"We had a great time..."

This was just one of the many positive comments about this year's Cheltenham Bible Festival where 2,500 people joined together for the very first event of its kind. And it was God who made it great!Picnic in the sunHe brought us through challenging times before the event and he answered our prayers magnificently as the water was turned on before we all got there. Severn Trent declared it drinkable on the first day and we had three days of glorious sunshine by the Cotswold hills that brought a smile to our faces. We praise God for his goodness to us in so many ways.

"Refreshed for life" was the strap line for the Bible Festival and it did what it said on the tin!Don Carson We greatly appreciated Don Carson's clear and passionate Bible Ministry in the mornings and that of Hugh Palmer, Richard Cunningham and Rupert Bentley-Taylor in the evenings as they spoke engagingly on hope for our world. The varied and packed talks/seminars programme meant there was something for everyone throughout the day.


In the Centaur auditorium over 300 attended the Thursday evening Ceilidh and found it was a great way of making new friends.Stuart TownendOn Friday, the same venue hosted a superb concert by Phatfish and Lou Fellingham's distinctive voice and the band's Scripture-drenched lyrics won them new fans. The following evening Phatfish accompanied Stuart Townendfor a concert of his well loved hymns and songs as well as some new material.

Starsky the rabbit

The children and young people were well catered for with their own activities during the ministry sessions with Starsky regularly seen around the Festival Village. And there were plenty of activities to keep them occupied during the day. "Cheltenham-by-the-sea" was a great draw with its splash pools and sand pit and for the very active there was a sports programme to cover all tastes, including golf lessons. And if you wanted to be creative then there were arts and crafts of all descriptions for all ages and even opportunities to develop circus skills that you never knew you had!


Attractive displays in The Global Village, Cutting the ribbonstimulating talks, an extensive range of books and a large jigsaw globe helped keep our eyes open to the needs of the world around us both in the UK and abroad.

The weather was fantastic for those who camped in the middle of the racecourse. For others the local university and B&B accommodation was their preferred choice and because of the Bible Festival's convenient location, many slept in their own beds at home and came in for each day!