Lord's Day June 9 Herne Bay Evangelical

We were in Herne Bay last weekend. My friend Keith Hoare has been pastor of Herne Bay Evangelical Church for the last 11 years. It was the church's anniversary and so we went down on the Saturday and had a nice (though rather wet) day with Keith and Janice (both Aber graduates and contemporaries of mine) and their son David. On the Lord's Day I preached in the morning from Acts 16. We then had lunch together and after that I spoke about John Cennick. For the evening service they made an early start (4.30 pm) and I preached on Daniel 6. It was all a tiny bit heavy on my part but okay and appears to have been appreciated. It is quite an elderly congregation but with some signs of growth. Quite full Sunday morning and 16 in the evening. Lovely day.

Herne Bay

We headed off to the seaside last Saturday, to Herne Bay on the Kent coast. We weren't heading for sun and sand, however, so after half an hour looking at the sea we headed to Herne Bay Evangelical Church where my old college friend Keith Hoare was being inducted to the pastorate. Former pastor Patrick Hawes (Hawes, Hoare - could be confusing) led proceedings and Graham Heaps from Keith and Janice's church in Dewsbury read and spoke. I preached from 1 Peter 5:1-3. Keith and his family have been working in France for the last 22 years, mainly among Muslims but also pastoring a church in Marseille. The link with Herne Bay can chiefly be traced back to Ashford (Middlesex not Kent). It was nice to be present and meet various Kent folk, one or two who I know but most not and some missionary organisation types who know Keith. Eleri checked out the Welsh connections. I was sorry not to get a chance to speak to retired church planter Michael Toogood. You usually have to explain where Childs Hill is but one man told me he had gone to school here. Good time