Our Story

Great Ashby Community Church started up in 2006 as the Great Ashby Estate came into being. Two existing churches in Stevenage, Bunyan Baptist Church and St Nicholas, decided to work together to establish a church that would be part of the Great Ashby community. A group of people, from both churches agreed to become the first congregation and many of them are still part of the church here. Since then quite a number of people who live in Great Ashby have joined us. We have two ministers at the moment, a full-time Baptist Minister - Sue Hardwidge - who started in April 2008 and is part funded by the Baptist Union Home Mission Fund and a part-time Anglican Curate - Christine Hina - who is supported by St. Albans Diocese for the time she gives to Great Ashby.

We're not a 'mega' church (4,000 people, two tele-evangelists and more money than sense). Nor are we a 'dead' one - (three old ladies, a vicar and rising damp). We are committed to friendship, worship, discipleship and mission. We are not concerned about people's backgrounds. We are on a journey of faith as followers of 'The Way'. Even though we come from different backgrounds with different life experiences, we have one thing in common: a personal encounter with the God of grace and love. We know that Christianity is not about rules and regulations, but it is about a dynamic relationship with the living God and an exciting journey with Him who loves and cares for us. Oh yes, and as you can see from the ministry team we are quite in favour of women in ministry.

Have a look at the rest of the site to see what we're up to. We are completing the process of becoming an independent church in our own right. We are now properly constituted and it only remains to seperate out some of the admin and finance functions. A timetable of the meetings and decisions to be made over the next few of months is available - click here. This isn't because we don't like Bunyan Baptist Church and St. Nicholas any more but because it was always part of our shared dream that we would be able to stand on our own two feet.