Here at St Luke’s we are four weeks into the 10-week Story of God programme. We are totally thrilled with it and delighted that we took the plunge to completely stop what we have been doing on a Wednesday night for the last 4 years and gather as a family. We feed together on lovely food prepared by various people, and then receive each week a fresh couple of stories beautifully presented by a number of gifted story tellers.

We love the buzz and enthusiasm in the Q&As immediately following the story-telling, and then the lively discussions which follow those. For me it is simply wonderful to see my flock receiving, learning, accepting, questioning and being nourished together.

However we did not sleepwalk into this season of blessing. Like many of us, we were introduced to the Story of God in the Liverpool Launch (in April) and most of my team did not take to it at all. In fact if I’m honest, I wondered why on earth I was sitting listening to this strange American rattling through narratives I had known since childhood.

Then on our return to the second Launch LC in Sheffield last month, I discovered that most of my team were mysteriously coming round to the “Story of God” and I, only I, was holding out.  During one of the team leaders discussion groups, I felt a real anger rising up in my heart and was conscious of a fear and unsettlement, which I took to be at least in part, a criticism of my leadership. Then somebody spoke a very kind, loving word to me about St Luke’s and in an instant I was delivered from all my anger, insecurity and fear. At that moment I could see with a deep joy and excitement what the Spirit was inviting us to step into together as a company. Team members were gobsmacked when they saw my change and suggested that we started the Story of God at Easter. They were even more gobsmacked when I said ” no, we’ll start at once!”  Two weeks later we began this exciting journey together.