St John's is a Regency Church, funded and built by The Duke of Devonshire from nearby Chatsworth House. It is much used during the annual Buxton music festival, when the BBC Radio Four morning service is often broadcast from the church.
These days a lot of thought is often given to church entrances, sometimes doors have been refurbished in glass to make a porch more appealing and accesible. This is important in a day and age when actually entering a church, for some people, takes a bit of courage. So, it was significant that we had to walk around St John's, doing a full circuit of the building before we found the entrance door.
About just over forty of us gathered and in the notices we heard that nine of us had been identified as 'visitors'. Actually, once inside the building the welcome could not have been warmer.
We were told that this service had been put together by a 'Creative Worship Team' from the church - that meant an alternatiove reading (a poem) had been selected to replace the Old Testament lesson, a lay member of the congregation led the intercessions, the work of a new member of the church, a stained glass window maker, was featured and a new setting of the Sanctus was introduced. As part of this 'Creative Service' were were ushered into the front four rows of chairs rather than spreading out throughout the large nave, and the service concluded with Cheese and Wine. These services, planned by a lay team alongside the vicar, are now scheduled to take place every month when there is a fifth Sunday.
So many parts of the service were done well such as: the sermon on the the theme of Ascension, the beautiful singing from a choir of just six members and the real sense of friendly welcome.
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