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Minister takes a new approach to services

An Aberdeen minister is taking a radical new approach with a later, more informal form of Sunday holy communion service. The Rev Max Paterson wants to tempt a new audience to the Saint James The Less over coffee at 12.30pm.

The little-known church is still carrying on with its traditional 10.30am Sunday morning service for its regular Scottish Episcopal Church flock.

The new service is aimed at people who prize their lie-ins or have little to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Mr Paterson, 70, said: "For many people, Sunday morning is a time when they do not have to face the dreaded time deadlines of the rest of the week. Students, young people, people with families, like to get up later on a Sunday and have time for each other.

"That's valuable family time and as a church, we should recognise this in the timing and format of our services. We're trying to adapt to a changing lifestyle.

"The traditional church-goers will go to the Sunday morning service and I'm interested in attracting a new group of people who might come along at a different time of day and do something different."

The church is in a prime city-centre position at Holburn junction, but hardly anyone knows where it is.

Mr Paterson said: "I collapsed at the altar in December and the ambulance could not find the church.

"I want to make people know there is a church here and know they are welcome."

Full story at the Aberdeen Press & Journal.