VP - Connected Worship at Warrington

Travelled on Saturday, with my wife Isabel and fellow lay worker Hazel, to Warrington to be with preachers and worship leaders for the Connected Worship week-end. We met some lovely people, had excellent inputs, and experienced inspiring worship - interspersed regularly with good food. Now that's a great way to spend a Saturday! In the morning I attended the preaching strand led by Ron Willoughby and learned a lot. It was also good to meet at the same venue an old friend, Margaret Parker, an ex-VP who has been preaching for 50 years! There were other groups for worship leaders and those interested in prayer. In the afternoon, we were led by Roger Walton and then, after tea, by Jackie Bellfield (see photo of Jackie in the worship coffee break) who is a minister in the Sankey Valley Circuit.

Jackie has introduced an informal Sunday evening worship in Warrington around tables once a month, called New Song Cafe - and it does what it says! Six songs (mostly very new), short input, informal prayers; tea/coffee break; six more songs and short drama/input/meditation. Some excellent musicians too helped to lead inspiring worship. After which we headed in a conga (in a very Methodist way) through town to a Chinese restaurant with good natured staff and some excellent food. The journey back to Banbury was spent discussing the three different morning inputs we had been to. Thanks also to Jo Cox, Helen Cameron and others on the organising committee for such a good event - and regular tea and cake.