A garden centre is not the first place that you might think of to host a church but at Green Pastures that’s exactly what’s happening!
In the Gardeners Kitchen restaurant, every day the tills ring through the takings, customers are served and the business of retail is carried on. But, once a month, the restaurant becomes a place of Christian worship and a true community hub. Green Pastures now plays host to the Yare Valley Filling Station, a Christian gathering designed to bring together rural Christian communities that might otherwise be isolated.
Alwyn Evans, who started the Yare Valley Filling Station last spring said ‘We are incredibly lucky to have found such a fantastic space for our gatherings. Initially we started meeting in the local school hall but our numbers grew to the point where we needed a bigger venue.
"James and Michelle Debbage (owners of Green Pastures) were very helpful in offering us the use of the Gardeners Kitchen. It’s a great space with the bonus of the kitchen facilities that we need for our teas and coffees, sufficient seating for our visitors and on-site parking. We feel truly blessed to have this facility."
The Filling Station meets on the third Thursday of every month except for August and December. Their next meeting will be on Thursday 16th February, opening at 7pm for a 7.30 start. The last meeting attracted over 90 visitors.
James, owner of the Gardeners Kitchen, says: "We are immensely proud of being able to offer true community facilities from our site. The Filling Station is one more way that we can meet the needs of our local community alongside other such things as the Post Office and events like our Pumpkin Day. Many of our customers also attend the Filling Station and it’s a great way to connect with them in a different way to the typical retailer/consumer relationship."
More information about the Filling Station can be found at: www.thefillingstation.org.uk/station/yare-valley/ or by phoning Alwyn Evans on 07760 770797.
