A fantastic day was had by all our new Authorised Lay Ministers (ALMs) at their pre-authorisation retreat day earlier this month. It was held at the beautiful Nazarene Theological College in Didsbury, where there was full access to the Chapel, café and stunning grounds.
The day began with croissants and plenty of coffee, before attendees were treated to some wonderful opening worship led by the talented multi-instrumentalist, Revd Neil Whittaker.
Our brilliant ALM Chaplains, Revd Lee Higson and Libby Greenhalgh, then led everyone through two inspiring sessions focusing on Sacred Pathways - the assessment tool that helps users explore and understand the different ways that we can each connect meaningfully with God.
A long and leisurely lunch was enjoyed in the college’s woods, rose gardens and extensive grounds, while a trampoline provided much entertainment for some of the more adventurous ALMs! A special thanks to Bev Angier, Focal Ministry Officer, who ensured that everyone was well-fed with lemon drizzle and sticky toffee cake.
The day was then rounded off with the sharing of communion in the college’s Chapel - a beautiful way to wrap up a superb retreat, and to prepare our ALMs for their Service of Authorisation and Commissioning at Manchester Cathedral on Saturday 23rd September.