Mary Rolls has been a Multiply minister based at St Mary’s Church, Thirsk, since April 2019, working to reach out to local people in their 20s, 30s and 40s and beginning to establish a new worshipping community there.

She’s getting out and meeting people, but she’s making things happen too: “I’m hoping to build successively on events, so we did an ‘Easter egg bombing’ on Easter Sunday, leaving chocolate eggs on doorsteps with an Easter story and kids’ booklet.

“Then during Thy Kingdom Come (the now-annual wave of prayer in the ten days from Ascension to Pentecost each spring) we knocked on doors with prayer request cards, another kids’ activity sheet and a letter from the church to say we were praying for neighbours and to let us know if we could pray for any specifics.”

The latest event, a ‘Paddocks Party’ on a Saturday at the end of summer, was mainly to gather people, build relationships and get neighbours interacting at ‘The Paddocks’, a group of newish houses off Station Road, explains Mary.

“We had a barbecue, the Thirsk First Responders came with the CPR dummies to try, face painting, knockout goal competition and a three legged race!”

The day was co-sponsored by the parishes of Thirsk and nearby Sowerby, and about 100 people came out to enjoy the fun and the sunshine.“

People fed back that it had been great to get out and meet neighbours,” said Mary.

“There was an encouraging story from it too - I was stressing about the money after realising in the week running up that I was a whole £17 over budget… having a bit of a conflict, with it being the first event I’ve done here, that the PCCs might be bothered about this… anyway, then an anonymous £50 donation came through our door. God really does provide!”

So where next?

“We’ve had a few mums asking us to do something again at Halloween (I’m thinking and praying about this), and this could potentially lead into an All Souls’ sanctuary space, and definitely Christmas carols.

“So hopefully there’s lots coming up to keep building relationships and keep gathering trust…. Not a worshipping community yet, but contacts are being made and trust is being built - God willing.”