We meet every Sunday, at 10.00am, to celebrate the Eucharist (literally Thanksgiving) or Holy communion. Everyone is welcome whether members of a church or not. It is all about giving thanks to God for his love towards the entire creation, including us. First we begin the service by singing and praying together. Then the children go to their own activities in a separate room next to the church. We listen to readings from the Bible and look at what God has said in the ancient scriptures and how it is directly relevant to the lives we are trying to live now.We are then led in prayer by a member of our congregation. We pray for the world, the work of the church, for the people who live and work in East Finchley, and for anyone we know to be in special need of prayer.This leads naturally into sharing and greeting one another with the peace of God. We share the peace by shaking the hand of those around us, usually with the words ‘Peace be with you’, or a special word of encouragement if one is needed.We present the bread and the wine, symbols of our offerings to God, as we begin the Liturgy of the Sacrament. We celebrate, with words and singing, the fact that Jesus died to reconcile us to God, that he conquered death by rising on the Easter morning, and that he is part of our lives here and now. We give witness to our communion with God by sharing in the consecrated bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is the moment in the service when we reach out to God most demonstrably, and believe he reaches out to us in a very special way. Everyone is invited to come up to the altar. Those who are baptised and confirmed, or receive communion in their own church, are welcome to receive the bread and the wine. Everyone else is welcome to come forward to receive a blessing and be prayed for. The children join us as well. It's a special moment in the service for everyone to join in. In every church there is a time for notices. This is it. Before praying for God's blessing, we find out what is coming up and hear what the children have been learning. Then with a final hymn and a blessing, we are encouraged to 'Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord'Afterwards it is time for coffee, to meet our friends and make new ones.
