It’s been a while since we last played another church at football. It was good to meet up with some of the lads from Hayes Town Chapel for a six-a-side game at Cranford. Given the score the last time we played them, our 7-1 defeat was a major improvement. It was a good game, and highlighted a few things we need to work on.

The evening was spent at Hayes Town Chapel itself, to listen to a talk on the life of John Newton. It was surprisingly comprehensive and illustrated how God slowly worked in his life, changing him from a slave trader who had no thought for God, to a man reliant on the grace of God, who would eventually seek to tell the world about his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to become a clergyman eventually penning hymns such as Amazing Grace.

The remainder of the evening was spent chilling and recounting stories of previous summers, and wondering what this summer holds in store…