A Warm Hello 

We're glad you're here! This page will give you some helpful information about practicalities and what to expect at our Sunday services.

St Mary’s is a Church of England charismatic evangelical church. Our vision is to see every person and every place saturated with God. We long to see revival and the transformation of our community, as people encounter God and discover the adventure of His kingdom. 

Where and When

We have three Sunday services. 

Holy Communion  - 8:45am
Morning Celebration - Informal service - 10:30am
Contemporary Service - 5pm
 

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Host Team who will help you find your seats. There are hand-washing stations on entry to the building. Please feel free not to wear or to wear face coverings, however you prefer.  Although we no longer need to social distance, we have some seating that is socially distanced if you prefer.  You can also pick up a token to place on the seat next to you which indicates that you would like to be socially distanced.  The Host team will also be able to help you with any questions or concerns you may have about your visit.

NB: There is no dress code at St Mary’s. Come as you are. We are informal. 

Plan your journey: 

Open Google Maps

Our car park is open for use to those using the St Marys grounds.   Public car parks and road-side parking is available in the nearby streets. Loughton Tube Station is only a 7 minute walk away. Just walk up Station Road and turn right when you get to the High Road.  Contact us using the form below for more details on parking. 

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, 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. There are two disabled toilets available on site.

Our Services

Our informal family services begin with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of worship, ordinarily led by our band but due to the current Covid restrictions we are primarily using recorded content. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible-based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

What about my kids?

If you have children with you, they are very welcome among us. At St Mary's church every week the children are signed in before church and parents given a card at the registration desk in the Smith room before the 10:30am service. There are no Ignite groups at the 8:45am service. The children and the youth start in the main service with the rest of the church family.  There are no groups during August while a number of the team are taking holidays. 

• Kindling (Age 0-4yrs) is more than a supervised creche, our team will spend time reading Bible stories, playing worship songs and also providing craft activities for the older children. This group follows current early years government guidelines which includes no social distancing.
• Sparklers (Reception-Year 2) enjoy high energy worship songs, one of the great stories of faith told in an age-appropriate and interactive way, and a chance to respond through play, craft, prayer and creativity. This group follows current early years government guidelines which includes no social distancing.
• Blaze (Years 3-6) spend a good amount of time exploring a Biblical topic or famous Bible character and what we can learn from them. There is also some free time to form friendships, for creative reflection/ expression, as well as having some fun group games. This group has social distancing measures in place in accordance with government guidelines. 

There is also a youth group at the 10:30am service for young people in Years 7-13.

Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

 

Getting Connected

Life 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 small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Life Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a Life 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. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

• Café Hope
• Lunch Club
• Hope Suppers
• Job Club

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.

 

Leadership 

Malcolm Macdonald
Lead Vicar

 

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes