Three former ministers returned to Denewell Avenue Church in Gateshead - as part of the church's centenary celebrations. Together with the present minister they reckoned to have notched up 49 of those one hundred years of service.
The centenary celebrations, which have been spread over the whole of 2007, reached their climax over the first three Sundays of September.
On the first Sunday, as the church looked back, they welcomed George Walker, George Elliott and Stuart Brock, who with Gordon Brown represented 49 years of ministry.
The celebration service on 9th September saw the Moderator of General Assembly, the Revd Stephen Orchard, preach and bring greetings from the wider church. The congregation was swelled by members of sister churches in the Gateshead Group and ecumenical guests from Low Fell. The deputy mayor was also present, and brought greetings from the Council. A buffet lunch and birthday cake rounded off the occasion.
On 16th September the youth organisations took part, and the focus moved deliberately from present to the future.
And after all that the centenary celebrations are still not over! A ceilidh evening and an arts and craft day are on the timetable for the last months of the year, together with three ever-popular songs of praise services - October 28th and November 25th (both 6.30 pm), and finally on the morning (10.30) of December 30th to see the year out with a flourish!