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BANNER Children and young peop
Children and young people
at St Andrew's

 

Junior Church meets in term time on Sunday mornings and we have other term-time youth activities, too.

For more details, please see the pages for our various groups:
Junior Church
TMM Youth Group
Shake After-School Club


The rest of this page gives you an idea of what to expect...

Children are never too young to come to church. You and your children are very welcome at St Andrew’s. We realise that bringing children, especially babies and toddlers, to church can be challenging to say the least, so we have set aside part of the church (the Children’s Corner) which is equipped with toys, books, craft materials and a space to call their own. Here, even if they are occupied with PlayDoh or their favourite book, children absorb the atmosphere of worship.
 

Young people in church

Children are equal members of any church congregation. We value greatly their contribution to worship and believe we can learn much from their example.
 
Here you’ll find some information about what you can expect when you bring your children to St Andrew’s and what we hope will make being in church easier and more enjoyable.
 

Quick guide:

 
Prams and pushchairs

You can leave these in the porch when you arrive, or if you would rather bring your pushchair inside please speak to the Welcome Team when you come in, and they will help you.

 
Where to sit

You are welcome to sit anywhere you feel comfortable. The church seating is largely made up of pews, but there are soft chairs at the back and plenty of space in the Children’s Corner.
 

Toilet facilities

We appreciate that when a young child needs to go to the loo, there’s little warning! There is a toilet, with baby changing facilities, at the back of church, so there isn’t far to go - you will find it behind the kitchen. Please don’t be embarrassed about heading to the toilet at any point during the service.

 
You and your baby

If your baby is settled during the service, please feel free to remain seated, even if others are standing. Don’t worry if your baby cries. If you need to walk around to settle your child, please do. Please feel free to take children to the Children’s Corner at the front of church (to the right of the altar), but do stay with them. If your baby needs feeding, there is nothing wrong with doing this in church. The toilet and baby change facilities can be found at the back of church, behind the kitchen.

 
How to help you and your baby enjoy being in church

Feel free to bring your own quiet toys. Do move around if there are things to see in the service, perhaps bringing your child nearer to the front. Some babies are attracted by light shining through the stained glass, or by flickering candles. Tell them when something different is happening. Babies may enjoy being held close as a parent sings, or enjoy the music of the service.
 
Even as a baby, your child is absorbing the atmosphere of worship and will quickly accept his or her time in church as part of the rhythm of the week.
 

You and your toddler

A service can be a long time for a pre-school child. If your child goes for a walk-about in the middle of the service, it may be best to let him or her have a look around and explore, keeping a watchful eye from a distance. We have a Children’s Corner at the front of church (to the right of the altar) where you’ll find books, toys and drawing materials. Children and families are welcome to spend time here at any point during the service.
 

How to help your toddler enjoy being in church

Children learn much by imitation, so encourage your toddler to imitate what you are doing – holding a book or standing beside you when you are singing, kneeling down or sitting at prayer times.
 
During communion please feel free to take your child with you to receive a blessing (children will be offered a box of raisins). This can become a special time for them, and the people around them.
 

Hero Handprints OctAllAge2016aAll-Age Services

A monthly, shorter, child-friendly, interactive communion service with songs and prayers.
Dates for 2023: 8 Jan, 12 Feb, 19 March (Mothering Sunday), 9 April (Easter Day), 14 May, 11 June, 9 July, 13 August, 10 Sept, 8 Oct (Harvest), 5 Nov (first Sunday), 10 Dec, Christmas Day 
 

Junior Church

During the 10.30am Parish Communion on Sundays in term time, there are activities for children in the St Andrew's Centre. Every week, apart from the month of August and during the All-Age Service (usually the second Sunday of the month), the children will begin the service with the congregation and then, after the first hymn, they leave to join Junior Church.
Glenys
Hello and welcome to St Andrew's. If you are new, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

No one belongs here more than you.

We look forward to meeting you! Here's some information so that if you're planning a visit you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.  We have other pages telling you more About Us, our approach to Faith and our Online services.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our main Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you find a parking space and can settle in before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Plan your journey:
While, unfortunately, St Andrew's does not have its own carpark, there is a council-run pay and display carpark a short distance along St Andrew Street, to the east of the church; there is a £1.50 flat-rate charge for parking in this carpark on Sundays (though half an hour or less is free).

This is a useful East Herts Council website page for full details of parking in Hertford.

There are single yellow lines outside the church with parking restrictions, but some 30-minute parking bays are situated on the opposite side of the road for short stays (longer on Sundays).

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet towards the back of the church, behind the kitchen.

Our Service

The service will usually begin promptly at 10.30am and will last between 60 and 75 minutes. We enjoy the presence of an excellent choir who help us sing hymns (modern and traditional) as well as provide anthems and special songs through the period of communion. We have a traditional organ but also benefit from music played on the piano and by our band (eg on the Second Sunday of each month when we have an All-Age Service in which our children and young people are fully involved).

Each 10.30am service includes a sermon, prayers and eucharist.

After the service, everyone is invited for coffee and conversation - some like to stay for a quick chat while others remain in the church for a longer time.

Communion

Children and Young People

Children are never too young to come to church. You and your children are very welcome at St Andrew’s. 

We really value worshipping God together as a family, so children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service before being invited to leave for the young people's activities after the first hymn. Junior Church meets in the St Andrew's Centre (our adjoining hall), accessed through the church on Sunday mornings. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy.

The children and young people then return to the main service in time to join the eucharist and, if confirmed, take Holy Communion or, if not, receive a blessing. We offer a grape or a little box of raisins to children being blessed at the altar.

There is a Children's Corner in church where you can go at any time. You will find books, toys and drawing materials there.

Toilet and baby-change facilities are located at the back of church, behind the kitchen.

There's lots more information here: Children and Young People at St Andrew's

Junior Church celebration

Getting Connected


Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week. Check out Home Groups on our website and see if there’s one that you could join. Alternatively, speak to a member of the Welcome Team who will give you the information that you need.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. Please contact Phil in the Church Office.

Get in touch with us
If you have any questions, please do get in touch. You'll find our contact details here.

We hope that you will feel at home at our church.