Dear Friends,

If I want a theme for this letter it is simply “Welcome.”

Welcome to Jenny Mossman (Children’s Worker) and Ben Williams (Youth Worker) who will be working alongside Alison Maynard (Pastoral Worker) and me as the new staff ministry team here at Knutsford. Alongside all of you, we hope to create a team ministry which will use all our gifts in reaching the town and surrounding villages with the love of God. We do hope that people will come alongside Jenny and Ben as they begin new midweek programmes. The more helpers, the more children and young people we can reach with the love of God.

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. – Jeremiah 29:11

This is an edited (by Richard Cussons) extract of an article that originally appeared in The Church Times on 4th June 2010.

On his first day in office as Foreign Secretary, William Hague missed one of his top priorities off his “to do” list. All the usual suspects were there; Afghanistan, Iran, Relations with Europe and America, and emerging superpowers China & India. But the top priority must be the re-establishment of diplomacy, especially after a foreign-office team blundered by publishing a brainstorming document on the Pope’s visit in September, which suggested, among other crass things, that the Pope should open an abortion ward and bless a gay wedding. How could Britain’s diplomats be so undiplomatic?

The start of a new Methodist year – doesn’t it come round quickly!? This year is particularly exciting as we at KMC are welcoming on board Ben Williams our new Youth Worker, and Jenny Mossman our new Children’s Worker.

The following are the speakers who will appear in KMC this October. The descriptions of each speaker/book are those provided by the Festival Committee :

Knutsford Literature Festival

On 19th July Ben Williams started his new job as Youth Worker for both The Welcome and KMC..

He and his wife 'Tasha have moved up here from Canterbury, and here is a "hot off the press" photo of Ben. (photographer : Peter Dinsmore), plus an even "hotter-off-the-press" article by him copied from Open Doors.