Sunday in Crowland and Leicester

I have really enjoyed preaching in many different parts of the connexion and lst Sunday (February 16th) was no exception.

Crowland Methodist Church

In the morning I was in Crowland, a village near Peterborough. Here, the Methodist Church was celebrating its 99th anniversary and people joined the congregation from other churches in the circuit

Liz, Mick and Margret

 We had a great time of worship together including an excellent and very funny sketch performed by Liz, Mick and Margaret, three of the members.

Revd Peter Hancock enjoying the exhibition

There was an exhibition of the history of the church which many people found fascinating and which included a photograph of a former President, Amos Cresswell, visiting the church and the personal diary of a minister who served there in the 1860s.

We shared lunch together before I left to go to Leicester and to preach in a service in Oadby Methodist Church in the Leicester Trinity Circuit.

Peter Hancock &Langley Mackrell-Hey

Enjoying lunch together

One of the banners in the church

Oadby Methodist Church is in the centre of the town and very near to major shops. In fact, the church opens onto the shoppers car park and they have made the most of this opportunity. The premises include a commercial cafe which is very popular and the Mission and Outreach Worker employed by the circuit has helped the church to make contact with those who come to the cafe - a very successful outreach.

Oadby Methodist Church with the cafe on the right hand side of the picture

 It was good to meet Rachel Parkinson here, the last time I saw her was at Conference where she does a wonderful job of co-ordinating the worship along with Paul Wood.

With Rachel

I shared in leading worship with Rev David Vale, the church was packed and we raised the roof with our singing!

With Revs Peter Hancock and David Vale