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The best way to find out about our church is to come one Sunday. You would be most welcome at any of our services, either 10am at St Stephen’s or 6pm at St Wulstan’s.
There is no need to book, so please just turn up. If you would like to connect with us beforehand, please fill out this form and someone from our staff team will be in touch with further details.
You can find directions to our buildings here.
If you have questions about the Christian faith, you may find it helpful to go to ‘About Christianity.’
What to Expect
Here is a summary of what you can expect on a Sunday:
Before the Service
We start promptly, so try to arrive a few minutes early, which gives you the chance to meet a few people and get your bearings. There is no ‘dress code’, so feel free to come as you are.
The best places to park for St Stephen’s are: Serpentine Road, Selly Park Road, Elmdon Road. For St Wulstan’s, the roads can be crowded during university terms, but there is parking on Alton Road, Luton Road, Bristol Road, Bournbrook Road.
As you come in, one of the Welcome Team will greet you at the door. Then please sit wherever you wish (there may be a few seats reserved at the front for musicians and others).
During the Service
Our services normally include the following items, and you are welcome to join in or simply to listen:
Bible Readings
We have found that this is how God has chosen to speak to us and it is in the Bible that we meet Jesus.
Sermon
This is a talk aiming to explain what God is saying to us from the Bible reading, usually lasting 20-25 minutes. At the 6pm service there will normally be time to discuss or ask questions about what has been said.
Songs and Hymns
We sing in order to express our praise to God and also to encourage one another, using a mixture of contemporary ‘songs’ and more traditional ‘hymns’, and we normally stand to sing.
Confession
This is a prayer we are invited to say together, in which we admit to God that we have done what is wrong and failed to do what is right, and ask him to forgive us and change us.
Prayers
Various prayers are said throughout the service, some of which we are invited to say together, and there is also normally a time of led ‘intercessions’ (praying for others), where we pray for the needs of the world, the nation, the church, and individuals.
Creed or Affirmation of Faith
This is a short statement of Christian belief that we say together, sometimes in a question-and-answer form, and we normally stand for this.
News
This will include news and announcements about the church, individuals and forthcoming events, and may include an interview.
Holy Communion (Lord’s Supper)
Once a month, we specifically remember Jesus’ death for us and share in the benefit of what he did for us. This takes the form of a symbolic meal in which we share bread and wine, known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. Anyone who knows and loves the Lord Jesus is welcome to participate; those who do not wish to do so are free simply to observe.
At the 10am service the bread and wine are served both at the front and the back of church; at the 6pm service they are served only at the front.
After the Service
The service usually lasts about 75 minutes (60 minutes for an All-Age service, 90 minutes for the Lord’s Supper). It normally ends with a closing prayer, and then the music group will play.
Refreshments are served in the Foyer after the 10am service at St Stephen’s, and after the 6pm service at the back of St Wulstan’s. You are most welcome to stay and meet some of the church family.
There is an Information Table and a literature rack in both buildings with further information about our church and its activities. Please feel free to browse these and take anything that looks helpful.