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Worship and Prayer

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Fr David at the altar

The Eucharist is a biblical term meaning thanksgiving. Together with habitual reflection, it is the foundation of our spiritual life. We have a tradition of healing ministry through prayer and laying on of hands & anointing takes place roughly bi-monthly. We use the Common Worship texts for our services which can be downloaded from http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commonworship/nav/subjects.html

The Eucharist

Our main service each Sunday morning is a Sung Eucharist taken from Common Worship Order 1. We celebrate God's presence in our everyday lives, bring to God our hopes and fears, seek healing and wholeness, and find strength and encouragement to renew our commitment to work for justice and peace in the world. This worship is the focus of our shared life. Lay members of the congregation contribute during the service: reading the epistles and psalms, leading prayers of intercession and assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion.

Communicant members of other Christian churches are welcome to receive communion or, if they prefer, to receive a blessing. To indicate you wish to take communion, simply extend your hands when at the communion rail. Baptised children can be prepared to receive communion in a short series of classes.

We want to include everyone in our worship of God. Toddlers have a selection of toys to occupy and amuse them in the south aisle. Happy infant sounds lend joy to the occasion of worship, but anyone who needs to soothe a fractious child can retire to the vestry for part of the time. The service is piped through via a loudspeaker, so you will not miss any of the service.

The children from Young Matters, our Sunday School, join us in time to receive a blessing at the altar when others receive communion. After the service, there are prayers for healing in the Lady Chapel and those who wish to can meet in the church hall for refreshments and a chat.

Holy Communion

This is the first service on Sunday and is said. It is a meditative service with readings, a short reflection and communion. Once a month we use the Book of Common Prayer for this quiet act of worship.

The All Age Service

This informal thirty minute service is held on the first Sunday of the month and aims to involve everyone present in simple praise to God our Father.

Other Worship & Prayer

We have prayer groups that meet regularly and services for feast days and special occasions, such as the Confirmation Service. Church house groups meet for a course over five weeks in the autumn and we join the ecumenical Lent house groups as part of BOCT (Bushey & Oxhey Churches Together).

For more information see our Service Times or, for special services, the Weekly News.


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Last updated 15/10/2002 10:00:00 Author: Colin Richards, Housegroups by Sally Best Content checked by: Fr David Shepherd