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The UK’s rail chaplaincy service, providing pastoral support to rail staff and British Transport Police officers, has from early April been provided solely by the Railway Mission.

Its partner organisation, London City Mission, has moved resources from workplace settings in order to focus on the least reached in the capital – those in poverty and on the margins. The two Christian charities, both established in the 19th century, have worked closely together for many years to provide a confidential listening ear and meaningful advice to people at all levels of the industry. The Railway Mission plans to take on an additional two chaplains by the summer.

An independent church in Chippenham, Wiltshire, celebrated the launch of its new building with a community open day on its ten year anniversary weekend.

Emmanuel Church Chippenham (ECC), which has met in a local school since its formation, bought a former Exclusive Brethren building last October. After several months of extensive renovation work, which included levelling the floor, installing windows and repairing the roof, the building was officially opened on Saturday 2 May.

2015 sees the 140th anniversary of the Keswick Convention and the possibility of an addition to the current site.

The possibility of securing the land adjacent to the Rawnsley site in Keswick, through purchasing the former Derwent Pencil Factory site, has arisen. In looking at how best to manage a growing event and being keen to integrate many things at one main site, this new step forward will secure the future for a growing summer convention, as well as allowing for an extension of activities at other times of the year.

The April edition of en covered the 6 April changes to access to NHS healthcare for missionaries based overseas.

The clarification of ‘ordinary resident’ has now been more clearly defined (!) by the government. This is the key criteria for receiving free NHS treatment, beyond emergency / GP treatment for returning missionaries, for whom until recently, an exemption existed.

Since its formation in 1991, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW) has been passionate about church planting.

Over the past two decades God has grown this little denomination from five congregations to 18, with churches in England, Wales and even Sweden and Germany. There remain, however, many places without a distinctively Presbyterian and Reformed influence and they see much work to be done. It is their prayer that God will continue to raise up churches upholding the inerrancy of Scripture, adhering to the Westminster Standards, and fulfilling the Great Commission.

The first service of Emmanuel Church Marlborough (ECM) was held on 19 April.

Behind Marlborough’s lovely exterior is a needy area in many ways, especially the need to hear about Jesus. Emmanuel Church Marlborough is a group of Christians who live in and around the town but until now have travelled to evangelical churches in other towns. The new church is not planned to be a cosy clique, nor one that competes with others, but to reach out to the community with the Bible’s message of God’s love in Christ.

Lancaster, 6 March 2005, 10am

In a tiny ‘gospel hall’ in a back street in Lancaster around 20 people begin to gather for the weekly meeting of Moorlands Church. The church is a mainly elderly congregation, who want to see their city reached for Jesus, but have found their numbers and energy dwindling. This morning, however, there is the excitement of a new beginning.

Yorkshire is a county which needs no introduction.

Famous for its landscapes, agriculture, industrial past and present, and modern commercial clout, its sporting success and the warmth (and pride) of its people, Yorkshire is a well-known brand.

The Easter period had some very changeable weather conditions. This was a feature of the two separate weeks of the Word Alive convention at Prestatyn Sands, N. Wales which ran from 28 March – 2 April and 2 – 6 April.

The main speaker for both weeks was David Cook, Principal of Sydney Missionary and Bible College, Australia. He took the gathered participants through sections of the book of Romans with great insight and encouragement. During Week 1 the main marquee was damaged by the wind and this led to one morning Bible Reading having to be received by everyone via TV in their chalets. The second week had mixed weather and a lot of sea mist, which was eerily beautiful and did not diminish the enjoyment of a great time.