We participate in the mission of God by being planted in our local context and by seeking to understand the needs of our community. We have to start with people where they are, not where we might like them to be.  

As a church family (and usually in partnership with our Methodists brothers and sisters) there are several ways in which we seek to be better connected with our community:

Messy Church and Activity Days

... are all opportunities where we meet with parents and children and witness our faith. We have positions for two Foundation Governors at St Mary’s school giving opportunities to lead assemblies and promote the Christian ethos of the school.

 Media

We have a presence on social media and a website. We write articles for the parish magazine and we deliver leaflets at Easter and Christmas to every household in the village. We witness to our faith in our fundraising for Christian Aid and in the Walk of Witness on Good Friday.

Wedding, baptism and funeral services, the remembrance service and floodlighting

Our wedding, baptism and funeral services, the remembrance service and floodlighting also provide important connections.

Getting Involved

If you would like to get involved in any of our current ways to connect with our community here in Purton, we’d love to hear from you. There are many different roles, with different degrees of experience and time commitment, but all needing enthusiasm and a desire to reach out to people. For all volunteers working with young people there is a recruitment process with DBS checks.

We’d also welcome people with new ideas that will help us to understand the community better. We want to become more aware of the needs of the community. We also want to be able to communicate the Christian message more effectively.

We recognise that our online presence is not as good as it could be, and we’d appreciate advice and help in this area – both on the technical side and on how to communicate well. Is this where your talent lies?

At funerals there are times when a bereaved person may need a compassionate listener.  Are you someone who can recognise that need in another and, remaining quiet about your own situation, just be present for them?