Whilst the traditional church may be struggling to appeal to many young people, Winchester Family Church is doing its best to engage the city's students and twentysomethings with Christian life. The church even employs a student worker, Angela Dinnie to look after the spiritual welfare of the young people and students within the congregation. "Sometimes it can be difficult to lead the right life", said Angela. "You're surrounded by people who are doing the complete opposite of the sort of things you would do as a Christian." The distractions and temptations from the straight and narrow are never more evident than during Lent - the Christian church's traditional period of fasting and restraint. There's little pressure to observe the fast, even as a Christian you can take it or leave it, but Angela appreciates the message of the 40 day fast. "For Christians, whether you're giving something up for Lent or taking something on for 40 days, the focus is to try and develop some kind of spiritual discipline", she said.
 | | 18:20s - Worship Prayer & discussion..?? |
"A fast doesn't necessarily mean giving up food, it could be giving up something that you regularly do. It's an opportunity - it doesn't have to be during Lent but it's a good focal point and it's a tradition", said Angela. "A lot of people give up something like chocolate - a bit like a new years resolution - but personally I think it would be really hard to give up chocolate for 40 days!" So rather than take on the impossible, Angela intends to focus on her relationship with God - taking time each day during the fast to concentrate on prayer and communication with God. "The real focus of Lent for me is to develop a relationship with God", said Angela. "Developing your spiritual discipline - like reading the bible or praying - or giving something up and seeing it as a fast. The important thing is to spend time on your spiritual side." Many young Christians in Winchester gravitate to the Family Church's 18:20s - a group that meets regularly at the weekend for socialising, discussion and worship. But can the Church really be a credible alternative on a Saturday night? "I think some churches have struggled in the past to gain the attention of young people", said Angela. "But I think there would be a lot of other churches who have thriving youth groups and do actually do things for young people." | 
