Worship
There are a variety of services and events held at Frodsham Methodist Church where we come together to worship God and to learn more about Him. These are led by our Minister or by another Minister or Local Preacher from the Circuit.
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Regular Services
Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion (1st Sunday in the month) 3rd Sunday (3rd Sunday in the month) Sunday 10.30am Morning Worship Sunday 6pm Evening Worship (1st Sunday in the month) Monday 9.30am Intercessory Prayer Group Monday 12.15pm Lectionary Group |
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Our services are very diverse ranging from services aimed especially at young families to services of Holy Communion and a more structured worship style. All are most welcome at our services and we always have people on duty to help you out, answer any questions, and welcome you.
Our 3rd Sunday discussion group and Monday morning Prayer Group and the Lectionary Group held by the North Cheshire Circuit in our building on a Monday lunch time, are not formal acts of worship but a space to come together to think about the word of God and to pray together.
Acts of worship are led by the Minister, by Local Preachers or by Worship Leaders. A Methodist minister often has more than one Church under their pastoral care and consequently is unable to lead worship in the same church every week. Therefore specially trained lay people lead worship in their absence. These are usually Local Preachers, but we also have Worship Leaders and Supernumerary (retired) Ministers who also lead worship. You can see the latest Worship Guide for the North Cheshire Circuit here.
Special Services
We also hold other special services throughout the year, for example a traditional simple service called 'Tenebrae' just before Easter where we share a meal together and then Bible readings which accompany the gradual extinguishing of candles; a service of Celebration and Remembrance in November or December for family and friends of those who have died; and the traditional Easter and Christmastide services including a Candlelit Carol Service.
We also join with other Churches for worship, for example for midnight Communion on Christmas Eve, on the first Sunday after Christmas for an ecumenical Churches Together service in Frodsham and for the Lent and Easter services of Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
We also hold two special mid-week services at Harvest-time and in the summer which are followed by Afternoon Tea in the Church Hall. We especially invite our housebound and less mobile friends to join us for these services and transport is provided for anyone who needs it.
In January we hold our annual Covenant Service, which has been part of the Methodist tradition since the times of John Wesley. It is an invitation to renew our covenant relationship with God in that we seek by God's help actively to do or patiently to accept whatever is God's will for us. We do this together as a community of faith and seal the promises we make by receiving Holy Communion.
The Offering
We do not expect visitors to contribute to the offering so please just pass the collection bag on if you wish - unless you want to give to the work here, in which case...great! When the offering is brought to the front we usually give thanks to God. In the Methodist Church it is often the custom that the congregation will stand as the offering is brought forward so that we also offer ourselves and our actions to God.
Standing up and sitting down!
All organisations develop their own little traditions and habits over time and the Church is no different. The Methodist Church is often not as liturgical as other denominations, which means there is likely to be less of a clear structure from week to week. This is compounded by the fact that our Ministers move around our Circuits to preach and that we have twenty-five local preachers in our Circuit who also lead worship in our Church on a rota basis called 'the plan'.
Having said this many services follow a similar structure and the congregation remains seated for prayers, sermons and explanations of Bible passages and stands for the singing of hymns and songs. We also traditionally stand when the offertory is brought forward and remain standing after the last hymn for 'the Benediction' or the blessing before we leave Church.
In our Church there are no customs or traditions that need to be followed, so please do whatever comes naturally to you. If you want to remain seated for hymns and songs please do, but on the other hand if you want to dance in the aisles and clap your hands this is also welcome!
Holy Communion
In the Methodist Church we have what is known as an ‘open table’ meaning that you do not have to have been confirmed or be a member of the Methodist Church to receive the bread and wine.
When we celebrate Holy Communion, special Communion Stewards will let the congregation members know when to go forward. When they reach the communion rail round the 'dais' (platform at the front of Chapel) many people kneel, but others remain standing. If you are not able to move easily to the front but wish to receive communion, please just mention this to the Communion Steward who will arrange for the bread and wine to be brought to you. Equally, if you do not wish to receive communion, you are invited to go forward for a blessing (please indicate this by placing your hands by your side) or to simply remain in your seats. Many people in our congregation do both of these.
For more information, you can look at our page on our services of Holy Communion. And you can find out when Holy Communion will be celebrated by seeing the worship schedule here.
Refreshments
At the end of all the morning services (at 09.30am and 10.45am) and occasionally at special evening and mid-week services we have tea, coffee, juice and biscuits together in the Church Hall giving us time to renew friendships and make new ones.
Our 3rd Sunday discussion group and Monday morning Prayer Group and the Lectionary Group held by the North Cheshire Circuit in our building on a Monday lunch time, are not formal acts of worship but a space to come together to think about the word of God and to pray together.
Acts of worship are led by the Minister, by Local Preachers or by Worship Leaders. A Methodist minister often has more than one Church under their pastoral care and consequently is unable to lead worship in the same church every week. Therefore specially trained lay people lead worship in their absence. These are usually Local Preachers, but we also have Worship Leaders and Supernumerary (retired) Ministers who also lead worship. You can see the latest Worship Guide for the North Cheshire Circuit here.
Special Services
We also hold other special services throughout the year, for example a traditional simple service called 'Tenebrae' just before Easter where we share a meal together and then Bible readings which accompany the gradual extinguishing of candles; a service of Celebration and Remembrance in November or December for family and friends of those who have died; and the traditional Easter and Christmastide services including a Candlelit Carol Service.
We also join with other Churches for worship, for example for midnight Communion on Christmas Eve, on the first Sunday after Christmas for an ecumenical Churches Together service in Frodsham and for the Lent and Easter services of Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
We also hold two special mid-week services at Harvest-time and in the summer which are followed by Afternoon Tea in the Church Hall. We especially invite our housebound and less mobile friends to join us for these services and transport is provided for anyone who needs it.
In January we hold our annual Covenant Service, which has been part of the Methodist tradition since the times of John Wesley. It is an invitation to renew our covenant relationship with God in that we seek by God's help actively to do or patiently to accept whatever is God's will for us. We do this together as a community of faith and seal the promises we make by receiving Holy Communion.
The Offering
We do not expect visitors to contribute to the offering so please just pass the collection bag on if you wish - unless you want to give to the work here, in which case...great! When the offering is brought to the front we usually give thanks to God. In the Methodist Church it is often the custom that the congregation will stand as the offering is brought forward so that we also offer ourselves and our actions to God.
Standing up and sitting down!
All organisations develop their own little traditions and habits over time and the Church is no different. The Methodist Church is often not as liturgical as other denominations, which means there is likely to be less of a clear structure from week to week. This is compounded by the fact that our Ministers move around our Circuits to preach and that we have twenty-five local preachers in our Circuit who also lead worship in our Church on a rota basis called 'the plan'.
Having said this many services follow a similar structure and the congregation remains seated for prayers, sermons and explanations of Bible passages and stands for the singing of hymns and songs. We also traditionally stand when the offertory is brought forward and remain standing after the last hymn for 'the Benediction' or the blessing before we leave Church.
In our Church there are no customs or traditions that need to be followed, so please do whatever comes naturally to you. If you want to remain seated for hymns and songs please do, but on the other hand if you want to dance in the aisles and clap your hands this is also welcome!
Holy Communion
In the Methodist Church we have what is known as an ‘open table’ meaning that you do not have to have been confirmed or be a member of the Methodist Church to receive the bread and wine.
When we celebrate Holy Communion, special Communion Stewards will let the congregation members know when to go forward. When they reach the communion rail round the 'dais' (platform at the front of Chapel) many people kneel, but others remain standing. If you are not able to move easily to the front but wish to receive communion, please just mention this to the Communion Steward who will arrange for the bread and wine to be brought to you. Equally, if you do not wish to receive communion, you are invited to go forward for a blessing (please indicate this by placing your hands by your side) or to simply remain in your seats. Many people in our congregation do both of these.
For more information, you can look at our page on our services of Holy Communion. And you can find out when Holy Communion will be celebrated by seeing the worship schedule here.
Refreshments
At the end of all the morning services (at 09.30am and 10.45am) and occasionally at special evening and mid-week services we have tea, coffee, juice and biscuits together in the Church Hall giving us time to renew friendships and make new ones.
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