Once a month the sanctuary is emptied of chairs at the front, lit with candles, and left open for half an hour of something much quieter than a Sunday morning.

The shape of the half hour

Three short readings, sung between with a single repeated line. Roughly eight minutes of silence in the middle. A spoken blessing at the end. No sermon, no notices, no offering.

People come and go as they need to. Some stay afterwards; the candles are left burning until half past nine.

Who it is for

It began as something for the worship team — a way of being in the room without running it — and quickly turned out to be what a lot of people had been looking for. It is now the best-attended evening we hold.

It works particularly well for:

• Anyone finding a full service too loud or too long in a difficult season
• People who want to bring a friend somewhere before bringing them to a Sunday
• Parents of small children, who often come alone and in silence on purpose

One member described it as “the only thirty minutes in my month where nothing is being asked of me.” We have not managed a better description.

Practical details

No booking. Doors at ten to eight. Children are welcome, though there is no crèche — the room is quiet and most people prefer to come without them.