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| 1779: ChristChurch, Piccadilly, London |
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Mystery Worshipper:
CSI.
The church:
ChristChurch,
Piccadilly, London.
Denomination:
Newfrontiers.
The building:
Services are held in the Piccadilly
Theatre, a traditional working London theatre that at the
time of this writing was hosting the musical production Grease.
The theatre has the typical grandeur and intimacy associated
with London theatres.
The church:
There is a large student contingent and a strong focus on supporting
students and reaching out to them. Serving within the church
is very actively encouraged. I met several people who had only
been at the church a few months and were already serving on
the welcome team.
The neighbourhood:
ChristChurch meets right in the centre of the tourist hub of
London. It's only a two minute walk from Piccadilly Circus and
the tube station. It's like an oasis amongst the manic throngs
of tourists and city workers.
The cast:
A gentleman who said his name was Ross, who may have been Ross
Bull, member of the ministry team, introduced the service. Simon
Ash, another member of the ministry team, preached. A lady who
didn't introduce herself led the worship.
The date & time:
9 August 2009, 4.00pm.
What was the name of the service?
Sunday Celebration.
How full was the building?
About two-thirds full. Several people made a point of telling
me they are normally busier but that due to the summer holidays
a lot of the regular student attendees were absent.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
I was welcomed as soon as I walked through the door. Once it
was established that I was a newbie, I was led to the next group
of welcomers. After a bit of small talk, I was shown to the
seating area. Within two minutes of my sitting down, another
welcomer popped over and there were more introductions. I was
given a DVD and booklet introducing the church. As the service
was about to start, two members of the welcome team came over
to join me, saying that they had noticed I was sitting by myself.
These guys were good! No chance of sneaking in and out at this
church!
Was your pew comfortable?
Yes, traditional upholstered theatre seats that spring up when
you stand. You would have to pay £20 upwards to sit in these
seats for a theatre performance, so I was more than satisfied
to get this level of comfort for free!
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Noisy, vibrant, lots of talking and socialising. There was a
real air of expectation that something exciting was going to
happen.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
I couldn't hear because the welcome team member was talking
to me over the top of the person speaking. Everyone was talking
all around me and the speaker carried on regardless. I simply
couldn't hear!
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Bible verses and song words were shown on large TV screens at
each side of the seating area, also on a large screen at the
back of the stage behind the worship band and speaker.
What musical instruments were played?
Keyboard, four guitars, drums and vocalists.
Did anything distract you?
There was an invisible force field in place between the sixth
and seventh rows! The first six rows were filled with people
100 per cent immersed in worship, jumping around, dancing, etc.
Then it all stopped at the seventh row. There were a few arms
raised, but I was constantly wondering why there was such a
marked change in worship style between the two sets of rows.
My mind was really quite distracted by this!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Full on funky style worship. Loud, energetic, beautiful vocals.
The worship band were obviously well practiced and coordinated.
The congregation in the first six rows were completely immersed.
The rest of us were more restrained, with fewer arm raisers.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
42 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Simon Ash's style was calm and practical, which was
a nice contrast to the manic worship time. His focus was very
much based on providing practical tips for strengthening your
faith and building them into your daily lifestyle – for
example, providing web addresses for Bible study resources.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Simon began with Exodus 17:1-6 (Moses strikes a rock and water
flows forth), saying that to trust God we need to build a relationship
with him. He gave practical pointers on how to improve our prayer
life and study of the Bible whilst making comparisons to Moses'
journey through the desert. He said we should thirst for things
of God, not for worldly things that may quench our thirst but
only in a temporary way. Finally, he exhorted us to turn to
God for long-lasting thirst relief.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The welcome team were amazing! I think it would be pretty much
impossible to slip in and out of this church without being greeted.
It wasn't intrusive or forced on me, though, which was good.
They were there if I needed them!
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
As I'm not familiar with this denomination I was a bit perturbed
by people screaming during the worship time. I didn't understand
it and wanted to ask questions about it, but the people I asked
were unsure as well. I would have liked to have known to whom
I could have gone to get an understanding. I think if the church
members I was asking didn't know what was happening, then it
was probably not a normal occurrence. And so an explanation
from the front would have been warranted.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
No chance to hang about – the welcome team were onto me! I
was invited to join someone for coffee in the bar as soon as
the service ended. I was introduced to a few people and had
an informal chat with a couple of people in a relaxed atmosphere.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Tea, coffee, orange juice and apple juice were available. I
had a chilled apple juice in a plastic cup. I spotted a plate
of mini muffins being circulated, but my reflexes were too slow
for those! There was nothing to indicate whether the tea and
coffee were fair trade.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – If I lived closer I would definitely go back to find
out more about the church.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes, it did. There was a real vibrancy to this service. That,
merged with the real down-to-earth practical tips during the
sermon, made me think that maybe I can survive as a Christian
in the modern world!
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The friendly welcome and the beautiful singing from the worship band. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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