CELEBRATE is a holiday Conference for Christians of all ages, organised by a team from Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and its vision is to offer a spring event which combines good Christian teaching and celebration with an opportunity to relax and enjoy a short break after the Winter - in other words refreshment for body, mind, and spirit for all the family during the Easter holidays.

The Conference is now in its ninth year, and this year over forty parishioners, aged from just one to "seventy something" went from Ss Alban & Stephen.   The conference began at 7pm on Sunday evening with a praise and worship session, followed by mime, and a gentle introduction to what lay in store for the week ahead.

Broadly speaking the pattern each day was similar, although Wednesday is always a day off!

Normally, we have morning prayer and worship, followed by a speaker - names this year included David Wells, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Dave Nodar; then after a half hour break, we have mass leading up to lunchtime.  Afternoons comprise workshops in the early part, and seminars later on.



Evenings are Praise and Worship, plus notices, any admin, some mime, and a major speaker, finishing with a time for prayer ministry.

The site has a bar which is ALWAYS open late.

A group from the Marshalswick Mass Centre met over lunch one day for prayers, food, and to socialise - here are some photos we took.

Most notably, the young people are doing SO MUCH.  From babies and toddlers right through to their teens, they are streamed according to age ... each stream spans only two school years.   They thoroughly enjoy themselves, and the Holy Spirit is so obviously present ineverything they do.   
We've been for the past four years and our kids really look forward to going ever year - they meet old friends, they have fun, and they're surrounded by like-minded people.  They're also given SO MUCH respect by the "grown-ups".

For adults, the seminars, workshops and talks are full and varied, although only those with endless stamina woudl be brave enough to attaned EVERYTHING on the conference programme.  Here are the names of some of the speakers David Nodar (Christlife, USA), Dr Marcellino d'Ambrosio (USA), Dave Shearman (Nottingham Christian Centre), Julie Sheldon, Matt Bird (Joshua Generation), Joanna Bogle, James Mawdsley, Charles Wookey.  Plus, some familiar faces to, including David Payne, known to manyof us through Alpha, KGB and the CaFE programmes.

For those who are interested, Celebrate 2003 will again be held in Easter Week ... check out the Celebrate website