The church is a United Reformed Church congregation (see the national web-site www.urc.org.uk for more information on the United Reformed Church). The church began in the mid-nineteenth century at a time of Congregationalist revival. It is now a lively, thriving, multi-ethnic, all-age congregation with people coming from a variety of traditional and new church backgrounds. The countries represented include Ghana, Nigeria, Angola and Australia. The majority of the congregation are either children or young people, or adults of a working age. People’s work includes teaching, nursery nurses, video-making, school assistants, Quaker Peace and Justice, Church Urban Fund, journalism, Parliamentary service, social work and much else.

We meet in the Old School Rooms next to the Round Chapel (on the corner of Powerscroft Rd).

At 10.45 on a Sunday morning, the church gathers for music and singing, as a prelude to the service which begins at 11am. The singing includes contemporary and traditional music led by an informal group of acoustic musicians. Singer/song-writer Rod Boucher contributes new music and songs to the church on a regular basis. The service concludes somewhere between 12pm and 12.30pm with sharing of news and is followed by refreshments.

There is a range of worship:

1^st Sunday of the month: Holy Communion, led by the minister, Revd Elizabeth Welch

2^nd Sunday of the month: all-age Family Service, led by a member of the congregation

3^rd Sunday of the month: service of the Word, led by Revd Elizabeth Welch

4^th Sunday of the month: service of the Word, led by a member of the congregation or a visiting preacher

On the 1^st, 3^rd and 4^th Sundays there is a crèche and Sunday school.

The minister is the Revd Elizabeth Welch, previously Moderator of the West Midlands Synod of the United Reformed Church. She serves the church half-time and is undertaking further research at Kings College, London, into the Holy Spirit and worship for the other half of her time. Please phone 020 8533 9676 or email info@theroundchapel.org.uk for more information about her working weeks and how to contact her.

During the week there is a range of activities in the building, including a community nursery, under-fives groups, a Social Services project and a group for excluded young people.

We hold morning prayers at 8–8.30am every Wednesday morning. We also provide the peace place on Wednesday afternoons at 5.30pm. A time for silence and reflection. All are welcome.

On the last Thursday of each month we host a community meal – a chance for members of the local community to drop in and share a home-cooked meal.

The church also has a variety of groups, including weekly prayer/eating groups in people’s homes, Women’s Own which meets monthly in different homes, and a ‘bible book club’.

Community House

Part of the church’s contribution to the local community is to run a Community House, providing low-cost accommodation for Christians who have made a commitment to live in the area