About Our Church
St Peter and St Paul Hambledon has stood on the top of a hill, looking down over us for over 1,000 years. Its imposing location is no mistake! Its role is to serve all it surveys. lt is here for everyone to use for the people of much faith – for people of little faith for people of different faiths and for those who simply need love and support in times of sorrow, need or difficulty. While we come from many different walks of life we come as one together when we are in church. We therefore welcome you and your family to any service or part if you would prefer.
Our church is not just about the building and Sunday worship; it is about working on ways to make it everyone’s church. A place to walk into and claim ownership of as well as real enjoyment about what a fantastic asset it is. It is there for us all to use in whatever way we can think of.
We have recently re-ordered the back of the church. We have re-gained the huge open space to make a welcome and soft play area that will allow us to do so much more. We already hold very popular soup lunches, have concerts, lectures and recitals. We have even had sleep overs there in the past!
We seek to show God’s love far beyond our congregation. Each year we marry couples, baptise children and celebrate the lives of loved ones. At times like Christmas, Harvest and Remembrance people join us from far and wide. We want to reach into the community and around us. We want to know that what we are doing, we are doing better every day. But this only happens because of you and because Robin our vicar works so hard.
You may not know this but Robin has a great many roles to fill within the Diocese of Portsmouth. So, although he appears ever present, we actually only have him to ourselves for the equivalent of Sundays and one other day each week. However, he has the most amazing team behind him and we are very, very lucky to have our Lay Reader team of Gillian Hurst, Betty Spiller, James Blott and Graham Parr who work alongside him, ably supported by a dedicated pastoral team, led by Jenny Bellinger, which includes as its members Robert Solomon, Jean Grant and Alison Hubbard. They are all just a phone call away.
It is important that we reach out to each and every member of our community. The frail, the young and those in between. Our pastoral team gently realise that those facing illness, dementia or any other kind of problem should not have to face it alone.