Several churches held family events with activities for children during Holy Week. More than 50 families came to St Jude’s Church, Southsea, for Easter Family Fun, which included activities such as an Easter trail, decorating eggs, making a tomb-shaped biscuit, and making a Lego cross.

St John’s Church, Locks Heath, held an all-age Good Friday service, as well as baptisms on Easter Sunday. St James Church, Emsworth, were due to hold an ecumenical Easter extravaganza for families in their garden from 10am to 12noon on Saturday April 4th. And St Paul’s Church, Sarisbury Green, were planning a service for toddlers on the morning of Good Friday.

Barn Church, which is based at the Soberton guide hut, are planning a Good Friday family fun morning and barbecue, including face painting, treasure hunts, games, crafts, and a bouncy castle. It was organised especially for those who don’t tend to attend church. Details here.

Several walks of witness were also due to take place on Good Friday, with worshippers often processing behind a cross to denote their faith in Jesus in public. The churches in Southsea were due to hold such a walk of witness from 11am, starting on Southsea seafront. Details here. And Christians in Bembridge will join forces for a walk of witness from 10.30am outside St Michael's RC Church.

The Good Friday walk of witness for Botley, Curdridge and Dudley begins at 10.30am at All Saints Church Botley and ends at Holy Cross Church, Durley. And churches of all denominations will take part in a walk of witness in Shanklin. It starts at St Blasius Church at 11.15am on Good Friday, calling in on the URC, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches before ending at St Paul's Church at 12.30pm.

Among the Easter celebrations were those from a Latvian community that meets at St Luke’s Church, Southsea. They gathered in the Host Café for traditional activities that included decorating eggs with boiled onion skins, and sharing different types of round food. The symbolism of circular food reflects new life.

Families with Latvian roots gather every two weeks in the church to share aspects of their traditional culture. It’s one of the few such gatherings for Latvian families this side of London.

Mum Louise Kemp, who comes from Southampton with her daughter, said: “Often the children have a Latvian school, and we sing traditional songs from our culture. I enjoy being together with people from my community and being reminded of our roots. It’s nice to have friends who also speak your language.”

The community mosaic group based at St Mary’s Church, Brighstone, has been running a project to create mosaic scenes of the Easter story. The plywood bases, scene stands and woodwork were made by Colin Thomas from Men in Sheds and Dave Crewe.

The scenes follow the Easter story along a road starting with Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It is a joyful scene as Jesus on a donkey is welcomed as a King against a backdrop of mosaiced houses.

It progresses to Jesus at the Last Supper, where Jesus blesses the bread and wine and shares a meal with his disciples – and then to Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. There is a scene displayed of Jesus being brought before Pilate and put on trial for blasphemy, and another of him being crucified between two criminals.

And the scene of the resurrection shows the risen Jesus standing at the door of the tomb, as a fulfilment of what he had promised. The final scene is the Ascension, when Jesus ascended to heaven to be with His Father.

Ali Mascarenhas, authorised lay minister, has taken the mosaics on tour to Christ Church, Totland, and will be at the Easter Sunday service at All Saints, Freshwater, as well. The mosaics will be on display inside St Mary’s, Brighstone, for people to enjoy over the Easter period and for several weeks afterwards.

And there are several churches hosting Easter Sunday sunrise services, including one on the beach at Freshwater Bay hosted by Churches Together in West Wight, from 6am – followed by breakfast in The Albion. There’s also a sunrise service at 6:15am behind The Briny restaurant on Southsea beach organised by St Jude’s, Southsea, followed by hot cross buns. 

Worshippers in Shanklin will celebrate an open-air sunrise celebration on the beach at the bottom of Hope Road from 6.15am on Easter Sunday, followed by breakfast in the South East Beach Cafe. Worshippers from the Cowes group ministry will host a dawn beach service at Gurnard beach from 6am on April 5. And St Faith’s Church, Lee-on-the-Solent will also hold an Easter morning sunrise service on their local beach from 6am.

Later on Easter Sunday, many churches are holding celebratory services, focussing on the risen Christ and the good news that means for our world.