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Coming to Church
is a very pleasant experience - as it should be. There is very
little formality and you can be certain of a very, very warm
welcome.
The benefits of
Church are awesome - but you don't have to take our word for it - why not
check out some of the personal stories below?
What is it like? What can I expect?
It might seem a bit strange at first- most people feel a
little out of place and uncertain of what is happening and what they
should be doing, but you soon get use to it. Every one is really helpful
and friendly and no one is out to judge you.
We want you to feel comfortable and at ease at Church-
after all this is your Church. St Albans belongs to the community of Forest Town.
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 The
first time I went to Church was with my grown up daughter. We got
the service
start
time wrong
and arrived to an almost empty Church and a good 30 minutes
before the service was due to start, (its about the one and only time
I’ve ever been early for Church). Prior to that visit the only other
times I’d been to Church were for weddings,
baptisms and funerals and everyone wore suits. Thinking this was the
norm, I turned up in my very
Sunday best and stood out like a sore thumb and felt a bit embarrassed since
everyone else was dressed casually. Not that I needed to be dressed
differently to draw attention to myself – I was always the one stood up
when everyone
else was sat down and sat down when everyone else was stood
up. And,
I think I must have had a 'dodgy' service book because I was never on the
same page as everyone else. No one seemed to mind, in fact I don’t
think they really noticed – if they did they didn’t let on or make any
kind of a fuss. I admit that I felt a bit out of place, as if Church was
for good people and I shouldn’t be there. To be honest I felt a bit of a
fraud because my faith wasn’t strong or even certain at that time. I
needn't have worried though - everyone, without exception, made me feel welcome and
they seemed a
friendly bunch of people, so much so, that my daughter and myself stopped
for a cup of tea and a chat after the service had finished.
The following week my wife and my other daughter, joined us in going
to Church and we have all been going for nearly a year now. We don't
always go every
week, but mostly go two or three times a month.
No one has ever pressurised us to attend regularly, but we enjoy going to
Church and we get so much out of it.
I used to think that if you believed in God, or was a
Christian that you could stay at home – after all, I thought, does it really matter
where you worship? Well yes it does actually! Going to Church gives
me a real sense of belonging to something that is very worthwhile and
special. My faith is really strengthened by
being with and amongst people that share the same beliefs and values as my
family and myself. At St Albans we all support and look out for each other – and that’s surely what
life's all about; being with people that care for you, have your best
interest at heart, are easy to get on with and just accept you for what
and who you are. Call in and see us -I know you won't be
disappointed.
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I
sought the Lord, and he answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
Their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
He saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Psalm 34:4-7
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