Parish congregation at the heart of community

That reflects the church’s wider approach, which ranges from organising well–attended Remembrance Day services, Christmas carol events in conjunction with other churches and more. Firefighters who are members of the congregation turned up with their fire truck at a recent churchyard clean–up to engage with children who were taking part, helping to cement the connections between church and community. The Rev Gunter said: “We are trying to bring people together, to enjoy each other’s company and to be a proper community.

We want to encourage community and to be at the middle of it, I think that is what churches should be.” That includes using the church for school events such as concerts, which help to create an affinity between the church and wider community. “We do a lot with children, and that is building up,” he said.

There is also a commitment to help others, with church members also supporting those less fortunate in society and the church has links to a Middlesbrough food bank, an area where there are more people in need of support, in addition to sending shoebox parcels for distribution to overseas countries where many children are living in poverty.

“People in Stokesley want to show generosity, it is only right that we should help out our neighbours,” the Rev Gunter said.