At St Mark’s, we celebrate being an ‘open church’.

But what do we mean by ‘open church’?

It’s really simple. We’re a church that is open to everyone, and everyone is welcome because that is what we believe the church is all about. Another way to describe it is family; everyone is part of it. We're a warm and friendly community, ready to welcome you with open arms.

As an open church, we come together as a family, worship as a family, celebrate who we are as a family, and have fun as a family. Our activities are not just about worship but also about joy and fun, making every moment a memorable one.

Being an ‘open church’ has a real impact on the values we share.

One of our key values is we are inclusive of all people.  We try not to draw distinctions between people using measures or barriers that people have invented. These are often barriers and labels that are designed to keep us apart. Instead, we meet everyone as who we are because that’s how Jesus meets us. Jesus meets us and loves us as who we are. You can rest assured that you will be accepted and loved for who you are at St Mark's.

Jesus taught us to ‘love our neighbour as ourselves’, and part of the meaning of this is that we love each other as the people we are. And, we can receive other people's love as who they are.

So what can we expect when we come together as a family?

We really mean coming together as a family. We all worship together, with reflection, prayers, singing, and sharing bread and wine. The younger members of the family have an opportunity to share an activity under the watchful eye of Marcus—our friendly lion—and a team of children’s leaders.

We also share time to chat and drink tea (or coffee). There’s always time for tea at St Mark’s, so definitely more tea, Vicar!

Please come and see how ‘open church’ is at St Mark’s.