Our Inaugural Celebration
Service
5th November
2006
The church was packed for our joyful inaugural celebration service on
Sunday 5th November, during which both congregations committed themselves to continue the
journey together, seeking God’s purpose for their church ‘ giving thanks for all that we have in common, and acknowledging each
other’s traditions.’ A covenant
document, containing these words, was signed by members of the local and wider
Methodist and United Reformed churches, including the church secretary, joint
ministers Rev Keith Page and Rev David Simpson, representatives from the
Methodist Circuit and URC District Council, and the District Ecumenical
Officers. The covenant was also signed
by Rev Anne Brown, Chair of the Beds, Essex & Herts Methodist District, who
led the main prayers and responses during the service, and Rev Elizabeth
Caswell,
Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, who gave the address. In a symbolic gesture, two
candles representing the Methodist and URC congregations were used to light a
new shared candle, and the individual candles were extinguished. Pilots,
our weeknight children’s group, brought into the church a large frieze of a
tree, whose branches represented the various aspects of church life. The children told the congregation which
branches they had made, and what they meant.
They then led short prayers whilst making the word US from pebbles. Before and
after the service, there was a time of praise, led by the music group. Refreshments were served in the church hall
after the service.
Follow the links on the left to the photos – you may see yourself!