Two Sisters and a Funeral in Yardley

Last weekend Roger, Helen and Annie were privileged to be able to travel to Yardley in Birmingham to assist in a local production of Two Sisters and a Funeral by the Inn Crowd Singers - a group of singers drawn from a number of churches in the Yardley and Stechford areas of Birmingham.  This small community choir was originally started by Roger's PA Anne Maddox and Helen Jones, but has since taken on a life of its own under choir director Debbie Dipple (who is also part of the CMM choir).  The choir have also performed Rock, Simeon and While Shepherds Watched as well as the Inn Crowd over the last 5 years.

This production included drama and a mime/dance as well as amazing costumes and scenery - the group had really gone to town and was meticulous in its preparation.  Annie and Helen joined their resident flautist Mary Wright (one of the lyricists for Roger's musical Away in a manger) to add in some instrumental accompaniment.

The choir were great and the soloists were brilliant.  Pete Hazelwood, who played Lazarus in the first performance, had extended the narrations from the musical, and added a couple of scenes.  The extra drama came across really well, and the audiences seemed to really enjoy it.  There was also a mime from the local drama group for the crucifixion scene, which was very powerful.

The choirs performed to two packed houses at Digbeth in the Fields URC - one on the Saturday evening, and another on Sunday afternoon.  The CMM team were looked after amazingly well, including a plate of fish and chips on Saturday lunchtime!  On the Sunday morning Roger, Annie and Helen took the morning service at the church - Annie led worship, Roger preached about sitting at Jesus' feet, and Helen took the rest of the service.  From the team's perspective the service didn't feel to have gone as well as it might, but there were such good comments afterwards that God was clearly moving and blessing people.

It was wonderful to be part of this amazing ministry.  The choir had managed to drum up a large audience, many of whom were not Christians - what a wonderful witness!  The musicals being used as they were intended - to share the Gospel and bring Christians together in worship and witness.

Thanks to Robert Jones who took some wonderful photos.

CMM on the Island (again!)

Helen working with the choir in Newport

For the second time this autumn, a team from CMM travelled to the Isle of Wight.  Instead of visiting for a music week, this time it was to join with the local churches in two performances of Two Sisters and a Funeral, as well as leading a service, a Bible study and an evening meeting.

Devon, Ann and Sarah

The team for the visit was Roger, Helen, Sarah (Mary), Ann (Martha), Devon (Lazarus) and Andrew (Jesus).  Sarah is a member of the Isle of Wight diaspora, so this was a wonderful opportunity for her to go home and stay with her parents in Shanklin, who were the main instigators for the trip along with Trish and June.

Andrew in action

After a smooth crossing on Friday evening the team went to St John's Newport for a lovely meal and then a rehearsal with the choir, which had been so well trained by June.  The choir were excellent, and represented a huge variety of churches across the Island.  The rehearsal went well... ish.  The choir were fine, but it was the first time these soloists had worked together and there were a few teething problems and forgotten lines! The technicians worked really hard sorting out the mics and backing track for everyone, and the end result was excellent.

June and Trish with Roger

On Saturday the team had a bit of free time and lunch out before another rehearsal and the first performance at St John's in the evening.  There was a large audience who seemed to really enjoy the performance - there was even some prayer ministry afterwards, which is always great to see as one of CMM's main aims is for people to encounter God.

Some of the choir

On Sunday morning the team were at Shanklin URC, where the service was led by the minister, Brian Harley.  Brian took the opportunity to lead the pre-service extended praise from his guitar, and then led into a time of remembrance (with Helen playing the last post from the balcony).  After this time, he handed over to the CMM team who led a block of praise followed by Roger's talk.  The worship band at Shanklin are excellent, and it was a real blessing to be involved in a church that puts worship, the word and the Holy Spirit all at the centre from which mission and service can flow.

The rehearsal in Freshwater

Straight after lunch the team travelled to Freshwater to the town hall for the second performance of Two Sisters.  This performance was even better than the first, and there was standing room only in the hall - not even standing room, as 20 people sadly had to be turned away.

Ann with Meg at Jane's

On Monday the team had a day off (in the rain), which included lunch and a Bill Bailey DVD at Jane's and then dinner at the Harley's.  On Tuesday morning Andrew, Ann and Devon travelled home, leaving Roger, Sarah and Helen to lead a lunchtime Bible Study at Shanklin URC, and then an evening meeting at Newport Congregational church.  There were approximately 30 at the Bible study, which Roger led based on Mary sitting at Jesus' feet.  A number of people received prayer afterwards.

Roger, Helen and Sarah with Caleb

In the evening the session was based around the tabernacle progression in praise, and the team were joined by Caleb on his djembe.  There were about 100 people present and an amazing feeling of worship and God's presence.

Huge thanks go to Trish, Jane, June, Brian and Janet for making it all possible.  Thanks to to Barrie for most of these photos (the best ones!).

Canada part 2

We received the following message from Roger towards the end of their visit:


Hi Folks

We have now left Deep River, having had a really exciting time seeing the Lord move amongst us. We were really thrilled to be with the folk there and sensed the Holy Spirit at work in so many ways. It is a small church and community and they have to battle against the liberal theology that is polluting so much of the North American church. However, there are faithful folk here who are praying and standing firm. It seems very right that we were here with them.

We are now back in Kanata, Ottawa, and led a worship seminar on Wednesday evening. It was very well attended and they responded amazingly. Most of them were choir members who are rehearsing the musical, and they really wanted to move forward with PSHs. We introduced them to prophetic singing!

Yesterday Mary and I came down to Morrisburg to stay overnight with our frineds Nick and Jane. We even managed to do some geocaching, and the weather is very warm and sunny for this time of the year.

Tonight we return to Kanata and rehearse with the soloists. On Saturday we have a full morning rehearsal and then a production of TWO SISTERS in the evening. They are all very excited about it!

We finish here on Sunday when I preach at the three morning services, and we also lead the Worship at the final one.

Mary and I travel to Niagara Sunday afternoon.

It's a great privilege to know you folk are thinking about us and praying. Thank you all so much,

Roger and Mary

Their final update came a couple of days later:


Hi folks

Two Sisters and a Funeral in Kanata was tremendous. It was a full house and everyone performed wonderfully well. The Holy Spirit was very present! The feedback at the end was so encouraging, and I think it will really envision them for their own mini-tours with the musical. They are planning to do at least 4 productions.

We have three services this morning. I preach at them all, and also lead music for the final one, then Mary and I set off for Niagara. I am now really glad we changed our plans and decided to go by train rather than drive for 7 hours!

Sarah, Amy and Paul return to UK on Monday. They have been a great team - very supportive and each one playing a great part.

You may not hear so much from now on! We are looking forward to a real rest and experience in Niagara. We come back to Ottawa on Wednesday, before flying out on Thursday, arriving UK Friday morning,

It has been a great trip. There will be plemty to share about later!

Thanks for prayers and thoughts!

Roger and Mary

Canada part 1

Earlier in October Roger, Mary, Sarah, Amy and Paul set off for Canada for a visit that lasted just over a week and included a couple of performances of Two Sisters and a Funeral as well as some other workshops sharing with various churches.  The flight from Birmingham to Paris was slightly delayed, which caused their luggage to be left behind, but otherwise all went well.  Here is the first update from Roger from their first church visit to St Barnabas' church, Deep River:

Hi Folks

 

We have just had a really great Sunday, At the morning service I preached and the Team helped lead the worship and introduced some "Seasons and Reasons" ("We believe" and "We come with songs", etc). The locals really seemed to respond well, as did Francois the Rector.

 

In the afternoon we led a Youth Meeting which consisted of about 10 boys (aged 12-16) and 1 girl who insisted on staying at the side and just onlooking. I was very apprehensive about this, but it went amazingly well. I had to use every "trick of the trade" to handle one of the boys, but he responded well, I taught them about the Tabernacle (although some of them knew as much as me!), got them moving around the church doing thanks and praise. Then at the front we talked about a "force field" that stopped them entering the Most Holy Place. We had a competition to see who did the best "Star Trek" impression of hitting the force field! I then told them about the Cross and the tearing of the curtain. The all went silent, and I invited them to ask Jesus into their lives. They all seemed to go with this so we entered the altar area (Most Holy Place) sat down and I asked the Spirit to come on them. They all seemed receptive so I laid hands on each one and gave them a "word"! As I write this I am amazed at God's grace in how he overruled what could have been a very tricky situation. Praise to Him!

 

The evening worship seminar went very smoothly and we talked about and demonstrated the "Praise Block". We did some PSHs, then Sarah, Amy and Paul sang and played prophetically before closing with "Precious and Honoured". 

 

Today is free until this evening when we demonstrate TWO SISTERS. They haven't learnt it so we will just sing it though, with a local "Jesus". It's difficult to know how the CMM ministry will impact long-term, but I feel it very right that we have been here.

 

We travel back to Kanata, Ottawa tomorrow, All the team are well and enjoying themselves. 

 

Missing you all. Thanks for prayers, etc.

Just to whet your appetite for future blog posts about Canada:

Greetings from Canada! 

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing Roger and company with us. We were truly blessed by his teaching on Wednesday and Sunday, and the musical on Saturday. 

We had a wonderful turn out for the musical. The church was full. Amy, Sarah and Paul were brilliant! Our choir found it was a very different journey than with ROCK. That being the only other musical that the Kanata group had presented. It carried its powerful message a little quieter, not a lot quieter, but a little. Maybe helps one catch a glimpse of how it would have felt in the first century learning that someone had been raised from the dead. As Roger says, "... when people encountered the power of Christ in the early Church, they either joined/followed or persecuted it." That's called having an impact, smile! 

I know some of our folks are signed on for the Israel tour. That should be grand. Hope that we can continue to journey together in faith. We in North America need the true joy of the Gospel. We are so apathetic! Numbed by our abundance. Roger's music brings that joy first hand! Gives us a bit of a wake up! 

I pray all is well with your work and family.Every blessing in Christ,Craig+

A flurry of performances

We've been hearing a lot recently about your own performances across the country.  Do let us know!

The following is from Sarah Moreton in Hemel Hempstead.  Sarah borrowed one of our soloists, Devon, to help them out with a special Wildfire performance in Watford:

Hello Helen

Devon actually arrived early!! I will claim that as a personal triumph!!! He was a star – you know what he’s like to have around. The choir were splendid and we had some very encouraging feedback from choir and audience alike. 

The charity trustees, for whom we raised £1500, had never heard anything by Roger before, I don’t think, certainly not Wildfire. They were quite overwhelmed by the music, the message, the spiritual presence, and by peoples’ generosity – the sum raised was exactly what they needed to finish a particular project in India, the refurbishment of an orphanage (which, I gather, at the moment is a glorified 3-bedroomed town house housing 30 children and their ‘foster-mother’, Sister Lilly!). The name of the charity we were fund-raising for is AFIRM India. There were about 50 performers altogether, and an audience of 120-ish, at St Thomas’s Church, Watford.

We also heard from Gordon in Oxfordshire:

Dear Roger

I know you will want to hear how our little musical went, last Saturday. You'll remember we took songs from some of your works and had a script specially written to turn tham into a coherant work.  To judge by the e-mails and phone calls, not to say people coming up after church, I'd say it was an unqualified success !

Around 150 audience and 45 cast & crew spent a wonderful couple of hours with the Lord ! As we always find, the experience was very moving and people left having been uplifted by some wonderful music (especially settings of When I survey and Lord make us instruments, which is one of my favourites too)

In our panel game, " Holy Heroes ", I'm afraid you narrowly lost the vote to Robert Raikes; but what company to be with !!

We made a modest profit, on the evening, and we have decided to send a donation to EBRG, to help you carry on the work of the Gospel. I'll organise it in a few days, when all the funds are in.

Thank you so much, for all you do to bring people closer to our Lord. May God bless you and all the team, in the future. We are already looking forward to 2014, when we can welcome you to be with us, with "Ways to Praise".

In His love

Gordon


We've had a quick email from Beresford and Kate King-Smith, to say that their choir will be including Roger's anthem 'Love came down at Christmas' in their Christmas service - we hope it goes well!  Also another message from a primary school in Nottingham planning on using 'Come, see the beauty of the King' as the finale to their Christmas concert.  It should be great.

We know there are a lot of performances coming up in the run up to Christmas.  Do let us know how you all get on!