A Warm Hello!

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We rent space at Belmont House School for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am (local map here). Cars...We use the playground as a car park and there is plenty of space. Please park on the premises.

In the interests of good neighbourly relations please do not park on Sandringham Avenue.  In the unlikely event that the car park is full, or you prefer not to park on the premises, please use one of the side roads nearby but not Sandringham Avenue. (We do not want to hinder the flow of traffic or block pavements on Sandringham.) Entering the building...As you enter the premises, you will be greeted by one of our regular worshippers who will direct you to the auditorium where we meet.  Songs and bible readings will be displayed on a screen at the front.  The Minister will guide us through our time of worship. Don't worry about knowing when to stand or sit. The Minister will lead us through worship. Our time together is structured and appropriately "reverent", but it is a "relaxed reverence"!

We serve tea & coffee after the service, and this is a great way to meet people or simply take time to find your bearings. 

Our Worship

Just before we are called to worship by the Minister, we usually have an item of "gathering praise". This is a good opportunity to settle ourselves in anticipation of being called to enter God's presence together. Some find it helpful to use this time to pray quietly. Others prefer to reflect on the words being sung and some like to simply become quiet. 

The service of worship begins formally at 10:30 am with a call to worship and lasts around 70 minutes.
  
Preaching, praise and prayer are central to our worship.
We share in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the last Sunday of each month. Some Sundays will include the sacrament of Baptism.

Our service of worship will include traditional and contemporary praise. We also include songs from the bible called "Psalms".

Though our worship has an informal "feel" to it, we do follow an order which the Minister determines. It will usually look something like this; 

• Welcome with notices
• Call to worship with a Bible Scripture
• Praise (this may be one or more items of praise) 
• Prayer of adoration & confession (we acknowledge the greatness of God and our need for forgiveness)  
• Talk to children (& sometimes a children's song)
• The children leave for age-appropriate groups 
• Prayer of thanksgiving & intercession (we pray with thanksgiving and for the world)
• Reading from the Bible
• The sermon (the aim is to explain the passage of the bible read and apply it to life)
• Praise
• Benediction ( a blessing spoken over the congregation) 

Our singing is led by our musicians, and the words of the praise are projected onto a large screen so that everyone can join in freely or just read & listen. Don't worry if you're not a great singer - just making a joyful noise to the Lord is fine!

What about my kids?
	We welcome children of all ages   Creche  (0 - 3 years)   HizKidz  Nursery - P7     Prime Time   S1 - S3 Older youth remain in worship For more information about what happens in the children's work please click here

As well as our Sunday morning service we have gatherings in church and in our homes. These include prayer meetings, Bible study groups, youth group meetings, all-age outreach activities, special events, and more.

We have more information for you specifically if you…

• Are a student or young adult
• Have children that will come with you to church
• Have a young person interested in the Youth Group 

If you'd like to know about some of our staff, please check out our Staff and Leadership page.

Getting Connected

Small Groups
While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet during the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

It is our prayer that you might come to feel at home in  Mearns Free Church! Scott Kirkland, Minister minister@mearnsfree.org