Ask a passer-by what they associate with Southampton, and, if the answer is nothing to do with a football team, it might well be one of its two most famous ships. The ship of doom — the Titanic. And the ship of hope — the Mayflower. Both set sail from Southampton Docks. But while one led to the death of thousands, the other led ultimately to a new life in a new world for millions.
Those who for years prayed for and laboured towards the launch of Christ Church Southampton hoped that God would give the church a fair wind and enable it to chart a steady course. They never dreamed that — on a simple diet of no-frills Bible-study and preaching — it would become one of the fastest growing churches in the country.
Just over a year
And yet, in just over a year since that group of pray-ers and labourers welcomed their first pastor last June, a stream of men and women of all ages have given their lives to Christ, large numbers of university students have flocked in to Bible study groups, and dozens have got involved in one-to-one discipleship relationships. In the same period, church attendance at Christ Church on a typical Sunday has more than quadrupled.
