Ivan and Ashleigh get baptised!

Last weekend, we had the joy of celebrating the baptisms of Ivan and Ashleigh, who are both a part of our Chester-le-Street congregation!

Ivan was baptised on Holy Island on Saturday night, following Pad B’s incredible fundraising walk along St Oswald’s Way.

Ashleigh was baptised at Finchale Priory following our Sunday morning meeting in Chester-le-Street (and a delicious shared lunch).

Below, you can hear their amazing testimonies of how Jesus changed their lives, and also watch the baptisms!

Please be praying for both of them at this exciting time!

Ivan’s testimony:


Ivan’s baptism


Ashleigh’s testimony:


Ashleigh’s baptsim:

Baptism is a celebration of a life changed by Jesus, and done in obedience to Him.

If you'd like to know more, please get in touch. 

Pad-B St Oswald's Way Walk

Jesus changes lives. He can set us free from drug or alcohol dependency, or mental health issues.

PAD-B (Push A Different Button) is an initiative to help people do things differently in order to get a better result in life. It sets out to help people from chaotic backgrounds to recover and then go on to mentor/support others who struggle with similar problems. PAD-B offers a compassionate personal approach to recovery from drug or alcohol dependency and mental health issues.

From Tuesday 9th July to Saturday 13th July a group from PAD-B will be trekking 97 miles through the Northumbrian countryside and coastline, tackling the St Oswald’s Way Walk, to raise money for the group’s work.

Their aim is to raise as much money as they can to enable PAD-B to continue the valuable and much needed work in supporting those struggling with drug, alcohol and certain mental health issues.

If you are able to support through sponsorship this would be very much appreciated - please click this link. Alternatively those doing the walk have a sponsor form.

'I was told I had 48 hours to live'

We believe in a God who is alive, cares about us, and is active and powerful in the world today. One of the ways we see God at work is in miraculously healing many health problems.

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Recently, our friend Ross experienced such a healing for himself. Read as he tells his story…

A mystery illness…

“In August 2016 I became very ill with a mystery illness. I became very confused and acted very strangely.

I visited my falls consultant on a regular clinic visit and he immediately admitted me to hospital. Over the next eight weeks I grew steadily worse even though every test returned negative. I became comatose almost to the point of coma, was incommunicative and still acting very strangely in my comatose state.

“Many, many people were praying for me during this time.

‘48 hours to live’

“My consultant, who is a wonderful Christian brother, telephone my daughter, who is my first contact, and told her I had only 48 hours to live, as my body had basically shut down and there was nothing more he could do. He asked if she knew of my last wishes and advised her to have my family come to see me as a matter of great urgency.

“My Pastor came to see me during the first 24 hours of that time and was horrified to see the change in me since his last visit just days before, and told my very good friend he was preparing for my funeral.

“During the second 24 hours I suddenly woke up to find my bed surrounded by many of my family and friends - waiting for me to die, though I was obviously totally unaware of this. I looked around and said in a perfectly normal voice: “Hello everybody.”

Miraculously healed!

“In that instant I was made completely well. The Lord had healed me in an instant. The nursing staff kept coming to my bedside saying they had witnessed a miracle. The Sister repeatedly told me I was her miracle patient and epitomised everything she went into nursing for. My Consultant told me that it was God, as medicine could do no more for me.

“I have suffered no relapses.

“My Father God is a good, good Father and is obviously not finished with me yet. I’ve learned that as long as we draw breath, He has purpose for our lives.”