Thousands head to Steyning estate for church festival

Now in its sixth year, the two-day event attended by campers and day visitors and supported by Christian charities and renowned Christian musicians was held for the first time over the Pentecost weekend.

Families enjoyed the Big Church Fete where there were fair rides, climbing wall, arts and crafts and face painting.

There were three different stages with worship brought to crowds by artists from the UK and abroad.

They included the popular Rend Collective, American worship leader and composer Israel Houghton, Martin Smith, formerly the front man of the Christian rock band Delirious, the Watoto Children’s Choir and rap and dance group LZ7.

New for this year was prayer and more intimate worship in Wiston Church near the estate’s house. The church was packed throughout both days as people sought some quiet, more reflective worship time.

Over the weekend the event’s partner charity Tearfund ran its free a slave campaign and with support from visitors thousands of children are now able to be released from the slave trade around the world.

The event came to an end with a beacon being lit to link up with the launch of the Diocese of Chichester’s new mission strategy. It was one of several beacons being lit across the diocese.

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