Volunteering at the Parish
"Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace."
- St. Peter, 1 Peter 4:9-10
At Sacred Heart there are a number of ways to offer your time and talents, building up the community and increasing its vibrancy. See below to find out the opportunities for you to serve the community.
If you're interested in joining any of these groups listed below, please contact the parish office or fill out the volunteering form.
Welcoming at Mass
To welcome people into our church is an essential ministry since it expresses the invitation of Christ to us all. Being greeted by a friendly face and offering assistance to others is part of what makes us a Christian community. Practically it involves greeting people and offering them hymn books or sheets to help them participate in worship, but it is primarily about making people feel that they belong.
9:15am Sunday Music Group
Music at the 9:15 am Sunday Mass is led by our Family Music Group. We are a friendly group who welcome instrumentalists and singers of all abilities and ages; we are very proud of our younger musicians!
We play a mixture of contemporary and traditional music and meet once a month to practice and plan. We welcome parishioners to join us for as much or as little as their time commitments allow.
We play at other parish celebrations throughout the year; carolling at Tesco's for Cafod is one of our favourite invitations!
11:15am Sunday Choir
At the 11:15am Mass, the music accompanied by the organ, tends more toward the traditional and uses music by a wide range of composers, both ancient and modern.
The group is keen on the reasonable regular use of ancient melodies such as plainsong.
Altar Servers
Altar servers play an important part in the Church's liturgy. Good servers enable us all to celebrate the Mass and the other sacraments with a spirit of prayer. To serve at Mass is not just to practically move things around during the liturgy, it is a service to God Himself present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Any practicing Catholic who has made their First Holy Communion, male or female, young or older, is eligible to serve at the altar. It may seem daunting of you have never served at Mass before, but training is provided and there will always be someone there to guide you. If you are over 18 years-old and would like to serve, you will need to get a DBS check.
Reading at Mass
The proclamation of the Scriptures is an essential ministry that opens up the Word of God to the community. It is an integral part of the Mass and we would like everyone within the community to feel they can take part in this ministry. If you have love of Sacred Scripture and a clear speaking style, please consider offering your gifts to the parish.
There is a rota system in place which aims to give everyone a chance to read at least once a month. If you are able, there is also the opportunity to read within the weekday masses. Training and guidance will be provided.
Children's Liturgy
The Children's Liturgy takes place every Sunday during the 9:15am Family Mass. This enables children and young people to celebrate the work of God at their own level of understanding. This is up to and including Year 6 children.
To accompany children on their faith journey is most enriching - join us and find out for yourself!
Tea & Coffee
Tea and Coffee is served after the 9:15 am Sunday Mass in the Parish Lower Room next to the church. This provides an opportunity for us to gather socially as Christians. We use only FairTrade products and all profits go to support the work of WAYmakers, our parish refugee support group.
Holy Dusters
Caring for God's house is an act of devotion. Our Holy Dusters look after the church building, making it a clean and inviting space for people to encounter Christ.
They take care of everything from dusting, vacuuming, polishing & washing. It is an act of service not only to our community but to Christ himself.
Flower Arrangers & Decorators
Decorating the church is a special ministry where you can offer your creative skills to express the beauty of God and help make our church a prayerful space.
Our team are on a rota, meeting on Saturday mornings to use their skill and an eye for beauty to enhance our Sunday worship.
Training is provided by some of our more experienced parishioners, so you can learn on the job and develop your skills.