Children's Ministry

Do you have children you'd like to bring to church? We run programmes for children of all ages!
Please contact Pauline, our Family and Children's worker: children@mearnsfree.org

Our aim is to make sure every child can learn about the love of Jesus in a safe and welcoming environment.

We want the children to have great fun whilst learning more about Jesus and meeting with Him. Children stay with their parents at the start of the service as we worship together for the first part of the morning then they will usually gather at the front for an age-related talk. The children will then leave for their age-specific activities. You will need to go with your children and register them the first time they attend.

HizKidz (Primary school) and PrimeTime (teens) meet on Sunday mornings during worship.

Creche  (0 - 3 years).
HizKidz  Nursery - P7
Prime Time   S1 - S3

Safeguarding: Our children's leaders are all interviewed, safeguarding trained, Disclosure Scotland checked and possess current PVG registrations (or awaiting their arrival).

For more information about what happens in the children's work please contact us.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello!

Smiling welcome

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.

Is there a dress code?	Not at all - come casual, come smart, but just come!
Will I have to join in?	You're welcome to simply observe or to participate actively
Accessibility	There is wheelchair access, and a disabled toilet

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

Click here to contact us for further information - we'd love to hear from you

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.

Would you like additional assistance to visit?

We'd be happy to help - just give us a few days' notice and we will aim to help make suitable arrangements with you. However, even without advance notice our door team is always happy to help on the day!

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Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

It is our prayer that you might come to feel at home in Mearns Free Church!