Many churches took a break from their normal service patterns during ‘Abiding Time’ this summer. Some have taken that opportunity to try something different as part of their outreach into the local community, enjoying God’s creation and the beautiful weather. Here are just some of the events that have taken place across the diocese.
St James’ by the Park, Southampton
St James’ by the Park in Southampton held an open-air service. The church held its first outdoor worship during lockdown, and have carried on every year since. This year, they moved it into a more public open space, attracting the attention of dog-walkers and passers-by.
“It was great for some in our local community to hear us praising God, having fun and being creative,” said vicar, Dan Clark. “Some commented that they were surprised how diverse our church community is. Because it was so warmly received, another outdoor service is being planned.”
All Saints, Milford
For the whole of August, All Saints in Milford took church down to the beach. Beach Church involved food, fun and drama and included a baptism. The services lasted around half an hour and used plans from one of the Scripture Union’s holiday clubs to make it accessible to people new to church.
Curate Sam Dinsmore said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to worship Jesus in our community with the backdrop of his glorious creation. We have had families wander past and stop with their children, teenagers sitting nearby listening to the music and a great response from our church who have worked so hard to make this possible. It’s exciting to pray and dream that God will use this to build his kingdom here in Milford on Sea.”
Swaythling Parish
St Alban’s Church held Holiday Tuesdays, a fun free event which gave families the chance to enjoy activities together alongside a team of helpers. Over 70 people attended each week and enjoyed activities including basketball, crafts, board games, a bouncy castle, nail painting, sand play, giant Lego and more. For those who might find it a little overwhelming and noisy there was a chill out sensory zone, as well as a toddler area and recently refurbished “Cave” youth room. The morning’s fun was followed by a home cooked meal for anyone who wanted to stay.
Organiser Sarah Dockree said “Everything we do starts with building relationship and trust – Jesus built and nurtured community, eating together, sharing together, loving unconditionally, breaking down barriers. The connections we make through these events have enabled people to know they are welcome and accepted, to connect more deeply and to know they belong, wherever they are on their journey. We’re hugely grateful to The Listeners Trust and Co-op for supporting us to put on these events free of charge to local families.”
Itchen Valley Churches
Itchen Valley Churches enjoyed “Church with a Splash” which was a chance to get together at a house in the parish, with everyone welcomed along. The event involved a short talk, worship followed by fun in the swimming pool and an opportunity to catch up with friends. It was followed by a BBQ, strawberries and cake.
Parish Administrator Beccy Clark said “People who have not historically been church-goers may not always feel comfortable coming into a traditional service where they don’t know what to do or even what to wear. It is sometimes more natural for them to come to our events such as “Cafe Church” which takes place in the village hall or in this case “Church with a Splash”. We keep the time of worship, the talk and the prayers very simple but Christ-centred and the newcomers seem to enjoy thinking about them and chatting about them afterwards. This event is enjoyed by young and old alike but is obviously very popular with our families and a wonderful opportunity to invite along other friends. We love the fact that young children are growing up thinking church is good fun and wanting to come again.”
Brockenhurst Parish Churches
The sun may have been shining but Vicar Simon Newham and Curate Stephen Bennett still faced a soaking! It was part of the fun during three children and family summer events run by the parish during the summer holidays.
They took place on Wednesday mornings with three themes – Mini Olympics, Surf’s Up and Creatures of the World. Each session started with a worship song followed by a piece of scripture which the children then acted out. There were a number of outside games for each theme, including mini shot putt, egg and spoon and obstacle races and a scavenger hunt. Soak the vicar was popular during the Surf’s Up event. Crafts and hot food ended the morning.
Children and Families worker Mel Osborne said “The three Parishes of Brockenhurst, South Baddesley and Boldre wanted to reach out to families and children within the community over the summer holidays by offering three summer events at Brockenhurst Parish Church. During the long summer weeks, the enthusiastic volunteer team and clergy wanted to build on existing relationships within the toddler group, Busy Badgers and the work undertaken in all three church schools, by offering a safe space for people to meet up, relax, have fun and to experience the Gospel message in a joyful way.”
