St Mary’s Church, Pakenham, received a growth fund of £500 to purchase supplies for Craft and Christmas bags for children and the elderly in the benefice.
Craft bags for children were distributed at Christmas 2024 and Easter 2025 across the benefice to 23 families reaching a total of 47 children both times. These are families the church is in touch with through their attendance at the monthly Family@Church service, and baptisms.
The aim is to continue giving these bags out until the children reach the end of year 6. Each bag contained sweets, crafts and a book telling the Easter/Christmas story, plus an invitation to festival services for the season.
Bags were very well received and plenty of appreciation was shown.
Christmas gift bags were also distributed across the benefice to the elderly or housebound. A total of 72 bags were distributed across the benefice, and many thank you cards and letters were received. Each bag contained Christmas treats, a cracker, a Christmas card from their village church, and an invitation to Christmas services plus Follow the Star material. Many of the recipients invited us in for a chat, and were extremely appreciative of the time given and the gift. The main impact is that people feel valued and cared for by the church community, something that was expressed in their thanks.
At least 11 people attended the carol service in Pakenham as a direct result of the invitation in the bags – and were people who do not usually attend. The deanery’s other churches also reported similar results - people coming to Christmas services and thanking them for the bags and the invitations. Housebound people were particularly grateful for the contact and for being remembered.
They are a wonderful opportunity to build relationships outside the church building, and reinforce invitations to festival services, all of which benefit as a result.
