REV TIM WATSON: A worshipping community for those who don't '˜do' church

The pioneer minister for Leesland on the new Leesland Neighbourhood Church
Bethan Walker and her mum Charlotte enjoying hot food at Leesland Neighbourhood ChurchBethan Walker and her mum Charlotte enjoying hot food at Leesland Neighbourhood Church
Bethan Walker and her mum Charlotte enjoying hot food at Leesland Neighbourhood Church

Where can you find a hearty hot meal, the chance to discuss important things, and a place for your children to play on a Sunday afternoon?

It’s all there at Leesland Neighbourhood Church, our brand new congregation, which meets at 4.30pm each Sunday.

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It’s a new worshipping community which is designed for those who don’t really do normal church.

The usual format is coffee and chat, while the children get to play on our playmat or do some children’s activities.

Then we share a meal which is cooked to perfection by our in-house chef and allows us to get to know each other better.

Then there is a brief talk or presentation on a specific theme, and an activity that adults and children can do together, and we end with prayer.

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There are around 20-25 of us, and half of those people have never been to church before or have not attended for years.

Some have links with Leesland schools, or they have family members who attend church, or they just live locally.

I hope we can offer something that builds up the local community and gives them a chance to think about spiritual issues.

The pace of normal life means we don’t often get any time to think about our purpose in life or our ultimate ambitions.

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So we might have a discussion about the kind of emotional baggage that weighs us down, and stops us being truly fulfilled.

Then we have a moment when we can pray about those issues, symbolically writing them down and attaching them to a cross, to show that we’d like God’s help to deal with these things.

On other occasions, we might all join together in a family activity like an Easter egg hunt or a group art project.

In the future, we also want to get out of our building and help others. We’d love to join in with what local people are already doing to help build up the community of Leesland.

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If you would like to join us, you’re very welcome whatever your background and whether you have faith or not.

Just turn up and we’ll try to make you feel welcome.

For more information about the church, see leesland.co.uk.

Leesland Neighbourhood Church is in St Faith’s Church, Tribe Road, Gosport.