Join a Team

Church Porch

There are many areas that we would love you to get involved in, within the life of St Stephen's. Here is a list of areas where we currently have opportunities to serve.

Welcome Team
Be part of our friendly and welcoming team at St Stephens. Our Welcome Team work together in pairs around once per month or as often as you would like, to welcome people into to church (making sure they have everything they need) at our 10.00am service each Sunday and also at other special services. We are currently seeking new team members, so if you feel this is something you would like to get involved in or to just try out, please speak to one of our Church Wardens or email Michelle Walsh at: mwalsh.ststephens@outlook.com.

Church Choir
Our Choir contributes to worship by offering prayers through music and leading the singing during services.
We are a mixed male and female choir and hold regular practice sessions. If you would like more information, please contact, Kath Thurgood at: thurgat@aol.com.

ECO Church
We have a small team of ECO champions who are helping us to live, work and worship in a more environmentally friendly way. We currently have the A Rocha Bronze Award and are working towards the Silver Award. If you're passionate about the environment and would like to get involved please contact Michelle Walsh

Pastoral Support
Pastoral Visitors are a team of parishioners who visit individuals and groups, usually in their homes, to offer a listening ear, or to administer Holy Communion or simply to sit and pray. If this is something you feel you would like to get involved in, please contact Rev. Lindsey Coulthard

Open Church
Our Church is open to all every Thursday & Saturday 10.30-12.30. If you would like to help support by making refreshments or chatting to those who drop in, please contact Sue Gething at: suegething@hotmail.com

Little Stars
A parent/grandparent/carer and baby toddler group. We meet on Thursday afternoons 1.30pm - 3.00pm (Term Time only) for free play, craft, singing and refreshments. Great to meet other parents & grandparents. New volunteers to help run the group are very welcome. Please contact Michelle Walsh

Bell Ringers
We have a ring of 8 bells in the church tower which were installed in 2013. We are an enthusiastic team of bell ringers and practice on Thursday evenings. New members are very welcome. Please contact our Tower Captain; Beryl Thorp at: berylthorp@gmail.com

If you would like to get involved in any of these areas or have another question about getting more involved in the church, please contact the church office.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning and we hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Where and When
We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our main Sunday Service which starts at 10:00am. When you arrive, you'll be greeted by members of our Welcome Team, identifiable by their red lanyards, who will greet you at the door. Please feel free to sit anywhere you feel comfortable.

For your first visit we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space. The hardstanding spaces in the churchyard usually fill quite quickly, so do feel free to park sensibly on the grass provided it is dry underfoot.

Refreshments are always served after the service and we do encourage you to stay but only if you feel able to; it's a great way to meet people and perhaps take a closer look around the church.

Accessibility
There is wheelchair access through the main door, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up.

Our Service
The main service begins at 10am with a welcome and notices given by the Priest in Charge. We also celebrate birthdays and special anniversaries - but you don't have to tell us when yours is!

During the first hymn, the clergy and choir usually process in with the Book of Gospels held aloft to signify it's importance.
We sing a mix of traditional and contemporary hymns and hear readings from the bible before a reflection is delivered by a member of the clergy team. This usually offers a way in to the readings, their meanings for us today and how we might apply them to our own lives and contexts.

Prayers are lead on behalf of all the people by a member of the congregation before we share God's peace. We do this by shaking hands with those around around us, in readiness to receive communion (the bread and wine). Some prefer to smile, wave or use sign language - it's entirely up to you.

Everyone is welcome to come forward and receive the bread and wine; or you may just prefer to receive a blessing. If this is your wish, bring your service booklet to the front with you or bow your head as you approach the priest. If you're unable to move to the front of church but would like to receive communion, just let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and it will be administered to you in your seat.

What about children?

Children are most welcome at any of our services; please don't worry about the noise. We have a newly reorganised children and young persons space with comfortable seating for grown ups, carers and breast feeding mums, and plenty of toys, books and activity sheets to keep little ones occupied.

If you have children or care for children you might also be interested to know about the following:

Sunday Stars (aimed at pre-schoolers)
An interactive service for pre-schoolers and their families held in the church hall (Bishop Allenby Hall) on the fourth Sunday of each month from 9.00-9.30am with coffee and croissants on arrival and breakfast for the little ones.

Connect Service
A more relaxed and informal Service of the Word, suitable for all and any ages on the first Sunday of each month at 10.00am.

Little Stars Stay and Play Baby and Toddler Group
A weekly toddler group with refreshments which runs every Thursday during term time from 1.30-3.00pm.
All are welcome to attend.

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Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our home groups allows you to make new friends, share together in a safe space and support each other as you grow in faith. We have a couple of groups that meet throughout the week, one meets on Monday evening and the other meets on Friday afternoon. See our Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a home group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Parish Priest


Reverend Lindsey Coulthard
Priest in Charge Associate Priest Claines and St George's Churches Chaplain to 187 Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets