St Mary Magdalene's, Woodstock
If you are new…
If you haven’t been to a service at St. Mary Magdalene before here’s an idea of what you will find.
Finding the church St Mary Magdalene Church - Google Maps will help you find us or please see below the Google Maps section. Parking in Park Street outside the church is metered, 8am-6pm including Sundays or there is free parking in the nearby Union Street car park accessed off Hensington Road. The church is only a few minutes’ walk from the Marlborough Arms bus stops on the S3 and S7 routes Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
What the church looks like: Please click here to view our church from the inside. Do scroll around to familiarise yourself.
When you arrive at any of our major services, welcomers will be waiting to greet you and give you service sheets and/or booklets. The hymns we will sing will either be on the sheets or come from the hymn books to be found in front of each seat.
The welcomers will be happy to answer any questions.
If you use a wheelchair or have limited mobility the entrance to the church building via the main West door is down a gentle slope. There is an accessible toilet in the north east corner of the church again up a gentle slope.
Toilets: as well as the accessible toilet, there are two further toilets up a few steps at the back of the church in the north west corner.
Children are very welcome at all our services – there is a children’s corner with toys and books towards the back of the church on the north side. Please don’t worry about any noise, we were all young once!
The service starts with the first hymn, usually announced from the back of the church before the clergy process up the central aisle. The service will then follow as set out in the booklet you have been given. On special festivals, the booklet will include all the material for that service, on other occasions you will also have been given a sheet showing readings and hymns for that service. Services vary a little according to the church calendar but the general shape is very similar. When it comes to time for communion, in which we commemorate Jesus’s last meal with his disciples, welcomers will guide you when to come forward. If you prefer to receive a blessing, please come forward carrying your service booklet.
If you get lost in the liturgy, anyone around you will be happy to help!
The collection plate – Many church members contribute regularly to church funds via our regular giving scheme and we invite others to contribute to the upkeep and work of the church by putting a donation in the collection plate which is passed around during the service. If you would prefer to contribute by card, there is a contactless facility at the back of church.