Today was the second 'date' of our church and the other little one a mile away.  This time they came to us.

It was great to have such a full hall - altogether there were 47 of us.  I know this because our communion trays each hold 24 glasses and there was only one glass left over!  There was a happy atmosphere, and a sense that the two congregations had mingled together quite well too.

The data projector projected, the portable loop looped and the heating heated.  This was good, because there's nothing like being cold or technology failing to cause frayed tempers and disastrous ecclesiastical dates.

On the whole people joined in well - the blend of old and new hymns was appreciated and the involvement of people from each congregation in reading the Bible passages seemd to go down well.  Most people even learned how to make a cross from a sheet of paper using only one tear (or cut) - we got some confetti in the process, but on the whole it worked.  If you need to learn how to do this then I suggest you buy the Across the World pack, as if I tried to explain it here who knows what might happen!

This was the last of our series on mission and took us back to the heart of our faith - the cross of Christ and the imperative to all would-be disicples to take up their crosses.  It's challenging stuff, but allowed us to be reminded that a cross-centred world view is as foreign in our culture as it was in Corinth (a scandal to Jews, a folly to Greeks) as well as recognising that the lives to be 'lost' in order to be found can be corporate as well as individual.

The after service tea and biscuits went well, and now feels like 'part of what we do here.'  Indeed the relief caretaker was pacing the corridors waiting for us to hurry up and finish so he could lock up!  (He was 15 minutes early)

I think it was a good experience and hope that a few more links were grown between our two congregations.  Still a long way to go to discover what God is calling us to, but an enjoyable stopping off point on the way.