Who We Are

“St Mary’s Church exists to welcome everyone and share the love and life of Christ with all, through our worship, teaching and life together, now and into the future”

St Mary’s Ashwell sits geographically and spiritually at the heart of the life of our village and we are committed through our ministry to relay the Christian message and share the love of Christ through our worship and life together.

We are a welcoming church community and whether you are new to the village, just passing through or a long-standing member of the congregation we hope you will feel very welcome at any of our services and events.

At the heart of the church community is the weekly Sunday morning Parish Communion service at 10.45, while on the first Sunday of the month we have a much more informal family- friendly service “Thank God its Sunday”. Refreshments are served at the back of the church after all these services so there is plenty of opportunity to chat and get to know each other better.

We have a long- standing tradition of high-quality choral music and we very much value the leading of the choir at the Sunday morning Parish Communion service and on special occasions.

Annual Advent and Lent discussion groups provide an opportunity to share and discuss issues of faith with a wider group including people who are not regular member of the congregation and a house group meets fortnightly at homes in the village.

Outreach is really important to us and we are working to expand this area of the church’s mission, building on the work we already do, in supporting the local communities through events, resources and offering local amenities. This support has been especially important during the Covid pandemic, when the church has endeavoured to meet the needs of the community. We have adapted successfully to new arrangements, offering a service both face-to-face and via Zoom. We also set up a Food Pantry to help those in real need.

A whole range of village and charitable events are held in the church throughout the year. Once a year, in September, and with a huge array of local produce and craft, the Horticultural Society in Ashwell transforms St Mary’s, bringing together gardeners, bakers, jam makers and seamstresses from local villages for the annual show. In the spring the church holds its annual Flea market and over the first weekend in October it hosts the annual Book Fair – selling a huge variety of books for all ages. In December it holds the annual Christmas Fair with a range of stalls run both by church members and outsiders. All these events are very popular, bring in the whole of the local community and raise significant funds for the church.

For more than 50 years, St Mary’s church has hosted an annual Music Festival in May – an eclectic mix of music to suit all tastes. Most concerts are sold out. Shared music event with the local schools and St Mary’s junior choir opens the church to a new audience.

Our shared vision is that our church should be, not just at the centre, but also at the heart of the community.

A very warm welcome awaits you at all our services and events