Faith in the Community: Join is at St Faith's for some peace and joy

This coming weekend, St Faith’s in Lee-on-the-Solent is holding a Christmas celebration, which this year we’re calling our ‘Peace and Joy Christmas Festival’.

We have loads of different things going on over the weekend! Our Christmas Tree extravaganza will be open the whole time, which involves St Faith’s Church being filled with around 40 Christmas trees, many wonderfully decorated by local community groups. There will be food, drinks, and stalls as well – and it’s all free to enter.

Across the weekend, we’ll also be holding some special events for adults and for families. That includes a ‘Big Switch-On’ and ‘Rowdy Carols’ on the Friday evening. There’s a bar available, so you can sing rowdy carols while drinking pints of beer. And afterwards, you can stay on for a wreath-making workshop.

On the Saturday, we’re staging a Nativity drama throughout the day. ‘The Lost Camel’ is a 15-minute sketch written by our resident author and playwright Donna Vann and will suit children of all ages. It will be performed several times between 11.30am and 3pm.

There’s the chance to visit Santa’s Grotto on Saturday and Sunday, a Christmas-themed Messy Church on Sunday morning, and a Christmas quiz night on Sunday evening.

Some of these things need to be booked in advance, so do check out the St Faith’s website for full information: www.stfaithslee.org.

Why have we called it ‘Peace and Joy’? Well, that’s what we think Christmas is all about. We’re aware that for many people Christmas can be the opposite of that – a stressful time, having to buy presents, organise the family visiting, sorting food, and all the rest.

While those things are important, for us at St Faith’s the main reason for Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. In the Christmas story, when the angel told the shepherds that a special baby was to be born, he said “Don’t be afraid! I’ve got good news, which will bring great joy”, and that this baby would bring peace to you and me.

Peace and joy, then, is what Jesus offers each of us at Christmas, regardless of how stressful we find getting ready for the big day itself. We hope that our Christmas Festival will be a place where people can come and enjoy themselves, but also find some peace and joy this year.

ST FAITH’S CHURCH, Victoria Square, Lee-on-the-Solent, PO13 9NF

www.stfaithslee.org