Our parish has three Parish Churches! The three buildings are very different; so are their congregations, and so are their ways of worshipping! You may want to try all three to see which one suits you best, or you may simply wish to worship in the church nearest to you.
All three churches stand firmly in the mainstream Anglican tradition. This means that most of our services are “Eucharistic” (i.e. celebrations of Holy Communion), but we also sometimes have less formal Family Services such as Messy Church. We also have a mixture of traditional services using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer on special occasions and the more commonly the modern rites of “Common Worship” – the Church of England’s newest prayer book. Our main Sunday Services – and major celebrations for Feast Days that fall during the week – use the modern liturgy and we encourage lay people to be involved in these services by reading the lessons, acting as altar servers, leading the intercessions and assisting with giving communion.
The “ethos” of our churches:
St Mary’s, Broughton Astley
St Mary’s stands in the “liberal catholic” tradition of the Church of England. The catholic (or “high church”) influence can be seen in the six candles behind the high altar, the statues of Our Lady (the Virgin Mary), the Stations of the Cross around the walls (pictures depicting Jesus’ journey to the cross) and the holy water stoup inside the main door (where people sometimes cross themselves with holy water as a reminder of their baptism). At the Eucharist, the Celebrant (priest) wears special robes called “vestments”. These are of differing colours, depending upon the liturgical season. Worship is fairly formal but relaxed and the music is led by an organist and choir. We occasionally use incense for special services or major feast days. The Blessed Sacrament (the consecrated bread and wine of Communion) is “reserved” in an Aumbry (a special safe) in the side Chapel, and this can be used to give Communion to the sick or housebound. It’s also a reminder of Jesus’ presence in the sacrament, so some people particularly like to pray where the sacrament is reserved. St Mary’s attracts a very diverse congregation from a range of traditions, and we try to strike a balance between traditional and modern and between ritual and informality, so that our worship is as inclusive as possible.
St Michael’s, Stoney Stanton
Worship at St Michael’s is “Central Church of England” in feel and draws upon both the catholic and evangelical traditions. We aim to combine a reverential approach to the Eucharist with an open, relaxed style. The church has been tastefully re-ordered, with an altar/communion table on a dais at the front of the nave. This gives a real sense of us gathering as a family around the altar for worship. Equal emphasis is given to the ministries of Word and Sacrament, and we use both traditional and modern music and hymns. The music is usually led by an organist and choir. The celebrant (priest) wears appropriately coloured vestments according to the liturgical season, and the overall approach is probably best described as “friendly and semi-formal”.
St Michael and All Angels, Croft
The smallest of our three churches, St Michael and All Angels has an intimate, prayerful atmosphere. Worship here is in the “low-to-middle church” style and is conducted with dignity and simplicity. The priest dresses simply in an alb (a simple white garment) or a cassock and alb with a stole coloured according to the liturgical season. There is a small but dedicated congregation who are always glad to welcome visitors and newcomers. Although there is an organ in situ often there is a pianist and guitar player who leads the hymns, which are a mixture of traditional and modern. The church plays a particularly significant role in the life of the village on such occasions as Harvest, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas services as well as our usual Sunday morning services.
But I’ve never been to church before……!!
We appreciate that coming to church for the first time – or even to a new church – can be a daunting experience.
All of us were new here at some time, and we’d like to reassure you that you will be very welcome and that there is no need to feel awkward or embarrassed.
When you first arrive, you will be greeted by a “sidesperson” (steward) whose job it is to make you welcome and to give you the various books and leaflets that you will need for the service.
You’re welcome to sit on any seat which doesn’t have a “Reserved” notice on it. (We usually only have reserved seats for very important services). If you’re attending St Mary’s, Broughton Astley, we would encourage you if possible to sit on the south side of the church (the side opposite the main entrance) facing the high altar. Here you will be able to see what happens in the service, and will feel part of what is going on. At Croft and Stoney Stanton, the pulpit and altar are easily visible from most seats.
Amongst the books you are given on arrival will be a service booklet. The service should follow the order in this booklet, and the person leading the service will occasionally announce what page we are on and so on. If you get lost or confused, please don’t be afraid to ask people sitting nearby to help.
Most of our services are a celebration of Holy Communion (also sometimes called The Lord’s Supper, The Eucharist or Mass). Whether you belong to a Christian denomination or not, all are welcome to receive communion here. If you don’t wish to do so, you can still come to the altar rail for a blessing. If you come to the altar rail holding a hymn book or a service booklet, this will help the priest to know that you only want a blessing. Alternatively you may just wish to stay in your seat and let it all “wash over you”. This is also perfectly acceptable.
Once a month, the main Sunday morning service will be a less formal “Messy Church/Family Service”, with a theme especially for parents and children, and you may prefer to try this as your first experience of the church. (See “Service Times” for details.)
If you have children with you, they can either sit with you throughout the service, or, if you’re attending any of our churches, they can join other children who may be at the front or back of the church at the beginning of the service where activities will be provided. We do advise that children are accompanied at all times.
We have a collection at all of our services. If you would like to contribute to the life of the church, any donation will be very gratefully received. If you are a UK tax payer, if you could use one of the special envelopes that you will find in the pews and fill in the details on the envelope. This enables us to get 25% of your gift back from the Government at no cost to you! However, it is not obligatory to give anything. Many regular church attenders give directly from their bank accounts, so if you pass the plate on without putting anything on it, you won’t be alone and you certainly needn’t feel awkward. In St Mary’s there is also the ability to donate by Credit/Debit card.
If you’re not sure what to do during the service just follow everyone else or, if you prefer, you can just remain seated throughout. No-one will be offended.
Tea and Coffee is usually served after the main Sunday morning service, and we would be delighted if you could join us. Again, however, this is entirely up to you. The priest will usually be at the door to say goodbye as you leave. Do take a moment to introduce yourself. Don’t worry – the clergy don’t bite, and you won’t be pressured into telling us all about yourself or “signing up” for anything – we just like to be able to say hello and to know who has been with us on a Sunday morning!
Finally, all three of our churches have toilet and baby-changing facilities and these are suitable for use by disabled people. At Broughton Astley and Stoney Stanton, these facilities are at the back of the church; at Croft they are near the front, just through the door to the left of the pulpit. Please ask for assistance if you need it.
All three churches have an induction loop for the hard of hearing.
We hope this has given you some idea of what to expect in our churches, but if you are still nervous or uncertain after reading all this, feel free to contact the parish administrator and we will gladly arrange for someone to meet you, show you round and answer any further questions that you may have.
We hope to meet you soon!
St Mary's Church Broughton Astley. St Michael and All Angels Church Croft. St Michael's Church Stoney Stanton. 