Customers shopping at Asda Lower Earley store in Reading were surprised to discover a Harvest Festival going on in the fruit and veg aisle of their store.

The Bishop of Reading, Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell held a traditional service in-store, including hymns, readings and prayers. He was joined by clergy and churchgoers from the three local C of E churches, and year six children from four nearby primary schools who sang harvest songs. The service was well received by customers and colleagues – watch the BBC news report.

Last month the Bishop hit the headlines by claiming that Jesus ‘would have shopped at Asda’ and so we invited him to the host the service in-store.

He said: “I’m always delighted to accept invitations to take the Christian message outside the usual networks of the Church and share it in the world.

“Harvest is the time of year when we traditionally think about our food and where it comes from. You only have to look around the store to realise what a bountiful world we live in.”

The store took the opportunity to donate tinned food to charities in the area.

Customers and colleagues at some Asda stores are already used to being able to chat with a local chaplain in-store. In 1998 Asda launched its workplace chaplaincy scheme, now the largest scheme of its kind in the UK. The multi-faith scheme is available at more than 100 of Asda’s 369 stores and includes Christian ministers, Buddhist Monks, Muslim Imams and Jewish Rabbis.

Gary Clarke Store Manager at Asda Lower Earley says: “The chaplaincy scheme is casual, more about walking and talking rather than preaching and converting.”

Posted by Trina on 19 October 2009, 12:15

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