The 24/7 Church

St Catherine’s Pontypridd has just completed its second twenty-four hour worship event in four months. From lunch time on Saturday October 14th to lunchtime Sunday October 15th, there was constant worship in the church, as church members and others joined together to celebrate the heart of their Christian faith.

Vicar Marcus Green says the vision for the event began last February, when he and a group of parishioners were skiing in Switzerland. “ I heard a sermon in a little church in the alps which made me think about how much worshipping God matters to us; and if it matters, we should do something big to make the point”.

To do it once was remarkable enough – and the event in June was a considerable success; but to follow it up with a second one so quickly must have been risky!”Indeed,” commented church warden David Carver, “but I think the second one was even better – somehow a deeper experience of God.”

The day was split into 24 sections, with something different almost every hour. There was an hour of traditional hymns, and also a rock band leading the worship; there was jazz worship and choral Taize (from France) worship. Artist Cas Smith painted for an hour and drew people in worship as she did so. The Kidz Praise was enthusiastically received. Through the night there was a reading of the book of Revelations interspersed by music from Dan and Kirsty Jones, professional musicians who lead much of St Catherine’s worship. At 6am they even wrote a new song which was then written out for the choir and everyone to learn at the 11am service!

Revd Paul Thompson, vicar of Lisvane, and head of New Wine Cymru, spoke at the main Saturday evening gathering. He challenged everyone to take the day seriously: worship reveals who or what we put first in life. If we say it is God – is it really?

Bishop David Yeoman took the 11am Sunday service, which was also the Pontypridd Confirmation Service. He said that the whole venture was a true inspiration which revealed a church that was gloriously given to worshipping God: “The hymn writer says ‘seven whole days not one in seven I will praise Thee’ – but this is a church which 24/7 is about praise!”