---
title: "Morning Prayer Notes"
description: "Parish of St. Paul, Oldham.  Morning Prayer Notes."
canonical_url: "https://stpaulsoldham.org.uk/prayer-worship/sunday-service/morning-prayer-notes/"
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://stpaulsoldham.org.uk/llms.txt)

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# Minister's Notes: Morning Prayer

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written by Nick (25.07.25)

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## Before the Service

- We may or may not have a choir, but they no longer process in as per the Order of Service.
- Ensure that the altar-lectern is under the credence table.
- **9:30 am** Opening the church by you or others - whoever gets there first.
- Switch on the sound system.
- **Microphones** are on the desk.  Please attach one to you, centrally to your chest if possible.  *Assistant* is for people with quieter voices than *Minister*
- The **Collect** and **Readings** should be on the table in the vestry.  Feel free to take the Collect in, but do make sure the readings are on the Lectern.
- The president usually sits on the right hand presidential chair as you face the congregation,
- If you are playing the music, try to start it so that it finishes at 10:00 am.
- I generally discretely slip in during the music before the service, and prepare myself for the service while the music is playing.

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## During the Service (1)

- **Hymns** Please announce the hymns, and ask people to stand.  They will be played on the TV and through the speaker.
- **Stage Directions** I generally encourage people to follow the stage directions themselves (e.g. sit / standing) rather than have them wait for me to announce them.
- **Sunday School** Please say a short prayer for Sunday School as they leave after the "We have come together as the family of God" prayer.
- The **Psalm** We generally sit for the Psalm.  We use British Sign Language for the signs if there is no Sunday School in the Community Room.

[BSL Dictionary](https://www.signbsl.com/sign/dictionary)

[Christian BSL Dictionary](https://christianbsl.com/)

- The **Gospel** is usually read from the lectern.
- **Sermon:** You are welcome to preach from where you like.  I generally stand at the front.  Others use the lectern.  The pulpit is not normally used. There is a portable lectern available.

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## During the Service (2)

- The **Intercessions** I generally introduce them with one of:

  - "Let us pray for the church and for the world, and let us give thanks for God's goodness"
  - "In peace let us pray"
  - "By the power of the Spirit, and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father." or
  - "We sit or kneel to pray"
- **The Peace** We usually have a static "sign" of peace, which could be waving to each other, or a BSL sign of peace, or anything appropriate for the day.
- **Collection** There is a collection during the hymn before the prayers.
- **The Notices** Auriel will be happy to do the Notices.
- **The Dismissal** Please leave after the dismissal while the "going out music" is played. At St. Paul's, people often remain seated to listen to the music.

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## After the Service

- I generally catch the early leavers at the exit, or just outside, then go in for tea and coffee afterwards, and mingle. . .
- Ensure that the audio system power is turned off - but not the chargers for the microphones.

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## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://stpaulsoldham.org.uk/sitemap.md) for all pages.