8 features features 9 Above (far left): worshippers tidy East Meon Village; (left): vicar the Rev Simon Sayers shares a joke at Emsworth’s Big Tea Party; (right): vicar the Rev Andy Wilson gets messy at the Big Bake-Off at Christ Church, Portsdown, and (far right): guests let their hair down at a disco in St Faith’s, Leigh Park E were asked to show see the church for pay for things. This sort of thing is good for How we showed God’s love atthemselves, as wellPentecost bringing together different generations.” CHURCH PEWS God’s love for our local as browse what was Over at St Barnabas Church, Swanmore, UNCOMFORTABLE? communities - and we on offer from cake- families enjoyed a tea party, family trail, teddy WHY NOT TRY SAFEFOAM’S TOP QUALITY W UPHOLSTERED FOAM PEW CUSHIONS? rose to the challenge! makers, photographers, bear competition and a magician in the church Safefoam, Green Lane, Riley Green, Our parishes celebrated Pentecost weekend a hairdresser, bridal grounds. Hoghton, Preston PR5 0SN by offering free gifts to those who lived nearby. www.safefoam.co.uk Freephone 0800 015 44 33 outfitters – and even Father of two Riaan Theron, who lives in the Free Sample Pack of foam & fabrics sent by first class mail And all over our diocese, worshippers hosted hen party organisers. village, said: “I’ve loved it and my kids have When phoning please quote PC0613 fun days, tea parties, picnics and barbecues. Bride-to-be Katie loved it. It’s great that we can come together Residents who are used to churches asking Budden, who went to for this. We’re such a small community, and we for money discovered worshippers were giving Sunday School at All often only see each other at school.” things away, helping people out or offering Saints and will get married there in December, Worshippers from Gurnard and St Faith’s, hospitality free of charge. said: “It’s really nice to come to the church and Cowes, cleaned their local beach for two hours, Each of the 140 parishes in our diocese was get a better idea of how it will be set up on the while those from St Blasius, Shanklin, did the challenged to think of a way of serving their day.” same on their beach elsewhere on the island, neighbourhood, with no strings attached. It Up to 500 people visited the Party in the after a suggestion from the Mothers’ Union. Award winning helped us to remember that God gave his Holy Park run by Holy Rood and St Edmund’s, Around 25 people met on the beach between church furniture makers Spirit at Pentecost to all, not just to the Church. Stubbington. They invited people to Crofton Shanklin Chine and Horse Ledge and collected On the Friday night, worshippers gathered Makers of quality bespoke Recreation Ground for a free hog roast, bouncy 18 black bags of rubbish. They proudly stuck in three places – our cathedral, Newport Minster castle, games, puppet show and performances their church banner in the sand, so people knew Church Furniture Kristy, Emma, Helena and Martin Nordkvelle-Combs with their teddies at and St Peter’s, Petersfield – to ask God to bless from local schools. Children enjoyed face- where they were from. Passers-by and holiday- the Teddy Bears’ Picnic outside St Thomas the Apostle, Elson, in Gosport projects across the diocese. In each venue, there painting, art and craft and the sandpit. makers stopped to congratulate them. was a call to prayer led by a bishop, a variety Nabina Ahmed and Jamie Dean, both 12, were among the Charter Academy students Susan Grout came with her children Churchgoers from St Alban’s, West Leigh, www.fullersnerfurniture.co.uk of prayer stations to help people pray, and each who helped to create prayer stations in our cathedral for the Friday night vigil children Grace, 2, and James, 1. She said: “It’s invited residents from Eileen Beard House evening ended with Compline. Church’s teddy bears’ like prayer and invited them to help paint a League and Townswomens’ Guild were invited lovely because there is something for the whole to come to high tea at the church. They were Bishop Christopher told those in Newport large cross. Joanne Hall, 31, said: “Both of my to show others what they did by setting up family, including the little ones. I think the entertained by seated zumba and a singalong. Minster: “Behind these events lies a love and a daughters love craft, so it’s nice for them to be displays. location is brilliant, and more people have come And those from St Hubert’s, Idsworth, ST NICHOLAS HOSPITAL, picnic was special event passion that dares to break out from the narrow because it’s free.” combined a Pentecost picnic with organ recitals WHEN this family heard St Thomas’s 2005. But it came back in 2010. able to do this in the High Street. It is a really Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage was one of SALISBURY, WILTSHIRE confines of the familiar, the predictable and Worshippers at All Saints Church in and choir performances to mark the 100th Church was holding a teddy bears’ “One of the things he really good thing to do for the community.” the visitors. She said: “This kind of community the comfortable, into the community, out to Portsmouth hosted a lunchtime barbecue anniversary of their organ. picnic, they knew they had to go. wanted to do was see all the children Bishop Christopher joined in a free barbecue engagement is brilliant. At this kind of thing, strangers whom we do not know. for their neighbours at the All Saints Hostel. Then on Pentecost Sunday, worshippers met APPLICATIONS Emma Nordkvelle-Combs’ start school. Helena had her first day and sports day outside Holy Trinity Church, you always discover something else going on “Across the diocese, this weekend we share Charlotte Parham, 17, said: “I think it is a really in their own churches in the morning and came husband Andy died of cancer in 2011 at school in September 2011 and Andy Fareham. Local scouts cooked the barbecue, locally that you didn’t know about. It’s great to INVITED in an outbreak of holy generosity that has nice idea. It helps us to feel more a part of the together for celebrations in each deanery in the aged just 36. One of the final things died the next day. while the mini-Olympics was run by Southsea- see the church at the heart of the community.” already hit the media, precisely because it is so community.” afternoon. They shared stories about what had For self-contained fl ats (supported he did was to take Emma and their “So when we heard about this, based Spirit in Sport. Her father, TV presenter Fred Dinenage at odds with the materialism and self-seeking of And worshippers from St Aidan’s in happened and thanked God for it. accommodation) in this historic children Kristy, now 11, Martin, 9, there was no doubt which teddies we Mother-of-four Emmie Jackson, from Lee- was one of those helping to wash cars at Manor so much of consumer culture.” Anchorage Park, Portsmouth, organised Bishop Christopher had invited young almshouse and post-retirement and Helena, 6, to Build-A-Bear in would bring.” on-Solent, said: “When something is free it Farm in Hambledon. It was an unexpected act Then on Saturday and Sunday, each parish a tea party and fun quiz. One guest, Paul people from each deanery to Bishopsgrove for Christian community. Southampton. Other families joined in the fun, really helps, especially when you have four of generosity for around 25 drivers, who were found a different way to bless their community. Treacher, said: “I received such a charming Sunday lunch. Each of them took back one of The teddy bears they all made sitting on picnic rugs and around children to pay for.” also given bacon sandwiches, coffee and cake. A Church of England foundation, we Those from St Peter’s, Petersfield, gave away welcome when I arrived. It’s a good idea to nine Pentecost cakes for worshippers to share at together have helped them to tables outside the Elson Road church. St Matthew’s Church, in Bridgemary, Bacon sandwiches were also on offer at All are beautifully situated close to the free ice-creams from a stall outside their church, have something like this. You can sit down, the deanery celebration and a candle lit from the centre of Salisbury. remember him and get over some They were joined by children’s hosted a Community Services Day in their Saints, Denmead, which hosted a free brunch while worshippers from East Meon spent the with a piece of cake and chat to people who you one in the bishop’s chapel, as a symbol of our difficult times. So they proudly characters Peppa Pig and Bugs grounds with live entertainment, including at the start of a busy weekend of activities. CONTACT morning tidying their village. wouldn’t usually talk to.” shared mission. brought teddies Fleur, Patch and Bunny, enjoyed lunch provided by the puppet shows, a youth band, a fire engine There was a Messy Church for children on the The Master Churchgoers from Wymering and Cosham And Lana Poore, 45, said: “It is a lovely The weekend was designed to be a staging Daisy to St Thomas’s Church in Elson church and played games together. and bouncy castle. It was all free, including Saturday afternoon, a concert on the Saturday St Nicholas Hospital joined forces with those from Cosham Baptist thing to do.