abbotsford.org.uk

Done and Dusted

The National Gathering has now just moved on a stage, to texting and emailing folk who met and ate and talked and connected. I think it was a very good weekend. It was a real positive illustration of the church and just a tiny bit of it. Still there are a number of ministers who haven't told their congregations about it. These gatekeepers should be sacked! Scared God's own People get an idea of their own?

Anyway, we had a good lot of fun. Not everything is ever going to be your cup of tea but it does show the breadth of the church and that there are a LOT of folk who get life from the church.

So what stories do you have to tell, those who were there?

What ideas did you pick up and want to explore a bit?

What speakers, worship moments, PrayerZone spaces, tents, people spoke most to you?

Got some pictures here from Tom. There will be more later.

It's a bit of a bummer to get back to a normal week, especially one with both Presbytery and Session & Board in it. Back to earth with a bang. Hopefully we'll still believe was is possible in the church and not get ground down.

National Gathering all set

I've been at the National Gathering all day setting up the Rubbish Church which took for ever. But it is all set to happen tomorrow. Hopefully the sun will shine most of the weekend but whatever happens it's all going to happen anyway. Hope to see you all there.

National Gathering

Here's a wee stream to think about the National Gathering and what we can do in our tent and how to do it.

National Gathering 08

The website is now up and running for the National Gathering in Ingleston May 3-4th next year. Lots of details are there.

We've got the prayer tent organised. It's going to be fabulous with broadband connections around the world and labyrinths and unique and special prayer spaces.

And the art: an exploded church. Oh how some will be jealous of that and then we'll build it again but inside out. If anyone knows how to do that, please get in contact. Any engineers out there?

Anyway the website is here and you can put the dates in your diary.

Pitching the Tent

We need lots of ideas for the tent we MIGHT buy for the National Gathering on 3-4th May. Just to sum up, it would be 1 of 500 so we need something distinctive to set it apart so we need ideas about what to put in it and also how to mark it out.

Thought we could start a new thread on this to keep it clear and also a new category called 'Gathering' for future reference.

Anyway, so far:

- an inflatable planetarium.
- telescope for people to have a close-up look at creation
- late night interviews on blowup sofas with a wee glass of wine
- do projection on the tent walls. Imagine how cool that would be at night from the outside.
- serve tea and coffee
- speakers
- bands
- crafts stuff,
- games, all-day crafts,
- a drumming hour?
- mini-seminars on CAOS,
- all-age worship, all-age communion, or do late-night discussions . Will two days be enough.
- Gift wrap the whole marquee and put a big ribbon and enormous bow on it. And a 6-foot tag to say who it is a gift to
- Put nothing it, but just fill it entirely with balloons. Just imagine the fun as people go through it , bumping into others, making unexpected friends and laughing all the time.

But we need lots more. Let the imagination run riot...