking people, seeing what Junior and Youth Church did in their sessions; and also sharing of important stuff from the congregation.

9. Ending by 10.35 at latest instead of 10.40 or 10.45

Canon David Hodgson, Rector, said:

"At one level these are minor adaptations yet they represent an evolutionary approach rather than a revolutionary one. We want to loosen up and open up this service. Currently  it includes a lot of words to process and is perhaps a little too drawn out for comfort. The aim is to allow more "space" in the service, both to help us to hear God speaking to us and to share more what God is doing in our lives and community here and now".