On 25 November a group of us from Zone 2 and St Mary’s was delighted to attend the annual Fresh Expressions conference in York, not only because York is such a beautiful city, but also because our very own Revd Canon Phil Potter was leading the event. A cold but sunny York welcomed us as we crossed the historic streets of the city to our first destination, St Michael le Belfrey church, situated next to York Minster.
We were treated to lively worship to open the event, followed by a sermon from none other than the Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Dr John Sentamu, who famously cut up his dog collar on the Andrew Marr show in 2007 in response to the political situation in Zimbabwe. It was, needless to say, a very passionate sermon focusing on St Paul and confidence in the Gospel.
This was followed by a choice of seminars to attend in various venues throughout the city. The seminars were truly engaging and we left feeling inspired to create and grow our own fresh expressions of church within our local communities.
It was an amazing day; we’re looking forward to next year!
Louise Johnson