Friends

What a wonderful day we had last Sunday for Pentecost and the launch of “Van with a Plan.” Saturday if you remember, it rained very heavily all day, but Sunday dawned fair and dry and our prayers were answered. “Van with a Plan” went to Maidenhead, where the congregation at High Street welcomed it with coffee and joy, and Revd Pete interviewed Deacon Margaret and Sophie about its role and the hopes that we have for it. It then moved to Hampshire Avenue where the Church met the team with a wonderful picnic and where the children were overjoyed to create with Lego on the bus, although less than pleased when we had to ask them to get off so that it could move to the next venue. “Van with a Plan” drove next to Alexandra Gardens, where it was greeted by the band of the Salvation Army and the faithful of all the churches in Windsor (although I am not being entirely partisan when I say that the Methodists were the loudest!)

At this point, I was able to join the celebrations myself and see that, even although we have not yet got the graphics onto the outside of “Van with a Plan”, the children were immediately drawn to it, and many wonderful items were made, often inspired by the pictures in our copy of the Brick Bible, a re-telling of the whole Bible with characters made from Lego.

When we were children and wanting to pray for good weather for the Sunday School picnic or whatever, my mother would always remind us that although it was okay for us to pray, we must remember that “down the road there may be a farmer praying for rain.” It was a great joy that on this occasion, God answered our prayers and sent such a lovely day, and so many people were able to experience and enjoy the launch of this wonderful new project of the Thames Valley Circuit.

One of the things that happens when we see great ideas come to fruition, is that we are inspired to dream up ideas of our own, so please don’t be afraid to do just that as we seek to move forward as churches and as a circuit. As it says in Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing: now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

God bless, Vicci