Eating together

There are many examples in the Gospels of Jesus sitting down to eat with people.
If it was good enough for him we think it is good enough for us and an excellent way to reach out in to the community.

Whichever of our four churches you visit, we will offer you a  coffee and baking or a biscuit either before or after the service depending on the timing.  With  only Broughton having running  water, and none of our churches having  halls, we're very grateful to our members who make this happen each week. It's a great chance to catch up with each other, get to know visitors  and strengthen the bonds of our church family.  

For three years we've run a monthly lunch club in Skirling, manned both  by church goers and non-church goers.  Skirling is too small to have a shop, school or  pub  and so the lunch provides an opportunity for neighbours to get together and have a chat -  and they certainly do. It is also well supported by members of the other parishes    From small beginnings we now serve up to 40 people a month with homemade soup, a choice of filled roll and tray-bake and a cup of tea or coffee.    In May the takings go to Christian Aid, and the proceeds from our popular Christmas Lunch (turkey with all the trimmings, trifle or Christmas pudding) go to a charity chosen by those who lunch.

Our third Harvest Supper in September 2017 is becoming an annual event  where we feed over seventy adults and children in Broughton Village Hall and lay on musical entertainment and a quiz for the adults and a play table for the children.  This event lets the whole community celebrate harvest home and, whilst not billed as a  fund raising event, raised nearly £400 for Syrian refugees in 2016.

Our outdoor early morning Easter Sunday service in Glenholm Churchyard is followed by bacon butties, hot cross buns and very welcome hot tea and coffee in the Glenholm Centre next door. Bacon butties also figure in our early summer Christian Aid Big Brekkie family services held in Tweedsmuir Village Hall for the last couple of years.

Our Guild which is a joint group from all four parishes meets from September to March and always has a time for tea and a chat not to mention a pot luck supper at our last meeting of the year and an annual outing which always includes high tea somewhere en route

And of course mince pies and mulled wine are on offer at various Christmas get togethers.