On Halloween night, as hundreds of young people filled the streets of Swindon trick or treating, St John’s Church, Park North offered a different kind of welcome, sharing hope in Jesus Christ.
With a tent set up outside the church, volunteers invited members of the community to stop by for free tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Alongside the drinks, the team gave out 'Bags of Hope', containing sweets and a short Christian message, offering an alternative and hopeful focus for the evening.
In just a couple of hours, around 300 Bags of Hope were given out. The tent quickly became a place of conversation and connection, with many local residents stopping to chat with church members as they passed by.
“The response from the community was overwhelmingly encouraging. There was real goodwill, lots of warm conversations, and a genuine openness to stopping and chatting. It felt like a simple but powerful way to show God’s love in a very practical way.”
This was the third year the Bags of Hope initiative has taken place at St John’s, and the team are seeing clear momentum building year on year, with increasing engagement from the local community.
This event is one example of how churches across the diocese are finding creative ways to serve their neighbourhoods and share God’s love where people already are.