Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

So we've spent the first four weeks demonstrating and describing the DNA of this new church we are building and it has been great - just great, making new friends and discovering other people with a similar passion as ours. There have been around 25 people who have showed up for each meeting at Bristol City FC, on thursdays. Thanks to Nige, Paul, Justin and Dave, musicians who have come from Trent to help lead the worship time and this week Jay and Abi - Severn's first resident musicians lead worship - I was with them watching them practice yesterday and they sound fantastic!

Now we have described the DNA in the first four weeks, we start the church, proper, this week. There are many who have heard and experienced 'the DNA' of Severn and want to commit to it straight away and there are others who want to stick around for longer to make sure that this really is the right church for them. So this week, Severn Vineyard, Bristol is established! One of the first things we are going to do is serve the local community - this sunday we are going to offer to clear gardens in our neighbourhood of leaves that have fallen in the last few weeks. As well, we are working to find practical ways of serving in a local prison and serving the homeless this autumn.

This month we are planning a weekly gathering in Starbucks (Park Street) after work (tuesdays) which we hope will be popular with students, a dinner party at Zizzi's, Clifton and Sunday afternoon at Ashton Park (see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=104118701699&ref=share for dates) - all great events to bring friends to and have a blast - the perfect antidote to the darkening evenings! Claire and I will be doing some leadership training with some of those people who have already decided to get involved with the church with a view to start some small groups in December.

Meanwhile, we went to an property auction two weeks ago and bid on two properties to renovate, unfortunately the bidding was high and went above our maximum bids. Being the disciplined person, friends will know I am (!) we didn't blow our budget and so are biding our time, hoping and praying that an appropriate property comes our way soon. The auction room was packed and it was sheer comedy at times as I watched people agonise over whether they should bid more, one guy even got sent to the back of the room for being rude, by the remarkable auctioneer - not quite ebay.