Who we are?
Read our VISION document here:
We are a community of all sorts of people and we believe God is calling us to live out His exciting mission in this place.
In our worship we praise Him through our singing.
We bring to Him the needs of the world, our community and ourselves in prayer.
We listen to the Bible and learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
We receive from Him when we gather around His table for Holy Communion.
Barlaston - the village
The village is a fabulous place to live. It is an attractive village surrounded by beautiful Staffordshire country side yet within easy commuting distance of Stoke-on-Trent, Stone and Stafford. It also has a good range of facilities within the village including a first school, a medical practice and shops.
For those wishing to travel further afield the M6, A34and A50 are within very easy reach, providing convenient access to other parts of the country.
There are train stations at Stone, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, all within a 30 minute drive. Downs Banks (a National Trust area of woodlands and heath) is on our doorstep, directly accessible from the village.
The Trent & Mersey Canal runs though the village centre and there are other local walks, cycle and horse riding trails. Also nearby are the Trentham Estate, the Shugborough Estate, Cannock Chase, Alton Towers, the Staffordshire Moorlands and the Peak District.
The village population at just under 3000, has grown steadily in recent times and will continue to do so, with a residential development under construction on the Wedgwood Estate.
The village community is well served by the facilities found within it, which include:
a good range of shops, including a post office and general stores
butcher, pharmacy, hairdresser
farm shop a health centre
dentist and chiropodist
First School (C of E voluntary controlled) for children aged e –9 years. A new Nursery opens in September 2019
Cricket, rugby, bowls and golf clubs
village hall
two churches, Anglican and Methodist
public houses and a hotel
two garages for servicing, repairs and MOTs
allotments
nursing and residential homes
There are a number of secondary schools and colleges nearby in both public and private sectors and there are two local universities in the area (Keele and Staffordshire).
Our Church building
The present church, consecrated in 1984, is central to the village with good car parking facilities. It was built to replace an old church which had become unsafe due to severe mining subsidence.
The new building is warm, comfortable and relatively easy to maintain. Its design includes moveable partitions and flexible seating which make it adaptable for a variety of additional uses including concerts, meetings and social occasions.
It has a maximum capacity of around 200.The interior of the church combines some original features of the old church with more modern design including the beautiful East window.
The building includes a church office, vicar’s vestry, a multi-purpose choir vestry, kitchen and toilets. Facilities for the disabled include good wheelchair access, W.C., a hearing loop, large print and braille hymns and orders of service.
Churchyard Extension (Cemetery)
The PCC is responsible for the Churchyard Extension, 500 yards away. Memorials were reinstated or made safe following the recommendations of consultants in 2006. There is also a small chapel which has had some renovation in recent years.