Saint Mary the Virgin is an
Anglican,
Christian Church serving the parish of
Strensall and Towthorpe within the
Deanery of Easingwold which is part of the
Diocese of York in England.
We are here to be at the heart of the whole of our community and offer ourselves as a first point of contact with the Christian Church. We are particularly keen to welcome anybody moving to Strensall.
We are a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds. The one thing we don’t share is a stereotype. We offer a warm welcome to anyone living in our area or just visiting. If we say “we go to church”, to many people that sounds like “we are better people than you”. Hopefully we don’t mean to convey that message – our faith should be making us very much aware of how far short we fall of God’s standards. See the Beliefs page to find out more.
Our Mission Statement is “We are here to worship, praise and thank God through our saviour Jesus Christ. To be ambassadors of Christ’s peace and love in the community”.
The times of our services and other events can be found on the What's On? page. You are particularly welcome if you have never attended a church or haven’t done so for a long time. If you are worried that you might not feel comfortable joining us then take a look at What goes on in church?
Our offer to the community is not only Church Services but also through such activities as Little Fishes for young ones and their carers and our after-school club. Together with the Methodist Church we produce Strensall’s Outreach magazine. We have a very close relationship with Robert Wilkinson Primary School, of which the Vicar, Martin Harrison, is a governor. Many of our children attend Huntington School, which regularly sets project work for students to come and see what we do. We are involved in various campaigns and are a Fair Trade Church.
Our congregation encompasses both those who tend to prefer traditional services and those who prefer more charismatic worship and we have a variety of interpretations of the Christian message. It is a ‘broad church’ (perhaps 'big tent' would be the contemporary expression), drawing its strength from respecting the dignity of difference – emphasising what we have in common, rather than the things on which we differ. We also work alongside those that have opted for other denominations and for none. Some members host and participate in ecumenical Home Fellowships. A large number of people contribute in other ways to the management of the Parish, including as members of the PCC.
During Parish Communion during the school terms, the younger children attend our Sunday Club, where they do activities specially aimed at their age-group, including crafts, games and activities. As with most churches, we offer special services at Easter and Christmas. The Christingle Celebration is particularly popular.