From the Editor Another year has flown past that has Parish Development Committee (PDC) kept parishioners busy – some to continue the work of the RPD. We enjoying visits to Indonesia, Dubrovnik also saw a different setting for the and the Croatian Coast and cruising in Pentecost service when the pews were the Queen Victoria – whilst we have arranged in a semi circle to make it had reports on activities in Cambodia, more distinctive by our sitting together Japan and Afghanistan – all reported in around the Lord’s Table in one place. “Faith Matters”. Others have written After three years of intensive training, on their reflections of the 70th Sandra Haggan was licensed as a anniversary of Dunkirk and the Battle Reader. of Britain, on the Korean War, Royal The weather could have been kinder, Air Force Commanders, Albert but many people rallied together to put Schweitzer, St. Hilda, Archbishop on another successful Town Fair. The Trevor Huddleston, Billy Graham, Choir, Youth Club, Youth Church and Harold Larwood, Chopin, Lord Haw Sunday Club continued their activities Haw, on Scottish tales and train trips, enthusiastically. and what choristers have to do to be awarded their ribbon – for which I am Sadly, we said farewell to Mary most grateful and has helped make the Bracher, John Freestone, Molly magazine interesting with these Griffiths, Pam Le Goaziou and Mary diverse articles. Robson, who were long standing members of the congregation. The Dynamo Youth Theatre (DYT) presented “The Pirates of Penzance” Due to printing deadlines over the in the Church Hall – it was the week Christmas period, articles and when we had plenty of snow! – and crosswords are required by 12 seems ages since we started December. negotiations with DYT on a hiring Prize Crossword. As this is the agreement for the Hall – perhaps next Christmas crossword puzzle, the year it will become a reality! Our first all-correct solution drawn out properties continue to require a lot of of the hat after the closing date of money to be spent on them just for 12 December will receive a book maintenance so other ways of utilising token for £15 kindly donated by them to bring in some income needs to Logogriph. be found. A very Happy Christmas to all our This year saw the Rapid Parish readers. Development (RPD) with seminars, presentations from Portsmouth Colin Carter University, and the formation of the -1- From the Rector - Christmas Presence The danger of shopping for seasonal duties of supporting individuals in their gifts is that we panic buy and end up homes to coordinate a voluntary with pointless junk. It’s difficult to find scheme by which pairs of volunteers and then give something that will be of might spend a couple of hours in lasting value. Churches offer what church either regularly or only they regard as the greatest gift to occasionally. These ‘stewards’ would everyone, namely, abundant life in provide a personal welcome to visitors Christ. The gift of Jesus Christ to the and be prepared to indicate where to world which the church celebrates on find what they might be looking for. th 25 December is not a ‘one day We envisage that the north transept of wonder’; Christ is for life not just for the church will be arranged in order Christmas. But it’s sometimes a that a welcome area can provide a puzzle as to how best to offer this base for the volunteer stewards and a present of eternal meaning to place where information and resources everyone and on every day. can be better displayed. One of the most important gifts It has long been felt that a human churches can give every day to their presence in our parish church would communities is space. Welcoming both enhance what we have to offer space that provides a reception which already and lead, through conversation can signpost other significant places with visitors, to a better understanding within the church which can be used of what we might develop in order to for sanctuary and celebration is meet the needs of different groups. important to faith communities as they make their offer to the communities So if you feel that you would like to they serve. Our sister church, the know more about this scheme or would United Reformed, has achieved this like to offer a little of your time to it beautifully with its recent re-build. then please contact the convenor of our Pastoral Team, Rosemary Thomas At St .Faith’s we have many daily on 023 9248 3836. There are already visitors who are drawn by all kinds of a few individuals who have undertaken needs ranging from quenching to operate a rota which already curiosity to finding peace for prayer provides this presence in the church and reflection. Most would welcome albeit for a very limited time. It would some assistance from someone who be a wonderful Christmas present from could provide information about the St. Faith’s to our town and borough if building, what happens in it or to this presence could be made a signpost other parish resources permanent feature of our life. beyond the building. May I wish all our readers a blessed It is in pursuit of providing this kind of and peaceful Christmas. daily presence that out Pastoral Team are branching out from their present Peter Jones Proposed Changes to the North Transept -2- In my ‘From the Rector’ article I to approach a north side communion referred to the need to re-organise the rail (and once the temporary vestry is space immediately on the left inside removed, the south side) from outside the north door of St. Faith’s Church the great pillars beneath the tower. (north transept) in order to It is hoped that our delayed experiment accommodate a reception area for will be able to take place in the spring visitors. There are in fact other once we have identified the right kind reasons for releasing this area of our of plinth capable of supporting a church. On Sunday mornings our portable altar and providing Sunday Club regularly meets in performance space for orchestras and Church House for their Godly Play and the like. All these features need to be other activities. Some great work goes portable in order that we can continue on in nurturing our children but it is, by to use the high altar in the Chancel definition, out of sight and therefore when the theme of our worship mostly out of mind. There are demands. Flexibility is what we wish occasions when our children need to to achieve rather than any permanent be visibly included in our main worship. re-ordering in the first instance. A clear space in the north transept would ensure that on appropriate The fate of the rooms at the north occasions they could be engaging in east-corner of the church which have their activities right alongside our served, rather unsatisfactorily, as worship in a way that contributes to the vestries will be determined at the worship and makes sense of their outcome of the work that the Parish coming for a blessing at the time of Development Committee will be doing administration of Holy Communion. under the auspices of the Parochial Church Council. Once we have It is also patently obvious that we need decided what facilities we need to a more conducive space to gather for support activity inside the church we coffee after the Parish Communion on shall then be looking to see what we Sunday morning. The current location need from those spaces which are is cramped. Again the north transept adjacent to the north transept. lends itself to this. It may be that after further adaptation the offer of coffee A naturally warmer and drier vestry from within the envisaged weekday could be housed in the significant reception area may, in time, become a space on the south east corner of the reality? church currently filled with the organ. The church lost this space when our The final benefit to be derived from this predecessors chose it to locate the arrangement would be that we would organ. The ultimate aim would be to be able to implement our plan to relocate the console in an alternative experiment with an altar situated at the position while moving the pipes out east end of the nave. The success of into an elevated position either towards such experiments depends very or even within the main body of the heavily on how people approach and church where their true quality could return from the new sanctuary area. At be fully appreciated. We just need the St. Faith’s communicants would need funds! -3- Peter Jones Youth Group News We have been having a busy time of We went to a drumming workshop and late so we thought a report would be of then a worship session with the ‘psalm interest. drummers’. It was a different On Friday 22nd October we had a experience and amazing to feel a fundraising event for “Children in sense of peace amongst the noise of Need” which our Youth have wanted to approximately 30 people drumming! It do for a while. The theme this year was something all ages could was “Wear Spots to Raise Lots” so participate and needed no skill but they all got into the spirit and were enabled us all to unite and drum while spotty! The evening took place in praying and singing. church and the aim for the teams was Then on our last meeting on Sunday to complete as many challenges which 31st October we walked down the included skipping/ cycling (on exercise Hayling Billy in torchlight to the bikes) in 15 minutes.