|
||||||
| Serving God and Sharing Good News |
St Mark's Church Services
Sunday Services
8.30am Holy Communion at St Mark's Church
(Also held at our sister church Putnoe Heights)
9.30am Morning Worship at St Marks Church
Morning Worship is an easy to follow service using printed orders of service and lasting about an hour. We seek to combine the best of favourite traditional hymns and modern worship music to provide something for all tastes. Our Ministers are present at the services and occasionally we welcome a variety of visiting Local Preachers to join with us. The following pattern is observed
- The first Sunday of every month is a family service at which baptisms often take place and the children remain in the service. This is an informal service for all ages lasting one hour with traditional hymns and modern music. Children are welcome! Our Sunday School operates at all other services.
- The second Sunday is Morning Prayer using a service based on Methodist Worship and Anglican Common Worship
- The third Sunday service will be a celebration of Holy Communion at which we invite all people to share in the breaking of bread at the Lord's Table.
- The fourth Sunday is Morning Prayer using a service based on Methodist Worship and Anglican Common Worship
- The fifth Sunday every month is a service of Holy Communion with prayer for Christian healing.
11.00am Morning Worship at our sister church, Putnoe Heights Church
Midweek Services
Monday Story Box 12 noon at Putnoe Heights Church
A service for parents and carers with children under 5. Lunch is provided for the children who have stories, songs, games and activities.
Wednesday Midweek Holy Communion at St Mark's Church 10.00am
This is held at St Mark's Church in the Chapel at 10.00am every Wednesday followed by coffee. It is a quiet and informal service using the Partnership Communion service which has been recognised by the Methodist Church and the Church of England.
Thursday Story Box 12 noon at St Mark's Church
A service for parents and carers with children under 5. Lunch is provided for the children who have stories, songs, games and activities.
Information About Our Churches
St.Mark's Church and Putnoe Heights Church are special types of church—each are Partnerships between the Methodist Church and the Church of England. These two denominations are now working together at a national level but here at St. Mark's and Putnoe Heights, Christians from these two denominations have been worshipping and serving as one for over 25 years! Together we are known as the North Bedford Church Partnership. We welcome all people and whatever your own church background, (or lack of a church background!) We really do look forward to meeting with you.
All the family are welcome to join us for services at St. Mark's and Putnoe Heights Church. Our worship is varied and we try to keep a balance between the traditional and more recent influences. Our music too includes well known hymns as well as some of the best contemporary songs and choruses. Our services are fully ecumenical, that is lots of Christians from different denominations worship together, mostly Methodist and Church of England. Whatever your preferences you can be sure that we try hard to ensure that everybody finds our services helpful in teaching the Christian faith and sharing in public worship. There is a special family service on the first Sunday of every month at 9.30am and then for most of the other services the children leave after the second hymn and go and enjoy Junior Church/Sunday School.
The following list of services is a guide to what takes place in our normal pattern. If you would like to know more you can obtain a copy of our plan of service from the church office. We are very pleased to encourage other churches to have ecumenical services and will willingly advise you if you would like to start
* If you would like to see a copy of our ecumenical service of Holy Communion click here.
Parade Services
Church parade takes place three times a year at the 9.30am service on Mothering Sunday, Harvest and a Toy Service in December, when gifts are given for children who are less fortunate.
To assist you …
A hearing aid loop system in each church for the hearing impaired.
A Crèche is provided for parents to use, the service is clearly audible through the PA system relay and baby changing facilities are conveniently located.
Don't Forget—to stay for tea or coffee after the service!
What About Children ?
We welcome parents and want to include all of your family in the life of the Church. St. Mark's and Putnoe Heights are very definitely a Church for all ages. We all want the very best for our children, it is important to us that they have the opportunity to grow, develop and achieve their full potential. The most important thing you can give to your child is the opportunity to learn about God and his love for them. In the early years of a child's life they need this grounding of faith which will be vital for them if they are to develop into happy and balanced adults. It is a great sadness that this opportunity is not made available to so many children but at St. Mark's and Putnoe Heights we will work in partnership with parents to do our best to enable children to be welcomed into the family of the Church.
During Sunday Services
On Sunday mornings children join in the main service which begins at 9.30am at St Mark's and 11.00am at Putnoe Heights. Then they leave to go to Sunday School after the first part of the service. We feel it is important that children feel included in Church services even from an early age and in this first part of the service we always have a hymn in which they can play instruments. At communion services the children will be brought back into Church before the administration of the bread and wine so that you can come to communion as a family. The children will be given a blessing or alternatively at parents discretion may receive the bread and/or wine. Family services take place on the first Sunday of every month and at this service the children remain in the Church throughout. We try to include the children in this service as much as we can and make them feel very welcome. Specifically this is also an occasion to welcome children brought for baptism and we have never refused any child baptism.
A crèche is provided for all of our services at the back of Church. We do ask that you remain with your child but you can hear the service which is clearly audible through the PA system relay. Baby changing facilities are located in the disabled toilet.
Those adults who work with the children are approved by the Church Leadership and are drawn from the membership of the Church. The leaders meet regularly with the Ministers and appropriate training is provided. The children are encouraged to be independent in the sessions but if you would like to remain with your child please speak with the leader. All of our leaders comply with the Church policy and practice 'Safeguarding the Welfare of Children'. This was formulated in the light of the Children Act 1989 and 'Safe from Harm' 1993 and recommendations made by the Church of England and the Methodist Church. Copies can be seen on display on the noticeboard in the foyer.
What happens?
After children arrive we take the register and have an opportunity to show items which the children have brought and share news. We introduce the theme for the day from the Bible and the children will then be divided into groups to enjoy an activity linked to the Bible story. There may be music, songs and a reflection on the theme before the children assemble together again for a conclusion with prayers before they are ready to go home.