You know, I am really looking forward to the Fete!  It all sounds very exciting and I do hope lots of people enter the various competitions.  There is nothing like a bit of good old fashioned competition and fun!

Now, I also hope that there will be lots of teddies coming to the church to have an exhilarating time zip wiring from the Spire.  The views from the top are absolutely amazing – as long as you don’t have a fear of heights!  So do check that your teddies are okay with heights before you send them up to the top for a ‘zip down’.

I do hope and pray that the weather will match the mood!

But just before all this takes place we will have the First Communion Service in Derry Hill for the newly confirmed at the Praise@4 service.  Now, I have heard, there is a rumour that this service is ‘Happy Clappy’!  It is said in that rather detrimental way too!!!  Well, it isn’t what I would call ‘Happy Clappy’ though occasionally when there is a good beat to a song such as ‘Shine, Jesus, Shine’ there may be a couple of claps.  It is all very ‘normal’ in fact!  A few songs are sung, there is a Bible Reading, and a talk for about 10 minutes followed by prayers and a reflection on a ‘Youtube’ video.  In April we had a really moving Twitter reflection!

Well, the July service would be a really good time to give it a try.  There will be Holy Communion to welcome the newly confirmed from Year 6, and then we will have a great time as we eat and drink together.

One of the fundamentals of Christianity is hospitality – caring for each other’s needs, so this is what we will be trying to do.  Not only at the Praise service but at the Fete too.  This is what community is about, supporting each other and building one another up so that all can feel the benefit of knowing each other.

We look forward to seeing you at the service, or if I don’t see you there I hope I will see you at the Fete!

With love to you all.
Ann