Church in the UK
What happens at a Church of England service?
Most Church of England services follow a set pattern of words called a liturgy, printed in a booklet or shown on a screen. A typical Sunday service includes hymns, a confession, Bible readings, a sermon, prayers and usually Holy Communion, and lasts about an hour.
Types of service
- Holy Communion, also called the Eucharist, Parish Communion or, in some churches, Mass. This is the main Sunday service in most parishes.
- Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, known in their traditional forms as Matins and Evensong. These are services of readings, psalms and prayers without communion.
- A Service of the Word or all-age service. Less formal, often aimed at families.
- Book of Common Prayer services. These use the traditional language of 1662, often early on Sunday morning or in the evening.
Most services use Common Worship, the Church of England’s modern-language service book.
Holy Communion, step by step
- The gathering. A hymn, a greeting from the minister and a prayer of preparation.
- Confession. Everyone says a prayer admitting their sins, and the priest declares God’s forgiveness.
- Readings. Passages from the Bible are read, usually including one from a Gospel, for which people stand.
- The sermon. The minister explains the readings.
- The Creed. Everyone stands and says together a summary of what Christians believe.
- Prayers of intercession. Prayers for the world, the church, the local community and people in need.
- The Peace. People greet those near them, often with a handshake and the words “Peace be with you”.
- The Eucharistic Prayer. The priest gives thanks over the bread and wine and recalls the last supper. Everyone then says the Lord’s Prayer.
- Communion. People go forward, usually to a rail at the front, to receive bread and wine.
- The blessing and dismissal. The priest blesses the congregation and sends them out.
Words printed in bold are for everyone to say together. You are welcome to join in or simply to listen.
Can I take communion?
The Church of England invites those who are baptised and normally confirmed, and baptised members of other churches. If that is not you, or you are unsure, you can stay in your seat or go forward for a blessing. To show that you would like a blessing, keep your hands down or carry your service booklet.
High church and low church
The Church of England is broad, and its services vary a good deal. “High church” or Anglo-Catholic parishes use robes, candles and sometimes incense, and feel close to a Catholic service. “Low church” or evangelical parishes are plainer, often with a band and a longer sermon. Many are somewhere in the middle. Cathedrals hold Choral Evensong on most days, a service of about forty-five minutes sung largely by the choir, which is free and open to anyone.
Who leads the service?
The parish priest is usually called the vicar or rector. A curate is an assistant minister in the first years after ordination. Services without communion may be led by a Reader, who is a trained lay minister.
How services often end
Many services finish with everyone saying “the Grace” together, which comes straight from the Bible:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
Elsewhere in the UK
The Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Ireland are sister Anglican churches, and their services follow a very similar pattern.
Find a Church of England service near you