You might notice it’s quite a long walk down the path to the church door, where there will usually be a friendly person waiting to say hello as you go in. Do introduce yourself and have a quick chat if you would like to, otherwise just head straight inside.

Our church is accessible to wheelchair users and prams. You can come up the path and into the church as there are no steps. Inside the church there are accessible toilets, with a baby change area.

Inside, our welcomers will give you a service booklet, a hymn book, and a friendly hello. If you have children with you, then you can borrow a story bag with toys, books and colouring activities to use during the service, if you wish to do so. Please sit wherever you feel comfortable.

The service usually lasts just over an hour and includes Bible readings, prayers, a talk and hymns. The minister leading the service will let you know when most people usually sit down and stand up, but please do whatever feels comfortable for you.

The service includes Holy Communion. A welcomer will guide everyone who wishes to go to the front to one of the altar tables, when to do so. Everyone is welcome to come forward for a prayer of blessing. If you are Confirmed or usually receive the bread and wine in your own church, you are welcome to receive here. Or, you can remain in your seat if you would prefer.

After the service, we offer refreshments in the Green School, opposite the church. It's a lovely opportunity to get to know people and have a chat over a cup of coffee and a biscuit. You will be made very welcome.

The simple thing to remember is that, whoever you are, you are welcome here. Please do not feel you cannot come if you have never been to church before. There's no special dress code. Just come as you are - we'd love to see you.

On the first Sunday of the month at 10am we have an all age service. While children and families are invited and very welcome to all our services, this service is slightly more relaxed in style and interactive, with a talk children can often engage with more.

Our Sunday 10am services are live streamed and available to watch via our YouTube channel: St. Guthlac's, You Tube

Our other regular services are:

Sundays - 8am: Holy Communion said service (no music or singing), in traditional language.

6:00pm Themed service, on the second Sunday of the month. Keep an eye on the 'Latest News' page to see what the theme is this month, so far we have enjoyed a variety of services, including a Pet Service, Taize style worship, Pimms and Hymns, Songs of Praise, and Celtic Evening prayer. These are usually followed by refreshments in the church.

6:00pm Evensong service, on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Wednesdays – 10:30am Holy Communion said service (no music or singing) in traditional language, followed by refreshments in the Church.

Children

Children of any age are welcome to our services.  During the Sunday 10am service, we run the Sunday Club group, primarily for primary school aged children. At Sunday Club, children enjoy a Bible story, crafts and activities in the Green School, before joining us back in the church toward the last part of our service, where we enjoy welcoming them back and hearing what they have been doing. For more information, see our 'Groups & Activities' page. Of course if your child wants to stay for the whole service, they are welcome to.

On the first Sunday of the month our 10am service is an all age service which usually includes an interactive talk, children leading our Bible readings and joining in with prayers, and livelier hymns with the use of instruments. There is no Sunday Club session during an all age service.

Please do not worry if your children make noise or wanders around during a service. If you would like to bring some quieter toys, snacks or books for them during the service then please do. We also have some story bags with toys in, and a little area by the way into church for children to sit if you feel you need somewhere different to sit for a while other than the main pews -Though families are more than welcome to sit in the main pews of course. Please do as you feel comfortable. Please also feel comfortable to breastfeed your baby in the church.

There is a toilet available in the church with a baby changing area, and the Green School Church Hall.

We love having children in our church, so please feel welcome.

If you would like to hold a funeral in St. Guthlac’s Church, these are arranged through a Funeral Director who will organise a convenient date for this to take place. Following this, the minister taking the service will be in touch with your directly to discuss and plan the details of the service with you to mark your loved one’s life.

Immediately following a funeral service at the Church, we usually go to Market Deeping cemetery for the burial or to one of the local crematoriums, which again you will have arranged in advance with the Funeral Director.

We are also available to say some appropriate words and prayers at a burial of ashes of your loved one, which again is best arranged through a Funeral Director.

We understand this is a difficult time for many and we seek to sensitively support you through this and offer an appropriate, personal and fitting service for your loved one.

Bereavement Café

We run a monthly bereavement café with W & P Legal, which meets in the Green School on the first Thursday of the month, to support people through loss. It's a warm, welcoming place for you to be with others who understand. There's no pressure to talk, you can come to share or to listen. You're welcome to join us. For more details, please see the 'Groups & Activities' page.

Memorial Book

St. Guthlac’s Memorial Book is a special way to remember and honour those who have passed away. The book is kept in the Church throughout the year as a visible sign of our ongoing remembrance. Each name is beautifully written beneath the date of the person’s passing, and on the anniversary of that date their name can be seen on display in the Memorial Book at Church. Visitors are always welcome to spend time in the Church, and many find the Memorial Book offers a quiet space for reflection and prayer.

We invite families to consider whether they would like their loved one to be included in the Memorial Book. We update this about once a year and there is a small fee of around £40 which covers the cost of the book being sent to a professional calligrapher, who carefully inscribes each name before the book is returned to the Church. If you would like a loved one who is no longer with us to be remembered in our Memorial Book, please do contact us.

Adults can also be Christened and receive God’s blessing and love as they commit to following God’s loving way of life.

At St. Guthlac’s Church, you do not need to attend the church, or be married, to have your child Christened or to be Christened yourself. We also welcome LGBTQIA+ people to be Christened or have their children Christened.

To find out more about a Christening service, click here.

Godparents

When choosing Godparents for your child, please remember the Godparents must be Christened themselves. This is because they are making Christian promises on behalf of the child.

Traditionally there are three Godparents -two of the same gender of the child and one of the opposite gender. While there needs to be one male and one female Godparent, on occasion some people choose to have two or four Godparents for their child.

Christening Services at St. Guthlac’s Church

We usually hold our Christening services on the 3rd Sundays of each month at 12:00 mid-day, or occasionally as part of our All Age Service on the first Sunday of the month at 10:00am. While we usually only have one Christening family per Christening service at the church, at busy periods we invite a maximum of two families to each Christening service. There is no charge for a Christening, though those able to often kindly make a donation of around £35 which goes towards the upkeep of the church and our ministry and mission in the local community.

If you do not live in Market Deeping, you or your child can still be Christened at St. Guthlac’s Church if you attend the church.  You can also be Christened here, or have your child Christened here, if you used to live in Market Deeping or have another connection with the church.

To enquire about, or book, a Christening, please contact our Parish Administrator on (new number coming soon!) or by emailing admin@stguthlacs.org.uk . At certain times we get booked up quite quickly, so if you would like a Christening please let us know early.

We love Christening services and being a part of your special day, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Frequently asked Questions

Who can get married at St. Guthlac’s Church?

If you live in Market Deeping parish, you can be married in St. Guthlac’s Church. Or, if you have a certain connection with the Church, known as a ‘qualifying connection’, you are able to get married here too. Some common qualifying connections which couples regularly have, include: one of them used to live in Market Deeping, their parents live in Market Deeping, one of them was Christened at the Church, they or their parents attend the Church, or their parents or grandparents were married here.

What Parish am I in?

To find out which is your Parish Church, go to www.achurchnearyou.com and type in your postcode.

Myself and/or my partner are divorced, can we get married in the Church?

We welcome wedding enquires from people who have been divorced.  We understand how difficult an experience divorce can be.  We believe in a forgiving, loving God.  The Rector will want to meet with anyone who has been previously married, for a conversation about this, and will need to see the Decree Absolute.  Please do not let this put you off, we seek to make this process as sensitive and relaxed as possible, and we often do marry people who are divorced.

How much does a wedding at St. Guthlac’s cost?

The cost of a wedding for 2026 is £770. This includes everything necessary for the wedding. In October-April there is also a fee for heating. If you would like, for an additional cost, you can book the Church choir, which really boosts the singing on the day, and/or the Church bells, which also sounds wonderful and signals to the town that this happy occasion is taking place.

When a booking is made, there a non-refundable deposit of £40, which is deducted from the final invoice. We then like the rest of the payment a month before the wedding is to take place.

Our fees are reviewed each year. Therefore, if you book a wedding for 2027, the cost will be the fees as they stand from January 2027, and not the previous year’s figures. The fees do not rise by a large amount though.

Can we make the service personal?

Yes. While certain parts of the Marriage Ceremony cannot be changed, such as the vows, you can adapt the Service to make it personal by choosing the hymns, readings, and any poems or other music you would like.

While most couples choose the traditional Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride and the Wedding March by Mendelssohn as the couple exit, our organist is happy to play something else, by advanced arrangement. While the marriage is officially witnessed with a document being signed, the choir can sing, the organist can play or you can bring a special song to play.

You can bring your own flowers or pew ends too if you want to decorate the Church, though do be in touch with us beforehand to let us know your hopes.  Photos, and biodegradable confetti, are both approved of.

Please remember we are here to help you to have the Service and occasion that you would like.

What are Banns of Marriage and how do we arrange them?

Banns of marriage are the public announcement that you are getting married. They are read in Church during our Sunday 10am Service and you will be notified which three Sundays they are to be read. We like you to attend at least one of these, ideally the first reading.

If you are getting married at St. Guthlac’s Church but one, or both, of you live outside of the Parish of Market Deeping, you must arrange for your banns of marriage to be read at your local Church of England Parish Church too. To do this, please contact that Church directly.

If you are getting married at another Church but live in the Parish of Market Deeping, please contact our Administrator to arrange for us to read your banns of marriage here.

Do I need proof of Identification?

Yes. It is a legal requirement that we see a valid Passport for both the bride and groom. If you do not have a Passport, or a Birth Certificate from before 1983, we will need to see a copy of your parents’ Birth Certificates or Marriage Certificate.

Wedding Bookings

To book or discuss a wedding, please get in touch with our Parish Administrator on (new number coming soon!) or by emailing admin@stguthlacs.org.uk .

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you plan your special day.