I’ve decided that ‘The Big Celebration’ concert which celebrates my 50 years on the road and 70 years on the earth and begins next year will be the last concert that I will be planning.

This will be a unique concert compared to the other 3 as all the songs will be ‘sing-a-long praise songs and there will not be a ‘fixed set’ I will be swapping songs and stories around so no concert will be exactly the same.

I will still be travelling with the ‘Scripture Song’ concert (the learning the Bible concert). The ‘Glorie Day’s’ concert (songs and stories from my 35 years in children’s ministry) And the ‘Sting in the tale’ concert (my testimony and life story concert with songs to fit). And of course still be doing children’s Praise Parties and all age services.

Organisers will have the choice of which concert they would like to host in their Church and all I promise are ‘typical Ish’ interactive, informal…and fun!

I’ve no date as yet when I plan to stop touring so as long as people would like to visit them and of course as long as I am both physically and mentally able to, I will still continue to be ‘on the road for Jesus!’

I love it!

Before I take a Sunday service I usually meet up with the local Church to pray and often someone prays ‘and Lord if you want to do something different we are ready to change things to fit in with Your plan.’

Although I say ‘amen’ I am secretly praying ‘Lord please don’t change anything, it took me ages to prepare this sermon (with your help) and the order of service and all the songs are loaded into the Churches computer and it will really confuse the tech guy if I suddenly make a lot of changes.’

Yesterday morning in Bradford, I knew that very few children attended the Church so I’d prepared an appropriate set of songs and talk on the creation to suit the adults attending.

All was going well until a few minutes before I was about to start. It was then that car loads of children came rushing in and sat in the front row…they now outnumbered the adults!

So the songs suddenly had to change and my ‘very well prepared’ creation talk got heavily edited as I then had to attempt to ‘run it into’ the parable of the sower which had pictures for the children.

Needless to say we had a great time, the tech guys were great and all seemed to appreciate the service…although I was worn out at the end having to think / pray on my feet about what to do next for an hour!

Thank you Lord for helping me through it but maybe next week, we could stick to what we both planned before hand?

Great fun last night.

Was invited to speak at a home group which is part of a local vineyard church on how we celebrate Advent at the Cathedral.

Only when I arrived did I realise it was a ladies only group!
Lovely ladies though who seemed to appreciate me waffling on for an hour!

By the way, did I mention that I am looking to do a concert in between Birmingham and Lancashire on Thursday 11th October? 😜

I think I might have mentioned it once or twice but I bet I never mentioned that seeing it is such short notice that I will be happy to do it for FREE with just an offering taken during the concert to help cover expenses!

Numbers attending are not important…I just don’t want to waste a night whilst I am up that way! Please……

12th Hook Norton (Sting in the Tale)
13th Rugby (Sting in the Tale)
14th Finedon (Glorie Day’s & Praise Party)
16th Littlehampton (Preaching at the morning service)
21st Littlehampton (Scripture Song Concert)
30th West Ewell (Special anniversary morning service)

October
12th OswaldTwistle (Scripture Song Concert & Praise Party in a school)
13th Bradford (Scriptures Song Concert & Praise Party)
14th Bradford (All Age Service)
20th Chiddingfold (Scripture Song concert)
21st Chiddingfold (Special All Age Service)
27th Romford (Sting in the Tale Concert)
28th Romford (When the road is rough & steep seminar and Praise Party)

November
3rd Ramsey (Praise Party and Scripture Songs Concert)
4th Ramsey (All Age Service)
9th Felpham (Scripture Song concert)
10th Bitterne (Praise Party and Scripture Song Concert)
22nd Crewe (Praise party and A sting in the Tale Concert)
23rd Stoke on Trent (Praise Party & Scripture Song Concert)
24th Shrewsbury (Praise Party & Scripture Song Concert)
25th Shrewsbury (All Age Service)

December
2nd North Bersted (Scripture Song morning service concert)

2019 So far confirmed and possible visits.
Enfield, Spring Harvest Minehead, Skegness and Harrogate, Swindon, Bristol, Bishop Aukland and Glasgow.

If you are interested in hosting an ‘Ish thing’ in your Church whilst I am somewhere near your area this year please let me know.

e mail me at ishmael@ishmael.org.uk

Just arrived back from my Hillingdon Baptist weekend and wow, what a weekend it was!
The praise party and sting in the tale concert were very enjoyable and well attended and this mornings all age service was packed!

Reg the minister (who I have known for many years at Spring Harvest) and the whole congregation were so welcoming and friendly…They made me feel at home as soon as I arrived!

But I have to say what stands out in my mind was last nights sting in the tale concert.

Those that have seen it know it’s very adult with a lot of chat (my testimony) and comparatively only a few songs.

I was a little worried when I saw some of the children who had been at the praise party taking their seats for the concert. The last thing I ever want to do is bore young children!

I need not have been worried though as they were as good as gold and listened intently for the full 100 or so minutes in fact one young lad enjoyed it more than anything else I did!

So….what do I know about what children appreciate!

Brilliant time. Thank you all at Hillingdon Baptist Church..hopefully see you again in less than 27 years time…which was roughly when I last visited you!