MORE people are bucking the national trend and going to Anglican churches across our communities.

An average of 12,200 adults a week went to Sunday services in the Portsmouth Diocese - covering Fareham, Warsash, Locks Heath, Bishop's Waltham and Botley - in 2001.

That's up from 11,500 the previous year.

The seven per cent rise in the number of churchgoers was the largest increase registered by the Church of England and contrasts with a one per cent drop in the national figure.

Among the parishes recording growth is St John the Evangelist in Fareham, where the Rev Peter Hall has seen his congregation steadily grow.

Apart from two popular Sunday services attracting up to 150 worshippers, he also organises a monthly songs of praise, an Easter holiday club and a summer fun day.

"The spin-off of all these different events is that people feel comfortable coming here," he said.

"The church is not just seen as a sacred place but a place to worship and a meeting point for the community."

Since arriving at the church two years ago, Mr Hall has also managed to forge closer links with nearby schools such as Redlands Primary and Wallisdean Infant and Junior Schools.

"We have got quite a number of elderly people in our congregation but there are always new people joining. All ages are welcome here."

The church attendance figures were collected in October 2001 before the Stepping Out project last year encouraging more people to go to church.

Innovative ideas included the Rev Stephen Girling screening World Cup matches at Holy Rood Church in Stubbington.

In Titchfield, parishioners performed a passion play on Good Friday in the village square to a 1,000-strong audience.

The diocese's newly-appointed director of mission, the Ven Peter Hancock, said: "Although the number of adults worshipping in church on Sunday is only one measure of how effective we are at communicating the Gospel, it is an encouraging statistic.

"I'm certainly glad it is going in the right direction as I take up my post and it shows that not all in the Church of England is doom and gloom."