It is five years ago this weekend since I first set foot in the Gathering Place... and what a lot has happened since then!

Five years since, on the Sunday morning a greeting steward, now long since promoted to glory, heard I'd come up from Leicestershire, and said, as only she could "Leicester Shire.... that's a long way to come  to preach".  It makes me smile just to recall that!  Thus began an adventure we have shared that has seen highs and lows, in which I've made mistakes and in which I've seen others blossom and grow, and we are still together.  I love my church, our church, and five years on, I am proud to be part of it.

This morning we made a very important decision about the next steps in our journey together - and it was unanimous.  It's hard to explain how much that means, or how much work lay behind it, but it was so good and it seemed fitting to be this five year anniversary point of 'meeting' if not of 'coventanting' (that's in October)

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us... and today my heart sings!

As one person was heard to observe as the result was announced "praise the Lord!"