Our hope is that you will always receive a very warm welcome here at Rivertown.
Dress code is –
whatever you are comfortable in.
On arrival you will be greeted in the porch and offered a Rivertown Voice newsletter and guided through to the worship area where you are free to sit anywhere, there are no reserved seats. At 10.55 people involved in the service have a short time of prayer together.
At 11.00 the notices for the week are read by the duty elder, then worship begins.
Our worship together is what might be described as a typical URC service. One that includes times of prayer, singing hymns together, Bible readings, reflections, a message and sometimes drama or poetry.Members of the congregation take part, for example reading the Bible or leading prayers. Occasionally the ‘sermon’ will take the form of a discussion or we may show a video or act out a short drama, which is usually quite light-hearted, with actors whose enthusiasm more than makes up for any lack of talent.
We use a music box to accompany our singing which usually works very well. We often stand up to sing but it is okay to remain seated if you prefer. The words to the songs are on a large screen, as well as prompts to guide you through the service, so you don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen next – therefore you can relax and immerse yourself in the service.
We do take a collection and all gifts are voluntary.
We celebrate the sacrament Holy Communion together on the first Sunday of each month and additionally on Easter Sunday. We have an open policy to communion which means that everyone is invited to receive the bread and wine.
After the service we go through to the coffee lounge for tea/coffee and biscuits and a time of fellowship, with lots of chatter and laughter.
We do our best to make Rivertown accessible to everyone: we have a ramp available to access the step at the entry to church, a lift to get down to the back rooms and a chairlift to get to the hall upstairs. We have a disabled-friendly toilet with room for a wheelchair, grab rails and a low level sink with lever taps. The other toilet has baby changing facilities. We have chairs instead of pews, so a chair can easily be removed to accommodate a wheelchair. If you find it hard to see the words on the screen and would prefer to see the words on your tablet or phone, simply have a word with one of the technical team who will be pleased email you the PowerPoint. We have a loop system; remember to turn it on on your hearing aid and for the best effect do not to sit next to a wall. We adhere to URC guidelines on safeguarding and one of our Elders has taken on the responsibility of being our safeguarding officer.