CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS ON HAWBUSH

We had an idea that we thought would combine celebrating the real meaning of Christmas with an opportunity to bring the community of Hawbush together in a celebration of this wonderful time of year.

Out of this thought came a plan and in December we bought an 11 foot Christmas tree for the Hawbush House driveway, and set about putting together an event that would be more intentional about Jesus than perhaps we had done in the past.

We invited young people from the estate along with their parents to come to the house and together we would create the decorations on the driveway using blank wooden Christmas Trees and Lovehearts and decorate it all at the same time.

Once this had happened, our good friend Tom Packer played some great Christmas carols which everyone sang along too, whilst Lynda Hadley and Dania Burrows then read from the New Testament the full account of the birth of Jesus.
The day was beautiful in so many ways.

From seeing the driveway full of people listening to the gospel message, to seeing some of the great creativity in young people it was a really good day.
One young girl particularly wrote a prayer asking God to look after those less fortunate than her, whilst another group of young people took hot chocolate to an elderly man in the bus stop who looked to be very run down and dressed in a way that suggested a level of poverty.

We pray that 2015 can be a year when the gospel can be explored more and more on the estate and as a project we become also known for that, than perhaps being the people who help in practical ways.
Thanks to everyone who supported the day, we hope to go for a 15 foot tree next year!!!!