Holy Trinity Jesmond

Aims and Outcomes

From Holy Trinity’s perspective, it is fair to say that we had never attempted anything remotely like this before and had no idea what to expect. Our aim was simply to work with our Baptist brothers and sisters to bless some members of our local communities and show something of God’s love. In the event God blessed not only several hundred local residents and shopworkers but also the two churches themselves.

In God’s grace, prayerful preparation and the first hot weekend of the year enabled a quality and quantity of contact with members of the local community way beyond anything we’d imagined. This generally meant very positive responses from local residents and shopworkers receiving a free doughnut , flowers or thank you gift, hot dog, burger or car wash. Sometimes our initiative brought unexpected results. For example, as well as putting flyers through doors inviting all members of the parish to the free Bar-B-Q, coffee morning and car wash, Holy Trinity visited the neighbourhood food outlets in advance to explain that the Bar-B-Q was a one-off and not set up in competition with them. Impressed by the initiative, Gez Davidson, a local café owner and chef, offered to order high-quality burgers and sausages for the Bar-B-Q and then cook them on the day – definitely an act of kindness!

Reflecting on the Bar-B-Q, Gez commented “I was more than happy to be involved in such a worthwhile event. When I looked up from the cooking, it was great to see so many people of different ages enjoying themselves and mixing together. I especially remember some of the students, who loved the free food but kept on waiting for the catch – there wasn’t one of course!”

Pete Criddle from Heaton Baptist was primarily involved on the day with the gardening and tidying of the grounds at Chillingham Road Primary School. He reported that “it was fantastic to be able to bless Chillingham Road Primary School, and to do it alongside families from the school made it extra special.”