Pop Up Cathedral took faith on the road all the way to Ripon at the weekend and was overwhelmed by a bumper donation for the local foodbank.
The mobile trailer was at Holy Trinity, Ripon in the morning where it served clergy and lay people who had gathered there for the final event in the Leading Your Church into Growth programme led by the Evangelist, the Revd Canon Robin Gamble.
They served outside Ripon Cathedral in the afternoon and were able to hand over the four boxes and bags full of donated foodstuff to Cathedral staff. Ripon Cathedral is a collection point for the local food bank which is run and distributed by the Salvation Army.
Look North East turned up to film for their local programme and hundreds of local people - as well as some of our clergy and lay members - were able to get their first taste of what Pop up Cathedral is all about.
A Wakefield Cathedral initiative, the mobile trailer was bought with a combination of local grants and supported with further funding from the Archbishop of York's Youth Trust to provide detached youth and outreach work at the Cathedral and for other churches across the new diocese.
It is run by Wakefield Cathedral's mission and outreach team of Canon Tony Macpherson, Canon Missioner and Heidi Smith, Community Missioner, who have been taking it on the road to serve in some of the towns and cities across the new diocese and collect donations for food banks along the way.
Canon Tony Macpherson said: “We’re here to help our fellow church communities in this new diocese with their outreach and mission work and want everyone to see Pop Up Cathedral’s potential.
“It can do farmers’ markets, pop festivals, flower festivals, agricultural shows, coffee mornings, pop up prayers, lecture days…you name it. It’s mobile, it’s flexible and it can be where church needs to be,” he said
Community Missioner, Heidi Smith said: “This is about engaging with the community where they are.”
Heidi and Canon Tony enjoy a few minutes of calm before serving clergy and lay people gathered at Holy Trinity Ripon.
NEXT STOP is St Chad’s, Headingley Tues Oct 21 for the Engaging with Mark event. See you there!