COMMUNICATIONS
Share your Story
Why Storytelling Matters
Stories shape how people see the Church.
Our diocesan vision is to be a worshipping, growing, and transforming Christian presence at the heart of every community. That vision comes alive when people see:
- Faith in action across Greater Manchester and Rossendale
- Lives genuinely changed and transformed
- Radical welcome and hospitality extended to all
- Hope rekindled in our neighbourhoods
- Courage shown in tackling local challenges
- Generosity lived out daily
Jesus constantly taught through stories. Storytelling helps people see truth, not just hear it. Sharing our stories helps us communicate with clarity and purpose:
- To the wider world: Grounded, local stories keep the message of Jesus alive. They build trust, spark curiosity, and demonstrate what the gospel looks like in everyday life across our villages, towns, and city communities.
- To each other: Stories build confidence and a culture of hope. They show what is working, celebrate signs of growth, and reminds us that we are part of one body. This is especially important as we look to reflect our missional goals of Parish Renewal, Growing Younger, Church Planting & Revitalisation, and Developing Missional Leaders.
Share your Story
We want to make sharing as easy as possible. Choose whichever route works best for you:
- Option A: Fill out our Share a Story form
Use the Share your Story form either by using the button above or by using this link where you can fill out a simple form and share your story directly with the communications team. - Option B: Email us
Send an outline to comms@manchester.anglican.org
Include 100–200 words (bullet points are fine), any photos/video, a quote, and confirmation of consent. - Option C: Send a WhatsApp Message
If you spot a great story, snap a photo or record a short video and send it to Gemma Gardiner on 07836 224444 via WhatsApp. You do not need to write a polished article. A few notes, a quick message or a voice note is enough. We can work with you to turn it into a story and help share the impact of what’s happening across the diocese.
Story Examples
The collection of stories below serve as a great example of the type of story you may wish to tell about your parish. Whether it’s an event, milestone, journey, or achievement, whatever your story, we’d love to hear more.
Eccles Parish Church Opens Its Doors as Archaeological Dig Reveals Hidden History
An Intercultural Celebration of Easter Sunday at St James, Moss Side
Brunswick Church Moves Towards Net Zero
Share your story FAQs
What is a Story?
A story is a real, specific moment showing Jesus at work in your parish, church plant, school, or chaplaincy. It might happen through worship, pastoral care, social action, discipleship, community partnerships, or everyday hospitality.
A story is:
- Human: Centred on a person, church community, or local group (with consent)
- Specific: Focused on one moment, one initiative, or one clear turning point
- Transformative: Demonstrates impact, growth, learning, or restored hope
- Grounded: Tied directly to Jesus and your local community context
- Clear & accessible: Written in warm, plain English without church jargon
- Actionable: Includes a simple next step or invitation
Story Checklist
A clear, impactful story usually contains:
Who it’s about: A name (if consented) or their context/role
What happened: The specific moment or initiative
Why it matters: The impact on the people, church or community
A quote: One authentic, direct sentence from someone involved
Visuals: A high-resolution photo or short video clip
A next step / call to action: What someone reading this can do next (visit, pray, get in touch, take part)
Narrative Prompts (Need → Action → Impact)
Strong stories follow a clear, practical arc:
| The Need (The Context) | The Action (The Step Taken) | The Impact (The Transformation) |
| What was the challenge or need? | What did you try or change? | How did it make a difference? |
| “Before, our community was facing…” | “So, our parish decided to…” | “Now, we are seeing…” |
| “We noticed that people were…” | “We partnered with / trained…” | “Someone recently told us…” |
| “The challenge in our area was…” | “We started a simple…” | “It has completely reshaped how we…” |
How We Handle Your Stories
Anyone sharing their experience has full ownership throughout the process:
- Review: We confirm quotes and details before publishing.
- Control: If someone changes their mind, we respect that immediately and will pull content from our diocesan-managed channels upon request.
- Channels: Stories may be used across our diocesan website, social media, newsletters, presentations, governance, events, training resources, or wider Church of England national channels.
How We Handle Your Stories
Anyone sharing their experience has full ownership and respect throughout the process:
- Review: We confirm quotes and details before publishing.
- Control: If someone changes their mind, we respect that immediately and will pull content from our diocesan-managed channels upon request.
- Channels: Stories may be used across our diocesan website, social media, e-bulletins, Bishop’s leadership presentations, diocesan synod, training resources, or wider Church of England national features.
Informed Consent & Safeguarding
When we share stories, we are honouring real people. Informed consent means the individual fully understands what is being shared and agrees to it freely.
Before submitting, ensure the person knows:
- Exactly what is being shared (their words, name, photo, or video)
- Where it will appear (website, social platforms, email, print)
- That online content can be viewed widely
- That they can decline or withdraw consent at any point.
Extra Care & Safeguarding:
- Children and Young People: Always require signed parental/carer consent conforming to diocesan safeguarding policies. Avoid identifying features such as school uniforms/crests, full names, or location tags without explicit clearance.
- Vulnerable Adults: Extra sensitivity is vital when discussing addiction, debt, mental health, domestic abuse, asylum status, or personal trauma. We can tell powerful stories of transformation without disclosing identifiable details.
Reflecting Our Whole Diocese
Our diocese is home to people of a wide range of traditions, cultural heritages and contexts. We are committed to ensuring our storytelling reflects that breadth:
- Urban estates, inner-city parishes, suburban communities, and rural villages
- Diverse ethnicities, cultures, and global majority heritage voices
- Ministry with children, young people, students, families, and older generations
- Different theological traditions across the breadth of our diocese
- Diverse socio-economic contexts and accessibility needs
Tips for Recording Video on a Phone
You do not need expensive production gear, authenticity matters far more than polish:
- Lighting: Face a natural light source (like a window). Never stand with a bright window directly behind you.
- Framing: Keep the camera at eye level. Frame head and shoulders with a small amount of headroom.
- Orientation: Shoot in landscape (horizontal) for websites and YouTube, or portrait (vertical) if specifically creating for Instagram Reels or TikTok.
- Sound: Find a quiet room away from road noise, echo, or background chatter. Speak clearly and project your voice.
- Pacing: Leave 2 seconds of silence after pressing record before speaking, and 2 seconds at the end before stopping. This makes it easier to editing.
Send the video to us on WhatsApp on 078366 224444 or email us at comms@manchester.anglican.org