Last Thursday evening, six of us ventured out to Andover Baptist Church to attend the ‘Free To Be’ event run by the Charity ‘Care for the Family’.

We arrived in plenty of time, so much so that we were asked to sit in the front row, as the event was sold out. There were chocolate truffles on each seat as an incentive, so we didn’t mind!

The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, with refreshments provided and efficient and friendly Andover Baptist Church and Charity volunteers.

The evening was split into two halves, with two talks in each half and a refreshment interval, sandwiched by worship.

The talks focussed on the four topics:

• Free to be me – I am defined by who God says I am
• Free to be loved and to love – I am free to love others, knowing that I am loved by God
• Free to be real – to live authentically in the midst of life’s challenges
• Free to be brave – to invest my life and make a difference

During the interval, there was opportunity to mingle, chat, purchase books and other resources, as well as craft items.

We came away with a reminder of how God sees us, that he has a plan for each of us and that our strength comes from him.

For more information on various events and all the great work that is done by ‘Care for the Family’, including Parenting Support, Marriage Support and Bereavement Support, take a look at https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk.