Getting inside

We have two main doors that lead into the church. One is on Bloor Street, and the other is on Huron, by the corner with Bloor. Neither one is a classic big front door like you see in most churches. That's because when Bloor Street was widened many decades ago, we lost the space for front steps and large front doors.

We also have a wheelchair ramp at the parking lot entrance, which is off Huron. The main level of the sanctuary is wheelchair accessible, and there are wheelchair accessible washrooms in McClure Hall, which is nearby.

The lobby, a.k.a. the Narthex

Once you walk inside, you walk up a few steps to enter a lobby area, called the Narthex. Here you can get a free cup of coffee or glass of water before the service starts. On the outside wall you will see stained glass windows featuring pictures of some of the past ministers who helped establish the church in the 19th century. Most important of all, there are doors to the sanctuary, which is where the church service is held.

As you approach a door to the sanctuary, someone holding bulletins will meet you. These people are called greeters and they are there to welcome you, to answer any questions and to hand you a small booklet called a bulletin. In it you will find a description of the day's church service from start to finish. It's like a program for a play or a Broadway show - it explains who the minister is, who plays music, and what is going to happen every step of the way. The words for the prayers are in the bulletin, as are the names of all the hymns, with references to the page numbers in the hymnbook.

 The Sanctuary

This is where the church service takes place. It has many rows of pews where people sit. It doesn't matter where you sit; take a seat anywhere you like. There is also a balcony if you would prefer to sit there.

Once you take a seat, you will find a few books in a small shelf attached to the pew in front of you. At least one of the books is a red hymnbook called Voices United. This book contains most of the hymns we sing during the service. The bulletin will mention the page number for each hymn. Occasionally, the bulletin will list “MV” before a hymn number, which means that the hymn comes from a book called More Voices, which is also on the shelf. It is a newer hymnbook, and has a soft cover. Lastly, there is usually a copy of the Bible next to the hymnbooks.

As people sit down around you, look up. You will see stained glass windows on all the outer walls. In Bloor Street United, the most spectacular one is on the south-facing wall above where you came in, on the balcony level. If you can't see it from where you are seated, it is worth getting up to take a look at some point. It features Jesus with outstretched arms in the center, surrounded by prophets and ministers and people from all over the world.

Looking straight ahead from your pew, you will see the area where the minister speaks, and the choir sings. This is called the chancel, and is described in more detail here .

 Following the Service and McClure Hall

When the church service is over, most of us file out of a door at the front of the sanctuary on the left hand side. This leads to the large room where we meet for coffee and conversation, McClure Hall. The refreshments are free; there are accessible washrooms, chairs and coat racks. Please know that you are welcome to join us. This is a great place to meet some new people and to ask questions if you are new here. There is even an information table run by the Communications Committee, where you can pick up brochures and ask questions.

You can also leave through the same doors you used to enter the church, by retracing your steps.

The lectern

This is podium on the right hand side of the chancel where the minister speaks at the beginning of the service. Our minister usually delivers the community news from here, and members of the congregation make announcements here. Readings from the Bible take place here, too. There is a microphone so all can hear, no matter where you sit.

The choir loft

This is where the choir sits (click here for more about our music program). At our church, we have a large choir with about twenty singers filling three rows. Aside from when the choir usually processes in from the Narthex at the beginning of the service, this is where they sing. The choir will stand when we sing hymns and everyone is invited to stand, if physically able, and sing together. It's okay to sit and sing if your legs aren't up to standing. In the bulletin you will see some songs marked as 'anthems'. These are songs that only the choir sings, so you don't have to stand up.

 The pulpit

This is also a podium with a microphone, but it is usually only used by the minister for delivering the sermon. At our church, it is on the left hand side, and is raised higher than the lectern. Some ministers don't use their pulpit much, preferring to walk around as they speak, or they deliver their sermons from the lectern.

 The communion table

This is the table where communion is served, once a month or so. At our church, when there will not be communion during the service, the table is to the side of the chancel. If there is communion, the table is set up at the bottom of the steps to the chancel. During communion, people get up out of their seats in the pews and come forward to take a piece of bread, dip it into the grape juice or wine, and then eat it as they walk back to their seat in the pews. Everyone, and we do mean everyone, is welcome to take part.

 The organ

In our church, it is hard to see the organ. The keyboard and the organist are tucked behind the lectern. But if the organ is hard to see, it is not hard to hear. High up behind the walls on each side of the chancel are massive organ pipes. They enable our organ to be very loud as the congregation sings, making a glorious sound. We are lucky at Bloor Street to have highly skilled organists, and students come here to train under scholarships. The organ plays during hymns, and at the very end of the service after the minister has finished, there is usually an organ solo that people stay for.

 The cross

The very front of the sanctuary is home to a giant cross. One of the easiest ways to know that this is a Protestant church is that the figure of Jesus is not on the cross. Our church has an unadorned cross, which reflects the Protestant practice of not creating images of God that might be worshiped in the place of actually worshiping God. The empty cross also reminds us that while Jesus suffered and died on the cross, this is not the whole story. God’s love is transformational – bringing new life out of death.

 The boat

At Bloor Street we have a unique sculpture which hangs above the chancel. It looks like the skeleton of a boat. It is a work of art titled 'High Anxiety'. Most of us just call it the boat. Ships are a familiar symbol of the Christian journey through life, as they always encounter storms as well as good weather. We believe that Christ leads us through all forms of weather, acting as our rudder, keeping us on course, come what may. As a piece of art, there is no one 'right' interpretation.