Christian Music Ministries: Worship Works on the road!

Back in October a team from CMM took a long trip up the M1 in order to take Worship Works out on the road.

The CMM Team

Our first invitation was to Blyth in Northumberland. We have visited Blyth Central Methodist on a number of previous occasions, and it was great to be back with Danny and all the folks there. The minister, Ann, is an amazing firecracker, full of energy and doing some amazing things. The CMM team for the weekend were Roger, Mary, Helen, Marilyn and Chris, Jonathan, Paul and Ann.

Blyth Central Methodist

The Saturday was a slightly modified Worship Works day, incorporating a Ways to Praise workshop in the afternoon, saving the Enter his Gates session for the following afternoon's circuit service. There were a really good number of folks present at the day, and the atmosphere was lovely. The whole weekend was part of the church's 25 year anniversary. The following morning we took the service and then in the afternoon we took a special service for the whole Methodist Circuit and Churches Together group.

This is the update Helen sent to friends and family after the weekend:

"Had a great worship works weekend at Blyth Central Methodist. The people were incredibly friendly and seemed to be blessed by what we had to share. The minister, Ann, and the whole congregation are incredibly hard-working, trying to reach their community in lots of different ways, and they seem to be having a real impact among families and children. Apart from my visit to play piano for breakfast church yesterday we were mostly working with the regular adult congregation. I think we were able to provide space for them to meet with God amid all of the business!

Yesterday afternoon we led an ecumenical area service and there were a good number there from lots of different churches, which was great. I had an interesting chat with Danny, the organist, who was really blessed by a strong feeling of the Holy Spirit's presence."

Coastline Community Church

After Blyth, the team continued North up the A1, past Edinburgh and around the coast to Pittenweem. It was a new area for all of us, and great to explore. We had been invited by an old friend of Roger and Mary's, Christine, who had moved up to the area after living for many years in north Birmingham. This is Helen's report:

"We had a good two evenings at Pittenweem. The Coastline Community Church there was formed when two Baptist churches came together. The lady who invited us was Christine Heron, who knew Roger and Mary well from Christian Endeavour days. The church seemed fairly vibrant with a heart for outreach in the area. The pastor was a very young Irish man Daniel who had recently moved there with his Swedish wife Marlin. They, along with the (also Irish) youth pastor Robert and his wife Gemma, looked after us very well.

The first Worship Works evening was not amazingly attended but it seemed to go well. It is sometimes tricky to know what to bring to a congregation who already seem to know and use a lot of newer material. But Roger felt God say to use what he has put in our hands. I think some of what we had to share about worship leading people into the Most Holy Place and also prophetic worship was new to them.

The following evening we led a ways to praise session and there were a lot more people there from a number of churches. It was a really good evening."

The team in Oban

From Pittenweem the team drove straight across the country to Oban. We were ministering in the Church of Scotland church. We initially contacted Peter and Joy Mills (originally from Leamington Spa and hosts on some of our music weeks) when a different Scotland venue fell through. They were very enthusiastic but had to do a lot of work convincing the local churches.

Marilyn, Ann and Paul in Oban

As a result we were quite cautious in what we did with them, using a lot of material from Seasons and Reasons. There were a decent number there on Wednesday night and a few less last night - some other things clashed. Everyone who came seemed to really enjoy it though and we had some great conversations with people last night particularly.