NEW FRIENDS

Having finished work on Thursday it was straight off to Scotland for the weekend to join the new Team that I will be working with at New Community Church in Southampton. Apart from it taking most of the day to fly up and sort out hire cars arriving at 9pm (could have just driven!) it was so good to be back at my friend Jim's house in Killin. The house has been transformed over the last 6 months since I last saw it with 10 bedrooms completed as well as new kitchen and new chef Stuart installed. Lottie, Flo and I stayed in Fingal which completely overlooks the Loch Tay for an amazing view. The weekend was designed to bring the new leadership team together and to discuss how things could look in September. Jim lead us through 2 days of teaching about how we all function differently and helping us work together - it was excellent.

It was so good to have Lottie involved as part of the team, Billy and Caroline made us both feel very welcome. There were many highlights including late nights in "the snug" with a 15 year old malt, singing songs around the bonfire with Ken, enjoying the unbelievable views over the Loch or picking strawberries with Flo.

Jim is such a great facilitator we had some very helpful and thought provoking discussions (and dialogue!), but most importantly we felt welcome and part of something which is very exciting, that God so obviously has his hand on.

This week we are back home and although I have been described in our local newspaper as an "inspirational community leader", I feel more grounded than ever before and excited by what God has stored up - in the mean time I have some packing to do.

You can never have enough cardboard boxes...