Roger's latest news

Here is Roger's latest email:

Hi Folks - we've just had tremendous ROCK productions at Tamworth,
Chandlers Ford, Salisbury, Wimborne and Weston and are now just about to go off on our final ROCK Tour
Week:

ROCK Tour 4 - Oct 09 (7.30pm unless stated)
24 Taunton Wellsprings Leisure Centre
25 Bristol Colston Hall
26 Bridport United Church
28 Minehead Regal Theatre
29 Bideford Kingsley School
30 Truro Methodist Central Hall
31 Exeter Salvation Army Citadel (4pm)
- For more details of times, ticket prices and contact numbers, go to http://www.cmm.org.uk/downloads/rocktour4.pdf

ROCK Roadshow (10am-4.30pm) 28 Nov 09 - Bethesda Baptist Church, Ipswich , Suffolk
Come and join me and the CMM team for a day of Bible teaching, worship and workshops all based around the themes from the musical Rock. Cost = £5 for the day - all are welcome, whether you sang in ROCK, watched it or missed it!
- download a booking form http://www.cmm.org.uk/downloads/rockroadshow.pdf

14 Nov 09 - ROCK Massed Choirs Grand Finale - Symphony Hall Birmingham
The final performance of the Rock nationwide tour, and the final ever CMM touring musical performance. Don't miss out - this is the end of an era before Christian Music Ministries moves on to 2010 and beyond. We have a choir of over 1000 voices, so this should be an incredibly exciting event. Tickets still available for both the 3.30pm and 7pm performances Audiences. Prices are £17 full price and £12 concessions or groups of 10 or more. Book online at http://www.cmm.org.uk/products/catalogue/index.php?id=ROCKTICK or call the CMM office on 0121 783 3291. Performances will be signed for the deaf.

Remaining CMM CHOIR productions of WILDFIRE (the story of St Stephen)
08 Nov - Erdington - 6.30pm
22 Nov - Marston Green Baptist Free Church - 6pm
- Further details from CMM - 0121 783 3291 or events@cmm.org.uk

A Day with HELENA WILKINSON - 29 Nov 09 - Christ Church, Burney Lane ,
Birmingham
Helena Wilkinson, Christian author and writer for CWR's Inspiring Women Everyday is coming to spend the day at Christ Church . She is a trained Christian counsellor with a background particularly in overcoming eating disorders and depression.
- 10.30am - Morning service - Helena will preach
- 3pm - 5pm - Afternoon seminar - teaching and ministry on "Healing below the water's surface"
- 6.30pm - Evening Renewal Meeting - Helena will speak on "Grace, mercy and love", followed by prayer ministry

The morning and evening meetings are free (with offering) and the afternoon seminar costs £5 - booking form available on page 5 of our summer newsletter - http://www.cmm.org.uk/downloads/newsletters/05-09-cmmnews.pdf

I still need a new PA/SECRETARY - 3 days per week (0930-1430) - with computer/internet skills as well as being a good "team player", organiser, tea-maker & dog-friendly! Anyone interested contact roger@cmm.org.uk
.

Please circularise these items as much as you can. Many thanks.

Roger Jones

Squidgy Bod

We have a new product now at CMM. The third and final book in the series of Squidgy Bod, written by Peter Lawrence, is now on sale. Squidgy Bod is a character Peter Lawrence created for childrens talks in his services, and he now appears in 3 books for children with resources for Sunday Schools and preachers.

This new book - Squidgy Bod at Easter follows Squidgy, who is now born again, with his family and friends at Easter. Squidgy isn't entirely well behaved, and he learns about saying sorry and forgiveness as his mum teaches him the Easter Story.

Peter Lawrence died after a battle with cancer earlier this year, and it is a real priviledge to be able to publish and promote this book. One of the first copies of the new book was presented to Carol Lawrence at the Wimborne performance of Rock on Saturday.

Apostle in a day

On the same day as Sarah's Angel Voices in a day, Annie went to Holy Trinity, Eccleshall in Staffordshire to lead Apostle in a day. She was accompanied by Jonathan Chappell (singing the part of Paul), Helen (singing the part of Ananias) and Laura Rhodes (dance workshop leader).

The day was actually a wonderful reunion for the Saints Alive group in Eccleshall, who are a group who regularly meet together, performing a musical each year with huge amounts of costume, drama and scenery. This year they decided to have a little break and have CMM do all the hard work, just simply performing this musical from scratch.

It was a wonderful day. There were about 40 in the choir, a small orchestra, and one very good dancer who worked with Laura to perform in two of the songs.

This is the email we received from them:

"Dear Annie

There was almost as much of a buzz on "the morning after the night before" in Holy Trinity Church yesterday! We all had a wonderful time on Saturday, and the audience were really appreciative of what we had to show them in the evening. You and your team were fantastic, and we do thank you so much for your time, your gifts, your patience.

You lead and managed the choir and orchestra brilliantly - we learnt a lot from you, and we were amazed by what we achieved - through your calm and effective leadership. You were all so kind - Helen moved her position so that she could ensure that Sophie knew where she was with her flute (recorder) music - Sophie was really pleased with her achievement! - Laura was so good with Annabel - there were lots of comments about the dance - lovely! I gather that Jonathan was doing another solo part somewhere the following evening!

A number of us are intending to come and see "Rock" - probably at Symphony Hall (some of us came and joined the choir at Symphony Hall when you did Jailbreak there (we had done it ourselves that summer) - a great experience that was!).

We will be talking about asking you back for another musical in a day - so many people got a lot out of it - a wonderful spirit - fun and fellowship............. So, thank you again to you, and please pass on our thanks again to your colleagues.

With very best wishes

Hazel"

Angel Voices in a day

It's always great to hear from you all about your events. Last weekend Sarah Moreton, a long standing friend and regular associate for CMM led a musical in a day in Croxley Green. Sarah is the conductor of the Joyful Noise Choir in and around Hemel Hempstead, and who form the basis of our trips to Watford or Hemel for the larger CMM tours. Sarah's musical of choice was Angel Voices, which is one of Roger's longest musicals, so we were all most impressed she managed to fit it into a day!

This is what she had to say:

"Only a small choir (30) but most of them had sung it before and were really excited about singing it again, incl the soli, who were fab. Had a good audience (outnumbered the choir considerably, anyway!) And we raised £400 for charity! So, all in all, a good day."

Treloyhan Holiday Week

The start of September saw our final family holiday week of the year come and go. The week took place at Treloyhan Manor Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall. This is one of the smaller of the Christian Guild hotels, but it is absolutely beautiful, and wonderfully situated.

On this week, Roger and Mary were joined by Phil Parkin (former conductor of the CMM choir and CMM administrator), Caroline Finney (the original Mary Magdalene (!)), Bill Carpenter (Silas in Jail Break and Cornelius in Rock), and Amy Carter (instrumentalist in Jail Break and Rock). There was also a couple who were the hosts for the week from Christian Guild. The team gelled really well together, and had a brilliant time working with the 30 or so guests to perform Saints Alive at the end of the week.

As well as all the musical work, this was a wonderful week spiritually, with many people really blessed by God. Roger was buzzing with stories when he returned to Birmingham. Here is a snapshot from an email he sent during the week:

"I am really thrilled with how well things are progressing. The Team (inc. Mary, Amy, Phil, Bill, Caroline) is gelling very well indeed, and I am quite surpised at how much praying with folk there already has been. The teaching has been well received and we have had great times of worship. Our prophetic night was very exciting.

"One amazing thing - a lady is here who suffered a serious head injury some time ago and displays quite odd speech and behaviour. But she really loves Jesus and is open to the Spirit. Already she has had a prophecy and a picture!

"Once again, this is a very special week and God is doing some very deep things with some of the people. SAINTS ALIVE! on Friday evening will be a very lovely and worshipful occasion."

And it was - so I understand! Phil Parkin conducted, and then Roger spoke and conducted the last song.

Thank God for the amazing way he has used our music weeks this year - bring on next year!

Wydale Weekend

Ever wondered where people from Cumbria go on retreat when everyone else goes on retreat to Cumbria? Well the answer is Wydale.

On the weekend of 21st -23rd July, Roger, Mary and Devon set off for Wydale Hall, the retreat and conference centre for the diocese of York, near Pickering, right on the southern edge of the North York Moors national park.

They were leading the weekend retreat for Heversham Parish, near Milnthorpe. The weekend was based on the Rock teaching from the Roadshows, and was a brilliant time, with plenty of prayer ministry and worship.

Willersley Castle Music Week

Our penultimate music week of the year found us at Willersley Castle, near Cromford and Matlock in Derbyshire. The hotel was crammed full for the week with singers and instrumentalists ready to learn and then perform Rock on the last night of the week.

This week the team included Roger, Mary, Annie and Helen, as well as Paul (all the way from Paris!), Amy, Alan, Sue and the host couple Stuart and Brenda.

It was a fabulous week - God blessed us with wonderful weather for the afternoons, and with plenty of Holy Spirit for the other sessions! So many of the guests were touched in different ways, with even a couple of the guests making decisions to follow Jesus for the first time. Praise God!

The performance was like nothing you've ever heard before - an amazing huge orchestra including a professional recorder player, two trombones, a double bass and 3 electric guitars, and a wonderful choir, most of whom already knew it before the week.