Asked in the porch
Questions
The things people ask at the door, and a few they only ask once they trust you enough to.
Do I have to be a member to use the hall?
No. Twenty-two groups use this building and most of them have nothing to do with the church. You book it, you pay the rate, you get the key.
What does it cost to hire?
Per hour: main hall $2,400, upper room $1,200, kitchen $900, yard court $800, with a two-hour minimum and a $5,000 deposit returned after we have seen the room. A group that serves people in this parish for nothing pays nothing — ask, and say what you do.
I have not been to church in twenty years. Will someone single me out?
No. Nobody is asked to stand, introduce themselves or come to the front. You can sit at the back, leave early, and come back the week after with nothing said.
What do I wear?
At eight o'clock most people are dressed up because they always have been. At half ten most are not. Neither service cares.
What happens with my children?
At the half ten they stay in for twenty minutes and then go to the upper room with two vetted volunteers and a register. You get a numbered tag at the door and nobody else can collect them with it. Keep them with you if you would rather; noise is not a problem here.
How long is the service?
The eight o'clock is seventy-five minutes. The half ten is ninety. We finish when we say we will.
Can I get married here?
Yes, and you do not have to be a member, but we will ask you both to come to four evenings with the minister first. The building is free; the marriage officer's fee is not.
Where does the money go?
On this site, itemised, every quarter — building, help given out, two part-time wages and the music. The accounts are read at the members' meeting in July and pinned inside the porch.
Is there parking?
Eleven spaces in the yard and the rest on the road. The yard is kept for people who cannot walk far, and someone will be standing there on a Sunday to say so.