Recent preaching and listening etc

Yesterday we were in North Wales and went to church in the morning to Capelfron, Penrhyndeudraeth, where the minister, Peter Campbell, was preaching on the resurrection. We were among several holiday makers who doubled the congregation to over a hundred. Valiant efforts were made to serve us all with a cuppa after, which was appreciated. We met a number of people we knew including old friends who were based in London back in the nineties who now attend regularly. We have been to the chapel several times before and I have preached there more than once. It is a difficult time for the fellowship at the moment as some will know. We are praying.

In the evening, however, we went somewhere new - to the family church in Criccieth. The church has grown out of SU beach missions work. Again we knew some there including the minister Ben Thomas and his wife, Bethan, who also spent some years in London, this time as part of the LIP team in Covent Garden. It was one of their monthly gospel presentations so it wasn't a worship service as such but Ben preached well from Romans 5. We were about 40. They had had a large number for the morning service (150+).

Back home my new fellow elder Robert Strivens was preaching. I was in Childs Hill the week before (April 1) but had been away preaching the Sunday before that down in the little chapel at Pains Hill, where I have friends. They are good people there. There were some new faces but they are a little discouraged as they are about to lose a key couple who are moving to another needy situation.

I was also preaching last Thursday on the crown of thorns in West London, in Cranford, where a good number gathered from Cranford, Hounslow West, Hayes, etc. My good friend Robin Asgher led the service and it was nice to see so many familiar faces. I also met a lovely Panjabi man called Sanjeev and his family, who are new to these circles and loving it.

The other thing that has been taking up my time recently is the Holiday Bible Club we had at the church April 3-5. We only had about twenty along which is good but we wish there had been a lot more. Like Eleri's sister in Bradford on Avon the same week we used Run the race available from Go Teach, which was a great help, though I was sorry to see pictures of Jesus (though very subtle).