Your First Visit

Here at Elim, we want to make it easy for you to get to church and enjoyable when you arrive!

We know that coming to church for the first time can bring up some questions like ‘What should I wear?’ and ‘What should I expect in church?’, so here is a quick guide to your first visit:

1. Choose a service

We recommend that you come to one of our Sunday morning services at 9:30am or 11.15am. Here the whole church meets together for celebration and we have our full children’s programmes in place. If you can’t make Sunday morning we also have an evening celebration service at 6.00pm, which features the Mettle youth programme for young people aged 14-18.

2. What to wear!

Some people dress smart whilst many dress very casually, so you probably won’t feel out of place whatever you’re wearing – just as long as you’re comfortable.

3. Plan your journey

Aim to get to church 15 minutes before the service starts – it’ll give you time to find a seat and relax! We’re located at the top of Heaton Road, near Shields Road. Whether you’re coming by car, bus, metro or even on foot click here for location details.

4. If you have children… 

During the 11.15am service we run our ACTIV8 programme for children in school years 1-6 (apart from during Family Services). Make sure you drop them off at The Ark (our youth and community building), which is directly across the road from the main church building. They’ll be looked after in a lively and fun environment.

For children of nursery school age we have a creative crèche during the second half of the service, and if you have very young children you’re welcome to use our Parent & Baby room throughout the service – located next to the Foyer, it’s a comfortable place to change and feed your baby whilst being able to see and hear what’s going on in the main auditorium. Click here for full details of our children and youth provision.

5. What to expect

Our Welcome Team at the door are there to help you! You’ll receive a copy of our weekly newsletter along with a Connections Card that you can use to request information, prayer and other things. We even have a special welcome pack ready for guests who complete this card!

Choose wherever you feel most comfortable to sit. If you’re a wheelchair user then our Welcome Team will help you find the best place in the auditorium for you.

During the service you’ll enjoy upbeat music and practical teaching from the Bible that you’ll be able to use during the week. It may be a little different to what you expect from a church service, especially if you’re used to a traditional or formal style, but don’t worry. Even if it’s been a long time since you’ve been to church or if you’ve never been to church before, we have you in mind.

6. After the service

The 9:30 service finishes around 10:45 and the 11.15am service finishes around 12.30pm. Many people mill around church for a while afterwards, chatting and catching up on things, so there’s no pressure to rush away. If your children went to ACTIV8 during the 11:15am service remember to pick them up!

We know that there can be lots to think about when visiting a church for the first time, so we hope this encourages you to join us on Sunday and, more importantly, helps you to discover the amazing things God has planned for your life!