All Saints is a modern Anglican parish church situated in the secluded residential area of St Leonards & St Ives, close to the attractive market town of Ringwood .
The present church was built in 1972, although the original church on the same site dates from 1912.
It is the main Church of England church serving a population of around 7000 people in this pleasant area of low-rise buildings and spacious gardens, and is the hub of much of the local activity.
Besides catering for the spiritual needs of the parish, All Saints hosts a choir, music group, a flower guild, Sunday school, Mother & Toddler Group, Handicrafts Group and Mothers’ Union. The Church Centre is a venue for a variety of educational and recreational interests in an active and well-integrated community.
Our purpose is to provide a broad-based variety of worship that glorifies God and portrays Christianity in a manner that is both relevant and appealing to people. We seek an inclusive approach to provide a focal point of worship and welcome for everyone, of all ages, whether regular church-goers or not.
The spiritual benefit for the parish is of paramount importance. We seek to portray and promote the person of Christ and the ethos of Christianity and its principles as an essential and integral part of daily life in a way that people can comfortably and readily relate to, and of which they feel part.
All Saints Church has a thriving musical tradition. The Choir, comprising adults and children, sings a wide range of music from Renaissance to the present day. They enthusiastically support the worship in church every Sunday singing solos and hymns in both traditional and modern styles. They are particularly busy during the periods of Easter and Christmas when a large number of special services require additional hymns and anthems. They also stage special events such as Songs of Praise, Taize and musical dramas. Recently the choir held a very successful money raising ‘Sponsored Sing’ for church funds.
In addition to the Choir, All Saints has Con Brio; an instrumental music group that helps lead services with a more modern feel including the Family Communion Service held when there is a 5th Sunday in the month. They are a versatile group and currently have Violin, Flute, Alto Saxophone, Oboe, Guitar, Piano and Drums. However, they can accommodate almost any orchestral instrument as the music is individually arranged by the Director of Music.
The church is fortunate to have both a Director of Music and an Assistant Organist who are dedicated to promoting the best possible music for worship and who have both provided the church with specially composed pieces. Everyone involved in music at All Saints is committed to supporting the life of the church and to adding a greater spiritual dimension to its worship through music.
