Henrik Jorgensen, Dean of Students at Newbold College (England) was on a stop-over in Copenhagen – and when walking past the Cathedral was invited by a street poster to their Night Church. There are a variety of evening services – but Henrik slipped into the Sunday evening ‘ssshh-church’. He says, “I went in and it was just quiet and you were encouraged to be quiet and respect the silence. You could pray, read, light a candle etc. And I was surprised that in the time I was there (approx.10pm) 20-30 (mostly young) people came and went. Just being there and being with God was so refreshing.” Henrik shared the idea with others at Newbold – and the idea of Quiet Church was born.    

As people arrive for the first Quiet Church (on a Wednesday evening) they were given a sheet giving some ideas on how people relate to Quiet Church (see Handout below). Bibles and prayer books were available. Inside there was a space where people could write their prayers. 20-30 staff, students and community members came and went between 8.00 and 10.30 pm – in total silence. “Not a word was uttered,” writes Henrik. “Yet all were blessed and had experienced in their own way the presence of God.” Henrik says, “There has already been requests for having quiet church more often than the once a month we have initially planned.” It could be that such a service could be an alternative to the other ‘noisy’ services we have – and would prove to be significant for postmoderns. Henrik says, “The aim of Quiet Church is to provide a peaceful space where people can be with God.” 

Handout:

Quiet Church: Let God be God! 

The most important elements of Quiet Church are silence and prayer. Quiet Church is a chance to –

• reflect
• read silently
• pray
• listen to God
• ‘be’ with God
• grieve
• experience healing 

SILENCE

• ‘Be still, and know that I am God! Psalms 46.10
• In silence we may hear the voice of God which is so often drowned out by the noise of other activities and other people.
• We may know the presence of a loving God. ‘I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother.’ Ps 131
• We may come face to face with ourselves. ‘What will you gain if you own the whole world but destroy yourself?’ Matt 16:26 

PRAYER

• Prayer is silence in use. Prayer is an authentic conversation between you and God, where you may express your thoughts and feelings and especially where you listen for God’s response.
• You may use the opportunity to say your prayers in silence or write them down.
• Some people, for whom prayer is difficult, find it helpful to read other people’s prayers and thoughts. If that is you, you may want to use the books provided.
• Prayer does not always need words. We may just want to sit silently with God as with a beloved friend.
• Some people may want to light a candle as a symbol of something important to them.

MOVING AROUND

• Please enter, and fell free to move around and leave quietly in your own time.
• If you have any questions about Quiet Church please feel free to ask …