A PROGRAMME of events will celebrate the history of Lansdowne Baptist Church before the building closes its doors for good.

The church is to shut after 138 years of baptisms, weddings and funerals, so work can start on a new, £3million building.

It plans a programme of events on the weekend of June 13-14. All those associated with the church across the generations will be encouraged to relive stories from the past and gear up for the future.

Until the new building is finished, the church will have multiple congregations and venues across the town.

The church will be at Strouden Park Chapel in Woodbury Avenue on Sundays, and hopes to confirm other locations soon at the Bishop of Winchester School and the Bournemouth University Executive Business Centre in Holdenhurst Road.

During the week, the community programmes will run from Little Down Youth Centre, St Augustine’s Church and a cafe in Lansdowne Road, as well as from Woodbury Avenue, which will be the headquarters of the “one church, many locations” idea.

Senior minister Peter Baker said: “It’s been done before. The early church had no buildings and gathered wherever they could.

“It’s an exciting time. No one really knows what’s going to happen. But I hope we will grow as a family of connected congregations as a result of investing in several areas of Bournemouth.”

The church, which has a Sunday congregation of 500, is preparing for a new purpose-built to be built on the existing site at Lansdowne Road. Most of the £3m for the project was raised on a single Sunday in November 2013.

The congregation is expected to be at its alternative sites for around 18 months.

Activities on June 13-14 will include a celebration service on Saturday at 2pm, followed by a buffet tea, and another, different celebration service after the 10am Sunday service. At 1pm, there will be a buffet lunch at Strouden Park Chapel.

The events are expected to be popular and anyone intending to go is asked to let the church know. Details are at lansdownebaptistchurch.org.uk