Weston church offers home prayer visits

A Weston-super-Mare church has started running mobile services in a bid to allow people to get closer to God from the comfort of their own armchair.

Each Sunday at the regular service at St Paul's church additional bread and wine is blessed and then taken out by a team of volunteers.

The Rev Andrew Alden said: "A number of people, particularly the elderly who are housebound or sick, can end up feeling very isolated from the local community.

"Many have an active faith and in the past have been members of a church.

"This scheme means that although they cannot perhaps physically get to the church, they can still be very much part of the church community."

Volunteers have undergone training which allows them to give Holy Communion and trained pastors can go to homes and offer prayers.

Mr Alden is now looking to expand the service in a bid to access more people who cannot get to the Church of England services.

He added: "We are looking to build up contacts with residential and nursing homes.

"We are also looking for people within the church community who can help us meet the spiritual needs of a range of people."

The Walliscote Road is looking to rebuild its 1950s church to service its 1,000-strong congregation.

The original church was damaged during World War II.

More than £100,000 was raised towards the new build at a fundraising day to mark its 100th dedication anniversary.