Timeline – Family Church

Our Journey So Far

Andy & Gina Elmes say YES to God and Abide in the Vine Family Church is born (Buckland Community Centre)

1997

Steuart Payne & Carla French (Payne) join Abide in the Vine Family Church

Abide in the Vine Family Church starts its first youth ministry

1998

AVFC open their first offices in Highland Road

1999

AVFC expands its office space in a move to Buckland Community Centre

2000

First Youth Camp for the young people of AVFC

2000

Abide in the Vine Family Church change their name to Portsmouth Family Church

2001

Portsmouth Family Church host their first Community Fun Day

2001

Buckland Community Centre is too small! PFC move to City Girls' School (The Portsmouth Academy)

2002

PFC start their first evening bible school - Faith Works

2002

PFC starts its first young adults ministry

2002

The offices need expanding once more with a move to Stubbington Avenue

2003

Steve Carey joins Family Church

PFC begin their first Internship programme

2003

PFC continues to grow and a move is needed from the assembly hall, to the sports hall at City Girls' School (The Portsmouth Academy)

2003

PFC hosts it first annual conference - Empower Conference

2004

PFC launches Empower Magazine

2004

PFC launches Life Groups (later became Connect Groups)

2004

Its time to start global missions... The Philippines is the destination

2004

Gosport Family Church is born

2005

Geoff & Jane Wood join Family Church

PFC begins an organised foodbank (later becomes known as Caring Hands Food Bank)

2006

Portsmouth & Gosport Family Church launch the Discovery Course (later becomes known as the Welcome Home Course)

2006

Paula Duah (Finch) joins Family Church

Kirsty Hawkins (Carey) joins Family Church

Portsmouth & Gosport Family Church join forces for the first Christmas Spectacular

2008

With a view to expand, Portsmouth & Gosport Family Church become known as Family Church Portsmouth and Family Church Gosport. Collectively we are Family Church

2009

Family Church Havant is born

2009

Sean Finch joins Family Church

Family Church Waterside is born

2011

Paul & Wendy Drodge join Family Church

Family Church Makati (Manila) is born

2011

Stubbington Avenue is too small! The offices move once again to our new home, Empower Centre Portsmouth

2012

A new community initiave is launched across congregations - Adopt a Block (Love Portsmouth, Love Gosport, Love Leigh Park, Love Waterside)

2012

Family Church Bridgemary is born

2013

Family Church Havant get a home - Empower Centre Havant

2014

The end of Faith Works, the start of something new... Empower Bible Academy

2015

Family Church partner with a national organisation and start up Baby Basics

2017

Chris & Sandy Hoskins join Family Church

Family Church Waterlooville is born

2018

Family Church Online congregation is born

2020

and then came COVID...

2020

Family Church launch their online congregation

2020

Family Church joins Assemblies of God GB

2020

Family Church Gosport & Bridgemary congregations unite

2021

Sean & Paula Finch become Congregational Pastors of Family Church Portsmouth

2022

FORGE Ministry School opens its doors to its first cohort of students

2022

The story of Family Church continues....

2022 -