More than a place

I’ve attended St Mary’s Church in Stebbing for nearly 50 years, and I can honestly say it has been one of the great blessings in my life.

Over the decades I’ve seen changes—new faces, different vicars, even renovations—but one truth has remained constant: the church is not the building, it’s the people.

St Mary’s isn’t just where I go on Sundays. It’s where I have celebrated (my daughter’s wedding), grieved (my husband’s funeral), grown, and found strength.

It’s where hands reach out when you are struggling. Where voices lift in song and prayer. Where love is lived, not just preached.

The heart of the church has always been its people—those who show up, support each other, and make faith something you feel, not just believe.

St Mary’s is home—not because of the place, but because of the people who fill it.