Springwood Church brings hope and unity to Kingsthorpe
It was evident from the beginning this trip had God’s hand and heart all over it. We were amazed at how well it came together, how we all worked in such unity and the blessing that it was to us who were serving, let alone the people in the community. On Friday night, the PAIS team ran the Kids Club program at the church, with about 30 kids from the community. We also handed out around a dozen food hampers to families that were filled with grocery donations.
On Saturday, about 100 of us enjoyed a barbecue lunch in the park. This was a great event held in the heart of town, where locals were able to wander in from all directions to enjoy a burger or snag, and kids were able to take part in fun activities. We were given the opportunity to have some incredibly meaningful conversations with those in the community who wouldn't ordinarily think about coming to church. We also had teams of people go out to community homes and do some practical work (indoors and outdoors). Lawns were mowed, windows cleaned, dishes washed, bushes trimmed and much more from our hard-working team. We had teenagers working alongside older men and women in a wonderful intergenerational team effort that blessed many local families.
A highlight of the weekend was the bustling activity in the church kitchen and the strong sense of fellowship among the mission team, busy preparing delicious sweets and preparing weekend lunches for the community.
Food was the winner in bringing people together and we felt that the barbecue in the park was a great way to connect with those in the community and invite them to church on Sunday. Conversations over lunch were easier and more fruitful than we could have ever imagined.
On Sunday morning, we worshipped together with the family at Kingsthorpe Church of Christ, and we thank God for the great team of young musicians that came together to lead us in worship and the hope-filled testimonies of God’s faithfulness provided by Andrew Ballantyne and David and Jenny Kuhl.
At the end of the weekend, we were blessed to spend some time as a team up on the mountain overlooking Kingsthorpe watching the sunset, worshipping our God and praying for the community. It was a fitting end to our time on mission.
We really appreciated the gracious hospitality of the leadership at Kingsthorpe, and we loved that some of the young people from the church organised to hang out and play board games with our people on Sunday night - a testimony to the great connections we had made together. It was such a memorable and rewarding trip for us all.
Leanne Thomson, Team Coordinator