One of the strengths of St Paul’s is its fellowship. This has been built up over the years and finds expression in a variety of ways:

We have three regular Sunday services:

• 8.00 am BCP Holy Communion Service: This has a small, but faithful congregation.
• 10.30 am Service: This is the main service of the day with 100-120 adults and 20-30 children in attendance. The worship format alternates between Common Worship Holy Communion and a non-Eucharistic Service of the Word. Several times a year we also have All-Age Worship involving everyone and following a variety of formats.
• 6.30 pm service: This is more informal and sometimes experimental or reflective, alternating with Common Worship Holy Communion.

Music is lead by a team of three organists and three pianists. We have a choir of about 20 who sing at Festival services and a small number of additional talented musicians and soloists who also take part in some services. Over the years a variety of worship elements and formats have been explored and developments have taken place depending on the gifts and age range of the congregation.

We are fortunate to have many committed children and youth leaders, enabling a Sunday morning crèche of between 5-10 children, and two Sunday school groups totalling around 20 young people, one for ages 4-10 and one for 10+. They all attend their own Sunday groups during the service but share what they have been doing in their groups when they return for the last part of the service with the adults.

There is also a regular prayer group who meet on a Friday evening, a team who exercise a prayer ministry during communion at the morning services and who manage a “Prayer Cordon” - a cascade system of alerting people to pray when a particular need arises. In addition to the regular work of the ministerial and pastoral team, there is a great deal of informal pastoral care that takes place through the activities of the Welcome Team and from the friendships that develop over tea and coffee after the morning service.

There is home visiting of the sick including Holy Communion where requested, marriage preparation courses and baptism preparation For the ongoing spiritual development of the congregation outside of worship there are also our co-ordinated Home Group studies, Bible reading notes, a library and bookstall in church.

Our strength of fellowship is built on common spiritual needs as well as the close friendships that have come through the many church activities. These activities include:

• Regular Church groups such as Wednesday Fellowship; informal lunches at people’s houses for Mums; a Men’s Group.
• Occasional events during the year organised by the Social, Growth and Nurture or Youth committees such as Children’s Christmas party; summer Family Service with picnic; Harvest lunch; Auction of Promises; day trip to Carroty Wood; parent BBQs; Ladies Supper, Golf Day; Newcomers tea, 80s and 90s tea party, Lake district holiday.
• A biennial Church Weekend at Ashburnham Place, Sussex, which has been attended by over 100 of the congregation. Last year we also started a local church “Away Day” in the interim year with a similar number of attendees.