Gathering 09 Report

Over the weekend of the 13th-15th March, 1700 people eagerly made their way through the Friday night traffic for a crazy weekend at the Gathering 09.

A new venue played host to the sixth annual Gathering event and as soon as the vehicles rolled up in the spacious car park, it was clear that the Telford International Centre was going to live up to the theme of the weekend – ‘ Another Level!’  The sweeping concourse levels, the massive Expo and Food Court area and the impressive large Arena were going to be the places where most of the ‘Gatheringites’ would spend much of the weekend. Anticipation could be sensed in the atmosphere as more and more people arrived.

The theme of Another Level was really about far more than the facilities on offer at this new venue. It was more about a belief that God was going to raise the stakes about ‘prayer’ and how young people connect with God. Two initiatives would be promoted at the weekend: i) launching the call for churches across the country to set up a 24/7 prayer week during the October half term ii) advance notification of a superb interactive prayer website called ‘iprayer’ which will be launched June 09. This dynamic weekend saw many young people become Christians, many encounter God in a powerful way and many leave inspired to connect with God in a new way.

The Programme 


Pre-Event Concerts:
Exciting band ‘Bluetree’ kicked off the weekend and set the tone for the start of the Gathering. These N.Ireland rockers had just hit no. 1 slot in the USA with their album ‘God of the City’ and it wasn’t difficult to see why they are being tipped as the band who may take over the ‘Delirious’ mantle.

Urban Rapper ‘Sammy G’ woke everyone up on Saturday morning with his sharp lyrics and groovy licks. Backed by DJ ‘Jimmy James’, the set lit up the arena and made a real impact on the Gathering crowd.

Spectacular London based ‘4Kornerz’ raised the roof with their tight fusion sounds and massive stage presence on the Saturday evening as the arena joined in with their inspirational tunes and rhythmic beats.

Coventry based Rockers [Dweeb] took the Sunday morning concert slot and filled the stage with their energetic performance and powerful driving music. The previous nights event had seen the band being prayed for by the whole of the Gathering as they take their music into clubs and music venues across the country. 



Unite Events:
With worship lead by the Gathering Band and guest worship leaders Simone (Worshipstation, Italy) and the Blueprint Band (Ilford), the powerful blend of passionate contemporary sounds and intimate songs inspired the arena crowd to connect with God in a special way. Refresh dance group (London) provided some moves and young people from one of the afternoon Singing Workshops graced the stage and provided vocal accompaniment for some songs.

Main Stage speakers included Pete Grieg who is the founder and international director of 24-7 prayer. He shared lots of story and inspiration on both Friday night and Saturday morning about how God loves to connect with us through prayer. Mark & Nita Pugh (S4G) took everyone through what has become known as the ‘Lords prayer’ inviting responses from each section. Phil Collins (Saltmine) spoke at the Sunday morning final event and inspired a range of creative ways to get away with God and enjoy spending good time with him.

Streams and Workshops:
The vast space which the new venue offered enabled the largest choice of seminars and workshops which had ever been on offer at the Gathering. The range of streams included:

Gathering Dream: (under 18’s)
Speakers included Dave Ritchie who spoke on ‘4 rejects and God’ and Richard Ellerington who took on the wacky title ‘The ostrich egg and a marmalade bible’

Gathering Life: (over 18’s)
Speakers included Simon Jarvis who took the subject ‘I’m stressed’ and Nigel Tween who spoke on ‘How to get to another level’

Gathering Enlarge: (leaders)
Pete Greig and Dan Jones from 24-7 both inspired and laid out practical steps for setting up 24-7 prayer centres in churches and communities. John Glass (Elim) inspired leaders to connect and help others connect with God.

Gathering Create: (creative arts)
Band Workshops, Song Writing Workshops, Guitar Workshops, Dance Workshops, Vocal Workshops – all lead by skilled and experienced leaders.

Gathering Deeper: (theological stream)
Lead by Dr Keith Warrington, this stream explored what the role and function of the Holy Spirit plays in our lives.

24-7 Prayer Room:
A creatively set out room which was open for people throughout the Saturday to explore and get ideas for setting up their own prayer room. 


Gathering Expo:

A gigantic expo area provided a great opportunity for young people and leaders to connect with each other and also connect with resources on offer at the various exhibition and resource stands. It also hosted the Gathering Has Talent stage which saw a range of excellent and varied acts showcase the giftings that God has given them.

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