St John’s Goole are hoping to raise further awareness of seafarers and their impact on the local community following a Church Engagement Award.
Over the past year, St John’s Church have been teaming up with the charitable organisation Mission To Seafarers to reach out and support the welfare of Seafarers in Goole Docks.
Headed up by the vicar Hannah Patton and curate Ben Grist, they have received help by Seafarers Chaplain Tim Linkens to put together a team of volunteers to visit ships to speak with the seafarers, put on BBQs, knit hats and gloves, and raise awareness in the community of the work they do.
The Mission To Seafarers works with volunteers all around the world and more recently they have been trying to build connections with the local church. Through the partnership with Goole, St John’s Church have been acknowledged for their cooperation and support, awarding them with the ‘Church Engagement Award’ presented at the Mission To Seafarer Annual Carol Service in London.
As well as receiving the award, this Christmas, volunteers from churches in Goole teamed up to pack and distribute gifts to the seafarers onboard ships.
The packing was hosted by members of Central Methodist Church, and volunteers from other churches helped to pack the gifts into bags to give out, including toiletries, chocolates, and clothing.
In total, the team managed to pack 853 gifts and have since been able to hand them out to seafarers as they come into port.
Ben Grist said: “It such an honour to be a chaplain to the seafarers in Goole, particularly in the opportunities it gives us to meet seafarers who have been away from their families for many months, to listen to their stories and bless them with gifts and food”.
The team at St John’s are inviting others who would be interested in helping the mission to seafarers, either visiting ships, or offering supplies, to get in contact.
More info here: https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/news/press-release-deck-the-hulls-maritime-industry-celebrates-global-maritime-efforts-at-the-mission-to-seafarers-christmas-carol-service
