Visiting St James for the first time?
Coming through that door for the first time can be a daunting business but we are here to make your first visit to St James a really good one. We are looking forward to meeting you, giving you a friendly welcome and helping you feel at home. For details of our services please see our Services page.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about coming to church for the first time:
- How will I know what to do? Everything you need for the service, including the words of all the hymns and songs, will be provided. We use a video screen for the Sunday service. We usually stand to sing and sit to pray. We use comfortable individual chairs making it easier to sit in family groups or sit where you feel most comfortable.
- What should I wear? Most of our congregation dress fairly casually but there are no hard and fast rules and nobody feels out of place.
- What about the children? We welcome children to all of our services. Our Sunday services are varied and child friendly. There is a pre-school ‘children’s corner’ which may be used with supervision. Do not worry if the little ones make a noise – we like children and nobody minds! On the 1st and 3rd Sundays we have Picnic Blanket Church for children and families before the service.
- What happens afterwards? After the Sunday service refreshments are served and there is time to start getting to know people. If you are new to the church or just visiting please make yourself known. There is a Welcome Pack on the notice board at the back of church which gives more information about us and our activities.
- What about disability access? There is level access into the church building and wheelchairs can be placed around the building, wherever the user wants to sit. For hearing aid users there is a hearing loop.
- Where can I park? Street parking is available with some parking restrictions. There is a free car park on Wood Street nearby. Please bear in mind that the parking restrictions on Market Hill also apply on a Sunday.
Other FAQs
- How can I find historical records regarding baptisms, weddings and funerals held at St James Church? Family history is fashionable nowadays and many people both from this country and from all over the world visit the churchyard to see if gravestones still exist with old relatives names thereon. All the surviving parish records of births, marriages and deaths held by St James up to January 2012 have been transferred to the internet on Freereg and Findmypast. For further information please contact us.
- How do I arrange for a baptism, wedding or funeral at St James Church? For further information please read more here, or contact us.