WORSHIPPERS are aiming to create a vibrant new church plant of younger families in Portsmouth – based around music.

Plans are being put together for the creation from scratch of a new children and young people’s choir, and to use the power of music to launch a new congregation.

St James Church in Milton are planning to appoint a choir leader and admin clerk to set up the new group. They will connect with children and families through the local primary schools in the parish, and could meet to rehearse and lead worship midweek.

In time, they hope that there will be opportunities for the choir to join with the main St James congregations for some Sundays and major festivals. But the main focus would be on building up a separate church plant based around the families of choir members.

The idea was put forward by our cathedral’s Master of Choristers David Price and the vicar of St James, Fr Paul Armstead, who is one of many who are in the Church today because of church music being part of their youth.

It's one of several brand new congregations being launched across the Church of England Diocese of Portsmouth. Creating new worshipping communities to reach those that existing churches haven't always served well is a key part of the diocese's live | pray | serve strategy.

“It would be good to show that a liturgical and sacramentally-based church can succeed alongside other forms of church planting,” said David. “We know that children can be the best evangelists of their own families. Music can bring the children to church and, modelled correctly and honestly, the parents and families may follow.

“Music is a powerful evangelistic tool for the Church, a tool that has been too often neglected of late. It should not be viewed as only for those who have already put a tentative step through the church door. Rather the participatory nature of singing in a dynamic group can open the ‘soul to heaven’s delight’ and be the gateway so sorely needed for mission and discipleship.”