The formal bit:
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. 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”.
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 offer a warm welcome to anyone living in our area or just visiting and are particularly keen to offer a welcome to anybody moving to Strensall - if you are, please contact us at the Information Desk and we will drop a 'welcome pack' containing useful information for residents through your door).
We have a very mixed congregation with a wide range ages and backgrounds. The one thing we don’t share is a stereotype. It is a 'broad church' and some prefer traditional services and some provide more 'charismatic' worship.
The basic service pattern can be found on our Services page. However, there are often exceptions to this so it is best to rely 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 the Parish Magazine, Outreach. 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.
Some members host and participate in our Church cells.
A large number of people contribute in other ways to the management and support of the Parish, including as members of the PCC.
Children are welcome at any service but particular provision is made at the Together service.
As with most churches, we offer special services at Easter and Christmas. The Christingle Celebration is particularly popular.