If you would like to join us on a Sunday morning, our service starts at 10.30am. There will be someone in the foyer to greet you and let you know where everything is.

The music is usually a mix of traditional hymns and modern pieces, led by a small group of musicians and singers. We include a short time of reflective worship where various people may contribute through suggesting a song, praying and reading or commenting on a passage from the Bible.

At Hillside, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus through sharing communion every week. If you are a Christian, feel free to participate. If you are not a Christian, simply pass on the bread and grape juice trays.

The final element of our Sunday morning services is Bible teaching. This can be from one of our Elders, where it is often part of a longer series of talks, or by a visiting speaker. Through it, we seek to explore how a relationship with God shapes our everyday lives. What does it mean to follow Jesus in our neighbourhoods, our workplaces, our homes? How does God bring forgiveness and restoration to our messy lives?

We are more than happy for children to be a part of the whole service. However, if you would prefer, one of our ladies can look after any pre-school children in the crèche room at any point. Children of primary school age may also be taken out during the Bible teaching part of the service by one of the KidZone team, for their own Bible activities.

We normally finish around 11.45am and, afterwards, enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat together.

We have a Sunday evening service roughly every other week. These are held in our smaller hall, which is set up with groups of chairs around coffee tables to create a more informal atmosphere.

The programme often consists of an update or report from a missionary or representative of a particular Christian organisation, with opportunities to ask questions or have a short prayer time afterwards. In the past, we have also interviewed some of our more regular visiting speakers, heard book reviews from among our members and enjoyed performances from guest musicians.

Our evenings always finish with relaxed conversation over a tasty supper, which can range from apple pie and ice-cream to authentic French crepes and cheeses! These ‘fellowship evenings’ are a particularly good way to introduce visitors to Hillside. Keep checking the Upcoming Events section of the site to find out what we have planned in future.

At Hillside, we encourage our members to read and study the Bible for themselves, outside of organized church services led from the front. Although, it is important that Christians take time, ideally each day, to talk to God and explore his word, there is also great value in doing so in small groups. By sharing each others’ ideas and experiences in relation to a passage of scripture or aspect of the Christian life, we can grow closer to God and to each other.

Our home groups currently take place on Thursday evenings in two locations in the town and new members are always welcome. You won’t be asked to read out loud or share any thoughts if you don’t feel comfortable doing so. You don’t even need to be a Christian to join in. Simply come and listen, and get to know us over supper afterwards. If you would be interested in coming to one, please contact us to find out more.

KidZone Church is aimed at children of primary school age. It takes place on the first Sunday of each month, after the communion service, and for 5 consecutive nights once a term, in our basement hall.

The 45 minute to 1 hour long programme is led from the front, by a combination of leaders and guest speakers, and is designed to be fun, interactive and relevant to an ‘un-churched’ audience.

A typical KidZone Sunday morning programme will incorporate some singing of easy praise choruses (with plenty of actions!), memorising a Bible verse together, listening to an entertaining, but evangelical talk from a capable children’s speaker and a team game or quiz to reinforce what has been taught.

During our weeks of evening meetings, we choose a theme to follow throughout the 5 sessions and base our Bible memory verses, games, crafts and activity sheets around the lesson for each night. The children are also assigned to a team for the week and compete for points for their attendance, behaviour and participation, knowing there will be prizes galore on the final night!

All children who attend KidZone are visited at home, in the week leading up to the next meeting and receive a flyer, showing some of the activities they can look forward to. This consistent approach allows us to build strong relationships with both the children and their parents, who are welcome to come along too!