Running the Race - the Torch comes to Settle

That was changed this Sunday.

Last week I wrote about seeing the Olympic Torch at Skipton - and wondered a little what link  it had with the themes of this blog  - rainforest, saving habitats and the rainforest fund; and also grasses, nature and things to do with St John's Church, the church hall and Settle.

The theme of our bimonthly informal Cafe style service in St John's Church Hall this week was "Running the Race" and most of us guessed that the event would have an Olympic theme.  But we had no idea of the important guest who would be there..


It was 14 year old Rachel Coote from Bentham (10 miles away) who attends school in Settle -  Settle College - who on 20th June had carried the torch at Penrith. We saw a film of her carrying it along her part of the route, and she answered our questions.


The three themes to the service were
1. Follow your goal/ follow Jesus, look straight ahead
2. There are obstacles in life (and sport) - pray to God to help overcome obstacles - 

3. Team work - 


1. Follow your goal/ follow Jesus, look straight ahead, just like the hurdler in the picture on the screen. If he looks around he will get distracted.. and knock the hurdles over.

1. Follow your goal/ follow Jesus, look straight ahead.


This was illustrated by a wii game - Each girl has a remote control and has to make her hurdler on the screen jump at the correct time.

 Three more people try.

2. There are obstacles - which can be over come -  Here we had a personal talk on obstacles being overcome.
3. Team work - The four tables in the room acted as different teams. Each Team had to throw two hoops over a post - and then, make a paper chain with the links fastened in the correct order.


Which team will win?  .. Team A?

Or team B?

Or Team C?

 but it is difficult getting the hoops in the correct order..

for team A,

 for team B

and for team C

It was team D - Team D!!!  team D won

There were special medal biscuits - bronze, gold and silver.

which I videod whilst we sang a hymn --

Then there was opportunity to look at the torch, 


ask Rachel questions 


and then pose for photos with her

I hope you enjoyed through this post sharing with us in our Cafe service. - If you live near Settle why not come to our next service - which is on Sun 23 September 

In his blog this morning, in a post called "Keeping it brief", Nick Baines,  the Bishop of Bradford said he had once said :  “The job of the church is to create the space in which people can find that they have been found by God.”  

Rachel Coote and her father made us happy.

The people who made the cakes and our tea made us happy.

The people who organised all 8000 torch bearers and the associated publicity made us happy.

We have a lot to be thankful for.