A Cambridge God Adventure* 73) The Jigsaw Leaflet (c)

(*please skip if you have not been following this story).  It is a great danger that in telling this story  only the few in obvious public roles are mentioned and the roll-call of other names (which is mighty extensive!) is just assumed - countless volunteers, helpers and prayers.  Actually, the momentum for all that was to happen came from the collective response of people too numerous to name. That was why the last key blank piece of the jigsaw leaflet asked 'Would you like to be part of the picture...by volunteering, praying, giving? And so many did.

In particular I should add the day-in-day-out commitment of the Treasurer, Vernon Gosden, and three men who succeeded each other in John 1:6 AV fashion: 'There was a man sent from God whose name was John.'  Because they were available' between jobs' these men gave their all to supervising the project liaising with architects, builders etc. and enabling detailed work like fitting out the commercial kitchen.  What a gift they were: John Abbott, John Whitmore  and John Watts.  Their expertise and dedication mightily blessed the project.

The Summer of 1989 was scorching (like our current one) and we were finally in position for a proper opening on the weekend of Saturday June 10th and Sunday June 11th. The build-up involved much practical work in order for the building site to be sparkling clean with beautiful floral displays. On the Saturday 500 people came together for the official reopening by Malcolm Allsop who was Senior Producer of Current Affairs for Anglia TV (and an active lay reader). Months later he was still talking about it: 'Your vision and the way it has been enacted is a lesson to Christians everywhere.'  It was such an exciting time. A new hymn was written by our organist, Geoff Warren - 'We are the body of our Lord Jesus Christ'. Yes!

The next day, Graham, Ron and Jenny were commissioned by Rev. David Harper (our Area Superintendent) for their ministries through the Stone Yard Centre and evening worship contained reflections from leaders who had seen the process so far.  An exhibition in the upstairs hall displayed brochures, photographs etc about the story so far. Looking back it seemed that God had been leading at every stage. There were too many coincidences not to be God-incidences.  Graham interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire said: 'We are sitting on a miracle'.  We were!