The first few Sundays of our experiment with an earlier evensong (4.30 instead of 6pm) have been quite encouraging, but the change of time also gives us an opportunity to reflect on what else might be done to attract more people to a service which is less well attended than it was a few years ago. Are there changes we should make to the format of the service as well as its time? How can we publicise more effectively the very high standard of what is on offer, particularly in respect of the music? Are we content with sermons based mainly on the seasonal lectionary, or would people like a more structured series? Would it be attractive to have a link, perhaps once a term, to the theme under study in the Hampstead Christian Study Centre? Should we look for more variety in preachers, either from outside the parish, or from our own lay resources?
With a view to exploring these and other ideas, there will be a brainstorming session, chaired by Father Stephen, over a glass of wine in the crypt room after evensong on Sunday 4 February. Do come along and share your thoughts with us. Our evensong is a precious resource, and we want to make the most of it.
Changes to Choral Evensong
Handley Stevens