Posted on: 9th September 2025

Last October, the church hosted Halloween Pitstop, not as a celebration of Halloween, but as a reimagining of it. Over two-hours, the church gave out 750 hot dogs, hot chocolates and goody bags along with a message of hope from the minister. There was also a Bible treasure hunt, Christian crafts and a bouncy castle

“There were some concerns around running a Halloween event,” said Russell Hack, one of the organisers. “Halloween isn’t biblical but we saw it like street pastors, we showed love and care to everyone, whatever choices they had made. The branding was skin-deep and once people had come inside, they experienced something very different. The activities were Christ-centred, and the messaging clear, God is the light of the world.

“We wanted to be where our community was and to be a light of hope in the darkness,” says Russell. “There is a real need for support among some local families, with many struggling to feed their children. We created Pitstop as a safe, fun and positive place to give children a meal where we could come alongside our community.”

Schools embraced the event, promoting it to their students, and around 1,000 children, along with their parents, came through the doors in just two hours. Volunteers ran out of supplies before the event ended and the families simply couldn’t believe the generosity on offer. “Why are you doing this?” one parent asked Russell. “My answer was, "Because our God calls us to be generous and be where our community is.’”

This October, the church is adding “A New Song Café” style worship service during the event. This will be an open, immersive space to experience live worship and reflection.

“We let God talk through our actions. That leads to conversations. That leads to faith. It’s natural, not forced and I eagerly anticipate what God will do in this space on 31 October 2025.”

Read the full story here.