God has guided us through these last twelve months, and I want to personally thank all the wonderful staff and volunteers who make Living Waters Church the place of mission, refuge and worship that it is today. We have continued to see people coming to Christ, being baptised and discipled in many ways. Our community presence is strong, and we have seen many people come into the church through the various programs and outreaches that run.
Now that the dual service approach has fully bedded in, we have seen significant numerical growth and both services are well attended. One of the joys was being able to bless local charities and organisations through our ‘Love Chorley’ campaign. Then witnessing the way people supported our ‘Change the Landscape’ offering, resulting in us becoming debt free as a Church, was such an inspiration and an encouragement.
“I want to personally thank all the wonderful staff and volunteers who make Living Waters Church the place of mission, refuge and worship that it is today”
As we look forward, all our teams and leaders will need to work with a multiplication mindset, we can only continue to grow into all that God has for us if our leaders and volunteers release others and make space for them to grow. So, I encourage us all today to look for the best in others, to be an empowerer and not a diminisher and to trust God with our gifts and abilities.
Pastor John
Pastor Matthew writes
Limitless Kids is our provision for primary school age children and has continued to thrive over the last year throughout a season of leadership transition. The team has grown to include 24 adults and youth helpers who do fantastic work providing a safe environment where our children can learn about, and become more like Jesus.
“The team has grown to include 24 adults and youth helpers who do fantastic work providing a safe environment where our children can learn about, and become more like Jesus”
Tina has recently taken on the role of Limitless Kids coordinator and has worked hard with a core team of volunteers to create a long-term plan for the curriculum including topics like ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ (you may have seen the odd banana or watermelon wandering around church!), ‘Heroes of the Faith’, ‘Miracles’, and ‘The Life of Jesus’. Outside a Sunday morning, Limitless Kids socials take place, so stay on the lookout for events coming up. A huge thank you goes out to our amazing volunteers. If you would like an opportunity to chat about how you can get involved in this ministry, then please just contact any of the team and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Sonia writes
The Tots and Babies ministry exists to provide a safe and engaging environment for children aged 1-4 during our Sunday services.
This year the team have continued to serve faithfully, enabling us to facilitate this provision over two services for our tots and babies. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to every person who serves on this team. They are the reason we can consistently provide these sessions for the children and families of Living Waters.
“Our team consists of people across all age groups, with young people from Limitless Youth also serving on a weekly basis”
Our team consists of people across all age groups, with young people from Limitless Youth also serving on a weekly basis. It is such a pleasure to see all ages of the church family serving together, and it brings such a lovely dynamic to our team.
Every Sunday the children are welcomed into a safe and engaging environment. Whenever possible, time is set aside to give age-appropriate teaching from the bible to our pre-school aged children. This is done through stories, crafts and games. It is always encouraging to see our children happy to come in to our programme on a Sunday and for some, not wanting to leave!
If you would like to be part of this team, then we would love to speak with you. There is always room for more people. You can speak to one of the team or head to the Connection Point on a Sunday morning. Growth in this team would give us the opportunity to develop tailored age specific activities for the children in our care.
Rob and Pastor Michelle write
The past year has been a season of transition, resilience, and spiritual growth across our youth ministry.
We began the year with Hannah Harris continuing to lead our Sunday morning programme, faithfully supported by a wonderful team of dedicated volunteers. Hannah also introduced Tuesday evening Life Groups, which saw strong attendance and provided our young people with a vital space to build friendships and explore faith together. During the summer Hannah finished in role and we remain deeply grateful for her hard work, vision, and heart for our young people during her time with us.
During the interim, Michelle Lacy stepped in to oversee the programmes and ensure continuity. A major highlight of the summer was August’s trip to Limitless Festival. It was a fantastic success, packed with memorable moments and spiritual breakthroughs. A huge thank you goes out to the generous volunteers who gave up their time to camp, cook, and support our young people throughout the week.
“A major highlight of the summer was August’s trip to Limitless Festival. It was a fantastic success, packed with memorable moments and spiritual breakthroughs”
In September, we welcomed an answer to prayer as Rob Hesketh stepped forward to coordinate the youth ministry moving into this next chapter. He writes:
Over the last few months, and going forward, we have been working hard as a team to ensure our young people are able to experience and grow in the following areas – worship, discipleship, outreach and community – worshipping God, growing in faith and reaching others “as one”. Everything we do is centred around ensuring that we meet this core purpose – we are not running a youth group – this is the church. We have introduced a monthly youth worship and teaching night to provide a youth-oriented space for worshipping God and for the young people to hear regular preaching planned with them in mind. We moved the Tuesday night youth program to Friday nights.
A couple of times each month we continue to have the small groups that Hannah set up during her time as youth leader, which have provided a strong platform for what we have done this year and have continued to grow over recent weeks. We will also continue to hold regular youth socials to encourage the youth to grow together in community. It has been great to see new people coming to youth, and families connecting with church off the back of the youth program this term. Our youth volunteers also continue to invest sacrificially of their time and effort for our young people. For the remainder of this school year we will continue to work hard to provide the right environment for our young people to grow. There are also plans to invest more in our young leaders over the coming months and to encourage the young people to read the Bible as part of their routine. It is an exciting time ahead.
Pastor Matthew writes
The Worship and Production Team continues to lead the church at services and gatherings in sung worship. The team has grown slightly over the last 12 months as new members have come on board – we have approximately 35 members who commit to diligent preparation and have a real heart to worship God. We rehearse each week spending time preparing for the Sunday ahead and in prayer and devotion. The ethos and heart of this team is to provide authentic environments where people can participate in worship bringing glory to God and transforming us in the process. We are a group of people who want to steward the gifts that God has given us and use them for His glory, whether they be in the creative arena of music, video, photography or audio.
“The ethos and heart of this team is to provide authentic environments where people can participate in worship bringing glory to God and transforming us in the process”
Julia writes
Last year Café Connect took an important step forward by increasing its opening schedule from two days to three days each week. In addition, the team continued to provide Sunday refreshments and catering for church services, functions and special events, making the café a dependable centre of welcome and hospitality throughout the week. This year we have seen the fruits of this step of faith.
The café now serves more than 60 customers in an average week, many of whom do not otherwise enter the church building. Every conversation, shared table and warm meal therefore offers a valuable opportunity to build trust, strengthen relationships and demonstrate Christ’s welcome in a practical and accessible way.
“Every conversation, shared table and warm meal therefore offers a valuable opportunity to build trust, strengthen relationships and demonstrate Christ’s welcome in a practical and accessible way”
Our partnership with LW Storehouse Foodbank remains central to this ministry. On average, meals are provided for more than 50 people each week alongside food parcel provision. For some guests, the café is their only point of contact with the church, making this service both a vital response to practical need and a meaningful expression of compassion.
This year, Café Connect again achieved a five star food hygiene rating, reflecting the care, professionalism and high standards maintained by the team. With the café in use at least four days each week, investment in facilities has also been essential. The church purchased a new grill, while the Foodbank arranged new lighting throughout the kitchen as well as a commercial microwave through local business donations.
We extend heartfelt thanks to every member of staff and each volunteer whose time, energy and faithful service make this ministry possible. Their commitment enables Café Connect to remain a safe, friendly and generous space for all.
Looking ahead, we will be delivering food waste cookery courses in partnership with the foodbank, supporting local council priorities while equipping participants with useful skills. Above all, Café Connect will continue to offer the generous hospitality Christ spoke of – nourishing people, nurturing community and ensuring that everyone who enters is received with dignity and care.
Tony and Jenny write
This year we have seen the hand of God on our overseas missions partnership. India has been the focus of our mission work, particularly the Bible school and children’s home, under the leadership of Pastor Prince and Meera.
This year was the tenth graduation of the students in the Bible school. We were happy to see the students receiving their various degrees. The children in the home continue to do well and enjoy good facilities and education. We have also helped Living Waters Church in the Punjab with finance for the construction of the new church building under the leadership of Pastor Kiran. This building is almost complete; as we write the installation of the electrics is underway. We have supported Pastor Ashok and his family in North India to help with the children’s education. Ashok’s ministry is to the poor and needy in the villages. We have also continued to support Pastor Moses and the family in Liberia as and when needs arise.
“This year was the tenth graduation of the students in the Bible school”
The primary focus for Living Waters Ministries India this coming year is the development of the newly purchased land in India. We aim to raise the necessary funds to construct new facilities that will enhance our care for the orphanage children and expand the Bible College’s capacity, helping to extend our mission’s impact across India and beyond.
Heidi writes…
The Operations department provides the practical foundation that enables our ministries to flourish, supporting the administrative, financial, human resources and facilities functions of the church. Our role is to take care of the practical details, from daily activities and events to building use, volunteer coordination and compliance, enabling others to focus on the areas in which they are gifted.
“A particular highlight has been developing and empowering young leaders within our Service Operations Team, helping to create a consistent and welcoming experience across both Sunday services”
This past year, we have continued to strengthen our Service Operations Team, expanding its capacity and equipping two additional young leaders to take on leadership responsibilities. This has helped ensure that both our volunteer teams and congregation experience consistent support and a warm welcome across our two Sunday services.
We have also worked collaboratively to streamline our safer recruitment processes, strengthening the way we support and safeguard both those serving and everyone involved in the life of the church. Alongside this, we have facilitated a wide range of events, groups and courses for both our church community and external partners, ensuring they run smoothly and professionally.
Looking ahead, our focus is on developing a structured pathway for identifying, training and supporting volunteers as they step into team lead roles. By investing in and empowering new leaders, we hope to build stronger, more sustainable teams that can continue to support the growing life and ministry of the church.