Harvest Church Winchester was planted in April 2000. We started by meeting in a Community Hall in Twyford. 8 of us met on the first Sunday. Our first visitor thought we were the tennis club! Four years  later we moved to meet in Winchester in Osborne School, our current venue.

Since beginning we have grown in number, maturity and passion. It is fun being Church, but it has also had moments of sadness and difficulty. We have seen many become believers. Others have grown in faith and confidence. We have waved goodbye to many good friends who have stepped out on the exciting journey of life that God has prepared and seen many new friends arrive.

When we first started a new church, we had a dream of a church that really lived the good news. We dreamed of a healthy church enjoying and showing the goodness of Jesus in Winchester. We desired reality, integrity, for others to taste the goodness of God that we had experienced.

We started Harvest Church  on Pentecost Sunday in April 2000.This was significant in that just as at Pentecost, our prayer was for God to actively intervene, to pour out His Spirit to bless our city, Winchester, and our nation.

We chose the name Harvest Church in response to a specific dream of a harvester working in a field gathering wheat in bundles and then shooting these as arrows to the nations of the earth. This represents a picture of God’s purpose for Harvest Church, sent out as workers into the harvest field. The bundling of wheat represents the lives of people touched by the love of God, who God strengthens to release them into His good purpose, like arrows into the nations.

The name Harvest Church represents our response to (Luke 10.2-9) Jesus’ command go out as workers in His harvest field. This desire shapes our vision and work. “Lord Jesus send us.”

Harvest Church was started with the help of William Marais, who is now a member of the New Covenant Ministries International (NCMI) apostolic team. Harvest Church works in relationship with the NCMI team, working together into England, the UK and nations across the earth.

We have been helped along the way by many dear friends locally and from elsewhere. Of particular note from the NCMI Team are Peet & Jenni Wallace, Wally & Shirley Gerstmaier, Peter & Jan Howard-Browne, Nigel & Melita Day-Lewis, Sean & Nola Dooley & Ant & Helen Rist who visited us at crucial times to give input and release momentum from God into our church family.

There are many, too many to mention individually, who have been crucial in working together in building this church. But their names will be remembered by God in heaven.

Our adventure continues…

Harvest Church works together with other churches in Winchester who share our dream, particularly those who are part of Mission Winchester or the HOTS partnership.