Rooted in the Father: we are children of God...

Healthy plants need healthy roots. Roots give stability, they take up the nutrients that are needed for growth, and they seek out hydration for the desert times.

To be healthy as Christians, we need to be rooted – searching out those things that will sustain us for the long haul, going deep into those things that will give us stability. 

At this month's Encounter Day, Aled will be helping us to reflect on what it means to be rooted in the Father.

Ordained in the Diocese of Chester from 2018, Aled is minister of Emmanuel Church in Cheadle Hulme, is a member of Diocesan Synod as well as the Diocesan Mental Health Forum, and is the author of ‘In Search of a Perfect Father: The Beauty of the Doctrine of God (Latimer 2024).

In the old days of Facebook, one could write down their relationship status: 1) Single, 2) In a relationship, 3) Married, 4) It’s complicated. It’s complicated - perhaps that would be a way to describe the relationship we have with our fathers. It certainly would describe mine! Even the best fathers fail. However, God the Father never fails. My whole Christian journey has been in search of the Perfect Father, and I passionately believe that if we get God right, we get ourselves and others right, and thus get comfort right. On this encounter day, as we journey from theology (knowing God) to doxology (praising God), I pray that our roots at the beginning of a new year are firmly planted in the goodness of God.

Encounter Days - Connecting more deeply with God

How do you most readily experience a sense of God’s presence?

Some people love silence and long for space to simply be.

Others find silence difficult, almost physically painful.

In our Encounter Days there will always be lots of space for quiet for those who value the silence, but we also recognise that not everyone processes internally.

We want to encourage additional ways of seeking a sense of God’s presence which might include discussion, prayer, or walking in a group or with another, making or listening to music, making or creating something, reflection using writing or reading.

Arrivals and refreshments from 9.30am

First session begins at 10.00am