The John Pounds Church family is a thriving congregation of around 70 people who have come to us via many, many routes and who are those who have thought a great deal about what they believe and what they do not believe in matters of faith, spirituality and religion.

They are people who have come from other denominations and other faiths or from none or who have wanted to re-think and feel totally free to re-think about what is true for them. So like all other members of the worldwide Unitarian family we do not subscribe to any form of creed or system of set beliefs . We believe that the pursuit of truth is an individual quest or journey and we are quite happy to be together even though as individuals our personal "creeds" are widely differing.

We probably see ourselves as the Church for the unchurched and believe that spirituality is something to be enjoyed as well as something to be worked at. Our meetings together on Sunday mornings are relaxed, informal and, hopefully, enjoyable.

A fairly high point of our time together being set apart for an address from the conducting minister or, on some occasions, smaller addresses or sharing of thoughts by members of the congregation. We sing, we listen to readings from many sources, we are quiet together, we meditate and we contemplate and pray. The preacher has complete freedom of the pulpit and old fashioned "sermonising " is not at all what the family here would want. They would, however, want to be encouraged to think and also to be disturbed from time to time - even possibly annoyed!

Briefly that is us and what we are about. We meet every Sunday morning at 10.30am for about an hour and then have coffee, tea, cold drinks and biscuits together afterwards.

He is our patron and one, severely crippled in his mid-teens, who grew out of obscurity in a rough area of Portsmouth during the 18th and 19th. centuries - because he saw a great need to help young children reared in what was, effectively in those days, a slum. Find out more

Unless you have friends or relatives that have been members of a Unitarian community you probably don't know what a Unitarian church actually is and what we stand for. Find out more

Click more (below) to find out out at what times the services take place, who is preaching etc. Times might vary so check back regularly. more