It was a joy to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HICC with my good friends Michael and Pat Carr. Prior to planting the church, Michael Carr was on the pastoral staff of Kensington Temple in London. He was also one of the earliest Regional Superintendents in our Movement and had served with distinction in Elim for many years.
Starting with a small number of people the church eventually secured its own premises in the center of Harrow but before long these proved to be too small. The growing congregation vacated the site and moved to an adjacent cinema while the original facility was demolished and, on its footprint, a three story building was erected which now houses a sanctuary area that currently attracts up to 500 people.
The morning celebration service, in which African, Asian and West Indian groups took part was followed by a second service at which Michael Carr shared his vision for the coming years. This was followed by a time of prayer for the ongoing ministry of the church.
Jason and Linda Heron have been in Northampton less than three years but in that time the church has grown by over a third to around three hundred and the building which is now too small for their present needs has undergone a major refurbishment. I was to be there for the Sunday morning but as the womens ministry was being linked to "Aspire" Marilyn was invited to be present for their Saturday Christmas outreach. It was an amazing event that exuded excellence and at the end of the evening at which Linda spoke powerfully, eleven people committed their lives to Christ. Sunday was a great day. Northampton Elim is a tremendous church that is perfectly poised for a great future.
Swanwick Conference Center was booked to capacity with four hundred Elim Pastors and wives for the fourth Vision Conference. Nigel Tween Elim's Director of Training organised the event and it was evident that a great team and months of planning had paid dividends. Top speakers from within and outside our denomination contributed to the event and subsequent response by letters and email revealed that many who attended felt it has been a time of input, inspiration and challenge
Derby City Church has always been a great church for as long as I can remember but the members tell me that it is now numerically larger than it has ever been in its history. The first thing that I noticed on my latest visit was not only the fact that the church was packed - extending well into the gallery area - but the atmosphere. A cultural change has taken place which has added an increased sense of warmth and vitality into the ambiance of the place. Dave and Julia Ayling head a great team. Its a fabulous church with extensive plans in place for a new facility to cope with the continual growth.
It was a joy to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HICC with my good friends Michael and Pat Carr. Prior to planting the church, Michael Carr was on the pastoral staff of Kensington Temple in London. He was also one of the earliest Regional Superintendents in our Movement and had served with distinction in Elim for many years.
