CHRISTIANS across south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were asked to show God’s love for their communities – and rose to the challenge.

The Rev Andy Wilson gets messy during the Great Portsdown Cake-Off

Worshippers from East Meon prepare to tidy their village

All 140 parishes across the our diocese celebrated the Pentecost weekend by offering free gifts to those who lived nearby. Across the diocese, worshippers hosted fun days, tea parties, picnics and barbecues on the Saturday (May 18).

Residents who are used to churches asking for money discovered worshippers were giving things away, helping people out, or offering hospitality free of charge, with no strings attached. It helped the churchgoers to remember that God gave his Holy Spirit at Pentecost as a free gift.

Pentecost is the festival when the Church remembers when the Holy Spirit was given to Jesus’ disciples after his resurrection and ascension to heaven. It gave them power and authority to preach about what they had seen.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Christopher Foster, said; “At Pentecost, God blesses the church with the Holy Spirit so that the church is able to bless the world. Our Pentecost celebrations were an outpouring of holy generosity, allowing us to share the excitement with our communities.”

Churchgoers from St Peter’s, Petersfield, gave away free ice-creams from a stall outside their church on Saturday, while worshippers from East Meon spent the morning tidying their village. Christians from St John’s Church, Fareham, gave away furniture, clothing and household items to needy families for free.

Churchgoers from Wymering and Cosham joined forces with those from Cosham Baptist to give away food and drink, balloons and gifts in Cosham High Street. They also asked shoppers if they would like prayer and invited them to help paint a large cross.

Joanne Hall, 31, said: “Both of my daughters love craft, so it’s nice for them to be able to do this in the High Street. It is a really good thing to do for the community.”

Bishop Christopher joined in a free barbecue and sports day outside Holy Trinity Church, Fareham. Local scouts cooked the barbecue, while the mini-Olympics was run by Southsea-based Spirit in Sport.

Mother-of-four Emmie Jackson, from Lee-on-Solent, said: “When something is free it really helps, especially when you have four children to pay for.”

Christ Church, London Road, Widley
, hosted the Great Portsdown Bake-Off and Pentecost Party. A panel, including The News’ food critic Carol Godsmark, judged a variety of categories, including the best cake on a Pentecost theme. And St James Church, Emsworth, hosted a Big Tea Party in their churchyard, with live music, and free tea and cakes.

St Matthew’s Church, in Bridgemary, hosted a Community Services Day in their grounds with live entertainment, including puppet shows, a youth band, a fire engine and bouncy castle. It was all free, including refreshments and children’s goodie bags. Community groups such as the Community Association, Motiv8, Gosport Cat Protection League and Townswomens’ Guild were invited to show others what they did by setting up displays.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage was one of the visitors. She said: “This kind of community engagement is brilliant. At this kind of thing, you always discover something else going on locally that you didn’t know about. It’s great to see the church at the heart of the community.”

Her father, TV presenter Fred Dinenage was one of the churchgoers helping to wash cars at Manor Farm in Hambledon. It was an unexpected act of generosity for between 25 and 30 drivers, who were also given bacon sandwiches, coffee and cake.

Bacon sandwiches were also on offer at All Saints, Denmead, which hosted a free brunch at the start of a busy weekend of activities. There was a Messy Church for families on the Saturday afternoon, a concert on the Saturday night by Hampshire Police Male Voice Choir, and a wedding fair on Sunday.

Those getting married soon were able to see the church for themselves, as well as browse what was on offer from cake-makers, photographers, a hairdresser, bridal outfitters – and even hen party organisers. Bride-to-be Katie Budden, who went to Sunday School at All Saints and will get married there in December, said: “It’s really nice to come to the church and get a better idea of how it will be set up on the day.”

Up to 500 people visited the Party in the Park run by Holy Rood and St Edmund’s, Stubbington. They invited people to Crofton Recreation Ground for a free hog roast, bouncy castle, games, puppet show and performances from local schools. Children enjoyed face-painting, art and craft and the sandpit.

Susan Grout came with her children children Grace, 2, and James, 1. She said: “It’s lovely because there is something for the whole family, including the little ones. I think the location is brilliant, and more people have come because it’s free.”

Worshippers at All Saints Church in Portsmouth hosted a lunchtime barbecue for their neighbours at the All Saints Hostel. Charlotte Parham, 17, said: “I think it is a really nice idea. It helps us to feel more a part of the community.”

And worshippers from St Aidan’s in Anchorage Park, Portsmouth, organised a tea party and fun quiz. One guest, Paul Treacher, said: “I received such a charming welcome when I arrived. It’s a good idea to have something like this. You can sit down, with a piece of cake and chat to people who you wouldn’t usually talk to.”

And Lana Poore, 45, said: “It is a lovely thing to do. They’ve got a raffle here today and I couldn’t believe it was free – I started getting my purse out because you expect to have to pay for things. This sort of thing is good for bringing together different generations.”

Over at St Barnabas Church, Swanmore, families enjoyed a tea party, family trail, teddy bear competition and a magician in the church grounds.

Father-of-two Riaan Theron, who lives in the village, said: “I’ve loved it and my kids have loved it. It’s great that we can come together for this. We’re such a small community, and we often only see each other at school.”

Worshippers from Gurnard and St Faith’s, Cowes, on the Isle of Wight cleaned their local beach for two hours, while those from St Blasius, Shanklin, did the same on their beach. Around 25 people met on the beach between Shanklin Chine and Horse Ledge and collected 18 black bags of rubbish. They proudly stuck their church banner in the sand, so people knew where they were from. Passers-by and holiday-makers stopped to congratulate them.

Worshippers from St James, East Cowes, delivered a special gift to their neighbours in the new housing development next to the church. This was a nicely-decorated bag of celebration chocolates with a gift card explaining the reason for the gift. Those from nearby St Mildred’s, Whippingham, invited villagers to a free cream tea in their orchard.

Churchgoers from Brighstone, Brook, Mottistone, Shorwell and Chale gathered at St Andrew’s Church, Chale, for a kite-making workshop on Saturday. They all then gathered on the recreation ground opposite the church to test their kites and share a picnic. And those from St Mary’s Church, Carisbrooke, hosted a handicrafts morning in the church hall. Wool, patterns and knitting needles were available for participants to knit some hats and blanket squares for premature and newborn babies.

Churchgoers from Calbourne, Shalfleet and Newtown, invited friends to a family picnic, with games on Calbourne Recreation Ground on the Saturday (May 18). The event also included a family-friendly celebration of the Eucharist, using new wording recently agreed by the Church of England.



 

Churchgoers from St Alban’s, West Leigh, invited residents from Eileen Beard House to come to high tea at the church. They were entertained by seated zumba and a singalong. And those from St Hubert’s, Idsworth, combined a Pentecost picnic with organ recitals and choir performances to mark the 100th anniversary of their organ.

Then on Pentecost Sunday, worshippers met in their own churches in the morning and came together for celebrations in each of the eight deaneries in the afternoon. They shared stories about what had happened and thanked God for it. These services happened in Nicholason Gardens, Gosport; St Mary’s, Portchester Castle; St John’s Rowlands Castle; St Peter’s, Southsea; St Mary’s, Liss; Meon Hall, Meonstoke; St John’s, Newport; and All Saints, Ryde.

Bishop Christopher had invited young people from each deanery to his house for Sunday lunch. Each of them took back a Pentecost cake for worshippers to share at the deanery celebration and a candle lit from the one in the bishop’s chapel, as a symbol of their shared mission.

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