Feeding Body & Soul - 3rd June 2022

On Friday the 3rd of June, 2022, the community of Somewhere Else created a space for the Feeding Body and Soul event, as part of the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival which took place across the city.

We baked 250 rolls, packed them in bags and then set up a stall on Bold Street outside our entrance to hand out free rolls to passers-by. Although giving away the rolls started slowly due to the rain, by the end of the event we had handed out 230 rolls; had conversations with people and also given out our new leaflets. It was a day of friendship, fun and faith with a real community spirit.

People were also encouraged to climb the stairs up to the second floor and follow the "labyrinth" based on the six ingredients that make up the bread roll. It was a time for visitors to rest awhile, away from the busyness of the festival and to consider how God is calling His people here in this community to minister to those seeking to find space and meaning in their lives.

As the visitors followed the laybrinth, they were encouraged to take time to rest awhile at each ingredient: read, explore, meditate and if led, pray about the amazing and outrageous hospitality that God offers to each one of us in His world through the simple act of making a loaf of bread.

As Andrew, our Senior Steward explained in the accompanying leaflet: each loaf made here is unique - it is the end product of the ingredients brought together with love by an individual community member. 

He also went on to say, "We believe that there are 2 additional special ingredients that do not show on the list... the hands of the baker and the grace of God our Maker. For it is through His love that we, the Bread Church community, are called to minister here in the city centre amongst the homeless, the abused, the marginalised and the lost.

Through simple acts such as offering a freshly made sandwich to a doorway dweller, "homeless communion" with the destitute and the lost, compassion and love for all who seek to come through our doors to make, bake and bread bread with us, we offer "outrageous hospitality" to our "Bold Street" world.