Everyone who attends Old Saint Paul's, or prays for or with us, contributes to our collective worship of God.
There are also many groups that make a dedicated contribution to worship through care of our liturgy and music. These groups are listed below. You can find out more about our worship tradition by visiting the Liturgy and Music page.
Visit the Liturgy and Music page
If you would like to get more involved with any of the groups below, please contact us using our Welcome email address.
Readers and intercessors
Readers
We enjoy reading the Bible in church and find that it increases our sense of connection with the whole congregation.
At the moment, we have a large group of available readers, so that generally each of us only reads once every two months at our 10:30am High Mass. We are currently looking for more readers at 6:30pm Evensong & Benediction.
We provide reading training for new readers.
Intercessors
At High Mass on Sundays, our role is to help the congregation to focus its prayer on the needs of the whole world, of our nation and city, of the universal and local church, and of all people in every kind of adversity. We also pray for the dead and for ourselves.
Part of our role is to be constantly aware of current events and issues so that we keep the prayers of the church relevant.
Servers and sacristans
Servers
Being a server is a particularly intimate way of being involved in the liturgy. It is both a practical and symbolic role that enables everyone to play their part in worship.
OSP has a team of about 20 servers of both sexes and all ages. We serve at Mass and Evensong every Sunday, on major Feast Days, and at the carol services of Advent and Christmas. Clergy and servers always rehearse before major functions. We are particularly busy during the week leading up to Easter, known as Holy Week. Full training is given, and a monthly rota makes sure everyone has their turn.
Sacristans
We care for the church’s vestments, altar linen and other items used during services. It is a bit like being wardrobe and props manager at a theatre!
OSP has a huge collection of fine vestments collected over a long period of time, some dating from the nineteenth century. They include altar frontals and other church hangings, High Mass sets, copes, and low Mass sets, several in each of the church’s traditional liturgical colours.
We prepare the church for both Sunday and weekday services by laying out all the vestments and other liturgical ‘props’, such as chalices, ciboria, wafer boxes, wine and water cruets, monstrances, thuribles and lecterns.
Music, sound and streaming
The choir
Our choir sings at Mass and Evensong every Sunday, on major Feast Days, and at the carol services of Advent and Christmas.
You can find out more about the choir and how to join on the Liturgy and Music page.
Visit the Liturgy and Music page
Sound and streaming team
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we started to livestream services as nobody was able to attend church in person. Through the generosity of the congregation, we now have a built-in streaming system that is linked to the speakers and hearing loop. This has allowed us to train a small team of volunteers to broadcast services online.
We make sure that everyone can stay connected with Old Saint Paul's even if they cannot join us in person. We are looking to expand the team. If you enjoy working with technology, get in touch!