Christmas lunch at St Andrew's

Christmas dinner

Closing a chapel is never easy and members often suffer a sense of loss similar to that of losing a loved one. Losing a building with its memories and all that it means to be a congregation in that place is only one aspect; members also have to adjust as they find a new church and a new sense of purpose. So when the members of Beaconthorpe Methodist Church in Grimsby and Cleethorpes Circuit transferred to St Andrew's in Cleethorpes they began a time of change and adjustment.

At Christmas they offered to put on a Christmas lunch. "Using all their experience of hosting lunches at Beaconthorpe has been one way of helping them rediscover their purpose in God's mission" said Rev Katie Deakins, Minister at St Andrew's. This was something they could offer and it not only helped the church come together in the midst of covid but it also provided a welcome for a homeless woman who walked in off the street and was able to eat the delicious meal and take another portion with her for later! The bonus was that the St Andrew's kitchen is fully equipped as a catering kitchen and proved to be a new and exciting environment for the keen cooks and helpers. They all enjoyed working together.

Katie hopes that this will be the beginning of more lunches and outreach in the future.