Infuse

Infuse began as a Midlands-based family camp but in recent years has become a youth event under the leadership of Tim Alford and the Serious4God team.  Located in the Three Counties Showground at the foot of the Malvern hills there could hardly be better location for the fine event that caters in its various venues for everyone from Children to young adults.

I was the speaker for the latter group which I noticed was three times larger than it was on the last occasion I was there.  The session was ably led by Mike Nicholls who, with his wife Becky are part of the team at Elim in Northampton.

Elim Festival

This family camp has been running for fifty three years and the reason I know that is because I attended the first one when I was just fourteen years of age.  In those days it was situated in Fraisethorpe near Bridlington and, over the years,  has impacted thousands of lives for the good.

Those who have attended may remember the speakers and others the friends that they made.  But there is one group of people - possibly the most important of all and without whom a ministry of this nature would be impossible - the volunteers.

Rising early in the morning and working until late at night these men and women, who are often sacrificing their own annual holiday to be there, work tirelessly so other people ca be blessed.  Regional Leader and NLT member, Gordon Neale, has been a central part of Elim Festival over much of its life and the camp is currently led by Mark Greenwood and a first class team of people who make it possible.  I loved speaking at this great event.

Gateway Church launceston

John and Sally Berriman after running a successful business commenced a church in St. Ives which they then brought in to our Movement.  From there they moved to Launceston where they they planted a church five years ago which met in the local town hall.

It was a joy to be present at the dedication of their new new premises (pictured) named the Gateway Church as this small town of just 8000 population is called the Gateway to Devon and Cornwall.

To secure a facility of this nature after such a short time is phenomenal and the many rooms within it are being utilised for the benefit of the community.  Not content to rest on their laurels, they have now branched out into the town of Bodmin.  What a tremendous example these fine leaders are.

One Church

One Church, has a number of expressions in towns around the immediate area.  Simon Jarvis who was the senior leader of One Church Gloucester has now passed  that responsibility on to his brother Jon and, though his family is still based in Gloucester, he gives oversight to the wider network  of churches.

I was the speaker on the occasion that they brought the core leaders of the various expressions together for the first time.

Newry,

 It was a pleasure to spend the weekend in Northern Ireland with Mike and Roberta Holohan and the Elim church in Newry.  This was  to be the first of two visits to the Province in a week.

Newly suffered greatly in the Troubles but this congregation refuses to label and categorise people and that is perhaps one of the reasons it is achieving such a high level of success.

Looking at the fine building with its worship centre, lounge and offices it is hard to believe that the church is just five years old.

It also has a great heart for the community and, adjacent to the church is a warehouse that houses the food bank that is a resources to everyone who may be in need - irrespective of their church background or even if they have not yet come to faith.  Thank you Newry for all that you are doing to to extend the Kingdom of God in your area and also for your very warm welcome.

Barnsley

The Barnsley Elim building may be small but it was still full for the service at which I preached.  The church has developed well under the ministry of Albert and Florentine Bootha-King (pictured here with their daughter Altine and son Jesse).

One of the highlights of the service was music ministry by a newly formed girl group which makes it clear that the size of church can make little difference to the quality of ministry that can emanate from it.

Woolwich

David Oorloff, pictured here with his wife Marina has ministered in Woolwich, London for an amazing thirty years.  Up until just six years ago David, in order to see the church established and because there was very little finance when he arrived, worked bi-vocationally.

The condition of the church today bears testimony to the high level of commitment that David and Marina have given, and continue to give, to the church.  It is several years since I was last there but it was thrilling to see a church doubled in size since that occasion and full to capacity for the morning service.

Silverdale

From our largest church in our nation's capital I moved on to speak in the small town of Silverdale near Stoke on Trent that has a population of just 7000 people.  

However though the context is small the vision is not and a fine building in the heart of the community attracts around 150 people every Sunday.  As I have no weekends free for the remainder of my tenure, I was invited to speak at the Wednesday evening service. Senior Pastor Edwin Cotter (pictured with his wife Lorna) have faithfully served the church for almost ten years and have created a great sense of 'family' within this longstanding and well-established church that seeks to serve the community in which it is located.

Kensington Temple

KT, as it is more commonly called, is by far Elim's largest church with five major consecutive services on a Sunday and many branches around London that have been birthed from it that make up the network of 'London City Church'

Not only has Colin Dye been the senior minister for the past twenty-four years but, when I retire from my role as General Superintendent in a few months time, will be the longest serving member on Elim's National Leadership Team

I spoke at the 9  and 11 am meetings and would estimate that around 1,800 people were present for the two services

K.T's vision statement "London and the world for Christ" is far more than a simple aspiration for the influence of this church around the world is phenomenal.  With a powerful core team, led by associate minister Bruce Atkinson, and a committed membership Kensington Temple can only, by God's grace,  grow in impact and effectiveness in the years that lie ahead.  Colin and Amanda Dye are two of our closest friends and it was a joy to spend be with them again for the day.

Elim Tamil Church

It was good to be with Daniel Stanley (pictured here with his wife Sunitha and their children Joshua and Rachel) on the occasion of the second anniversary of the church in Manor Park, London.

Daniel initially planted a church in Liverpool, where they currently live, but travels to London in order to establish the congregation in Manor Park.

The building was full for the anniversary at which I had been invited to speak.  The worship was entirely in the Tamil language and one of the highlights of the anniversary was the contribution that the children made to the service.

Daniel was a banker in India before moving with Sunitha to the UK.  The growth of the church is due to their tenacious hard work and sacrificial service.

AoG Conference

During my tenure as General Superintendent my closest friends have included the leaders of our sister fellowship the Assemblies of God.  Some people are unsure as to what the difference is between our two groups.  Doctrinally we believe identically-  it is simply that we are organised differently.  Both John Partington, pictured, and I have always held an ambition that our two Movements could work in an ever closer partnership. It was a great pleasure to be present at their recent leaders conference in Peterborough.

Aberystwyth

Those unfamiliar with North Wales would probably not be aware how far Aberystwyth is from any other major town.  Despite that, the church has had a strong witness in the area for many years though perhaps never to the degree  of blessing it is enjoying currently.

Joel Pridmore (pictured) senior minister and founder member of Elim Sound has made a significant impact during the time that he has been there and, given the situation of his church office overlooking the harbour has one of the best views of any church in the Movement.  If your church is a contender for that pole position, why not let us know.

Holyhead, North Wales

David and Katie Meggers (pictured here with their son and recently adopted baby) have been in Holyhead in Anglesey for a little over three years.

The Welsh chapel in which they worship reminded me the first building I pastored in Llantrisant 45 years ago.  Although the there are a number of church buildings in the town, several of them only have very small congregations.

It was good therefore to hear from the Elders that Elim in Holyhead is reversing the trend with particular growth within the past six months.

I have spent a number of Sundays in Elim churches in Wales and experienced their typically warm and welcoming atmosphere.  Holyhead was certainly no exception.

Porth, South Wales

Mark Lyndon Jones, pictured here with his wife Gail, leads the Gatehouse church in Porth.  The church is a spiritual gateway but Porth is also at the gateway to the Rhondda valley.  Marilyn is from Ynyshir, Porth and this is the church that we were married in 43 years ago.

The church has seen very consistent growth since Mark took over the pastorate and baptismal services are a regular event.

After the morning service I had lunch with the leaders and then spent time briefly with core members of 'Sporting Marvels' a team of young people who use sport within local schools as a vehicle for sharing their faith.

Mark is also the founder of MPower - Elim's first national men's ministry - having previously been the Welsh coordinator for 'Christian Vision for Men'.  This great couple are doing a phenomenal job.

Salisbury

One of the first things that Marilyn and I became aware of as we entered the Salisbury church church on this occasion was how the building seemed so much more bigger - evidenced from the renovations that had taken place and in which the senior minister Darren Mallett, pictured here with his wife Leanne, had been both personally and practically involved.

Salisbury is a church that, like so many in our Movement, is very much involved in community life and their buildings  reflect this in scope and the fact they are available and open throughout so much of the week.  It was great to spend time with Darren and Leanne after the morning service.  Leanne, apart from her involvement in the local church, is also part of the Aspire core team and is Regional coordinator for the Southern area.

Llanelli

 The Elim church in Llanelli gives powerful testimony to the value of a strong long-term ministry and an increased presence in the local community.  The senior pastor, Bill Chapman, pictured here with his wife Ellen, have committed the majority of their ministry to building a resource for the town.  A well equipped and run creche serves the mothers and toddlers and seniors are provided for through a program customised especially for them.  Over ten thousand voluntary hours a year are invested by people in the church for the community that they serve.

The main building has a sanctuary and and several suites of rooms catering for the vision of the church.  Across the town, and on the main street, an art gallery and cafe (pictured) operates on three floors and is another feature of the church's outreach.

Marilyn and I arrived for the 9am informal breakfast service that was followed at 11am with the main act of worship and teaching. The sense of community was such that we calculated that we had spent six hours around the Llanelli church family before spending some time with Bill and Ellen prior to our journey home.

Clydebank, Scotland

Ian Miles (pictured here with his wife Lisa and their daughters Melisha and Esther) has led the Elim Church in Clydebank now for almost three years.

I have preached in this church on a number of occasions in the past and my visit on this occasion found it at its strongest numerically that I have ever known.

Ian and Lisa have a very strong pastoral gift which is evident in the sense of fellowship and community that there is within the church.

As I continue to travel throughout our churches during our centenary year I especially enjoy meeting people in our congregations who have given long and faithful service to our Movement.  In Clydebank there was more that one person present who had attended for over fifty years.

St Luke's, Newcastle

Robert Ward (pictured with his wife Alice) is a member of the council of the Evangelical Alliance and the leader of the largest Charismatic Anglican church in Newcastle.

Having spoken at the Elim church on the Sunday morning I was happy to accept the invitation to speak at St. Luke's in the evening

The informal service consisted of an exceptional time of praise and worship after which I ministered.  This was then followed by everyone breaking bread together as we took Communion.  One of the very special things about St Lukes is the wide sociological mix that ranges from upper middle class (for those who recognise such distinctions) to ex offenders and the homeless. I very much enjoyed my time there.  Its always a pleasure to engage in the strengthening of friendship and fellowship across the Denominational spectrum. 

Newcastle, Elim

Several changes  have taken place in recent years at Elim in Newcastle but non so pivotal as the purchase of a complex now know as the Dream Centre.

The local Bingo Hall had seen its number decline as the Elim church has seen its number grow.  The two buildings, just a short distance from one another on the same road were subsequently swapped with the Elim church also providing the difference in a financial settlement.

Senior pastor Simon Lawton (pictured here with his wife Julia and daughter Amy) showed me around the new building which is an extraordinary acquisition on several floors.  Most exciting of all was seeing for myself the development plans that reveal a huge vision and the dream that is now beginning to become a reality.

Marilyn spoke at an Aspire event that attracted a record number of ladies on the Saturday morning and which was hosted by Julia, and I ministered on the following Sunday morning.  This great initiative is a tribute to Simon and his leadership and the loyalty and sacrifice of the members of the church.

AoG Scotland

It is always a pleasure to be back in Scotland, for whatever reason, having spent so many years of our ministry there.  On this occasion I was the speaker at the Assemblies of God leaders day which was held at a conference centre in Perth

The Regional Leader for AoG Scotland is Andrew Smith who is also the senior pastor of the Whitburn church and is member of the AoG NLT.  We have known one another for very many years and he is a good friend.

It was a great day and I was delighted to hear about the increasing progress and strength of our Sister fellowship north of the border.