“For us – it’s not really about Bonfire Night. It’s about the Kingdom. It’s about the Gospel. It’s about building trust in our city, breaking stereotypes and sharing the life of Jesus with radical kindness.”

We loved hearing about what Hull Vineyard got up to in November! We chatted to Josh to find out about more.

“Bonfire Night has become somewhat part of the regular rhythm of our church and our city. Every November we open the doors of our 2.5-acre site to welcome Hull to church for a night of outstanding fireworks, great food, a huge bonfire and lots of fun. 

In our strategy to bring hope and life to our community we intentionally run events that are aligned with the culture of the city we’re in – spaces that make it easy for people who don’t follow Jesus to cross the threshold of a church. For us, Bonfire Night is one of those events. It’s low risk, loads of fun, and a wonderful opportunity to break stereotypes people have of church and God and to offer the wild welcome of the Kingdom to our city.

This November we had nearly 2,000 people join us, nearly 100 team mobilised and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Common comments include the amazing welcome, the sense of fun and joy and the nature of our Church warehouse facility – which often stops people in their tracks. 

For us – it’s not really about Bonfire Night. It’s about the Kingdom. It’s about the Gospel. It’s about building trust in our city, breaking stereotypes and sharing the life of Jesus with radical kindness. This brilliant event is one of the ways we are working to extend the Kingdom in our time in the city we find ourselves planted.”

If you have a story about what God is doing in your city, we’d love to hear it! Email it to us at [email protected].