The United Reformed Church (URC) is delighted to announce a new date for its 50th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration.
The new date is Saturday 15 April 2023 and the Open Church House event at 86 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RT, will also take place on the same date from 10am-12pm.
From 10am-12 noon at United Reformed Church House at 86 Tavistock Place, London, an Open Church House event will be held, with dozens of activities and crafts related to the jubilee including: a Living Library, our Mersey Synod with LICC/LYCIG, Free-to-Believe, GEAR, the URC History Society and Westminster College Cambridge, a Prayer Labyrinth, an Enquirers’ Conference, Greenbelt, a cafe, Christian Aid, Roots for Churches, Single Friendly Church, The Trussell Trust, an exhibition from the archives, Church Related Community Workers offering activities around Café Church, community work and engagement, many staff teams offering conversations and discussion activities, Fresh Expressions plant-based activities and reflections, badge-making and craft activities, a puppet show, an exhibition of Reform magazine’s 50 years, the URC Bookshop and more.
Between Church House and Methodist Central Hall there is a Walk to Westminster with self-guided tours for all ages.
At Methodist Central Hall Westminster, from 2.30pm, where the Uniting Assembly of the URC took place in October 1972, a service will take place to give thanks and to celebrate the five decades of the United Reformed Church.
A few things to note:
Tickets
If you have a ticket and are able to come to the event, please do nothing – your tickets are still valid. Please bring them on the day. If you would like more tickets, please visit https://bit.ly/urc50 and amend your order.
If you are no longer able to attend, please visit https://bit.ly/urc50 and select “Cancel Order”. This will free up your tickets for others. Alternatively, please email [email protected] and we can cancel the order for you.
Anniversary Choir
If you would like to sing in the Anniversary Choir, you can find out more details and the dates of the rehearsals by visiting https://urc.org.uk/who-we-are/our-50th-anniversary/join-the-50th-anniversary-choir/.
Stewards and enquiries
If you are able to volunteer as a Steward at the service, please email [email protected], which is also the email address for any enquiries relating to the new date.
Following on from the postponement of the original event, due to rail strikes, the team behind the event worked hard to find a new date to celebrate the URC’s 50th.
A revised date, which works for those leading the service and the availability of Methodist Central Hall has not been an easy task. The initial plans for 6 May were scuppered when the new King chose that date for his Coronation!
In an ideal world, a longer gap after Easter would have been preferred, however it is hopeful that as many members and friends of the URC will be able to join in the delayed anniversary celebrations.
For URC 50 resources, songs, and films celebrating the URC over the past 50 years, see https://urc.org.uk/who-we-are/our-50th-anniversary/.
