CMM in Tonga

No - we haven't been, but we have heard from Marlene Wilkinson, a missionary in Tonga, who has used the music from Saints Alive. Here's what she had to say:

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We didn’t really have much practice time! The young people (all girls!) met with me the Friday evening before the Sunday, and we worked on their drama and ‘action songs’. Tongans do ‘action songs’ regularly (we might call them ‘liturgical dance’ in some cases) so actually can choreograph simple stuff very fast! Some of the congregation go to a Tuesday night bible study, and they had practised the songs we planned to use for a short time in the group for two weeks. Then we had about 10 mins run through the songs the Sunday before. The dramatic readings were just done ‘on the night”. Since we had done some last year, some of the congregation remembered, so that helped. However, our congregation is always changing, so we also had ‘new’ people too. Given all that, we actually had a good service! Many thanks for your resources.

5 photos for you to see - hope you like them!

1. The dramatic reading just after Jesus leaves the disciples. (the two angels on the right here). The flames at the back had been done by three very young members of our congregation (2,2,& 4yrs) the previous week. At the end of the service, the little ones took down the flames and gave one to each of the congregation.

2. Some of the young people dancing in the coming of the Holy Spirit song. The two older girls are Fiji Indian and the younger one in Tongan.

3. The Young people doing an action song to the choruses of “God raised him up”. One of the congregation sang Peter’s part. You can see a couple of the young boys copying the girls.

4. One of the congregation giving out percussion for “Brothers and Sisters”

5. The YP again, doing the actions for the drama “learning, fellowship, sharing, prayer”.

Weston Churches Together

Last week Roger had a brilliant opportunity to speak to the Weston Churches Together meeting. He was given 45 minutes to talk about using musicals in mission and evangelism, with a particular focus on Rock. It was a great evening, and he had a brilliant team with him to help out - Annie, Kaye (part of the Wildfire original cast), Naomi (the Weston Rock Choir trainer), and Paul (part of the Rock cast).

Roger says it was a real privilege to speak to so many church leaders, and we hope that in October, the churches will have really caught on to the vision of using Rock as an evangelistic tool, and the performance of Rock at the Playhouse Theatre will have a huge impact.

Malvern CCCF

After leaving Grange-over-Sands on Saturday morning, Roger travelled straight down the M6 to Malvern, to meet with the Caravanners and Campers Christian Fellowship (CCCF). Over the previous week the members of CCCF along with the Gloucester and District Christian Choir had been learning the musical Rock to perform. There were lots of familiar faces from all over the midlands, as well as Mike, Roger's brother-in-law, who regularly takes part in these events. Pamela Dewick, the conductor of the choir, also conducted the final performance, and Roger spoke as part of it.



Roger took as his theme 'The Look of Love', and we pray that many of the people there will take away the message and be open to receiving more from God.

Grange 09

During the bank holiday week at the end of May, CMM travelled up the M6 to Kent's Bank, near Grange over Sands in southern Cumbria. Stationed at Abbot Hall, one of the Christian Guild hotels, we held our first full-length family music week of the year. There were over a hundred guests at the hotel, almost all of whom were taking part in our week.

The week was based on the musical Rock, and it was the first time we could use the orchestral parts that have been arranged by Annie. The team for the week comprised of Roger and Mary, Helen, Marion and John Owen (the pastoral hosts for the week provided by Christian Guild), Sharon Collins, Jaime Dawson, Brenda Earnshaw and Carole Marsden. In the absence of Annie, Helen and Carole trained the orchestra, and Sharon trained the choir. Jaime was a great support and help all week on drums, and Brenda played piano for the orchestra, soloist rehearsals and performance.

Saturday - general catch up, lots of chatter among the guests, and then a time of worship and an introduction to the week.

Sunday - After breakfast we had our Sunday morning service. Roger led worship, and Helen preached on the theme of the ascension, but looking forward to Pentecost. After evening meal the group came together into the hall for a sing-through of the musical with the CD.

Monday - Marion and John held morning prayers in the lounge while the CMM team prepared for the morning session. Then Mary led worship and Roger gave his first bible talk of the week. The theme was "I will follow you" - the call of the first disciples. After the bible study session, we had our first choir and orchestra rehearsal - the orchestra crammed into the lounge, and the choir with a bit more space in the main hall. The hotel staff probably found things pretty interesting listening to the different rehearsals coming from different directions! We then had a free afternoon, followed by the dreaded auditions, and in the evening together watched a DVD of Jonathan Viera performing. The teenagers watched Britain's got Talent instead...

Tuesday - On this second morning, Brenda led worship, and Roger's theme was "The look of love". It was quite a moving morning, and quite a few people seemed to be really blessed. We then had another round of rehearsals. Tuesday night was "Grange's got Talent" - and indeed it has - so much so it turned into quite a long evening! But everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and there were some pretty impressive performances from young and old alike.

Wednesday - this was the day off - and typically, it rained and rained and rained. Some managed to go for a trip to Carlisle Cathedral on the train. In the evening we held yet more rehearsals...

Thursday - The final morning's teaching followed Jaime's worship leading. This time, Roger's theme was "A Chosen People". Final orchestra and choir rehearsals went well, and Sharon, Helen and Carole could relax as their work was done. In the evening we held a Holy Spirit workshop, looking at what it means to be "Working in the Father's Business" - teaching people to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. An amazing evening, with people really 'risking it' for God.

Friday - Performance day... Which meant lots of rehearsing in the morning after Sharon had led a worship time. This was the first time the orchestra and choir had come together, which created some interesting logistical issues, but we got there. The performance went really well. We had a lot of people come from outside (and inside the hotel) to watch. The soloists did brilliantly, and the choir, orchestra and narrators were superb. Good fun all round, and there were a lot of exhausted people by the end of the day (particularly Roger!).

Saturday - after breakfast we all said our farewells for another year, and travelled home.

Ways to Praise in Cumnor, Oxon

On 16th May, Roger travelled down to Cumnor in Oxfordshire to lead a Ways to Praise afternoon and evening. Roger was without Annie or Helen for the event, so instead he had a crack team of musicians supporting him - Paul Herrington on keyboard, Sarah Moreton on vocals and guitar, Kathleen Owen and Eddie Smith on vocals, Lorna Mitchell on Violin, Jonathan Warburton on Trombone, Alan Smith on drums and Marilyn Ellis on Flute. Roger was so impressed with the team he felt it was like leading worship at Spring Harvest!

Many of those who came to the event were from the Oxford Choir for Rock, trained by Alan Roberts and organised by Elizabeth Kirby. They also meet together when there isn't a touring musical to take part in. Many of the people at the event were also involved in music ministry in some way, so this was a great opportunity for CMM to support and encourage those people.

Many people felt God's blessing, with one person coming to Christ, and there lots of dancing with flags - dancers including one lady who had felt some amazing healing and release from anxiety and stress.

Praise God for all he has been doing.

Wildfire in Birmingham

The CMM choir has now organised performance dates across the West Midlands for Wildfire. The choir performed Wildfire at Birmingham as part of the original tour in 2003/2004, but have not performed it since. They have been rehearsing for a few weeks already, and auditions for soloists have taken place...

Anyway, if you would like to see the CMM choir, trained by Penny King, perform, here are the dates:

20th September at 1830 - Holy Trinity, West Bromwich

27th September at 1800 - West Bromwich Baptist Church

3rd October at 1930 - St. Martin's Walsall

8th November at 1830 - Six Ways Baptist, Erdington (also a fundraiser for St. Barnabas)

22nd November at 1800 - Marston Green Free Church

Saints Alive in Sandiway

On Saturday 9th May, Roger, Mary and Helen travelled to Sandiway in Cheshire for Saints Alive in a day. Keith, who had been at Saints Alive in Rhos on Sea only a week before joined us for the day to support on the drums, and it was great to have him.

To be completely truthful, 'Saints Alive in a day' is not completely accurate. Kathryn Holmes - the local wonderwoman - had gathered together the choir and instrumentalists for a couple of rehearsals in advance. She had done a wonderful job, so all that remained for us to do was some polishing. Roger was also able to do some bible teaching, which was brilliant.

There were at least 90 in the choir, and 5 instrumentalists, with Helen and Keith joining in too. There were also 3 'young' (late teens and early 20s) soloists, who did a marvellous job, sometimes singing in 3 part harmony together.

After a morning of rehearsals and an afternoon run-through, we put it all together for the performance at 3.30pm. The small part of the hall that wasn't filled with choir was filled with audience, and this created a wonderful atmosphere.

In a day so full of music, it was great to be able to have plenty of 'God moments' too - worship, bible teaching, prayer. The atmosphere of praise and worship was great, and the response to some of the songs in the musical (particularly When I Survey and All People that on Earth do Dwell) will stick in my memory.

Thanks particularly go to Kathyrn Holmes and Martin Cox for making it all happen.