Over the last year, BBC Radio Stoke has criss-crossed north Staffordshire and south Cheshire, recording congregations 'In Praise of God'.
From Leek to Stafford and from Uttoxeter to Crewe you've heard celebration, ecumenical services, traditional and modern worship and music.
Independent experts sifted through the choral offerings and finally short-listed four congregations for the 2009 'Songs From The Aisles'.
And the deserved winners got their names up in lights, when the final awards were announced on BBC Radio Stoke on 30th August 2009.
Judges at the final were: Ashley Thompson - Director of Music for the Phoenix Singers of Leek; Lloyd Cooke, Director of Saltbox; Gavin Drake, Lichfield Diocese. The organiser was Lamont Howie of BBC Radio Stoke.
The joint winners were ... Christ Church Middle School and St. Thomas in Kidsgrove. Well done to them!
See
Check out the photos and the awards ceremonies by clicking on the photo-gallery.
Finalists
Stafford Elim Christian Centre
The Senior Pastor at Stafford Elim Christian Centre, Ian Dunphy, aims to welcome over 500 souls to weekly services by 2013. They've just bought further nearby buildings in order to cope with their planned expansion.
The ambitious Pentecostal Church recently changed its name but not its purpose – for example, the progressive evangelical Centre welcomes mothers and toddlers to an extended space.
And, bringing in a new youth pastor, the family orientated church encourages, supports and is compassionate to each other and the growing congregation.
Web: www.staffordelim.org.uk
St. Thomas’s
The Anglican church of St. Thomas in Kidsgrove had reached the Songs From The Aisles final for the second time.
In the interim, the church and vicarage fell foul of the 2007 floods with water “over welly level”. The floor, walls and pews were all damaged and services were held elsewhere while renovation work took place.
BBC Radio Stoke recorded the congregation’s first service held at St. Thomas’s since their return. The vicar, The Reverend Iain Baker is rightly proud that his church is a “warm and welcoming place to be – somewhere you can really feel part of a family”.
Web: www.stthomaskidsgrove.co.uk
Christ Church Middle School
Christ Church Middle School in Stone has a close connection to the nearby church.
This ‘outstanding school’ enables each pupil to develop their full potential within a Christian ethos.
Head of Arts, Kym Hart, directed the performing choir in the Radio Stoke recorded service ‘In Praise of God’, which led them to the final of Songs From The Aisles 2009.
Christ Church’s building is a stone faced, brick built, Victorian Gothic structure, built in 1838 but added to on several occasions over the next 70 years.
Reverend Paul Kingman embraces the involvement with the school - while he also oversees parishes in Oulton and Moddershall. He has guided the church since September 2003.
Web: www.christchurchmiddle.co.uk and www.churches.lichfield.anglican.org/stone
The Rosary Rally
The Rosary Rally was held at Alton Castle Catholic Youth Retreat Centre in 2008.
Father Philip Griffin, who leads worship at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Newcastle-under-Lyme oversaw the event which brought together Catholic parishes and school students from across North Staffordshire.
They gathered to mark and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the famous Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes, reported to have occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubiros. BBC Radio Stoke recorded the hundreds of worshippers who together to sing, pray and talk about the significant Catholic anniversary.
Web: www.altoncastle.co.uk and www.northstaffsdeanery.org.uk
Previously...
2009 saw the fourth year of 'Songs From The Aisles'.
Previous laudees include Abbots Bromley Girls School, St. George's Church in Newcastle, St. Mary's in Nantwich and Leek Salvation Army.
The purpose of Songs from the Aisles is to celebrate church music of all forms in our area and by so, attempt to heighten the enjoyment, profile and importance of music as part of worship.
