These usually operate on the third Sunday of each month at 7pm. They are multi-media, multi-sensory, reflective services built around a specific theme. They generally involve communion. They are planned to last 45 minutes, but are open-ended – people are invited to stay as long as they want to in the environment. Content is often minimal and always tends in that direction. There is no supper or conversational gathering associated with Quiet Services. People arrive and leave in silence. There are some people for whom this service is their church. While it could be argued that the service falls short of fulfilling the criteria for church, for these people it is what holds them into the Christian faith. They want a reflective space where they don’t have to interact with other people. We see this space as one aspect of resourcing Christian spirituality and formation in our community. Sunday mornings can’t provide all the silence and reflection some people want, so the Quiet Service helps fill that need, as does the Labyrinth.
Despite their name, the services are sometimes quite loud! The music isn’t always soft or classical. The intention is always to create a particular kind of environment and to offer content for reflection on some biblical theme or aspect of living. This is not the place for a sermon and the nearest we would get to interactive participation would be a responsive reading (although it is not easy to read off handouts as the lighting is usually very low.)
Full running orders of some Quiet Services are available in section 5.