Welcome to our church
We hope that you will find much to interest you here and will want to join with us as Christians in Fareham. Our church mission statement is "Sharing Jesus' love with the world today". This means we, all ages, come together each week for Sunday worship to listen for God's word for us. The rest of the week we try our best to act on what we have heard both in church and through our own prayers. We try to care for each other to the very best, and this love and care then flows out through all of us in our work, leisure and home lives. Wherever you are as regards faith in God, come among us and help us together, to grow closer to him day by day.
You may or may not be aware that there are now daily reflections, written by all kinds of contributors, made available by the United Reformed Church as emails. You can subscribe here to receive them.You can also find them on our website or on Facebook.
Lent Study Groups - registration is open
Christians Together in Fareham are pleased to offer six study groups during Lent using the York Course ‘You can be serious – meeting Jesus afresh in John’s Gospel’ by David Wilbourne. Serious yet full of life and humour, the course covers:
- Session 1: Temptation . . .
On checking every word that comes out of the mouth of God - Session 2: Strangers in the night . . .
Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of darkness: finding God in surprising places - Session 3: The winner takes it all
‘You worship what you do not know’: upping our game with worship - Session 4: I was blind but now I see
‘A god who can be understood is no god’ - Session 5: Them bones, them bones, them dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!
Contrasting events in John with parables in the Synoptics
The course starts in the week beginning 10th March and runs for 5 weeks. Each attendee will receive the course book at the first session – please bring £5.00 with you to cover this.
If you wish to join with Christians from across the town, please contact secretary@farehamurc.org.uk by Friday 28th February, indicating your preferences from the following days and times:
- Tuesday, 10.00am, Frosthole Crescent
- Tuesday, 7.00pm, Odell Close
- Wednesday, 2.00pm, St John's Church
- Wednesday, 2.00pm, Bentley Crescent
- Thursday, 10.00am, Purbeck Drive
- Thursday, 10.00am, Methodist Church
World Day of Prayer 2025
Christians Together in Fareham will be joining the World Day of Prayer 2025 in a service prepared by the women of Cook Islands
The service will be held on Friday 7 March 2025 at The Church of St Philip Howard, Bishopsfield Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1ND at 2pm and repeated at 7pm. All are welcome.
Light refreshments will be available after each service.
Service of Remembrance for Ukraine
A Service of Remembrance for Ukraine will take place at Fareham United Reformed Church on Friday 21st February 2025 at 2.30pm. This has been organised by the Fareham Ukrainian Community, with support from Fareham Borough Council.
All are welcome to the service, but please be aware that the refreshments have been provided mainly for the Fareham Ukrainian Community.
Ecumenical Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
We pray for the people of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. We long for peace and for an end to violence and destruction of every kind.
We unite our hearts with all who are suffering, with those who have lost loved ones, and with all who cry out in anguish.
Please God have mercy on us. Hear our voice that we not despair.
That we will witness life with each other, that we have mercy one for another,
That we share sorrow one with the other, that we hope, together, one for another.
Inscribe our lives in the book of Life, for Your sake, our God of Life. Let us choose Life.
For You are Peace, Your world is Peace and all that is Yours is Peace,
May this be your will. And let us say
Amen.
Intercessions in difficult times
Eternal One, we praise and give you thanks for all that is good in our lives
- for those we love,
- for those whose company we enjoy,
- for the beauty that surrounds us in the created order,
- for the random acts of kindness we see day by day,
- and for all that adds value and worth to our living.
Lord Jesus, you often told the rich off for ignoring the poor, you weren’t a great guest at dinner parties, rebuking the host for the guest list, telling folk not to grab the best seats, and to give without any hope of earthly reward. We lift to you, dear Lord
- all who are desperate in these days,
- all who already struggle to pay their bills,
- all who are in worry about heating their home,
- all who cannot make any further savings, and
- all who will go cold and hungry.
Holy Spirit, you are the creative spark which sets us ablaze, you are the warmth of love that leads us to serve the poor, you are the fire in our bellies that leads us to cry for justice; Inspire, we beg you, those who aspire to lead our nations
- to work for justice,
- to be creative with building our economy, and
- to offer relief to all who dread the coming days, weeks and months.
Eternal One, in the midst of our praises and our prayers, we’re worried,
- worried about our own bills,
- worried about our church’s bills,
- worried about how the groups who use our church will afford to continue,
- worried about how we can make a difference in these difficult times.
Keep us ever alive to your spirit, allow us to find ways to open our doors and our hearts to your promptings, to unleash our resources of time, talent and treasure, that none may go cold or hungry.
Amen
A prayer for Ukraine
God of all, with alarm and concern we bring before you the military intervention in Ukraine.
In a world you made for peace and flourishing, we lament the use of armed force.
We mourn every casualty of this conflict, every precious life extinguished by war.
We pray comfort for those who grieve and those who are fearful.
Hear our longing that leaders and nations will honour the worth of all people by having the courage to resolve conflict through dialogue.
May all our human failings be transformed by your wonderful grace and goodness.
We ask this in the name of Christ, the author of peace and sustainer of Creation. Amen.
