Withywood Centre – Sunday 31 May 2026

If you were unable to join us for our first Circuit Assembly at Withywood Centre, you missed a wonderful day of worship, fellowship, encouragement, and celebration. The theme, inspired by Psalm 34:8, invited us all to “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” and throughout the day we heard inspiring stories of God’s work across our churches and communities.

The day began with worship through prayer, scripture, hymns, we were reminded of God’s faithfulness and presence among us.

One of the most powerful parts of the morning was hearing personal testimonies. Annie from Staple Hill and Shubz from South Bristol shared moving accounts of their faith journeys and the ways they have experienced God’s guidance and grace. Their stories reminded us that God continues to work in the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

We also celebrated “Good News Stories” from around the circuit. Fraser shared encouraging news from Badminton Road, Kavita spoke about developments in South Bristol, and Janet introduced the inspiring Calm, Create, Community project at Victoria Methodist Church. These stories highlighted the many ways our churches are serving their neighbourhoods, building relationships, and sharing God’s love in practical ways.

Another highlight of the morning was the presentation of certificates to Shubz, Natalie, and Sophie, who recently completed the Worship Leaders’ Course. The congregation warmly congratulated them on this important milestone and gave thanks for their commitment to developing their gifts and serving God’s Church. Their achievement reflects the investment being made in nurturing and equipping leaders for the future of worship across the circuit.

After a shared lunch, the afternoon offered a variety of activities and conversations for all ages and interests. Participants could enjoy walk-and-talk discussions, meditation activities, Bible study, creative arts, hymn learning, theological discussion groups.

Kids had a great time going the face masks and creative adults are busy with Bible words search.

The variety of workshops reflected the richness of our circuit life. People explored Psalm 34 from different perspectives, shared ideas for worship and local arrangements, expressed faith through creativity, and spent time getting to know one another better.

The day concluded with a closing act of worship that brought everyone back together. Groups shared feedback from their activities, reflecting on what they had “tasted” during the day and what they wanted to take back to their own churches. We listened to a reading from 1 Peter, heard an inspiring Thought for the Day from Teddy Kalongo, and joined together in worship before receiving God’s blessing.

As the Assembly drew to a close, everyone received a party bag filled with themed goodies to take home. This thoughtful gift provided a tangible reminder of the day’s theme, “Taste and See that the Lord is Good,” and was a fitting way to end a day of worship, fellowship, learning, and celebration together across the circuit.

One of the greatest strengths of a Circuit Assembly is that it reminds us we are part of something bigger than our own local church. We hear stories we might otherwise never hear, meet people we might not otherwise meet, and discover fresh signs of God’s work across the Circuit.

So, if you couldn’t be there this year, we hope this glimpse of the day gives you a flavour of what happened. And perhaps, after reading about it, you’ll make a note not to miss the next Circuit Assembly. We would love to see even more people joining together as we worship, learn, share, and celebrate what God is doing among us.

Together, we truly did “taste and see that the Lord is good.”