The view from Gladsmuir

Gladsmuir Parish Church was one of the many in Lothian Presbytery that took part in 2009’s pilot Souper Sunday event. This small church rose to the challenge and enjoyed a very special day. What did they make of it all? David and Sharon Montgomery, elders at Gladsmuir, give us their reaction to the event.

When Souper Sunday was introduced to the Kirk Session there was a lot of enthusiasm for the event. The idea really caught everyone’s imagination. There were lots of volunteers to take part in both the service and the preparation of the lunch.

The team who led the service did a bit of work together, practising for the big day, but it was straightforward because everything was provided. The service was really well received. Everyone in the congregation learned something about HIV/AIDS and people were able to empathise with the stories of those living with the virus.

Before we took part in Souper Sunday we thought that we were quite well informed about HIV/AIDS. This experience taught us a lot and allowed us to share our new understanding with our congregation.

There was a really big feeling of pride and satisfaction among the whole congregation after the event. We had a tremendous feeling of having made a difference.

The Church of Scotland HIV Programme
(Scottish Charity No SC011353)