So then, from 6th-8th April 2001 - eight young people from Emmanuel travelled up in our people carrier - chaffeured by Stephen - to Leicester. Home of the Banner of Truth Youth Conference.
Angie Pike
Miriam Pike
Holly Storey
Naomi Watts
Stephen Wylie-Young
Were the five from Emmanuel, and...
Gareth Davies
Philip Osmond
Rachel Webster
Three stow-aways we picked up along the way!
We left Salisbury at about 2pm on the friday afternoon and after about 10,000 toilet trips - for certain members of the crew!! (mentioning no names!!!) - we arrived in Leicester at about 5.30pm. On arrival we left all our kit and kaboodle in the car and went to retrieve our keys.
Now, last year - due to certain circumstances our applications sheets had suffered severe delays in reaching Iain Murray - and we had ended up in the 'un-cool' accomodation across the road. So this year, we had posted our forms off nice and early so that we could once again return to our rightful places on the 'cool' side!
But...when we got to the registration room we found that they had split everyone according to their names rather than church groups - which meant that we were all over the place!
Never mind - at least we were all there!
The speakers for the weekend were...
Jim Downie - Army Scripture Reader, Woking
Alun McNabb - Dudley Baptist Church
Jonathan Wood - Musselburgh Baptist Church
FRIDAY
18.30pm - Dinner
19.45pm - The Gospel according to Ephesians 3:Its Mystery - Alun McNabb
SATURDAY 08.15am - Breakfast
09.15am - Simon Peter, A man like us - Jonathan Wood
10.30am - Coffee
11.00am - The Gospel according to Ephesians 3:Its Ministers - Alun McNabb
13.00pm - Lunch
14.15pm - Recreation
17.00pm - 'Why me Lord?' - Jim Downie
18.30pm - Dinner
19.45pm - Praise
20.00pm - Simon Peter 2 - Jonathan Wood
SUNDAY 08.15am - Breakfast
09.15pm - Prayer
10.00am - Worship at local churches
13.00pm - Lunch
14.45pm - Discussion
16.45pm - Afternoon Tea
17.45pm - Praise
18.00pm - Evening Worship Service - The Gospel according to Ephesians 3:Its Measure - Alun McNabb
19.30pm - Dinner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Having arrived and settled in, our next job was tea!
After tea we had a meeting - the first of Alun McNabb's addresses on The Gospel According to Ephesians 3. Click here to find out more about that.
Many of us felt that the food wasn't really enough to satisfy our ravenous appetites so during the evening we bundled into our people carrier with three welsh men in tow and went into Leicester to look for that extra little something!
Thankfully we just had to go round the corner and we saw a Chinese and a Pizza place - so half of us in each shop and we were back on campus in 1/2 an hour - or there abouts! When we got back, we spent the rest of the evening talking to old friends and making new ones - that was about it for our first evening - I believe that the whole of the Emmanuel crew had hit there sacks by 1am - apart from a few waifs and strays who practically did an all nighter!! (mentioning no names, Rachel Webster!!)
Saturday morning - early start! - up by 8.15am for breakfast. Then at 9.15am we had the first of Jonathan Woods addresses on Peter- click here to find read more about that.
Then after the address tea and coffee were served, leading us up to our next talk at 11am, the second of Alun McNabbs addresses on Ephesians 3- click here to find out more about that.
After this address we wondered back across the road where we joined the queue for lunch. After lunch was the usual 'Recreation' slot and we were left to do as we wanted until our next address at 5.00pm.
For this time many of the lads chose football as their prefered option, but lots of other activities were also available, such as hockey, tennis, poole etc.
The Emmanuel group went their own ways for this time, but many of us took a trip across to the Leisure centre, ...until it rained and we then came back and talked and mingled in the kitchen - by the way, if you want to get to know people at Banner, the kitchens are the place to go!!
Also, a good time was had by all watching the rugby (with Mr.Irritating, hyper-excitable, 'lets look like I know what Im talking about' - but thats another story!)
So it got to 5pm, and we all were back in the meeting room for Jim Downie's address titled 'Why me Lord?'.
Having been a Sergeant in the army, Jim Downies tone, pitch and intonation were some what forceful and by the end of his talk, everyone was ready to agree with everything he'd said!! click here to read more about that.
Dinner then followed almost straight after that address, at 6.30pm, and by 7.45pm we were yet again in the meeting room for 'Praise' - clearly the Reformed Psalm singers from Emmanuel had no part in this and remained 'fingers in ears' for the whole 15 minutes!
Next came Jonathan Wood's second address on Peter click here to read all about that.
Seeing as Friday night had been such a poor show of endurance from the Emmanuel side, some of us saw Saturday night as an opportunity to better our previous record, and attempt an all-nighter.
But, yet again, the challenge was met with a less than desirable outcome and I believe all were in the land they call 'Nod', by about 2am.
Sunday and there were no set meetings in the morning, so we all went off to various local churches. Emmanuel was split between 'Oadby' - an FIEC church (slightly more....'liberal' than we would be!!) and 'Melbourne Hall' (the less 'broad' option!). Therefore we clearly went to....Oadby! Click here for a summary of that service.
Then it was back to the ranch for lunch.
Following lunch, a question time was held, in which a panel would answer certain question which had been handed in previously - preferably following the lines of the addresses.
But as with every year, the 'Golden Oldie' relationship question came up and dear old Jean Murray took the floor to give a comprehensive, husband-humiliating answer - which stole the show!
Afternoon tea was then served, and this lead into another 'Praise' session - The evening worship service took the form of Alun McNabbs third address - Ephesians 3 : Its Measure and Motive. Click here to read more about that.
After this address, dinner was served and packing commenced - and before long the sad moment of departure was on us once again.
All in all a good conference, enjoyable and profitable.
And of course....theres always next year!
