Papworth Team Churches

Information for visitors

Who are we?

The Papworth Team consists of a wide range of Church of England churches and different people from all ages and backgrounds. Whoever you are, you are assured of a very warm welcome at any of our churches.

When to arrive:

It's probably best to turn up around 5 minutes before the start of the service, or 10-15 minutes for services which are likely to have a lot of people, such as christenings, weddings and carol services. For details of weekly service times in each church please see the Schedule of services. For help with finding an individual church please see the Our church buildings and their locations page. You'll be greeted on the door by by someone who will give you all the books and information you need. People often use the time before a service to think or pray quietly.

What to wear:

Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. We accept people as they are and there is no need to dress up unless you want to.

What to expect:

Going anywhere for the first time can be a bit of a nerve-racking experience but please don't worry about 'doing things wrong' - we have all been new once and are happy to help if there is anything you don't understand.

Each church has some variations in how they do things but overall you can expect a similar mixture of prayers, hymns or songs, readings from the Bible and generally a fairly short sermon across the Team. 

Generally the service should last up to an hour.

Some services use traditional language and the Book of Common Prayer (often in the early mornings or evenings) and some are more modern and use the Common Worship book (these tend to be the main Sunday morning services, around 10.30). If you come to Team Evening Worship, you will find an informal service with service booklets. It may be necessary to flick backwards and forwards through service books sometimes but page numbers should be announced. If not, please just ask a nearby person.

We normally stand for hymns or songs and sit or kneel for most prayers but just follow the other people in the pews if you are unsure. We sit for the first 2 Bible readings, often read by members of the congregation, but stand for the Gospel reading, which is generally read by the priest or other person leading the service. We also stand when we say the Creed or Affirmation of Faith.

We may 'share the peace'. This just means shaking hands with people and saying 'Peace be with you'. You can join in with this or not as you please. People may also use this time to say hello if you are new.

There may be separate activities for children but it is also fine to keep your children with you in the main service and please don't worry about noise.

There may be tea and coffee after the service, depending on when and where you go, which is an opportunity to get to know people if you would like to. You will also find that the person who has led the service will be available to talk to, often standing by the door.

Our aim is that whether you are just looking into Christianity for the first time or have been a Christian for many years, you should be encouraged and inspired by your visit. We hope that everyone will draw closer to God.

If you would like more information about what happens in Anglican (Church of England) churches like ours please see What to expect at an Anglican church (opens in new window) or Contact us.