Services
St Helen's Church provides a range of Sunday and weekday services, as listed below. Please see the newsletter in the Publications section, or the church calendar for the latest information. Morning Prayer takes place every weekday in the Lady Chapel at 9.10am.
Recent recordings of sermons are available in audio or video formats.
Sunday Services
- 8.00 am - Holy Communion, Book of Common Prayer (at St Helen's during the months of February, April, June, August, October and December; otherwise at St Nicolas' in the Market Place)
- 10.30 am - Sung Eucharist with Junior Church
- 5.30 pm - Evening Service:
- 2nd Sunday - Taizé worship
- 3rd Sunday - Choral Evensong
- 4th Sunday - Service for Healing and Wholeness
- 5th Sunday - Please see the newsletter for details.
In faithfulness to Jesus's command 'Do this' the people of St Helen's celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday.
The 8 am Communion is celebrated according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (slightly adapted) with readings according to the ecumenical three-year cycle. A short sermon is preached. The service takes about forty-five minutes.
The 10.30 am Sung Eucharist is the main service celebrated in contemporary language with full-robed choir according to Order One of Common Worship. Children and young people join in the service in different ways (see the Children and Young People section), and lay people play a full part as greeters, sidesmen, servers, lectors, intercessors and sacramental assistants. A sermon is always preached at this service, sometimes as part of a series including local and visiting clergy.
Refreshments and fellowship follow the service in the South Aisle of the church.
Evening Worship at 5.30pm offers variety of form and style for those who cannot attend morning worship, or who wish to honour Anglicanism's strong tradition of Sunday evening devotion.
On second Sundays, Taizé Worship offers a relaxed, contemplative form of evening prayer with chants from the ecumenical community at Taizé, France, accompanied by instrumentalists. The service takes place in the South Aisle gathered around the 'Taizé Cross'. A short address or spiritual reading is offered. The service is about 45 minutes.
Choral Evensong on third Sundays is offered according to the order for Evening Prayer of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (slightly adapted). The service includes hymns, and Preces and Canticles and an anthem sung by full choir. The service is about 40 minutes. Occasionally this service is preceded by an informal concert and teas. Please see the St Helen's calendar or check the newsletter. Occasionally the third Sunday service is a simple Evensong.
The Service for Healing and Wholeness on the fourth Sundays includes laying-on of hands and anointing for healing for those who wish it. Two of the morning readings are used, and a short sermon is given. The service is about 45 minutes.
On the occasional fifth Sundays when they happen through the year, please see the newsletter for details
Weekday services
Morning Prayer at 9.10 am - The Lady Chapel. Using the order for each season from Common Worship, this service lasts about twenty-five minutes. A hymn is usually sung and time of open prayer, silently or aloud, is included.
Wednesday Church at 10.30 am - The South Aisle (from Easter to mid-September), or otherwise in the Parish Centre hall. This simple celebration of Holy Communion using an adapted form of Common Worship's traditional 'Order Two' includes a brief homily. It is followed by fellowship and refreshments. Those who have become part of this weekday congregation enjoy the sense of togetherness enormously. This is an ideal way to share in worship and life at St Helen's if you can't make Sunday morning at 10.30 am but are free on Wednesday mornings.
Special services
Consult the weekly Newsletter for notices about special weekday services or see the St Helen's calendar