With a bit of help from a £500 grant from the Growth Fund, St Michael's Church, Framlingham has been able to nourish their local community through the Toast Rack Project.
The Toast Rack Project begun shortly after Christmas, and runs every fortnight from 10.00am - 12.00pm and has been consistently popular. Run by volunteers, the project provides a hospitable environment for anyone to come along and enjoy coffee and toast along with a chat. The grant given allowed the church to purchase coffee machines and a toaster to ease the process as the project seeks to grow!
Two new members have joined the church as a result of the project, and the project is seen as a welcoming entry point into church as it is located in the church building and run by church people, often with a visible clergy presence.
Starting the project after COVID felt like a challenge, but the church soon saw the people who attended were very grateful for the opportunity for coffee and toast (plus hot cross buns near Easter!) and a relaxed place to meet and feel unhurried.
There have been non church-goers attending and reaching out to ask for prayers, which is a wonderful example of the impact of the project.
The project is set to deepen community engagement and deepen the church as a community by having another opportunity for service.
