Just to update you at this present time on where I will be and what I will be doing whilst there throughout February & March. Other bookings may be added.

As usual if I am anywhere near you on that date, I can always come one day earlier or stay one day later should you like me to visit your Church whilst I’m in your area. I have proved that concerts held on Mondays are just as popular as concerts held on Saturdays.

Saturday Feb 9th Scripture Song Concert at Lliswerry Baptist Church, Newport, Gwent, NP19 0JF 6.30 start.

Sunday Feb 10th All Age Services in Wales at Alc Newport 124 Lower Dock St 10:30am then at Gosen chapel 31 Bute St Treorchy Rhondda CF42 6SY at 6.00pm.

Thursday Feb 21st Sting in the Tale / Glorie Days Double Concert at Foots Cray Baptist Church, 137 Sidcup Hill, SIDCUP, Kent, DA14 6JS7.30 start

Saturday Feb 23rd Sting in the Tale / Glorie Days Double Concert Portsmouth Christian Fellowship.The Drayton Centre.238 Havant Road,Drayton.Portsmouth.Hants, PO6 1PA 3.00pm start

Saturday March 2nd All Age Praise Party at St Barnabas, Westbury Crescent, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 4RB 6.00pm start.

Saturday March 16th Leading Children in Worship Teaching Workshops for Children’s Leaders led by Ishmael and Duggie Dug Dug at St Andrews Church. Weald Drive. Furnace Green. Crawley. RH10 6NU Coffee served at 9.30

Saturday March 23rd 4.00pm Children’s Praise Party 7.30pm Sting in the Tale / Glorie Days Double Concert at CHASE Family Church CENTRE, Shirley Road, Enfield, EN2 6SB

Sunday March 24th 10.30am Family Service “ALL AGE SERVICE” Café style again  at CHASE Family Church CENTRE, Shirley Road, Enfield, EN2 6SB

Friday March 29th 6.00pm Childrens Praise Party followed by Sting in the Tale / Glorie Days Double Concert (Times to be confirmed) at Wear Valley Christian Centre, South Church Road. Bishop Auckland. Co Durham.DL14 7JX

The timings could change, I will of course inform you if they do. Hopefully see some of you at the above events.

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So another exciting year is about to begin but there are a couple of major decisions that I will need to make as the year progresses.

On reaching 70 in August my wonderful 12 years spent as the Chichester Cathedral Missioner Deacon will come to an end as it will be time for me to retire.

Of course I will be praying about obtaining a PTO (permission to officiate license) which will allow me to carry on preaching, but this decision will ultimately be made by the Bishop and the Dean.

And on reaching 50 fantastic years of national travelling musical ministry I will be assessing if that too should conclude at the end of 2019.

You all know that I still love travelling and doing my Praise Parties, Concerts and All Age Services, and I am so grateful to God for keeping me fit and healthy to continue doing them but…., I don’t want keep doing something that may thrill me…but really no longer thrills people in Churches up and down the country.

At the end of the year I believe that the signs for me to bring the travelling musical ministry to a close will be

if I feel that what I do is no longer effective and being used by God

or

if the invites start fading, which will signify to me that what I do is no longer wanted or needed in today’s Church, which after 50 years is quite understandable.

So I’ll have to wait and see what 2020 has in store!

But hey…back to 2019, I’m getting ahead of myself!

As I have mentioned before I am already really looking forward to my visits to Chichester in January, Footscray and Portsmouth in February, Crawley, Enfield and Bishop Auckland in March, at the Spring Harvests in Minehead, and Skegness in April, Swindon and Alfold in May, Bristol in June and Weston Super Mare in September….And maybe even your Church sometime this coming year.

Yep, I’ve got a very happy new year ahead, and now it’s time to wish all you wonderful friends the same.

May you all have a very happy and healthy new year and may it be really blessed by God!

2 words can sum up last night’s concert in Bognor to pray for my good friend Tom Mills (who is seriously ill) and to help support his family…. ‘very special.’

The Church building was nicely full of all ages and I managed to squeeze in about 25 of my most ‘sing-a-long-able’ songs in just over the hour.

My daughter Suzy taught the actions to some of the songs whilst some of the children including my grandson Kobie came out and assisted her. It was like turning the clock back 20 or 30 years but not in a nostalgic way, in a praising way that I feel God really enjoyed along with us.

After watching the Youtube video of Tom powerfully singing ‘Bartimaeus’ for me at Spring Harvest with the Revival Band (Do watch it if you have not yet seen it) whilst I was in hospital, we prayed for Tom and took up an offering. People gave really generously and the total sum collected was far more than I expected and will definitely be a great help to the Mills family over the Christmas period.

Thanks to brother Timbo on bass and Tom’s dad Des on drums and the participation of all present…and most of all God being with us, it was an exceptional evening.

Don’t forget everyone, this Saturday (8th) I will be doing a special concert to help support Tom and Fiona Mills and their family as my good friend Tom is suffering severe cancer.

It will be held at Bognor Baptist Church (Victoria Drive) from 7.30-8.30pm and will be all fun and all praise and suitable for both adults and all ages of children.

It will be free but an offering will be taken to help financially support the Mills family.
I’m also going to invite our Suzy along to teach us some of the fun actions that go with the songs!

Also to let you know that the Scripture Song Concert on Sunday held at St Mary Magdalene Church in South Bersted instead of their usual family service worked an absolute treat for all ages present.

So if your Church is adventurous and would fancy keeping all ages together one Sunday morning and having an hour long, fun, musical Bible Study instead of your normal family service, please give me a shout!

2019…Here we come!
As I wind down after a very exciting and busy year of travelling, concerts, praise parties and meeting lovely people, I am now really looking forward to see what different adventures 2019 hold!

Already I am planning to be in Chichester in January, Southampton in February, Crawley, Enfield and Bishop Auckland in March, at the Spring Harvests in Minehead, Skegness and Harrogate in April, Swindon and Alfold in May and Bristol in June. Really excited!

But of course there is still room for plenty more visits to Churches up and down the country on weeknights or weekends. Everything I am doing nowadays I’ve made suitable for all ages to enjoy, a great way to bring the whole family of God together for something special.

As I’m sure your leaders and Churches are now making plans for 2019…get them to drop me an e mail if they are in the slightest bit interested in a visit and I will send more details.
ishmael@ishmael.org.uk

By the way, I am at St Mary Magdalenes Church in South Bersted this Sunday morning at 10.30am.
If you live locally and fancy going to a ‘very different’ Sunday Service, I will be doing my Scripture song concert for them that morning.
All ages will enjoy it as well as learning a lot more about the Bible by being there!