Elm Ridge Methodist Church, Darlington
"Compelled by Christ's love to be God's Church in today's world"
People
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Rev. Gillian Houghton, Minister
Gillian is minister at Elm Ridge as well as being superintendent minister in the Darlington Methodist Circuit. She grew up in Darlington and is married to Tom. Gillian Tom and Honey (their whippet) come to us from Preston where Gillian was minister of Central and Guttridge Methodist Churches.
Telephone: 01325 282491 (office) |
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Helen Westwood, Church Secretary
"I graduated from Leeds University with a degree in animal management - a strange title but it was pretty much biology with business and law thrown in. I have worked with the elderly and disabled as a home care assistant and got half way through teacher training to teach biology in secondary schools prior to coming to Elm Ridge. I volunteer at Pierremont Methodist Church's children's club 'The Zone' which I love and I have also helped with cell groups and youth Alpha courses there. I enjoy sports, especially swimming, for which I used to swim for Darlington and the North East in days past."
Helen is based in the Church Office, and is your first point of contact if you telephone or visit Elm Ridge during the week. 
Telephone: 01325 282491 (office) |
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Mark McKnight, Circuit Youth Worker
"Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Mark, (or Marko to my friends), I'm from Northern Ireland, and I have three passions in life: communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ, seeing young people grow in their faith and sailing. With the exception of the sailing, that's mostly why I figure God has sent me to Darlington.
I really feel like there are big things to be done with children and young people in Darlington and some great opportunities to seize hold of. Here's what I want to do: I want to stand at the top of cliffs and teach young people about fear. I want to set them challenges that they might fail at and then teach them how to deal with success and failure. I want a generation to grow up that are empowered, not restricted, by the church. But most of all, I want to teach them about faith, integrity, love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, compassion..." 
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