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Church Choices

We do a bit of checking up

We ask the following five questions of several local churches:

• Outline: Briefly outline what one can expect from a service at your church.
• Students: What opportunity is there for student involvement?
• Times: What are the times of your services?
• Other: Is there anything else that you want to mention?
• Adjectives: Please choose three adjectives to describe your church.

Catholic mass on campus

Outline: I personally expect from a service to be able to come together as a group to pray together and praise God. I look for a community who show love and support for one another both towards their faith and their lives, and to feel welcome. I hope to hear the word of God proclaimed and to share the sacraments. I feel that the mass on campus fulfils all these criteria and more the service is lively and the singing loud and the community is very big.

Students: There are many opportunities for involvement including the music group, taking part in the liturgy through reading, being a Eucharistic minister, saying bidding prayers, and participating in the offertory. There is also the room preparation and the provision of tea and coffee afterwards. Anything really: it is a student service.

Times: Mass on a Sunday is at 11:00 in L/036 And 17:30 every week day in More House chapel.

Adjectives: Mass on campus is relaxed, prayerful, and joyful. You really should try it!!!

Mass at St. George’s

Outline: The 18:30 Sunday mass is a very good service. There is no singing, but this is still better than boring, unsingable hymns that you have never heard before. At any mass you can expect the basic two readings, a Gospel with sermon, consecration and Holy Communion, under both kinds.

Students: Plenty. One can work the door at St. George’s: a system where the homeless in York can come along for food, clothing, blankets, etc. twice per day, seven days a week. This works very well and depends upon donations from the parish community, and of course volunteers — hence opportunity for students. There are also various youth groups that always need a hand, the SVP rely on students really. All in all, St. George’s is a very good church for student involvement, and many students go there as a result. There are possible plans for a few cheese and wine parties after the services near the beginning of the first term, especially for students.

Times:
Services: Sat 18:30; Sun 10:30, 18:30
Confessions: Sat 10:00 – 10:30, 17:00 – 18:00

Adjectives: Lively, welcoming, and approachable.

Acomb

Outline: You can expect a large meeting of people of all ages, worshipping God in the school hall of Oaklands School, Acomb. The worship is excellent, and really an opportunity to get in to the presence of God. The teaching is also excellent, with many gifted speakers being part of the fellowship. There is always time allotted in the meeting to sort things out yourself with God, and the people are always good at making you feel welcome. Some time in the next year or two the church will be moving in to it’s own building, but until then a minibus runs from under the library bridge each Sunday, 10:00, to Acomb Christian Fellowship. The members of the fellowship are of all ages and backgrounds and there are many new Christians — it is certainly a growing fellowship. It also has a strong emphasis on World Missions.

Students: Because of the distance, it is hard to get as involved as some other churches, but several people are willing to give lifts, if asked. There are housegroups and Tuesday night meetings, Friends of the Chinese and Alpha groups that students have been involved in, but on the Sunday mornings there are also many opportunities to get involved in Kids’ work, youth work, music and PA etc. Harvey and Valerie Dean are great as Student Co-ordinators, and always available to have a chat to/help you get more involved.

Adjectives: Three adjectives? (or can it be phrases?). I guess I’d say: Committed to faithful teaching, intimate worship and honest fellowship.

Priory Street

Outline: Priory St. Baptist is located just inside the city walls near Micklegate Bar, and takes about half an hour to walk to from Campus. Services are held at 10.45 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., the first Sunday morning of each month being the family service.

Students: Students are very welcome at Priory Street. There are many opportunities to get involved in the activities that go on, which include Sunday School, Youth Club, Prison Visits to Full Sutton, House Groups, music group or visiting the old people’s home at the end of the road. The students are also invited back to someone’s house once a fortnight after the evening service for tea coffee and chat, and a link scheme exists which links you to a family in the church so that you can catch up on all those home comforts.

Adjectives: The fellowship and love at Priory St. is heartfelt and sincere and you will be greatly blessed if you decide to make it your church during your time in York.

York Community Church

(meeting in Tang Hall Community Centre, Fifth Avenue, Tang Hall)

Times:
10:00 Open worship service (& Communion)
11:15 Family service
17:00 (GMT) Bible teaching service
(19:00 BST)

Outline: There are different aims for different services.

1. From the 10:00 service our aim is that all present will enter into true personal & corporate worship of God, and as a result have an encounter with God personally and feel uplifted and renewed.
2. Our aim at the 11:15 service is to communicate effectively and relevantly with unchurched people who come off the Estate. Also to provide a varied & exciting programme using drama, multi-media, audio-visuals and relevant preaching. We go through the SU (SALT) material which provides our themes and ties into the Sunday school work.
3. With Sunday morning not providing in depth Bible teaching for Christians, we aim to provide such on Sunday evenings. The format here is usually 25 minutes worship (inc. learning new worship songs) and 35 minutes consecutive Bible teaching.

Students: There is ample opportunity for student to get involved in the following;

1. Leading & participation in Sunday services (inc. worship group, reading, testimonies, drama, children’s slot, & even preaching!!!) Also twice a year we give the service over entirely to students to do everything.
2. Involvement in the 3 weekly clubs for kids & teenagers. Also teaching Sunday school.
3. 3 weekly house groups.
4. Filling their stomachs at one of the homes providing Student lunches.
5. Many students who come to us go on short term & longer term missions after their course.
6. Evangelism through one to one on campus and them inviting friends to the Family service, or one of the special evangelistic events we arrange (ie. pub quizzes, barbeques etc)

Other: Only that my details as the contact (Church pastoral worker) are:
Don Palmer
4 Turners Croft
Heslington
York YO1 5EL
(Tel/Fax. 01904 431571 … E-mail DPalmer202@aol.com) and we hope to have our own home page on the Web by this October!!!

Our main mission field/parish is: the community of Tang Hall & York University (20 minutes walk from the heart of the Campus). I’ve just thought of a decent slogan to describe us: A church in the community, near the campus.

Adjectives: Variety, Challenge, Relevant.

Heslington Church

Outline: Heslington Church is a Local Ecumenical Project (LEP) which means that it holds alternating Methodist and Anglican style services The 10:00 service is attended by many students (if they can drag themselves out of bed) and lasts about 1hr 15mins. The teaching is both well thought out and relevant. At 22:00 on a Friday there is the excellent night prayer service which is usually student lead and involves readings, meditation, singing and candle-light.

Students: There is opportunity for involvement in running classes for the youngsters, doing readings or intercessions, serving coffee after the service and also joining the choir. You can also volunteer to lead a night prayer service.

Times:

Adjectives: Welcoming, ecumenical, and inspiring.

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Last modified: 25th November 2005