Churches in the Diocese of Winchester have been making the most of the unusually hot summer by heading out into the community and holding worship and other events outside.
This summer Britain has experienced five heatwaves, potentially causing significant damage to the economy, driving up food prices as agriculture suffers, and leading to thousands of “heat-related” deaths.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Churches in Boscombe, Pokesdown and Southbourne recently gathered for “King’s Praise in King’s Park”, one of many outdoor Christian events this summer.
The event featured worship from choirs and music groups as well as children’s activities and free ice cream.
Over 200 people attended, with local Rev Lorraine Kingsley telling the Diocese of Winchester, "'King’s Praise in King’s Park’ is the summer outreach of Churches Together in Boscombe, which is a vibrant group made up of many churches in our socio-economically deprived part of the UK.”
She added, “We want our community to know that the church is here – proclaiming boldly – in words and in action – that the Good News of the gospel really is good news.
"We want people to know that our loving God cares about them, and that we, as his church, are an extension of his love, grace and mercy. We love because God loves – and if one person leaves the open-air service knowing that, that’s why we do what we do.”
In a similar vein, St Leonard’s Church, Sherfield on Loddon held its annual Songs of Praise service in the garden of The White Hart, which is in the centre of the village. The church also hosted the tea and cake tent at the Sherfield Fete.
Parish member John Moule said, “At St Leonard’s, we pride ourselves on being open to all and having a family feel, but we do much more. As the community church for over 900 years, we take the message of Jesus beyond the walls and out to the surrounding estates and villages.
“The church is wherever we are and God is already at work in the world. Our role is to allow people to encounter Jesus in their own lives and communities.
"We do this by holding and supporting local events, showing that God is present in everything we do. We have a saying in our church ‘Our Worship has finished … Let the service begin.’”
