SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN UNION What is Church Search and how does it work?
Welcome to Southampton! As a CU we are praying for you as you settle into your new home, especially after the last couple of years that we have had. We’d love to help you find a church in which you can really feel like you belong as part of the family, and so we have organised the Church Search! On both Sunday 3rd October and Sunday 10th October, we will be hosting Church Search on campus where you will be able to meet some student workers and students from many of the local churches as well as to meet many new Freshers in the same boat as you looking around different churches. This will all be done over breakfast. Afterwards, a group of students from each church along with the student workers will be heading to their churches and we would love for you to go along with them to church as you explore different churches in Southampton.
When and where is the Church Search?
Sunday 3rd October and Sunday 10th October from 8:30am-10:30am at the Faith & Reflection Centre on Highfield Campus (Building 2). Current students will be meeting at Halls receptions at 8am to bring you to the Church Search breakfasts on both mornings as well.
Information in this booklet
In this booklet, you will find a description of 14 churches in Southampton stating the church’s vision, times for Sunday services, addresses and what student work they offer. Being a major university city, we are blessed to have so many amazing, bible-centred churches in Southampton with many offering thriving student work. There is also the contact information for the student workers at each of the churches. We hope that this booklet along with the Church Search breakfasts will help you in your exploration of churches in Southampton and will help you to settle within a church during your time as a student here.
Why should I be in a Church?
Church is a community of believers, meeting to encourage one another, grow in faith together and listen to the word of God being preached from the Scripture. The earliest believers met together (Acts 2:42-47), and the writer of Hebrews encourages it (Hebrews 10:24-25). CU is not a Church; we are a body of believers on campus, seeking to give everyone the opportunity to hear and respond to the Good News and love of Jesus. The CU is helped and encouraged by many churches across the city which our members go to, so we want to help you also find a church where you can grow, be supported and serve – a home for your time at university and possibly beyond.
2 SUCU is a member of UCCF, with whom we share our core beliefs which are outlined here in our doctrinal basis. The basis of the Fellowship shall be the fundamental truths of Christianity, as revealed in Holy Scripture, including:
1. There is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2. God is sovereign in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement. 3. The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired and infallible Word of God. It is the su- preme authority in all matters of belief and behaviour. 4. Since the fall, the whole of humankind is sinful and guilty, so that everyone is subject to God's wrath and condemnation. 5. The Lord Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son, is fully God; he was born of a virgin; his hu- manity is real and sinless; he died on the cross, was raised bodily from death and is now reigning over heaven and earth. 6. Sinful human beings are redeemed from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death once and for all time of their representative and substitute, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between them and God. 7. Those who believe in Christ are pardoned all their sins and accepted in God's sight only because of the righteousness of Christ credited to them; this justification is God's act of undeserved mercy, received solely by trust in him and not by their own efforts. 8. The Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ effective to individual sinners, enabling them to turn to God from their sin and to trust in Jesus Christ. 9. The Holy Spirit lives in all those he has regenerated. He makes them increasingly Christ- like in character and behaviour and gives them power for their witness in the world. 10. The one holy universal church is the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong. 11. The Lord Jesus Christ will return in person, to judge everyone, to execute God's just con- demnation on those who have not repented and to receive the redeemed to eternal glory. In Southampton we are blessed with a huge number of very good churches and although all of those who take part in Church Search do need to stand in agreement with the above state- ments, there are many others who hold different views to some of those points. Therefore, this booklet contains a selection of the largest and most popular churches who DO stand in agree- ment, most of whom have been supporters of SUCU for many years. However, this booklet isn’t a definitive list of all of the churches which are available to you. We highly recommend that you check out a number of churches with the aim of finding the church which most suits you – this booklet, if nothing else, is a great place to start.
3 Vision Above Bar Church exists to glorify God by seeking to make and mature disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. We are a community of Christians loving God, following Jesus and sharing the hope we have.
Sunday services
• 10.30am: morning service
• 4pm: “Going Deeper with God” in-depth Bible teaching on YouTube
• 6pm: evening service (same passage as the morning service, more contemporary feel)
About Member of Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
Student group Wednesday night meal and Bible study, food after 6pm service, once a month young adult brunch, and many other individual events as well as student mentoring and service opportunities.
Address City: 69 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7FE
East: Woodlands Community College, Minstead Avenue, Southampton, SO18 5FX
4 Vision Inviting those around us to encounter the living Jesus and be transformed to a life captivated by him.
Sunday services In person:
• 9.00am: a more traditional service
• 10.45am: an informal service Most of our students attend the 10.45, but don’t let that stop you trying the 9.00! Our 10.45 is live streamed on our YouTube channel ‘AscensionSouthampton’.
From Sunday 3rd October, to Sunday 24th October, we’ll be hosting student lunch- es after the 10.45 service in our church café. It’s a great opportunity to meet oth- er students, new and current, and to get to know some of the staff team.
About We are a growing church, part of the Church of England. We place mission and encountering Jesus in the centre of everything we do, and want to see students grow and thrive during uni.
Student group We hold our student gatherings on Wednesday nights. There are opportunities for mentoring, regular socials and annual student weekends away.
Address 1 Thorold Road, Southampton, SO18 1HZ.
We’re just over the river in Bit- terne Park - walkable from Wessex lane or from Ports- wood, although many in the church are happy to give lifts where needed.
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Vision WE ARE ALL ABOUT JESUS! The One who gives us life is Jesus and in everything we aim to give glory to Him. We are passionate about who He is, what He has done for us, and what He's doing in our world today. We seek to make Him the heartbeat of our church.
Sunday Services In person:
• 10:30am Great Oaks school, no need to book, just come along! Online:
• 10:30 We have this brilliant online community where you can watch the broadcast of our in-person service and catch via video. Visit https:// live.calvarysoton.co.uk About We belong to the Calvary Chapel family of churches. Calvary Chapel is not a denom- ination but a fellowship of churches who share in a common philosophy of minis- try. The heart of Calvary Chapel's ministry is to share the gospel with the world and accurately handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15)
Student group We encourage our students to be fully part of our spiritual family and to bless and be blessed by the variety of experience and spiritual maturity that is here. In addition to our main Sunday morning meetings, we have a bible study every oth- er Tuesday and socials every month to hang out and grow together in the love of Christ. Address Great Oaks School, Ver- mont Close, Southampton SO16 7LT
6 Vision Committed to loving God, loving one another and loving Southampton.
Sunday services • 9:30am & 11.15am: at Cantell School • 6pm: at Burgess Road Library About A lively, gospel-centred church family based next to campus. Member of Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) and affiliated with South East Gospel Partnership, Solent Gospel Partnership, and UCCF. Student events and groups:
• Pizza and Puddings: 7.30pm at Burgess Road Library 26th September straight after the 6pm gathering.
• Welcome Tent and Speed Challenge: 27th September-1st October, 12.30-2pm outside the Burgess Road Library. Come say hello and be in with a chance of winning a week’s shop!
• Games in the Park: 3.00-5.00pm in Portswood Rec 29th September, 1st Octo- ber.
• Welcome Lunches: 3rd/10th/17th October at Cantell School at 12.30pm after the 11.15am gathering.
• Student Connect: a hot meal followed by a small group bible study. 7.30pm each Sunday at Burgess Road Library straight after the 6pm gathering.
All events are Covid secure.
Get updated: Join the Christ Church Students Facebook group or on Instagram. Get in touch: [email protected], so- [email protected]
Address Cantell School, SO16 3GJ (9.30/11.15am) and Burgess Road Library, SO16 3HF
7 Vision City Life Church is part of God’s family in Southampton, sharing everyday life around Jesus. We are committed to creating a home together where God can be known and celebrated, and where everyone is welcome.
Like any other home, our home has different rooms: the living room where we eat, share and invite others to get to know God and each other; the pantry through which we support food banks and feeding programmes; the study, which is full of teaching resources, and many more. Join us and discover all the ways we live church life together, and find a place of belonging, growth and contribution. Welcome home!
Gatherings As a church we are on an exciting journey to better fulfil our calling to love God, love one another and love the world in all the ways we can – everyone, everywhere and every day. We serve in our local communities; gather in homes around tables - praying, eating and sharing life together; and have several projects that engage with those who are vulnerable or marginalised seeking to love and empower them. We want everyone to be the church rather than ‘going to church’, and to live as authentic Christians with worship, mission and discipleship at the heart. We facilitate and support our church family to outwork this vision through online content, pastoral support and regular community gatherings:
Online teaching - 6pm, 2nd Sunday each month (Contact us for a zoom link) Worship and encounter - 6pm, 4th Sunday each month (St Albans Church, Tulip Road, SO16 3BB)
About Connected with the Pioneer Network, Love Southampton and the Evangelical Alliance. Address Across the city: In homes, in communities, online and sometimes in larger gatherings. www.citylife.org.uk
8 Vision The purpose of Highfield Church is to welcome students and engage with the university, embrace our local community, to love Southampton and to grow in GRACE; meaning to be a Grace-filled community that worships reverently, disciples authentically, serves to reflect Christ and be empowered to be witnesses to all. We firmly believe you can belong here before you believe. That Jesus is crying out for you to come and drink from His living water. That nobody is outside the reach of his love.
Sunday services In-person • 9.00am: Traditional • 10.30am: Contemporary family service • 6.30pm: Contemporary (Popular w/ Students & Young Adults) Online service: • 10.30am: Highfield Online, streamed on YouTube. About Part of the Church of England.
Student group As a student community we’re seeking to grow as disciples in prayer & worship, creativity, hospitality, justice, learning and mission. Therefore, events and projects are designed to reflect these 6 practices such as weekly meals at 5:30pm Sundays, prayer and worship nights, community projects, and more!
Small groups in person: Over the last few years, Highfield have created their Small Group programme to be a place where you are loved, valued and have a part to play. A place that openly invites the Holy Spirit to move and reveal the heart of God. A place that sees people encounter Jesus, seeks to shape culture, and grows as more people come to know Jesus.
Student nights (once a month): in-person at the church building. This is an opportunity to gather, worship, pray and listen to guest speakers preach on God’s word and relate it to your experiences this year.
Details get posted on Instagram: @highfieldstudents
Address Highfield Lane, Southampton, SO17 1RL
9 Vision We believe that the Bible is the word of God and, as such, is authoritative. We therefore place a high value on preaching, reading and living out the Bible.
We believe that Jesus, His life, death and resurrection really is good news. It has changed our lives and, ultimately, will change the whole world.
We believe that as we gather together as God’s people, the Holy Spirit is with us to encounter us and, even more importantly, to glorify Jesus.
We have an unchanging message but aim to show that it is relevant for people today.
Sunday services Online service: Sunday 10.00am on their website or watch on demand.
About We are a Newfrontiers Church and are part of Catalyst.
Student group As well as being involved in the 18-30's socials, connect groups and wider church life, we also meet together in Highfield for our monthly S20 events.
Address Upper Northam Road, Hedge End, SO30 4BZ
10 Vision We are all about Jesus. All in on an adventure together to know and follow him and the help anyone in Southampton know and follow him.
Sunday services
• 10:30am – King Edwards VI School
• 6:00pm – The Boathouse
Morning service is streamed on our YouTube channel.
About We are a group of people who are all passionate about Jesus Christ. We love to love God and people. Nothing gives us more joy than seeing others come to know Him as we do.
Life Church is a multi-site church that meets in various places across Southampton. The meetings listed here are the ones that are closest to the University.
Life Church is part of Commission, who belong to the Newfrontiers Family Churches.
Student events and groups: Our new building, The Boathouse, is home to our latest site of Life Church located be- tween Portswood and Southampton city centre. This pioneering new work has a focus on helping young adults to live all out for Jesus. So if you want to be part of something new, taking the risk of trying to do a new thing, with a bunch of other young people who love Jesus – then we’d love to have you join us. 6pm at The Boathouse on Sundays, with a load of other stuff going on too.
Get updated: Instagram – lifesouthampton | Facebook – Life Church – A Multi-Site Church for Southampton | YouTube – Life Church Southampton | Website – lifesouthampton.org
Get in touch: [email protected]
Address King Edwards VI School, Wilton Road, SO15 5UQ
The Boathouse, 11 Cranbury Terrace, Southampton, SO14 0LH
11 Vision Changed Lives, Transformed Communities
Sunday service 10am
Central Hall, SO14 1NF
We’d love to say hi to you on a Sunday morning, and if you can’t make it in person our meeting is livestreamed on our YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/c/NewCommunityChurchSouthampton
Sunday evening On Sunday evenings at 7.30pm we meet together at someone’s house as a group of young adults to worship and do life together. If you would like to come to this, please contact the students and young adults worker Rachel Barnes on 07582456782. We often eat together beforehand so please get in touch and join us!
About Part of the Pioneer Network, we are a charismatic community of Jesus followers committed to seeing the renewal of Southampton, everywhere, every day. We are a multigenerational church with a real family feel and we’re passionate about releasing people to serve in whatever giftings God has given them, in the church and beyond.
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Portswood Church loves people, students no exception ;-), and it is a place where you will be known and welcomed into the family that we are.
Our desire as a community is simple: for people to discover God, share Jesus and transform their communities. We are around 200 people of all ages, with many families, and we gather all together on a Sunday at 10am. Being together, young and old, is one of our core strengths and is a vibrant quality people note whenever they visit us.
We meet in person every week, as well as being online, and are very easy and convenient to find on Portswood Road opposite Waitrose (SO17 2FY - you won’t miss us on a Sunday morning as since the pandemic we worship outside as well as in). 10am each Sunday, just turn up and join us.
As a student we encourage you to get involved and stuck into the family as a whole, serving where you are gifted and joining a home group if you can. We also have other events and groups for 20-30s and students at various times. We seek to walk with each other as we follow Christ and as a student we will be there to walk with you too. We are led by a team, any of whom will be delighted to meet and chat should you choose to visit us.
13 Vision Our vision for the Student Ministry at St Mark's is that it would be an environment where you can grow, connect, and belong.
Grow: We run a Connect Group for our Students & Young Adults during the week giving you a chance to dig into the Word of God as well as grow friendships with people in a similar life stage to you.
Connect: Our Sunday services are for everyone and a great chance to connect with the wider church community. Once a month we have Church Breakfast which is completely free!
Belong: St Mark's is a church that is family focussed and a place to have real friendships. When you're in a family, you're a part of something and that's our heart at St Mark's. There are so many ways to grow in your gifting - the best way to belong is to get stuck in to church life.
Sunday services Online & In Person: • 10.15am: An time of worship including sung worship as well as hearing from the Word and communion (twice a month)
About Member of the Church of England
Address St Mark’s Church, Archers Road, Southampton, SO15 2LU
Socials:
@stmarks.ya
@stmarkssoton
Website: www.stmarkschurch.uk
14 Vision Following the way of Jesus, playing our part in the renewal of the City. The purpose of Saint Mary’s is to share the love and hope of Jesus with all of Southampton. Jesus has the power to transform people, and transformed people transform places.
Our heart is for ALL people. Every.single.person. is loved by Jesus. We are specifically focused on reaching those who feel far away from God. We believe that Jesus is light even in the darkest of places.
Our vision is to see students thrive in their faith throughout their time at University, building strong foundations in their identity as a child of God and having fun as we seek the kingdom of God together.
Sunday services In person at Saint Mary’s Chapel Road: 9:15, 10:30, 5pm Online: 10:30am Saints Online (streamed on Saint Mary’s YouTube channel)
About A church plant of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB). In partnership with HTB and the Diocese of Winchester.
Student group From October 3rd we are launching our second church location, Saint Mary’s Carlton Road, a place for students and young adults to come together to play our part in seeing God’s kingdom spread across the city of Southampton into every University, workplace and home.
As SAINTS Students we will be gathering at our 5pm service every Sunday to worship, pray and come together as Saints at our post-service hangouts! We have fortnightly student events launching from the 7th October at our Chapel Road location, a time to meet incredible people, deepen our faith and have FUN.
Tables are our small, mid-week communities which live in and live out the way of Jesus together across the city. Our student Tables are launching on the 30th September, and are a time to gather fortnightly to deepen friendships, share food and invest time in one another.
Address Saint Mary’s Chapel Road: Saint Mary Street, Southampton, SO14 1AQ
Saint Mary’s Carlton Road: Carlton Road, Southampton, SO15 2WZ
15 Vision Our mission is “to love God, be family together & reach the world around us for Jesus”. Our mission is fixed but our vision changes as we are led by the Holy Spirit year-by-year.
Sunday services • 10:30am in person. No need to book in advance. Services will be streamed online as well
About We are a church in the heart of Southampton full of people from all over the world. No matter your background, history or culture, you are welcome here.
Student group We encourage students to get fully involved in Church life, especially in the following ways:
Collectives: During the week we’d love you to get involved with one of our small group ‘collectives’, to study the Bible, pray with others and grow together as family following Jesus. These will be running fortnightly throughout the autumn on various days of the week, either in person or virtually.
Be part of the family: At Lighthouse we really value family and food. We’d love students to get to know others in the Church, especially over lunch on Sunday afternoons. We hope to provide a ‘home away from home’ and that you’ll feel part of our family.
Address St Mary’s Road, Southampton, SO14 0BB
16 Vision SBC is a local Christ centred community seeking to live together with kindness, patience and respect, forgiving one another in love, working out our faith in service; building bridges for God’s grace to all sorts of people.
Sunday services
The church family are once again meeting each Sunday morning at 10.30 a.m. There are worship services on the 1st and 3rd Sundays with songs, prayer and a message. On the 2nd Sunday we meet for prayers and on the 4th there is a time of sharing, with participation from the congregation.
There are drinks served afterwards with a time to chat and tell us all about yourselves or to receive prayer.
We meet regularly via Zoom for Bible Study.
About
We believe in the Bible, in prayer and in the unique value of each individual. Many of our members have been with us a long time and we are always keen to hear new perspectives. We work hard to care for each other and we recognise that church is a lot more than Sunday services! We would offer support as you need it to encourage you in growing with us in faith.
Part of the Baptist Union, we have 30+ members and a regular congregation of about 25 since Covid, plus people who zoom in. We currently have a Pastor vacancy which we are striving to fill.
Our meetings vary in style but are normally relaxed with a varied age range.
Address Fleming Road, Southampton, SO16 2JD
17 You can find all of these at sucu.uk/church-search.
Above Bar Church Website: abovebarchurch.org.uk YouTube: youtube.com/abovebar
Ascension Website: ascensionsouthampton.co.uk YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCD-fmKB1y2TEbgxHNtyND2Q
Calvary Chapel Website: http://calvarysoton.co.uk YouTube: https://youtu.be/DMYmBJ0mRLo
Christ Church Website: christchurchsouthampton.org.uk YouTube: youtube.com/ChristChurchSouthampton
City Life Church Website: citylife.org.uk YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCkCo4lPetZ45u_AmUkPBYyA
Highfield Church Website: highfield.church YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC7aLZEVKvSbzojhgp8AGhjA
King’s Community Church Website: kccsouthampton.org YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCGPcN2iUepQYXCLUQhtjIqg
Life Church Website: https://www.lifesouthampton.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHbpVIILU7bdDlDKMrF_vaw
New Community Church Website: newcommunity.org.uk YouTube: youtube.com/NewCommunityChurchSouthampton
Portswood Church Website: portswood.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1kA7F3etQ6fx48vLLd45fQ
St Mark’s Church Website: https://stmarkschurch.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Is6zzae-XUMNk1V8ZGjXQ
Saint Mary’s Church Website: saintmaryschurch.org YouTube: youtube.com/SaintMarysChurch
Southampton Lighthouse International Church Website: slic.church YouTube: youtube.com/SLICVideo
Swaythling Baptist Church 18 Website: swaythlingbaptist.org.uk
Above Bar Church
Callom Harkrader [email protected]
Ascension
Lorna Allez [email protected]
Calvary Chapel
Steve and Ash John [email protected]
Christ Church
Sophie Cornes and Pete Bentley-Taylor
Highfield Church
Tim Daulby [email protected]
New Community Church
Rachel Barnes
19 Saint Mary’s Church
Emma Wiseman
Southampton Lighthouse International Church
Tasmin Hannan
City Life Church: Dan Pooley - [email protected]
King’s Community Church: [email protected]
Life Church: Dave McNee - [email protected]
Portswood Church: Andrew Rose - [email protected]
St Mark’s Church: Kez Beckerleg - [email protected]
Swaything Baptist Church: Wendy Rowe - [email protected]
If you are studying at the Winchester School of Art and are looking for a church in Winchester, the Winchester University Christian Union (WUCU) have put together information on the different churches there.
Please go to their website or get in touch with them for more details.
20 winchestercu.com/churches Find church links, and this map at sucu.uk/church-search!
Please check the local church website for any coronavirus safety measures that are in place
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Church Time
Above Bar 10:30am 6:00pm Ascension 9:00am 10:45am
Calvary Chapel 10:30am
Christ Church 10:30am 11:15am 6:00pm City Life -
Highfield 9:00am 10:30am 6:30pm
King’s Community 10:00am
Life Church 10:30am 6:00pm New Community Church 10:00am
Portswood 10:00am
St Mark’s 10:15am
Saint Mary’s 9:15am 10:30am 5:00pm
Southampton Lighthouse International Church 10:30am Swaythling Baptist Church 10:30am
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But there are so many churches – how do I choose? We are very lucky in Southampton to have so many great churches, but that does make it harder to pick one. Also, many of you will never have needed to do so before. How to start? This is where the Church Search comes in; reading the descriptions in this booklet will give you an idea of what each church is like so you can decide which you’d like to visit. Thinking about what you’re used to (style of worship and teaching) can be a good place to start, even if you’re pretty sure you don’t want to go to an identical church here. You can also look at their websites and pick the brains of current students there. We’d suggest that you look for a church where you’ll engage with the teaching, be challenged to apply it to your life and where you feel happy to join their community (and feel able to invite others along!). Most importantly though, make sure you pray about this decision!
Right, I’ve chosen – what now? We said that Church is a community – you now need to join that community! Make an effort to go to church as much as you can – if you form the habit now, it will be easier to keep go- ing and harder for it to get crowded out. Try to get to know people, both other students and people in the wider Church family. See if you can join a small group, house group, cell group etc. where you can build deep relationships, digging into the Bible and praying together. These small groups might be meeting virtually or in person. Some churches (often with larger numbers of students) do this within the student group, and others will help you get stuck into a group with other members of the church family. Finally, if it seems like God might be calling you to do so, is there some way you can serve, for example in the band, with kids work or welcoming people into the service?
Church Search is over, and I haven’t chosen – what now? Not to worry, you can still visit all these churches and to help you with that, the church search website can be found at sucu.uk/church-search! They will all be very welcoming. You can also have a look at Southampton Christian Network’s website, scn.org.uk, which has a much longer list of possible churches. There is also the Fusion Link up app for finding churches (fusionmovement.org/studentlinkup), and the Faith and Reflection Centre on Highfield Campus. Remember that no church is perfect. Think about whether the reasons you haven’t settled down are important enough to continue not settling down!
We’re praying for you as you look, and are happy to answer any questions you may have. If you’re not sure who to ask, message us on Facebook or Instagram.
-The Freshers Team
For the latest info, church links and videos, go to sucu.uk/church-search