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The church: Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Denomination: Church of England.
The building: Large, old church.
The neighbourhood: The church is located in a pleasant, residential part of Newcastle, fairly close to the centre. In its immediate neighbourhood are three private schools, two universities, houses, flats, offices, hotels and part of the motorway. There is a large student population in the area.
The cast: The minister, Rev David Holloway, and the preacher, John Stephenson (a member of the congregation and a Scripture Union worker).
Family Service.
How full was the building?
Packed. There weren't many seats left when I arrived five minutes before the service was due to start. I think there were about 400 people there and this was the second service that morning.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
I was given a service sheet as I arrived.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pew was fine.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
The organ was playing and people were sitting talking fairly quietly.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
'We welcome you all to Jesmond Parish Church for our family service.'
What books did the congregation use during the service?
A service sheet especially provided for that service.
What musical instruments were played?
Organ, piano, drums, sax, trumpet and (I think) bass guitar.
Did anything distract you?
Not really.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
The worship included a mixture of traditional hymns and more modern songs – for example, 'Thine be the Glory' and 'He is Risen'. Although the choice of songs was good and the music group led them well, the congregation seemed a bit passionless and not terribly enthusiastic. People mostly stood very still and sang in a rather restrained English way.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
17 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7. It was a 'family service' type of sermon and the preacher did a pretty good job of speaking to both children and adults, which is never easy. His talk, which included visual aids, overhead projector slides and a tape recording, was very well presented – although he possibly tried to include a bit too much in it.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Celebrations are often about remembering, and we need to remember Jesus' death for us.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
I didn't find the service very inspiring, but the most moving part was when a little boy led a prayer for a peaceful solution to the problems in Kosovo. It gave me hope to hear it coming from a child.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The service didn't provoke me into any very strong feelings.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
The only person who came and spoke to me afterwards was the pastoral worker. We had a fairly brief conversation. It must be difficult in such a large church to recognise newcomers. They do have a kind of 'welcome' desk, but you have to go and find it and make yourself known.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
It was a parish lunch, so we didn't stay. Instead, we had a very nice cup of tea in a hotel nearby.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
1. It's a very big church with lots of good things going on, such as outreach, mission, home groups, prayer... but it just isn't me.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Not especially.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
I don't think I'll remember all that much.
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