We welcome those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, gay, confused, really rich, comfortable, or struggling to pay their bills.

We welcome crying babies, excited toddlers, tweens and teens who are convinced that this will be “boooring”. We welcome parents, those who long to be parents and those who are happy they aren’t. We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet.

We welcome you whether you can sing like an angel or are as tuneless as the rest of us. You’re welcome here if you are “just visiting”, “just woken up”, or just got out of prison. We welcome you if you’re having problems, feeling fed-up or are only here because you are looking to get married or have your child baptised here.

We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now or had religion shoved down their throat as kids. We welcome seekers, doubters, atheists, agnostics and the ‘spiritual but not religious’. We don’t care if you’re more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury, haven’t been to church since you went with school or have never been.

You are welcome here for God welcomes all of us: whoever we are, wherever we’re from, whatever we’ve done.

The parish of Stockton Christchurch is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Durham’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.