Trinity St Andrews Methodist/URC Church celebrated Refugee Week this year by inviting friends from the Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise to visit Skipton for the day.
Mrs Judy Rogers, Synod Representative, shares events of this wonderful day. “Members of the DARE group took part in the service. The preacher was Rev Gilbert Esambe, a minister of the Lancashire East Missional Partnership, who is very involved in the work of Central URC in Darwen that runs the DARE project. Two members of the group read lessons and the congregation were told a little of their stories, whilst the children made Refugee Week suncatchers and orange heart badges which were given out to the congregation as they left the service. This was a truly memorable service, alive with singing and praying for our refugee friends.
After the service, visitors were treated to a wonderful hot meal provide by members of the congregation, followed by a walk up to a nearby open space with magnificent views over Skipton and a playground for the children.
Events such as these bring together diverse communities and say more than words can do alone. They are literally faith in action. The theme of this year’s Refugee Week was ‘Our Home’ and we hope that our friends from DARE found a home away from home in Skipton.”