We've just returned from our Parish Weekend at Ashburnham Place.  The grounds of Ashburnham Place extend to over 220 acres and the house itself has been a centre for christian conferencing for 40 years. See their promotional video for a taste of what it was like for us (or for a reminder if you went!).

We were privileged to welcome David Saville as our guest speaker and he took us through five sessions of 'Walking with the Lord'. David was recently Rector of Hackney and formerly Missioner for the Bishop of London and he is an experienced conference and retreat leader. The theme 'Walking with the Lord' is taken from the journey made by the disciples on the road to Emmaus with Jesus.  The children and teenagers (collectively known as 'youth') were guided by Simon and Gill Heron.  On Saturday afternoon we had an 'afternoon off' to explore the grounds (the weather was fantastic) followed by a craft session. Saturday evening was an hour of musical and comedy entertainment provided by several talented members of the group followed by the hilarious film 'Nuns on the run'. Sunday morning completed the final session followed by a relaxed and informal morning service.

There was no expectation of a joint or corporate vision to emerge from the weekend, it felt very relaxing and we all experienced a warm sense of fellowship and enjoyment being in each others company with the Lord.

A Big THANK You to everybody who attended.

You may like to follow this link to see what a parish weekend can be like!