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| 2591: Ichthus
Forest Hill Church, London |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Sipech.
The church:
Ichthus
Forest Hill Church, London.
Denomination:
Ichthus
Christian Fellowship.
The building:
The church meets at the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church, a German
Lutheran church that was destroyed during World War II but rebuilt
and reconsecrated in 1958-59. The building is a memorial to
German-born theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lived and preached
in the area for a short time, and who was executed by the Nazis
in 1945. The building is a fairly small one, rounded at one
end, with some modern stained glass windows.
The church:
This was the original Ichthus church, established in 1974, by
Roger and Faith Forster. After growing from 14 to around 400
people, they set up other churches around London and the south-east.
They now have over 100 churches in the rest of the UK and Europe.
The church also runs an after-school club for local primary
school pupils, and they hand out hot chocolate to the school
children on their way home on Friday afternoons. Once a month
they do "Saturday Church on the Street," when they
(quoting from their website) "get out onto the streets
of Forest Hill and connect with people." There is more,
but view the website for details.
The neighbourhood:
Forest Hill is part of the London borough of Lewisham, situated
between Dulwich to the north-west and Sydenham to the south.
It’s rather a misnomer, as there is not a forest to be seen,
and the description of "hill" is pushing the boundaries
of plausibility. It does, however, host the Horniman Museum
and Gardens, a lesser known museum in London but well worth
a visit if you’re in the area.
The cast: The service was led by Debbie Laycock, who also leads the church. The sermon was given by Roger Forster.
The date & time:
1 September 2013, 10.45am.
What was the name of the service?
Sunday Morning Meeting.
How full was the building?
I think every pew was occupied, though there was no need for people to squeeze up. At a quick count, there were about 50-60 people present.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes. I was greeted on the door and given a leaflet. Once I had
sat down, several people came over to welcome me and have a
quick chat.
Was your pew comfortable?
No. It was fairly plain wood, with cushions in short supply
and seemingly only available to the older members of the congregation.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Quite chatty. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, with me
standing out a bit as the new face.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
I didn’t quite catch them, as someone was talking to me, but
I think it was "Good morning, all."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
There were no books used. All songs were projected onto a screen
at the front of the church. All readings were taken from The
Holy Bible, New International Version.
What musical instruments were played?
A semi-acoustic guitar, an electric mandolin, and a small sort
of bongo-type drum that one young chap played with his hands,
though I couldn’t quite see precisely what sort of drum it was.
Did anything distract you?
Quite a lot. Some members of the congregation shook maracas
as they joined in the worship, though their timing wasn’t always
spot-on. There were some little bells coming from somewhere
over to my right, but I couldn’t see precisely who was using
them. There were also frequent gremlins in the technology, with
microphones failing and the video projector having to be turned
on its side at one point.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
I’d describe it as modern hymns, with more than one by the Northern
Irish songwriter Robin Mark. There was nothing over the top,
but those used to a more conservative Anglo-Catholic style of
worship would probably describe it as happy clappy.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
39 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 – In spite of suffering a little from asthma, Roger spoke
very well, referring to his notes only once or twice. He didn’t
stand right at the very front, but came part way down the central
aisle, so anyone in the third row or further forward would need
to turn their heads. His sermon was well-researched and very
challenging, but delivered with gentleness, grace and a touch
of humour.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Anointing. This was the start of a series on 1 Samuel, focusing
here on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (the Lord sends Samuel to Bethlehem).
Samuel is the figure through whom the old kingdom came about,
foreshadowing the New Testament notion of the kingdom of God.
Parallels were drawn between the anointing of David and Jesus.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
Mid-way through the service, we were shown a video of two the members of the congregation getting baptised at a recent event called Revive, including their testimonies, which was lovely to hear.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Very little. If I had to say anything, it would have to be that
the two young girls sitting next to me were munching on sweets
throughout the service, which made me rather jealous.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I chatted for some time with Roger, as it turned out that we
knew quite a lot of the same people from previous churches I
had been to. We talked about the history of the charismatic
movement and modern evangelicalism. I was invited back for lunch,
but had to decline due to other plans.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Passable. It was served in a paper cup, which is never to my
taste, but the quality of the coffee within was quite good,
and it wasn’t searingly hot. I'm not sure if there were any
biscuits, as I arrived at the table a little late. There were
some empty plates showing evidence of having hosted some grapes.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
9 – There was a great mix here of heart-felt worship, challenging
teaching, and a real sense of community. I may well return.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes. There was something here for everyone, whether a life-long churchgoer or someone who’s never set foot in a church before.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The sermon, which has given me much food for thought in thinking
about the nature of God, in particular the attribute of immutability. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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