When we first mooted the idea of having a Scarecrow Festival it seemed months away – it was! But the months passed so swiftly it was upon us before we realised. Thank goodness for the Internet as September saw a flurry of emails from which materialised volunteer signup sheets, posters, flyers, leaflets and a most amazing weekend!
A few of us went to church on Friday afternoon not sure who would turn up, whether there’d be any scarecrows and with no specific plans; they did, there were and gradually it all started to come together. Having seen the work that our groups had put into making their scarecrows, we left praying that people would turn up on the Saturday to see them.
We needn’t have worried as there was a steady stream of people both morning and afternoon and we were thrilled by the length of time our visitors stayed with us. They offered prayers on sheaves of wheat, and the children’s table was a constant hive of activity as young and not so young made paper plate scarecrow faces using the kits Sharon had brought for us. Some followed our treasure trail looking for various items in church. Our lounge was alive with chatter as people relaxed with tea/coffee/cakes/bacon butties.
We were delighted by enquiries about Junior Church, our Sunday services and a baptism, and it was an absolute joy to welcome so many friends from other churches in the Bradford North Circuit. Something very special was happening, not least that our many volunteers turned up with baking, welcoming smiles and a willingness to do their bit to help.
Our Harvest Festival service was full of blessings as we welcomed Rainbows, Brownies and Guides and their families. It is several years since they paraded their flags and it was awesome to have them with us again. The church was full! We praised, prayed, sang, played instruments, brought gifts for Blenheim, had a “clatter” collection for WaterAid, thought about the question “Why?” focusing on Job and made worlds of play dough.
After a quick sandwich we were busy getting ready for an afternoon concert by the Glen Singers and once again the church was near full. As we sat engulfed by the sound of their wonderful voices, surrounded by scarecrows, flowers, people and positive, loving atmosphere, there was one overwhelming thought, “Yes, God is good!”.
The “clatter” raised £121 for WaterAid and the Glen Singers generously donated £320 from ticket sales to church funds. All other donations, the raffle and refreshments totalled £289 which will be split equally between church funds and WaterAid.
Thank you to everyone for the part you played in making our scarecrow festival weekend such a memorable and enriching experience.
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