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We'd love to see you!
It doesn’t matter whether you’re new to Mersea, or you’ve lived here all of your life, you are warmly invited to join us for any of our services, youth activities, adult groups, or the range of community events we host throughout the year.
We hope that our website can help you find all you want to know about us, but if we haven’t answered your questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us – visit our Contact Us page, or alternatively through our Facebook page.
A bit about us
Despite being founded over 200 years ago, we are a modern and contemporary church that not only has services on Sundays, but also a variety of groups for people of all ages.
We’re a thriving church with more than 120 people coming through our doors for activities and groups throughout the week, as well as many more being served through weekly school visits and regular community events.
Where we are
Our site is situated just off of the main road onto or off of Mersea Island, so access is relatively simple, and involves no tight turns or narrow roads.
Pedestrian access is also available with footpaths that run the full length of the road, and are of a suitable width of pushchairs and wheelchairs.
There’s also plenty of on-site parking, so you won’t need to park a distance from the church if you’re driving.
Sunday service
We have a morning service every Sunday at 10:30am in the Worship Hall.
On the first Sunday of the month, we hold a special family service, where young people join the adults for an action-packed, game-filled service for all ages, where challenges and activities relate to a powerful underlying message, which is outlined in the short talk towards the end of the service.
All other Sundays we have a more traditional service, where the young people leave the Worship Hall shortly after the start of the service to go to a range of groups that cater more specifically for them. These groups are Creche (0-3 years), Causeway Kids (4-11 years) and Hype (11-18 years). Our group leaders all have current DBS checks and are experienced in working with children and young people.
Prayer & Praise
Once a month, we also have an evening ‘Prayer & Praise’ service at 6:30pm, which is a small, worship-focused service. It’s also very informal, and doesn’t have a sermon, but instead people are encouraged to pray throughout the evening. The worship consists of a variety of songs, performed live by a worship team, and lyrics are projected. The weeks of the evening service vary, and so you should check the events calendar for dates.
For children and youth
On Sundays (excluding the first Sunday of the month), there are three groups that take place during the main service. These are: Creche (0-3 years), Causeway Kids (4-11 years), and Hype (11-18 years). These groups allow for children and youth to learn about God and the Bible in a more suiting and aiding way for them.
We also hold several groups throughout the rest of week for children and young people. On a Wednesday, we host a morning Toddlers group for pre-school children to play, sing and discover, whilst parents, carers and grandparents can meet together.
On a Thursday evening we have a Rock Solid group (school years 5-6), and a Boulder group (school years 7-11) where youth can meet up and have fun together. Alongside a short ‘God-slot’, there is an opportunity to play games, such as Table Tennis, Pool, Air Hockey, and football, as well as a variety of different activities both indoors and out. We also have a well-stocked tuck-shop where young people can buy drinks and sweets at discounted prices.
There is also a Sunday evening Phenomenon group for school years 7-11, where young people can start a journey exploring life, faith, and meaning. The evening is guided by a couple of our youth leaders (who guide the evening, and supply the food!) in an evening containing an engaging video, pizza, and open conversation.
You can also join us on the first Saturday of the month for our Film Morning, an event for people and families of all ages. The free event gives people the opportunity to watch a recently-released feature-length film on the big screen in our Worship Hall – a must-have experience for anyone who enjoys watching movies.
For adults
Besides our Sunday Service, we also have a collection of groups and sessions for adults and parents throughout the week, including several House Groups (Monday & Wednesday evening, Friday morning) for Bible studies, discussions of faith and a time for challenging questions and ideas to be discussed.
If you’re on a journey to find faith, the Journeys group (Mondays at 7:30pm) is a time of lively discussion, focusing on life’s biggest issues, and questions about faith.
On Tuesdays we have a Tuesday Fellowship, where a vibrant community of seniors listen to a range of visiting speakers that bring God’s message in a relevant way, followed by a time to catch up with one-another over tea and biscuits. Throughout the year, the group also have a considerable number of special events, such as tea and garden parties, group dinners, bring and buy fundraisers and an end-of-year carol service.
You can also come along to our Alpha Course on Wednesdays at 7:00pm. Alpha is for anyone who’s searching for answers – life, faith, meaning. Explore the basics of the Christian faith in a friendly, open and informal environment, where no question is out-of-bounds, and you’re free to discuss as much, or as little as you wish.
We also have a Prayer Breakfast once a month on a Saturday, where many of the community have an early start to visit a local servery, offering the opportunity for prayer, and to discuss and talk informally over a refreshing drink and large cooked breakfast.
Adults are also invited to attend our monthly Film Morning every Saturday.
Church 'customs'
What should I wear? – Be comfortable and reasonable. Shorts and a t-shirt are as reasonable as a dress. It is unlikely you’ll find anyone in a smart suit, and most people simply wear smart, casual clothing.
Where can I sit? – Unless you join us for a special occasion (such as a dedication, wedding or baptism) we won’t have any reserved seating. Simply sit where you find yourself most comfortable. We have a large projection screen that we use for displaying song lyrics, presentations, Bible readings and videos which can be viewed from anywhere in the church building, including the balcony. If you have children, they may wish to join some others in the first two centre rows.
What’s the music like? – We have worship music that resonates with everyone, including some by modern artists such as Chris Tomlin, Brian Doerksen, Darlene Zschech & Ismael, as well as other, more traditional hymns. If you join us, you’ll hear modern arrangements of hymns, as well as the latest songs – all of which is performed by our worship group, live.
When should I come?
We would be delighted to welcome you into our church whenever you arrive, and we’d love to get to know you. We have refreshments after the Sunday Service which we invite you to stay for, including tea, coffee, squash and biscuits.
If, before you come, you want to know a little more about us, our beliefs, or any of our groups, we welcome you to contact us.