We hope you find everything you are looking for in our website and that you get the impression of a warm and welcoming church because that is what St Stephen's Church is known as!

It can be difficult to make that first step into a church building, especially if it is your first time in a church, or you are coming back to church after a long time. If you would find it helpful to meet up during the week, one of the team will be happy to show you around the building, so it is less daunting when you do come on a Sunday. Of course church is really the people and not the building and we have lots of things happening during the week. We run the Alpha Course for those who want to explore faith in an informal and non-threatening context and where no question is a 'silly question'. We also have small groups which meet during the week to read the Bible and consider its application in our daily lives and support one another. There is also a Toddlers Group, a Lunch Club and a Food Market held in the church car park. More recently we have started a service in the chapel in County Hall and are active with other groups in our local community.

The parish is a great place to live and is known as the most culturally diverse parish in the Diocese of Blackburn. It is great to live alongside people of other faiths and here at St Stephen's we are keen to build friendships and share what we have in common and discuss where our differences are. One of these groups in the Holy Book Club where women from the local church and from the mosque meet to talk about one of the many prophets we share and see what our holy scriptures have in common and where there are differences.

We are blessed to be a church family made up of people from all ages and cultural backgrounds. On Sunday we have groups for children and young people and on a Tuesday evening we run our Youth group. We have a very strong link with our church school and our Open the Book Team/ staff team lead a weekly assembly.

So please do get in touch with us if you want to know more, check us out on our YouTube channel or just turn up for a Sunday service. You will find a warm welcome, a community that cares and supports each other and one that seeks to know more of what it means to follow Jesus.

Dave

Rev Dave Hanson
Vicar Preston St Stephen

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday.

Where and When do we meet?

We meet at the Church Building on Bird Street (off Broadgate PR1 8DY) for our Sunday Services at 10.30am and 6pm. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10 minutes early to ensure you find somewhere to sit before the service begins.

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. We also have a fully accessible toilet.

What Should I Expect?

You will receive a very warm welcome particularly from our Welcome Team who will be able to answer your questions and direct you to where you need to go. We sing, read a passage from God's Word, the Bible, and church members lead a time of prayer. We have a talk based on the passage that was read to deepen our knowledge and love of God and to understand how we are to live as His people. There are opportunities for prayer at the end of the service with someone from our Pastoral Team.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are served after the service where there is plenty of time to meet new people and ask more questions.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a creche upstairs with a live link to the service so you can still feel part of it. There is a fantastic Junior Church for those children aged 3–10, and a Pathfinder group for school years 6 to 9. Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a church family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

For more information about what happens in the children's work please visit the page on Youth and Children's Ministry under "Church Life".

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Is there a dress code?

We don't all dress up for church, although some choose to look smart and others dress less formally. It's always great to see people wearing national dress from various parts of the world. However, we do like to dress with a degree of modesty

Will I have to join in?

Not at all!
You are free to simply observe or participate as much as feels comfortable for you.

What is Christianity?

You can read more about who Jesus is, why he came and what that means for us here.

I have more questions, how can I get in touch and ask them?

Please feel free to contact us.

Getting Connected

Growth 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 Growth 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 daytime and some evenings. Check out our Growth Groups page for more info. If you would like to join a group we can put you in touch with one of the leaders, who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

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


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

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

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)