Worship

We meet each Sunday morning for worship and Sunday Superstars at 11 am. There is an informal communion service on the first Wednesday of each month except August at 9 am, and monthly midweek services in different styles. There are also occasional afternoon or evening youth services.

We usually have about 100 people attending Sunday morning service. Children stay for the first part of the service and then leave for Sunday Superstars. About four times a year it is an all-age service where all, except the very youngest, stay in the service throughout; it is also a parade service where the uniformed organisations take part. Once a month the morning service includes Holy Communion.

Sunday Bible reading details (from the Lectionary) can be found at this link.

The hymn books used at Wesley are Hymns and Psalms (the standard Methodist hymn book - Methodist Publishing House, 1983), New Hymns and Worship Songs (Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 1996) and Songs of Fellowship 1/2/3 (Kingsway Music, 2003). The pew bibles are the Revised English Bible. We use the Methodist Worship Book (Methodist Publishing House, 1999).

The hymns we've sung the most...
...since January 1986, when we started using Hymns and Psalms.

1st - HP 776 - Make me a channel of your peace (sung 116 times)
2nd - NHWS 23 - Be still, for the presence of the Lord (104)
3rd - HP 66 - Great is thy faithfulness (87)
4th - NHWS 166 - Lord, the light of your love is shining (Shine, Jesus, shine) (86)
5th - HP 770 - Go forth and tell! O church of God, awake (83)
6th - HP 138 - Seek ye first the kingdom of God (81)
7th - HP 260 - Jesus is Lord! creation's voice proclaims it (79)
8th - HP 267 - Love divine, all loves excelling (71)
9th - HP 492 - Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising (68)
10th - HP 774 - Lord, thy church on earth is seeking (67)

We sing a wide variety of hymns, possibly because of the Methodist custom of having a variety of preachers rather than the regular minister every week: only the top two hymns have been sung more than once every three months on average.

Prayers

Members of Wesley meet each Saturday morning at 10 am in a 'Time for Prayer'. If you would like your prayers to be included at this time please feel free to e-mail us. If you would also like your prayer to be displayed on Wesley's Prayer Board or included in the prayers of intercession in our Sunday services, please let us know.

Our Lord hears and answers all prayers - maybe not in the way we would want, but he hears and answers all who truly call upon him.

The Lord hears our prayer...
Thanks be to God.

Prayers for a time of silence

Ever present Lord,
even when I'm not aware of you,
when I'm caught up in the turmoil of life,
you are with me.
This moment is precious.
I can be mindful of you
and open my eyes to you.

Truly my soul waits still for you, O Lord.

Those who wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength.

Prayers of thanksgiving

Heavenly Father,
thank you for those I rely on.
Make me someone
whom others can rely on.

Thank you, good Lord,
for the opportunity to follow you closely
and become more like you.
Help me to walk the way of love.

For all that brings me happiness,
I bless your name, O Lord.

How wonderful God's love is.
Let everyone give thanks to him.
His love goes on and on;
it never comes to an end.

Prayers in times of need

Lord, when doubts fill my mind,
when my heart is in turmoil,
quiet me and give me renewed hope.

When our hearts are wintry,
  grieving or in pain,
Then your touch can call us
  back to life again.
Fields of our hearts,
  that dead and bare had been;
Love is come again,
  like wheat that springs up green.

O God, give me
serenity to accept what cannot be changed,
courage to change what should be changed,
and wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

O God, you have said
'I will never fail you nor forsake you'.
Do not fail me now.

Prayers for going out

O Lord, thou knowest
how busy I must be this day.
If I forget thee,
do not thou forget me.

Lord, bless our going out and our coming in,
from this time forth and for evermore.

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep my heart and mind
in the knowledge and love of God.

A prayer before worship

God, my creator and my unseen guide,
you have led me to this holy place.

Let a spark of its beauty and your love
settle in my heart
and live with me when I leave.

A prayer for Churches Together In Leigh

Lord God, together we ask that your Holy Spirit inspire us and lead us.

May we be united in love and peace, in faith and in hope,
that your Gospel may be proclaimed by the churches of this town,
and our witness empowered by the love and support of each other.

Help us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit,
that all may see and acknowledge the wonder of the Risen Jesus,
alive in his people, alive in the world.