What's it like?
You may have walked past Eden Chapel countless times on your way to the
Grafton Centre; you may even have eaten in the old Eden Chapel building
when you got there - it is now Footlights restaurant! But if you haven't
yet ventured inside, this section is here to give you an idea of what
you can expect if you visit us on a Sunday. We would love to see you!
The church is a place for people to meet in the presence of God.
The building lies between shops and university buildings and the people
who come to it are both 'town and gown.' Old and young, tourists and
residents - all are welcome!
Front Entrance
The front entrance to Eden Chapel is on the corner of Fitzroy and Fair Street. If you are coming by car, the Grafton Centre car park is a convenient place to park. If you're on a bike, you can lock up right outside. As you come through the double doors, someone will be there to welcome you and give you an information sheet, so that you can see what's coming next during the service. It will also tell you what activities the church is organising during the coming week.Lobby
You are now in the lobby area, where there are hooks for coats to your left. There is a table to your right where there are other information sheets, should you be interested. From the lobby, you can head straight into the ground floor of the main auditorium or climb the stairs to more seating in the balcony.
Concourse Area
To the right of the lobby is a room where refreshments are served after the morning service. Tapes and books, which you may find interesting, are also on sale here. During the service, this is a room where you can look after noisy children while following the service via a TV link. A corridor leads down to the toilets.
The Auditorium
Worship is led from a platform on the far side of the auditorium, and seating upstairs and down is arranged around this so that you can see what is happening. There are no reserved places, so sit where you feel comfortable!
To the left of the platform is a piano, which someone will generally be playing as people are coming into the church. There may be a number of other musicians, from violinists to electric bass guitarist, to accompany them. On the right hand side of the balcony, there is an organ and also audio/video equipment to record the service and to relay it to those in the Concourse Area. The boards of the platform can be lifted off to uncover a pool which is used for baptisms. On the platform itself, there is a lectern. The person who is leading the service will welcome everyone from here to start the service.
Services
Services are a mixture of music, prayer, readings from the Bible and preaching / teaching.
Services usually involve quite a lot of singing, of both traditional hymns and more modern songs. The words are provided in books on the back of the seat in front of you or on an overhead projector screen above the platform. Don't worry - there are enough people for you to be able to either bellow or not sing at all without standing out!
Each service will tend to follow a particular theme. The first part of the service includes readings, prayers, interviews and singing. It lasts about 45 minutes. We then take a couple of minutes' break and get a chance to chat to those around us. During the break, most of the children go off to Sunday School classes in the meeting rooms behind the auditorium. Before the service resumes, there is a time for notices.
The second half of the service focuses on teaching. The preacher will generally read through a passage from the Bible and explore its relevance to our lives today. This again lasts about 45 minutes. The service concludes with a song or hymn and a blessing.
At some services there will be special events, such as the dedication of new babies, baptisms or sharing of bread and wine in Holy Communion. All will be explained as we go along!
A Note about Money
The church supports a number of Christian workers and charities, and is entirely self-funding. Members of the church therefore contribute regularly financially. Many choose to do this weekly, so at some point during the service an offering is taken to enable those members to do so. Please do not feel obliged to contribute yourself - we're not after your money!
After the Service
People tend to stay to chat, to share news over a coffee and to get to know other people. Eden has a lot of visitors, both short and longer term, and regular members are not always sure who is new and who isn't! Do introduce yourself to those around you, or visit the Welcome Table where you will find a friendly church member to tell you more about our activities. The preacher will generally stand at the door to bid you farewell when you leave.
We hope this helps to demystify the place a little. If you have appreciated this little piece of virtual reality, why not come and taste the real thing? You will be very welcome.