What do we do in our meetings?
This is to give you some idea of what to expect at our meetings.
We have been meeting as a house church in Leeds for about thirty years. At the outbreak of covid, we changed to meeting online using Zoom and have continued to do this. Our meetings are usually once a month on a Sunday at 10.30am.
We usually start with a very informal sharing time, catching up on everyone’s news, joys or concerns.
The main section of the meeting may include scriptures, readings, meditations or other worship activities. This will include time for discussion giving everyone opportunity to participate.
Our Style of Worship
This has evolved over the years and will continue to evolve. It is what has worked for us and has three main characteristics.
Informal
We try to make our meetings informal so there is no rigid format. We want everyone to feel relaxed and feel they can be open. The leader will plan the worship, but also try to be flexible. You can have an unscheduled prayer if someone requests one or spend more time on a specific aspect if it is important to the group. That’s all part of the fun of small informal group.
Interactive
Ministry is not all one way with the worship leader doing all the talking. We like to give everyone a chance to participate. At the same time, we won’t put anyone on the spot. So, it’s quite acceptable for anyone to make a comment, add their own thoughts, share their own experiences or to ask for clarification. Because everyone shares, the result is much more fulfilling for both leader and members.
Supportive
In most traditional church services you sit looking at the back of someone’s head for an hour which doesn’t exactly help develop close relationships. A smaller informal group gives the opportunity to share in closer supportive relationships. This needs a group commitment to be open, caring and non-judgemental for this to work. If you can manage this, it is great to be part of a group where you feel you can be open without the risk of disapproval or ridicule. It is in that sort of group that you can really develop your spiritual life. Why don’t you try it?