Christian message at heart of airport's anniversary celebration

Senior chaplain Roy Monks, local pastor at Castle Donington Community Church, was invited to place a tent on site as part of East Midlands Airport's 60th anniversary celebrations.

Over a three day period more than 5,000 people attended the event, which took place at the aeropark which stands between the airport and Castle Donington.

They witnessed a wonderful flypast by the Red Arrows on the Sunday, as well as the opportunity to visit vintage aircraft on the aeropark and to enjoy the variety of stalls and games on offer.

From the start Roy saw this as an opportunity for the church to highlight the work of chaplaincy and the work of the local church, as well as to share Christ's message of love and hope with all who attended.

'We chose the theme "You Matter" from a leaflet published by Lifewords, which in essence is  the story of the prodigal son,' explained Roy. 

'A lady in our church designed a poster to fit in with this theme and we were able to talk and minister to the many people who came to see us.'

The airport's media department asked Roy if he would be willing to talk to a reporter from BBC East Midlands Today, the regional TV news broadcaster, and a short piece appeared on their bulletins during that day.

'In the book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul tells us to "make the most of every opportunity" and if you do you never know what God will do or the doors he will open,' Roy added. 

'We wish East Midlands Airport many congratulations on reaching this important milestone in its history, but we also thank God for the many lives we have been able to touch on this very special occasion.'