Across the Diocese of York, people are living Christ’s story in many different ways. From discovering faith and welcoming newcomers to supporting neighbours and trying something new, these stories show the difference our churches are making in their communities.
We want to help you share them.
You don’t need to be a confident writer or have a finished article. A few sentences, some photographs, or a quick conversation is enough to get started. Our Communications Team can help you tell your story.
Have a story to share? Email comms@yorkdiocese.org, send us a WhatsApp message, or call us. You’ll find all the details below.
Storytelling Guide for Parishes
Parish Story Capture Sheet
Why storytelling matters
Stories help people see what faith looks like in everyday life. They show how churches are making a difference, often in ways that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Jesus often used stories to help people understand his teaching. Sharing our own stories helps us show what it means to live Christ’s story today.
Good stories can help people outside the Church understand what happens in their local parish. They can also encourage other churches, spark new ideas, celebrate achievements, and help us learn from one another.
And they don’t need to be extraordinary. Sometimes the smallest moments tell us the most.
What makes a good story?
A good story is about people, what happened, and why it matters.
It might be about someone discovering faith, a church supporting its community, an unexpected friendship, or an idea that has brought people together.
The most useful stories usually include:
- People: Who was involved?
- Something that happened: What did you do, or what changed?
- A difference: What impact did it have?
- A personal perspective: What did someone say, feel, or learn?
- A connection to faith: How does it show your church living Christ’s story?
- A next step: How could someone find out more or get involved?
A photograph, short video, or quote can help bring your story to life, but you don’t need any of these to contact us.
Don’t worry about making your story sound impressive. We’re interested in the real experiences of people and communities, including things you’ve tried, lessons you’ve learned, and challenges you’ve faced.
How to tell your story
If you’re not sure where to start, try answering three simple questions.
| Before | What changed? | What happened next? |
|---|---|---|
| What was happening? | What did you try or do differently? | What difference did it make? |
| What need did you notice? | How did people respond? | What did you learn? |
You don’t have to answer every question. These are just prompts to help you think about what makes your story interesting.
You can also download our Parish Story Capture Sheet and use it to collect the information before contacting us.
How to share your story
You can contact us in whichever way works best for you.
Send an email
Email comms@yorkdiocese.org with the subject Story submission: [Your parish or deanery].
Tell us what happened and why you’d like to share it. Around 100–200 words is helpful, but a few bullet points are absolutely fine. You can also use our Story Capture Sheet.
If you have photographs, video, or a quote from someone involved, let us know. Please also tell us whether those featured have agreed to their story being shared.
Send a WhatsApp message
Send a message or voice note to Laura on 07354 996 052.
This can be a useful way to tell us about something you’ve seen or experienced without having to write it down.
Give us a call
Call Laura on 01904 699530 or Lou on 01904 699531.
We’re happy to talk through your idea and help you work out how best to share it.
Sending photographs and video
Where possible, send us the original photographs or video files so we have the best quality available.
If the files are too large to email, contact us and we’ll help you find a suitable way to transfer them. Please don’t send sensitive personal information or material involving safeguarding concerns through ordinary file-sharing services.
What happens after you contact us?
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can, although this may not always be straight away.
We may ask you a few more questions, arrange an interview, or help you develop what you’ve sent into an article, social media post, or video.
Before publication, we’ll discuss where the story might appear and make sure the people involved understand what is being shared. We’ll also check any permissions needed.
Sometimes we may save a story for a future theme or campaign. We’ll explain this if it’s the case, and keep you updated about our plans.
We can’t promise to publish every story, but we’re always interested in hearing what’s happening across the diocese.
How we use your stories
We share stories in different ways to help people discover what’s happening in our churches.
These might include:
- Articles on the diocesan website and in our email bulletins, The Journal and The Briefing.
- Photographs, videos, and posts on social media.
- Press releases and interviews with local media.
- Printed materials, training resources, conferences, and events.
- Sharing stories with the wider Church of England.
Sharing your story is always your choice.
We’ll discuss what you’re comfortable sharing, how your story might be told, and where it could appear. You can say no or change your mind, and we’ll respect your wishes.
If you change your mind after publication, contact us. We can remove material from our own channels where we control it, although we may not be able to remove copies that others have already shared or downloaded.
We want to represent people’s experiences accurately and sensitively. No one should feel pressured to share more than they are comfortable with.
Every voice matters
The Diocese of York includes people from many different backgrounds, communities, and church traditions. We want our storytelling to reflect that diversity.
This means sharing stories from rural and urban churches, people of different ages and abilities, and communities with different experiences of faith and church life.
We also recognise that not everyone wants to be named, photographed, or filmed. There are other ways of sharing experiences, including anonymous written accounts, audio, and photographs that don’t identify individuals.
What matters is that people can share their experiences in ways that respect their dignity and choices.
Informed consent and safeguarding
When we share stories, we’re dealing with real people, not just content. Informed consent means making sure someone understands what they’re agreeing to before their words, photograph, or video are used. People should know what will be shared, where it might appear, how it may be used, and who to contact if they change their mind.
We have media consent forms and guidance to help you do this.
Stories involving children and young people
Children and young people are an important part of our churches, and their voices deserve to be heard. We also have a responsibility to protect their privacy and help them make informed choices.
Always involve children and young people in decisions about sharing their stories in ways appropriate to their age and understanding. Parents or carers should understand how information and images may be used, and the risks of publishing them online.
Where possible, consider using photographs that show children taking part in church life without clearly identifying their faces. For example, you might photograph an activity from behind, show hands at work, or use a wider scene.
This allows us to celebrate children’s participation while reducing the risks associated with sharing identifiable images online.
Read our guidance on sharing images of children and young people online.
Stories involving adults who may be vulnerable
Some people may need additional support to understand and make decisions about how their stories are shared. Others may have experienced trauma, abuse, discrimination, or difficult personal circumstances.
Take time to understand their wishes, and make sure they can make a free and informed choice without pressure. People should never feel that they need to share painful or personal experiences to help promote a church or project.
If you’re unsure how to approach a sensitive story, contact the Communications Team before collecting or sending information.
Please note that safeguarding concerns must always be handled through the diocesan safeguarding procedures, not as story submissions.
Tips for filming yourself
You don’t need professional equipment to make a useful video. A smartphone is often enough.
Here are a few simple tips:
- Find good light. Face a window or another soft light source rather than sitting with bright light behind you.
- Choose somewhere quiet. Try to avoid background noise and distractions.
- Keep the camera steady. Put your phone at eye level, ideally on a stand or stable surface.
- Check which way to film. Portrait (vertical) works well for Instagram and Facebook Reels. Landscape (horizontal) is often better for longer videos and presentations.
- Speak naturally. Imagine you’re talking to someone you know.
- Leave a short pause at the beginning and end of your recording to help with editing.
Don’t worry about making everything perfect. We’d much rather hear a genuine story than a carefully rehearsed speech.
If you’re unsure, contact us before filming. We’re happy to help.
Need help sharing your story?
The Communications Team is here to help you share what’s happening in your church.
Whether you have a finished article, an idea, or just something you’d like to talk through, we’d love to hear from you.
Email: comms@yorkdiocese.org
Telephone: 01904 699530
WhatsApp: 07354 996 052