Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of attending our Encounter School of Mission (ESOM) graduation evening. It’s special every year when our students from the year graduate, but given all that had happened this year and the changes that we had to make I think this one felt even more special.

It was just over 12 months ago, when COVID had been on our radars for 2 months or so, that we started to explore what it might mean for ESOM. Would be be able to hold it normally? Would a digital version work? Would it run at all? There were so many things to consider and we had no idea if it would work.

But work it did

The team did a phenomenal job in setting up a school that would operate as a hybrid. In the end we had more students than we have ever had, some of them coming to join us in person, when we were able to do so, and the rest joining us online from England, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Norway, USA.

Through the teaching we were able to invite many friends to share with our students and they were able to impart such deep truth to our students. We saw the Holy Spirit minister in some beautiful ways whether through zoom or in the room.

Through both online and in person outreach we saw people healed, restored and over 100 people said yes to following Jesus for the first time. People used social media to pray and prophesy for their friends and family, many of the students doing this for the first time.

It was incredible to hear the stories and celebrate with the team. It truly goes to show that the gates of hell cannot come against the church. Christ is above it all and when we will just show up with our hands open He will fill them again and again.

Thank you Jesus