CLC Birmingham

Twenty years ago Stuart and Amanda Blount (pictured here with their family - Matthew, Gareth and Lydia) came to Christian Life Centre - one of two great Elim Churches in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham.  

Fourteen years ago I spoke at the opening of their new building but it was not long before the rate of growth demanded that they move to three Sunday services

The first morning service was well filled and the second packed almost to capacity.  Around 600 people attend CLC every Sunday

Apart from leading this growing Church Stuart is also a member of Elim's National Leadership Team.

Brighton

I have watched with great interest the development of Christy and Linda Smith over the years - their work within local church and their heart for overseas missions particularly expressed through their involvement in Haiti.

Christy is now the lead pastor at Immanuel Family Church in Brighton.  As so often is the case, I met people who were there from some of the earliest days of this Elim church as well as those who had more recently come to faith.

Because I have very few Sundays free in the next two years that are not already booked, I spoke at a specially arranged mid-week meeting at which a very high proportion of the church attended.  Just a joy to be with this fine church in Brighton for the evening.

Serious4God

It is ten years ago that Serious4God, Elim's youth department, was formed.  Its new Director, Tim Alford (pictured) made one of his first priorities the bringing together of S4G leaders from across the Movement for a special conference at EIC Malvern under the title "S4G -Connect"

New to the role he may be, but it was clear to me  at the session that I was invited to speak that a very clear bond between him and the group had already been formed.  There was a great atmosphere there and I have every hope for the growth and development of Serious4God in the years that lie ahead.

St Albans

This was my first time at City Church, St. Albans since Phil Topping (pictured here with his wife Helen) had become the pastor.

City Church has always been a church that is open to the Holy Spirit and Marilyn and I very much enjoyed being in a service that was so 'open to God'

It was a particularly  good to spend time over lunch following the service with Phil and Helen - which afforded us the opportunity to get to know them better and hear their vision for the future.

March, Cambridgeshire

March is a Fenland market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area of Cambridgeshire and seventeen years ago Jim and Christine MacIntyre (pictured) took a step of faith to lease a building in the centre of the town having commenced meetings in their home some time  earlier.

My visit was to celebrate this anniversary and the meeting was attended by representatives of a number of churches in the area together with the local mayor and the member of parliament for the area, Steve Barclay