COME and join around 50,000 people who will cram into local Anglican churches to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Mary Close at the Christmas tree festival at St John's Church, Rowlands Castle

Each of the Church of England’s churches in south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will see packed congregations for carol services, crib services, Christingle services and midnight Communions – as well as a variety of special Christmas events. It’s a chance for churchgoers to share the importance of the birth of their Saviour.

Among the special events are several Christmas tree festivals, in which parishes invite community organisations to decorate a tree and display it in church.

The 14th Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival takes place this week (December 9-12), with organisers hoping to attract even more than the 6,500 visitors who came in 2009. There will daily displays in St Mary’s Church, the Methodist Church and Wilberforce Hall in Brighstone, and in Mottistone Church. It’s launched with the lighting of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice tree at 7pm on December 9.

The programme can be seen on www.bctf.org, and includes a memorial concert on December 10 for former vicar the Rev Malcolm Williams, who died earlier this year.

St John’s Church in Rowlands Castle will send the proceeds from their Christmas tree festival to the Naomi House Children’s Hospice near Winchester. The festival started with a Naomi House ‘light up a life’ service at 7.30pm on December 2 and continued until December 5.

Visitors poured into church on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to see the decorated trees, despite the snow. And there was also a concert by St John’s Primary School Choir on Friday night, a quiz on Saturday night and a Christingle service on Sunday morning.

And the Christmas tree festival also returns to St Mary’s Church, Alverstoke, in Gosport, this week (December 9-12). A total of 72 trees have been decorated by local businesses, organisations and individuals, and will be on display daily from 11am-7pm.

The grand opening at 6pm on Thursday (December 9) includes carols by a local choir in the village square, a procession led by the Mayor of Gosport to the church, and the switching on of the lights.

There’s a similar festival at St Cuthbert’s Church, Copnor, this weekend (December 11 and 12). Visitors can view the trees from 11am-6.30pm on Saturday and 12noon-3pm on the Sunday. Entrance is £1.50, and pumpkin soup, mince pies and mulled wine will be available.

Pompey legend Linvoy Primus has urged worshippers to bring their friends to hear the Christmas message at Fratton Park from 7pm on December 13. Up to 5,000 people are expected to join the club’s former defender for a free carol service organised by his charity Faith and Football.

This year’s Christmas message will be given by escapologist Steve Legg. The Salvation Army band and children’s choirs will accompany traditional carols and there will be mince pies and mulled wine afterwards.

“We’re giving people a moment to reflect on what Christmas – and life – is all about,” said Linvoy. “It’s a chance to use the stadium to celebrate Christmas and bring the community together. And people can chat afterwards if they want someone to explain the real meaning of Christmas.”

St Blasius Church in Shanklin hosts its annual Crib Festival this weekend (December 10-12). More than 50 cribs from around the world will be on display each day from 10am-4pm.

Churchgoers will help make it a happy Christmas for patients in Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital on Christmas Eve. Our hospital chaplaincy team are recruiting volunteers to sing carols on the wards from 6pm-8.30pm that evening.

And on Christmas Day itself, some churches will host lunches for those who would otherwise be on their own. Christ Church, Portsdown  - on London Road, Widley - will do so after their 10am morning service.