St. Mary the Virgin; Parish Profile 2005 -- Worship

Worship

Worship Style

Eclectic. Principally traditional Anglican but, through the introduction of different styles of worship during the last five years, we strive to include people of all ages and all stages of faith development.
Reservation.
Votive candles and prayer requests.
No incense.
Sacramental confession available, but neither advertised nor generally practised.
Vestments:
- Eucharist – Alb and Chasuble (High Mass set for major festivals)
- Evensong – Choir habit (Copes on major festivals – the church has several).
Choir and clergy procession at Sung Eucharist.
Servers, liturgical deacon and sub-deacon at Sung Eucharist.

Weekly Services and average attendance for the three months prior to the interregnum

Sunday	8.00	Holy Communion (CW) - 20
	9.45	Sung Eucharist (CW) - 125 (including 100 communicants) Children’s Church in the church hall - during term time Vestry Group (10 plus age group) – during term time
	6.30	Sung Evensong (BCP) - 21
Thursday	9.45	Holy Communion (CW) - 13
Mon - Fri	7.45	Morning Prayer (CW) - between 1 and 6 each day

Other Services

Regularly	Home communion to the housebound and those in hospital, taken from the reserved sacrament by both clergy and licensed lay persons
Monthly	All-Age Eucharist (instead of Sung Eucharist, Children’s Church and the Vestry Group) at 9.45 on Sunday - 150 Grassroots, usually with baptisms, at 11.30 on Sunday – 130 Holy Communion in three retirement homes Ecumenical service at Rectory Gardens residential home
Termly	Eucharist for St Anne’s School, both in the school and in church Youth service planned and run by members of the Youth Group
Annually	Ash Wednesday Sung Eucharist with imposition of ashes - 55 Ascension (combined service with Michaelmas Network) Corpus Christi – 17 Ecumenical services and pulpit-exchanges in week of Prayer for Christian Unity Civic Service – 280 Remembrance Day evening service All Souls Commemoration – 165 (An excellent response to personalised invitation letters which are sent to the families of all people whose funerals have been held in the church in the last five years) St George’s Day - 200 Carers Service – 80 Worship in the Park (combined service with all Godmanchester churches) New Year’s Eve Watchnight Service (combined service with all Godmanchester churches)
Occasional	Taizé-style service

Service Booklets and Service Sheets

Good quality in-house booklets are used for the Eucharist, with a different one for each of the following seasons or occasions:

Service sheets for:

Christmas Services with attendance in 2004

St Anne’s School Carol Service – 300
Godmanchester Community School Carol Service
Children’s Society Christingle service - 120
Christmas Eve:
- Children’s Crib Service and lighting of the Christmas tree - 400
- Nine Lessons and Carols - 370
- First Eucharist of Christmas - 270 (including 102 communicants)
Christmas Day:
- Sung Eucharist - 170 (including 117 communicants)

Holy Week and Easter with attendance in 2005

Palm Sunday	9.45 am.	All-Age Eucharist and procession with palms – 200
Mon, Tues, Wed of Holy Week	9.45 am. 8.30 pm.	Holy Communion - 8 Compline and address - 8
Maundy Thursday	7.30 pm.	Eucharist of the Last Supper - 56
Good Friday	10.00 am. 1.30 pm. 1.30 pm.	United Procession of Witness - 40 Good Friday Liturgy - 55 Children’s Workshop - 12
Easter Day	5.30 am. 8.00 am. 9.45 am. 6.30 pm.	Easter Vigil and Eucharist – 33 (followed by parish breakfast) Holy Communion - 27 Sung Eucharist - 250 (including 151 communicants) Sung Evensong - 29