New to Moot
Getting involved
Moot is a participative community that has a flat leadership structure and a communitarian style of governance. Every Sunday worship service, community or mission event happens on a turn-taking basis; plans for these are made in three-monthly cycles. In other words, there are no shortage of ways to get involved. There is no expectation, however, that new-comers will start to take part on this level immediately. Take the time you need to find your feet, and don’t feel the need to rush into heavy involvement.
At its heart, Moot seeks to encourage participants in its community life to live a healthy pattern of spirituality and action. This is largely to do with the question “How should we live in but not of a busy City like London?” Check out the ROL in the About section of this website. Once every three months, we organise an afternoon tea for new people to ask questions about Moot and its Rhythm of Life and give an opportunity for members of the community to share their experiences. If interested in coming along to one of these email Ian.
Subscribing through the website
If you have not subscribed to the website already, we strongly suggest you do so that you can receive moot e-event information or texts about moot events. Joining also gives you access to parts of the website not accessible to non-subscribers.
Where to start?
After you’ve been coming for a while to Sunday, Tuesday or Wednesday activities, the first thing to do is attend a community council. This is Moot’s main governing body; it meets monthly and is where many decisions are made and plans are hatched. This meeting practices a communitarian approach to decision-making, and is open to all to comment and contribute to.
Patterning healthy spirituality
Moot’s spiritual and social activities facilitate reflection on our rhythm of life, and enable participation in the areas of worship, mission and community. From September 2010, Moot has embarked on a new pattern of events.
Tuesdays now focus on activities for those involved in the community that includes mini-moots, discussions and some form of learning event. Mini-Moots are small gatherings of mooters around London for food, friendship and contemplative prayer. To explore joining or starting a new one of these, email Ian.Tuesday discussions are aimed at exploring some aspect of the Christian faith or practice, and teaching will be to dialogue with some invited speaker.
Wednesdays are now focused on weekly group meditation, socials and the Serum discussion group for those wanting to explore spirituality more generally. Wednesday evenings are therefore a gift that the community offer to people in the local area and London more widely.
Sundays are for worship services, weekly at 6.30pm and once a month additionally at 11am. Once a month families with kids gather for a swim in Ian’s pool at 1oam in Battersea.
Giving regularly and joining the electoral roll
If you consider Moot to be your spiritual home we would encourage you to join our electoral roll and set up regular financial support. Moot is totally dependent on financial giving to meet the costs of all the work of the community. To request a standing order form by email, please e-mail our treasurer, Martin. When you get this, please print it off, complete it and send it to the address on the form and we will process it for you.
It is usual to join the electoral roll of a spiritual community associated with an Anglican Church once you have attended for 6-months. If you have been attending any of the moot events and services for around that time period, please email Fiona our electoral roll officer for her to send you forms so that you can print, complete these and send them back by post.
Joining the electoral roll is important for all communities and churches in the Anglican Church of England, and we would encourage you to become a named participant if you consider Moot to be your spiritual home. Regular financial support is an expectation for all those who are participants of the community and named on the electoral roll. Visit the Giving page for more information.
Getting involved in worship services
Worship services follow a monthly cycle (see below), and focus on the theme decided by the community council. All services and most meetings begin with a time set aside to catch up with one another. Doing a service is a great way to deepen your reflection on the God and your understanding of liturgy; it is also an opportunity to serve the community and participate in its life.
Please contact Peter or Raewyn Thomas if you would like to get involved in a little, big or compline service. Contact Ian Mobsby (ian.mobsby@moot.uk.net) if you would like to help with eucharists, and Carey Radcliffe for scream services.
Contemplative Service
The most straight forward service to get involved in is the contemplative service. It usually happens on the first Sunday of each month, and lasts only about 45 minutes – hence the name. Its running order is structured by a simple liturgy that gives space for meditations, music and thoughts to be added at key points. While possible to do this on your own, it is advisable to find partner.
Big Service
Big services last longer – around 60 minutes, and are undertaken in partnership another Mooter. They follow a Service of the Word, a loosely structured Anglican liturgy that can vary widely each time. Normally people have a go at this once they have been around for a bit, and do it with someone more experienced. Curation is key to the big service, and this requires that the organisers draw in the talents of a wider group. It should not be attempted by two organisers alone. Click here for some advice from the Church of England website.
Eleven O’clock Service
The Eleven O’Clock Service is designed to enable parents with children to participate more easily in the life of the Community. They take place once a month at 11am and are quite informal. Those leading seek to engage both children and parents in worship, and this is often facilitated by some form of spiritual play combined with a liturgy. If you want to get involved, please speak to or email Carey Radcliffe.
Eucharist
Essentially a service of Holy Communion, our eucharist draws on some ancient monastic and Orthodox traditions. It is structured to embody Moot’s communitarian and participative character, and is facilitated by the eucharist working group. If you’re interested in getting involved in this, please speak to or email Ian Mobsby.
Compline
Also known as Night Prayer, compline is a short contemplative service focusing on spiritual peace. It happens on the evening of scream services, after the community council.
Weekends away, parties, community activities
These happen sporadically throughout the year. If you’re interested in helping, come to a community council and let us know.
Joining the blog
Anyone on the electoral roll can join the blog list and contribute items to our community blog. If you’ve been coming along – however regularly, for at least six months, download an electoral roll form from the Giving and Joining page. When registered you will have access to community-only areas of this website, and the blog.