1,000 Children Hear the Gospel as UK Church Transforms Into Free Community Cinema

Church Turns Into Cinema to Bring the Gospel to Over 1,000 Children in Peterborough

A small Church of England parish in Peterborough has reached over 1,000 children and families with the gospel through a creative community cinema initiative that transforms its worship space into a free movie theater.

The Church of the Holy Spirit in Bretton, led by Revd Helena del Pino, launched the family film afternoon project in 2023 after recognizing that many local families could not afford commercial cinema tickets amid the cost of living crisis.

The initiative initially struggled due to licensing restrictions. The church could only afford CCLI film licenses, which prohibited advertising film titles publicly, resulting in poorly attended "mystery film screenings."

A breakthrough came in 2024 when the church partnered with Peterborough's Gateway Film Festival, which provided British Film Institute (BFI) funding to purchase full screening licenses and cover advertising and marketing costs.

Very quickly we had full house audiences.

Free popcorn and snacks are provided at every screening, and Gateway shared its expertise in publicity, marketing, and film selection with the church team.

A special Christmas children's event that included scripture and prayer drew 50 attendees, demonstrating the community's appetite for faith based family entertainment.

The project has since secured a Gen2 grant to ensure its continuation for the foreseeable future. The church has also formed new partnerships with community and voluntary organizations through the initiative.

The growing demand has created a new challenge: the church needs additional funding to purchase more chairs to accommodate its expanding audiences.

How a UK Church Is Using Free Film Screenings to Share the Gospel With Families

The initiative is part of a growing movement across the UK where churches are repurposing their buildings as community hubs. By meeting a practical need, providing free entertainment for families who cannot afford cinema tickets, the Church of the Holy Spirit has created an organic pathway to share scripture and prayer with children who might never otherwise set foot in a church.

The project's success shows what is possible when churches think creatively about outreach. A dedicated team of volunteers transforms the worship space for each screening, setting up projectors, arranging chairs, and preparing refreshments to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for families from across the Bretton area.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what the Church should look like. While the secular world tells us Christianity is dying in Britain, a small parish in Peterborough just proved them wrong by filling its doors with over a thousand children. No government program did this. No secular charity. A church did it, with popcorn, a projector, and the Word of God. The Church of England gets hammered constantly for being out of touch, but Revd Helena del Pino and her team at Holy Spirit Bretton are showing exactly how you reach the next generation: you meet them where they are, you serve them, and you share the gospel without apology. More of this, please.

Take Action

• Support the Church of the Holy Spirit Bretton directly by contacting Revd Helena del Pino at revhelenadelpino@gmail.com to ask how you can help with their cinema project or donate chairs.
• Start a similar initiative at your own church. Contact the Gateway Film Festival to learn about community cinema partnerships and BFI funding opportunities.
• Visit A Church Near You to find the Church of the Holy Spirit and attend an upcoming screening with your family.
• Support Christian outreach worldwide through The Shepherd's Shield, which funds creative evangelism and church community projects.
• Share this story on social media to encourage other churches to think creatively about reaching children and families with the gospel.