9:30 Parade Service; 10:30 Holy communion with Prayers for Healing

9:30
St Peters was opened into a single building for the parade service. I sat in the overflow area, and was soon surrounded. They said arrive early, and 10 minutes before the service I was sitting in church. I would have been earlier, but parking is a problem, and I was 3 or 4 minutes away from the church. The Parade servive is short, about 30 minutes, with 4 hymns and a reduced sermon, it is designed to be child friendly, and really does quite well in achieving that aim. Two guides read the lessons, and some scouts read prayers. The colours were paraded in and out. The sermon was short (10 minutes or less) and aimed at the children. The church was packed with parents come to be with their children at the service.
Then coffee and chat, and only just in time...
10:30
Only a few stayed or arrived for the Communion. This is a spoken service with prayer for healing. A nice quiet service although it did feel a little rushed, after a late start, when the dividers between the church and hall did not close.