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A typical Sunday gathering lasts about 80 minutes and is led from the front by our friendly host. Their job is to let you know this week's programme and help you be able to navigate comfortably through it, explaining everything you need to know as we go along. There will be congregational songs - a mix of contemporary and more traditional words led by skilled musicians from our team and our church. There is a supervised creche and programme for children aged up to about 10 available if you like. There's an opportunity to ask questions - anonymously if you wish - and to get a response. After the gathering there's free coffee and home baking and a chance to chat informally with others if you would like - many people stay for quite a while.

You don't need to join in with anything you're not comfortable with and you're welcome to just come, sit at the back, and watch quietly.

We currently have two gatherings each Sunday, both with the same content, just different people. Our first gathering at 10:30am tends to be a bit larger and louder. Our second gathering at 3:00pm tends to be a bit smaller and quieter - choose whichever suits you better.

Come along a few minutes early to get settled before we start if you can - there's free coffee and friendly people to chat with. But don’t worry if you’re late! Our door is always open, and we’ll help you find a seat.

It's free-seating so sit anywhere! If you’re unsure, one of our Welcomers will help you find a space. 

It's such a big step to walk into a new place. We make a big effort to welcome everyone so expect a "hello" from our team as you arrive. If you stay for coffee and cake after the gathering, any of our regulars will be happy to chat. You are welcome to speak to those who have been leading, too.

We have many young families in our congregation so the happy sounds of children are always part of our gatherings. Our creche room is open from the start of church and you are welcome to use that. There is also a room set aside for parents with infants to watch via video relay if that's helpful to you, and a quieter space with a relay if the main room gets too much. Most Sundays, we have a creche and a programme for kids up to about age 10 which begins after our songs.

Definitely! Most weeks we give everyone the opportunity to share prayer requests with the whole church through our online tool - anonymously if you like. In fact, you can share prayer requests any time through the week - and pray for others' requests too - just visit hopecityedinburgh.org/pray.

If you'd like personal prayer, any of our team members would be pleased to pray with you in confidence and if you're with us online, there's a button to request private prayer.

There is no dress code - please wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. We gather people from many different cultures and you'll see people choosing to dress differently to one another. You don't need to worry about standing out and absolutely everyone is welcome.

You're welcome to join in as much or as little as you like and we'll try to make sure you don't feel uncomfortable either way. Most weeks we will sing songs, pray together, hear teaching from the Bible, discuss what we've heard with one another, and ask and answer questions. Sometimes there'll be other things too such as sharing bread and wine to remember Jesus' death and resurrection. You always have the option to just watch and listen to what's going on rather than joining in.

You don't have to have it all sorted to come and be a part of church - we often don't feel like we have it all sorted either! We love to welcome people exploring faith and want to help you on your journey. Have questions? Each Sunday gathering has a specific opportunity to ask them - anonymously if you like - and to get a response. We also have a range of free books in the entry hall that might be useful - please help yourself. If you'd like to talk to someone one-to-one just drop us a note through the contact form and we'll get that set up.

That's exciting! Why not start by downloading our app where you will find absolutely everything Hope City?

If you feel like you're ready to dive right in, we'd be excited to help you with that. To get started, fill out our quick and simple connect form.