With Encounter being made to close after Esther announced that she was stepping down, we celebrate the last 6 years of her leadership at our final meeting.
- Esther talks about what Encounter has meant to her and reminisces about many of the series that we have studied including lots of visual aids & handouts that she has provided.
- We celebrate all of the major birthdays (40, 50, 60, 70, 80 & 90) that people will have this year, as well as everyone else's birthday.
- Geoff shares some statistics from our meetings, then messages from Ben Davies (who led Encounter before Esther) and Sola Osinoiki (who was Esther's mentor for some of her time as leader), and then gives her the presents that the members of the community had contributed towards.
- We have an open microphone period where attendees can come to share what Encounter (or Esther) has meant to them.
- We close by singing The Blessing over each other.

See https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/ETJ2rlP3W0JDloDVYXNhcs4BXJyXutJIjiTJ_XEk7cJ6zg?e=XrpW71 for Esther's slides
and https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/Ea8wRfCJYGxHh3Prz5cP31AB0y4n18WYqRpGSd8AHgOPVA?e=hOI43j for the statistics & messages.

We conclude our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Clive & Glynis Challis give their story.

See additional notes at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EXihNsMpNIdMujf9j5lgmjMBBOrPHl7w4PtMgeunCQHT6A?e=cyx6vQ

For the first part of the meeting we continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Iris Joyce gives her story.

See additional notes at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EW2eIVo2xIVMmsm0bz1Qz5EBmbTo17YTlluCC94Lsx0NGA?e=ZRh2Ya

For the second part of the meeting Esther shares the extremely sad news that Encounter will be closing when she stops leading it on 12th February. Pelumi Aworinde & Ben Oliver join us to share the church leadership's reasoning behind the decision.

We continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Angela James give her story then Kay Foulger gives us a history of our church from its inception before giving one specific incident from her story.

See additional notes for Angela at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EanIBBgx95ZLv8E4hrUiCi8BRAvBKFR8CU1KHdLXh8JxRA?e=zCMuct and for Kay at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EeRN4ZTyfX9MnEFRK0cFBikBA0NSoC85P6_i3_4r3DXciQ?e=Ds8EQC

We continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Anne Hope-Whitlock & Liz Phillips give part of their stories.

See additional notes for Anne at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EZy105PW85dBmDomVAHAiFYBjmgXMVw_i5X2iZgTFVdxGA?e=6Gb64P and for Liz at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EdkoKK_x8hdBrtlf_j-mYcABxs7pizs9ecfiMr-CUS0WIg?e=j0QTn4

We continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Jim Macey gives one particular incident from his story and Frank Blasi gives part of his story.

See additional notes for Frank at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EWZ_YsVpjOhCqMcK-nWxwMUBWm0yahjALYEZdLywOLEGJQ?e=rFCKPK

Our last meeting of the term and of 2024 is our Christmas Celebration. We have a video, 2 couple of readings, a poem and several carols including a reflective version of Silent Night, plus Esther speaks on the subject "Room for Christ at Christ-mas".

Here is the outline of the meeting:

• Welcome - Glynis
• Carol - O Come All Ye Faithful
• Video - "Retooning the Nativity" - https://youtu.be/7-4y5mK_o9E
• Reading - Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-7 - Brian
• Carol - While Shepherds watched
• Reading - Luke 2:8-20, Matthew 2:1-12,16 - Tony
• Talk - "Room for Christ at Christ-mas" - Esther
• Poem - Behold, I Stand - Anne
• Reflective - Silent Night - Bill & Ruth
• Carol - Joy To The World
• Closing Prayer / Blessing - Michael
• Announcement / Closing - Esther

See additional notes at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EVFIVPzsLg1Bkb6GLtLB748BU8-AchYTxG-pzmi8J8c_lw?e=MxB1M6

We continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Michael Bentley gives his story.

See additional notes at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EV8tnG87PPZArzW3d24jUs0Bn2ApbtCNFn-j6o3_6oEOyQ?e=HZDJnU

We continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Simon Benham, our senior pastor, gives his story.

See additional notes at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EcSjhBMK8kBMqEauY7RFIiABAcKXrcqMOZKLgerr64-m7g?e=q9mk6Q

We continue our God Stories series where we will be hearing from different people within the Encounter group, sharing their experience of God and how He has and is impacting their lives. Today Mark Ridgway gives his story.

See additional notes at https://kerithcommunitychurch-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/encounter_kerith_church/EVuRUs--SwVEjqV05GQ2u3IB69R6DO_rjjDZOrdeVSS0vw?e=cxdyMq

In addition, Esther shares the sad news that she will stop leading Encounter at February half-term next year.