We know that all of us have different needs at different points in our life. We also know that one style of worship won't help everyone connect with God fully. So we have decided to create something that give you the option to design you Sunday morning to best meet you worshiping style.
Our Sunday mornings have 5 parts and you are welcome to attend as much or as little as you need.
The easiest thing to think about is what you currently think you are looking for. If you are looking for traditional elements of worship with Holy Communion or a Sermon then I suggest coming from 9:30 to receive communion, stay for our learning part of the service and enjoy a cuppa and get to know some people during our refresh time.
If you are looking for something a little more modern and child friendly the maybe you could start with a coffe at 10:30 and then stay for our modern worship music and family time. If you are just looking for something quick and fun to introduce your family to church then join us for 11:30 Family Time.
Check out the descriptions to find out more about each part of the service.
Sunday Worship 2025 Booklet .pdfEVERYTHING BELOW THIS TEXT WAS PART OF THE JOURNEY TO OUR SUNDAY WORSHIP 2025 pattern.
St. Mary’s is growing, and with growth comes both opportunities and challenges. We’re excited to see new faces, especially more young people engaging with us since 2022. We now have a chance to rethink how we worship and create a community that better connects with God, each other, and the world around us.
Our vision is to Grow Love and Faith that Transforms Lives. We are committed to being a welcoming, fun, generous, and affirming church that creates irresistible environments, fosters small groups, and connects deeply with young people.
With our diverse congregation, we recognize that not everyone connects with the same worship style. We want to be a church where people from all backgrounds and preferences can find meaningful ways to worship and experience God. If we don’t adapt, we risk losing new members and, more importantly, failing to engage our young people with the gospel.
Growth brings together people with different worship traditions, preferences for music, and cultural backgrounds. It’s a beautiful challenge to create a worship experience that honours everyone, from those who love traditional practices to those seeking modern expressions of faith. But we believe that change is necessary to connect more people with God and ensure that no one misses out on the opportunity to experience the gospel.
We explored several options for the future of worship at St. Mary’s:
One Service, Same Style: Stability, but little growth.
One Service, Modern Style: Appeals to younger members but may alienate traditional worshippers.
One Service, Hybrid Style: A middle ground, but still might not satisfy everyone.
Multiple Services in Different Styles: Variety, but it requires a lot of volunteer effort and risks dividing the congregation.
We’re excited to explore a new approach called Modular Worship. This flexible model allows us to blend our traditions with modern worship styles, encouraging greater participation and spiritual growth. The idea is that our worship will be broken down into a series of 30 minute modules. Each module will have its own special flavour to it.
Anything you would like. We want to give people the choice of what is best for them and their worship. People will choose which modules work for them and their family. You get to design your own Sunday. Instead of just having Sunday looking one way, these modules allow you to have over 21 different options. There is no way we could possibly put on 21+ service on a Sunday but this allows the variety and flexibility to meet the ever changing worshiping needs of the community.
At the moment we are thinking about having the following modules but we are open to your suggestions.
Traditional Sung Eucharist
Service of the Word (with intercessions, Bible readings, and preaching)
Fellowship (social/coffee time)
Modern Worship Music
Family Worship
If you like the way current worship works then the first two modules will have all the elements you like, based on the worship survey, in it. They might just be in a different order.
Flexibility: Congregants can choose which modules to participate in, tailoring their worship experience to their needs.
Engagement: With 21 possible ways to engage, we can meet the diverse needs of our congregation.
Preserving Tradition: The first two modules include all current worship elements, ensuring our traditional roots are honoured.
Volunteer Efficiency: Combining services reduces the need for separate volunteers, and lay leaders can take a more active role.
Revd Tom recently met with Bishop Ruth to discuss these proposed changes. She encouraged us to pursue these changes, saying, “Go forward with confidence.” With Bishop Ruth’s support, we are even more confident that God is leading us in this exciting direction, and we are encouraged to embrace this new vision for worship at St. Mary’s.
The idea for Modular Worship started with a spark from a member of our congregation who shared an interesting vision. They said, “Imagine a free-flowing time of worship where people could come and go as they like, and things changed throughout the morning.”
To be honest, when I, Revd Tom, first heard this, I thought it was a ridiculous idea, and I couldn’t see how it would work. But just two weeks later, I heard from a senior member of the clergy in the diocese who described something similar they had successfully done in a previous parish. That got me thinking. After spending time in prayer and having multiple conversations, the idea started to grow. Eventually, we brought it to the PCC to vote on whether we should explore this possibility, and they agreed it would be exciting to see what might happen.
It has been exciting to see how God has developed this idea through others. As a minister who has been asking people to pray and be open to God's leading it is wonderful to see how God has been speaking through people.
We are taking several steps to explore this new worship model:
PCC Vote: The PCC unanimously agreed to explore Modular Worship.
Prayer: We will seek divine guidance throughout this process.
Worship Survey: We have asked the congregation for input on what they value in worship.
Consultation: We met with Bishop Ruth to discuss the options for the future.
Another PCC Vote: We will vote again as to whether we should do this.
We want everyone’s voice to be heard as we shape the future of St. Mary’s. Whether you’re excited, curious, or even hesitant about change, your feedback is important. Together, we can create a worship experience that grows love and faith and transforms lives. Filling in the worship survey is one of the best ways to share your thoughts about worship.
What I love about this format of worship is that it is adaptable. We can try new things and see if they work. We can add more modules as needed. Speak with Revd Tom
Revd Tom recently met with Bishop Ruth to discuss these proposed changes. She encouraged us to pursue these changes, saying, “Go forward wit
