Published on: 25/06/2026
There are promising signs at All Hallows Church, Harthill with Woodall, with the congregation doubling in size over the last year. A centre for Christian worship for almost a thousand years, All Hallows is open daily and has Sunday morning services at 10am.
We caught up with Susan Cope and Felicity Dorrington, the two Focal Ministers at All Hallows, to find out more about the recent good news at the church.
The church context was challenging when we joined
Susan joined All Hallows in 2005 as a member of the congregation. Having previously completed the lay evangelist course, she offered her services, initially supporting in some courses and becoming the baptism coordinator. The number of people attending church was quite healthy at the time, although it was an aging congregation. There was a small children’s group, and a group for young teenagers, but this did not transfer into the services.
As with many churches, numbers declined, due to different reasons – aging congregation, people moving away, differing priorities. Unfortunately, this reduced to a core, regular attendance in single figures and the end of working with the youth groups. Felicity moved into the parish in 2016, when it was clear that every member of the congregation needed to be actively engaged.
We’ve had a great team working with us
All Hallows was blessed to have Margaret Lovely as church warden, Lovely by name and lovely by nature, she worked faithfully within the parish, with Mission as her focus. With Margaret as the main instigator, we three offered, and were backed by the PCC, to become Focal Ministers, and were offered training and support.
We have done much praying for growth and can see the answer in a gradual increase in people involved with church and numbers attending services. We began a Café Style church service once a month; this had a positive reception and saw 26 people attending last Sunday.
We worked with people in the community
Much work has been done holding or joining with community events, and some people have begun to join us following these. There is a healthy connection with the village school, as we began a weekly after school club, as well as the ‘Open the Book’ and Priest-in-Charge assemblies led by Reverend Gary Schofield in Church with parental/carers attendance. The children and their families are invited to special services throughout the year, and we continue to pray for growth in this area.
We give thanks for the life and work of Margaret
As a church and a community, we were saddened and stunned when Margaret died, after a short illness, just under two years ago. She had been quietly connecting so many people together to do God’s work in the parish and beyond. Many people were moved to step forward to offer support and help to the church as a tribute to her. All Hallows felt the motivational thrust of her outreach work continuing with love and felt blessed.
We’ve formed ecumenical partnerships
We have made strong connections to other local churches (Catholic and Methodist), and find this a rich source of inspiration and support. We regularly learn and worship together.
We’re excited about the future
Our hopes for the future include continued growth in fellowship and a younger congregation. People attending here all comment on the warm welcome they receive and the fulfillment they get from the services.
Lay leadership is incredibly rewarding. There is no pressure to do or give more than we are able. The fellowship we share is invaluable, being able to work together to share God’s word and His love. We are constantly being encouraged by the way everyone pulls together, each sharing their gifts. We have a strong, united team at All Hallows. The PCC has agreed to the continuation of our Focal Ministry, and we all go forward in faith.
Find out more about the All Hallows community here: Home | All Hallows Church
