IT’S a stunning new entrance that will help worshippers to welcome new faces.

Vicar Mike Duff and Bishop Ian outside the new entrance at St Jude's, Southsea

The new entrance of St Jude’s Church, at the top of Palmerston Road in Southsea, was formally opened by the Commissary Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Ian Brackley. More than 100 worshippers, guests and dignitaries attended a short service that included prayers for the thousands of people expected to use it.

Visitors have already been pouring through its new glass doors to explore the light, airy foyer and glass-fronted meeting rooms that are part of the new entrance. In the first week it was open, almost 200 passers-by popped in to take a look.

The formal opening marks the completion of the first phase of an ambitious, two-phase £2.4m project to re-develop the 159-year-old Victorian building. The idea is to put the church at the heart of the Southsea community – with its new glass-fronted entrance facing the Palmerston Road shopping precinct, and new kitchens, toilets and community rooms.

The service on June 30 was also attended by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Paula Riches; the Archdeacon of Portsdown, the Ven Trevor Reader; and the dean of Portsmouth Cathedral, the Very Rev David Brindley; as well as city councillors, council and diocesan planners, other clergy, architects, worshippers and guests from the wider Portsmouth community. The bishop also cut a cake made in the shape of the re-designed church (pictured below) by Kerry Rutherford from Cakes-by-Kerry in Stubbington 

In a short sermon, the Very Rev David Brindley, dean of Portsmouth Cathedral, said: “St Jude’s spire has been a symbol of God’s presence for 150 years. But your new entrance symbolises something else. It is airy, light, open and welcoming, and it’s a symbol of openness and welcome for the whole community. More importantly, it also symbolises that you are contemporary - part of the modern world, not just the Victorian one.

“This is going to change you as a church and as people, because for the first time, you look open and welcoming. You will have all sorts of people coming in, with all sorts of different needs. It’s the beginning of a new phase in the life of St Jude’s. Congratulations!”

The vicar, the Rev Mike Duff, thanked site manager Richard Steer and the team from contractors Farnrise, architect Nick Lee Evans, his predecessor, Canon John Byrne, city council planners and members of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches, grant-giving bodies, generous worshippers at St Jude’s, and the church development team for their hard work.

“I want to thank the church family for their generosity in creating this resource and seeing the project through, and for continuing the life and worship of St Jude’s throughout the project,” he said. “And I want to thank God, our heavenly Father, for his inspiration and equipping of those involved.”

Glass engraver Tracey Sheppard, whose work has previously been presented to the Queen, the Queen Mother, and the Sultan of Oman, was commissioned to engrave the doors and windows facing Palmerston Road. Her intricate design mixes a large, fiery sun with stars, planets and Biblical phrases. It’s designed to be read from both inside and outside (pictured below).

The £2.4m project is a flagship one for the Diocese of Portsmouth, which is running a ‘Kairos: Buildings’ initiative to help parishes find ways of using their church buildings more effectively to reach out to those living nearby. This project is a prime example, which echoes many of the key principles behind that process.

The first phase of the work, which has now been completed, included creating the new glass-fronted main entrance facing the shopping precinct, as well as a new kitchen, offices and toilets to ensure better facilities for community groups. The organ has been removed, freeing up space to move from the new entrance into the chancel, which has been re-floored. The garden outside the church is now more accessible.

Worshippers raised almost £1m for this phase, through sacrificial giving, grants and donations. While the work was happening, they continued to hold services in the church, although some midweek groups and Sunday School groups met elsewhere.

The second phase will involve moving the worship area to a new first floor and creating community rooms underneath. Its facilities can then be used for sport, catering, conferences, theatre and music performances, youth events and meetings, as well as worship. The current chancel will become a day chapel, which will be open all day to passers-by.

On June 27, the church held a gift day to raise £60,000, which will be used to turn part of the first floor of the building into a new, large hall for its work with children and young people – the first part of the second phase of the project.

St Jude’s Church is now open to visitors from 10am-4pm every weekday, and also on Saturday mornings. In the first week, 190 passers-by dropped in, as well as worshippers, community groups, and 60 visitors for a regional Alpha conference.