I'm new to church ...

Let's face it - going anywhere outside of your comfort zone is a huge challenge for some people, while others just 'go for it', full of confidence.  Whichever type of person you are, don't let yourself be deterred from what could be the single most important thing that you ever do!

At CHURCH@Claremont we understand that going into a church for the first time can be very daunting, so we always do our best to make it as easy as possible for our visitors and guests.  There will usually be at least two people in the foyer to welcome you and make you feel comfortable when you arrive and they will be able to answer any questions and show you where to go.  Don't even worry if you arrive late - they will keep the doors open for at least half an hour after we start, and you can go in at the back of the hall so that no-one notices you.

Our Main Hall is set with rows of comfortable chairs and you have plenty of space.  There are no reserved seats for the 'rich and famous' - because no-one is more important than you are.  We have no dress code - I usually wear jeans and a casual shirt myself - just come as you prefer.  You don't have to bring anything and you don't have to put anything in the collection - because we don't have one! (except for very occasional times when we might invite the congregation to contribute to a special gift or something like that, but that's entirely optional).  Jesus taught His disciples to be welcoming and helpful towards our neighbours - and that's what we try to do.  We live in a multi-cultural town and we love being a diverse, multi-cultural church.

Our meeting starts at 10:30 and runs until about 12:30.  You won't have to worry about when to stand up, sit down, kneel or anything like that.  Some people stand to worship God, some raise their hands, some clap, some even dance and some stay seated - you won't be out of place whatever you do.  There are no rules except those of common respect for each other (and we would prefer if you would set your mobile phone to silent!).  

Don't worry about musty old song books - we don't have any.  When we sing, our musicians lead us and the words are displayed on our screen at the front.  Most, but not all, of our speakers also choose to display key words and / or passages of scripture on the screen, so that everyone can follow (our congregation includes people for whom English is not their native language and it helps them a lot to read as they listen). 

We always have a drink and a biscuit together after the meeting and we eat lunch together from time to time, which are ideal opportunities for you to get to know people.  There is no charge - God gave freely to us and we pass it on whenever we can.  If you find that you like what you hear and would like to study more, then we will gladly give you a copy of one of the gospels (the parts of the bible that tell us most about the life of Jesus Christ) in a modern translation. 

We are here for our visitors and we hope to see you soon.