Norwich church gives out Christmas treat bags 

Volunteers from Gateway Vineyard Church in Norwich have been busy packing hundreds of hampers full of Christmas food treats for refugee and other families who need a helping hand across greater Norwich.

Over 210 Bags of Kindness have been packed to give to refugee families at the charity English+ as well as to families who are connected to the Vineyard Growkids initiative as well as families from Thorpe St Andrew High School and others known to church members
 
The money for the Christmas giveaway has come from church members, its compassion initiative funds and from the  national Love Christmas project.
 
Administrator, Zosia Knight, said: “Christmas is a wonderful season of joy and hope, as we remember Christ's birth. However we know it can also be a time when some families struggle to cover the extra costs, and this can be understandably stressful. There are also people finding it tough at this time of year due to personal situations such as illness, bereavement or unemployment.
 
“As a church community, we want to bless people with a Bag of Kindness to make their Christmas brighter and show that we care, and to live out the kind of love in action that Jesus demonstrated. We really hope the Bags of Kindness will make people smile and help make their Christmas a special one.”
 
An invitation is also extended, via the bags, to the Gateway Vineyard Church Christmas services, to which everyone is warmly welcome. Christmas services include:
Sunday December 11:
Family Nativity Services on, 10.30am to 12 noon at Norwich High School for Girls NR2 2HU and The Chapel, Chapel Court NR6 5NU.
Christmas Carol and Stories, 6-8pm, at Norwich High School for Girls NR2 2HU.
Sunday December 18: Christingle Services, 10.30am to 12 noon at Norwich High School NR2 2HU for Girls and The Chapel, Chapel Court NR6 5NU.
Sunday December 24: Christmas Eve Carols, 6-7pm at The Chapel, Chapel Court NR6 5NU.
 
www.gatewayvineyard.church
 
www.loveyourneighbour.uk/lovechristmas
 
Pictured above are Gateway volunteers packing some of the 210 Bags of Kindness intended for families who need a helping hand this Christmas.