At Your Service

Andrew Haynes is a sidecar racer with driver Greg Lambert - his first TT was in 2018 (with John Shipley)  Yesterday (Saturday 3 June) Andy and Greg were 8th in Sidecar 1 race.  Andy is also  a Methodist Local Preacher in the Hull area, and he's passionate about being a Christian in a relevant way, in a modern world.                  ...

Rev'd Rod Ingrouille and his son, Rev'd Steve are both ordained ministers in the Methodist Church.  Rev'd Steve together with his wife Rev'd Rebecca, are based in Onchan and have care of the 7 Methodist churches in the East of the Island.  Rev'd Rod is becoming better known on the Island through his now-regular visits to work with those in training to be Methodist Loc...

Imagine Peace was a major outreach throughout the city of Liverpool during the week of Eurovision this year.  Supported by leaders of all the Christian denominations in the area, and led by the Evangelism and Growth Team of the Methodist Church in Britain, there were opportunities for meaningful conversations, and times of prayer throughout the week of Eurovision.  One of the main events...

Christian Aid Week starts today, and on the programme we're joined by Louise Whitelegg - the Island's Christian Aid go-to girl,  and Nick Georgiadis, who is Director of fundraising and supporter engagement based at Christian Aid HQ. Together they'll explain what the generosity of the people of the Isle of Man has already achieved in the world's poorest country - Burundi - and...

At the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey, music - chosen by the King - played a huge part in the ceremony.  On today's programme we feature the new Coronation Anthem composed by Sir Andrew - Lord Lloyd-Webber - 'Make a Joyful Noise Unto The Lord' and  'Alleluia, O Sing Praises Unto Our God' also composed specially fo...

Aled Jones was on the Island earlier this week to record interviews for a forthcoming edition of BBC TV's Songs of Praise.  Here he talks about his music, and his love of the Island.  There's lots of music too - including the voice of young Aled, too. And we have a class-winning performance from this year's Guild - Onchan Silver Band who won the Hymn Tune with 91 marks - cong...

Wigan-born Stephen Alker trained for the Roman Catholic priesthood at St Joseph's College, Upholland in the 1960's.  After ordination, and work in a couple of parishes in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, he got the chance to become an Army Chaplain.  It was only intended to be a 3-year ministry, but he stayed for nearly 30 years, loved the life and its challenges, and - now in retir...

Gareth Moore is well known and respected across the Island as an organist, accompanist, teacher and church musician. But it was his work during the Covid pandemic, when churches were closed and public worship ceased, that brought his skill and dedication to the attention of others. Gareth used his knowledge of both music and technology to prepare weekly music for on-line services, accompanying him...

HAPPY EASTER!! Today, we're celebrating the day that's at the very heart of the Christian faith - through words and music - Bible readings and prayers - plus an honest and inspiring life story from Rev'd Graham Thompson, President of the Methodist Conference - a position of leadership of the Methodist Church in Britain which he shares with Vice President Anthony Boateng. There's a...

Today is Palm Sunday - the start of the week that the Christian church calls HOLY.  It's a week that starts with rejoicing and celebrating, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem - just days later, those same crowds who greeted him so warmly, are shouting for his death - and this Holy Week ends with a sordid, agonising death by crucifixion. So is this the end - or is it maybe just the beginning?&n...

MICHAEL HARDIE is the new Community Partnerships Manager for The Leprosy Mission, and when he visited the Island recently, to meet supporters of the Manx-registered charity Leprosy Mission Isle of Man, we chatted about Michael's childhood - some of which was spent living in a leprosy colony in Africa - and about the Leprosy Mission's work with the tea pickers of Bangladesh, where leprosy i...

By pure coincidence, two Archbishops are visiting the Isle of Man this weekend! The Most Reverend and Rt Honourable Stephen Cottrell is the Archbishop of York - second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury in seniority in the Church of England.  He's also the Bishop of the Province of York which gives him care of all the Anglican Churches in the North of England - including the Isle of Man...

Every 2 minutes, someone in the world is diagnosed with leprosy - if they don't get treatment, the results are devastating - paralysis, nerve damage  and loss of limbs eventually mean that someone with leprosy becomes unable to work.  This is a disease of poverty - thriving where there is malnutrition and poor sanitation, in communities where there is no support for those unable to s...

David Dorricott is - by any standards - a successful businessman - yet he and his wife Alison - Directors of Ramsey-based postcode software specialists AFD Software, choose to live simply, and  regularly give away a huge proportion of the Company profits to local and global charities - benefitting people they don't know and will never meet.   They acknowledge that it's their staf...

Today's programme features three very different journeys -  a journey of sadness, as we reflect in words and music on the massive cost of 12 months of war in Ukraine; a journey to a place where many of us may find ourselves at some stage in life - in the wilderness; and finally - a journey of discovery - new places, new friendships and maybe a new view on life ..... Phil Craine and Rosema...

This week, it's Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and the start of the six weeks of Lent, leading up to the great celebration of Easter - the feast at the very heart of the Christian faith ..... but what do these days, which have their origin in ancient times, have to say to us today? We'll offer some answers on the programme today. And just how deeply do we love? Amazing things have been achi...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner - and for some it will be a celebration of love, while others will reject it as materialistic and commercialised.   But who started it? Today we explore some of the stories .... we'll see where Chaucer (of Canterbury Tales fame) fits into the picture, and reflect on whether Valentine's Day really has anything to do with long-lasting, lovin...

Reverend Professor David Wilkinson is our special guest today, talking about his life, his work, and why we don't have to choose between science and religion -  we need them both! David is ordained in the Methodist Church, he's also a theologian and an astrophysicist.  He's the current Principal of St John's College, Durham and a professor in the Department of Theology an...

Friday 27 January was Holocaust Memorial Day - a day to specially remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions killed under Nazi persecution of other groups like  Roma, Sinti, gay people and people with disabilities. It is also a day to remember all those killed in the  more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Our world often fe...

Many churches see science as the enemy - a challenge to belief in God.   But what if science and religion were not opposites at all? Instead - what if they needed each other?  The man who asked THOSE questions is Revd Professor David Wilkinson - Theologian, Physicist and current Principal of St John's College, Durham, and he's coming to the Island next weekend. In this programme,...

Manx Language Development Officer Ruth Keggin Gell will be at our Retreat House, Thie Dy Vea (House of Life) in Peel next weekend to lead two events that are very different, but bonded together by the use of Manx Language.   On Friday 20 January,  Ruth will lead  GOW ARRANE - SING! an evening to learn and enjoy prayerful, peaceful chants from the Taize monastic community, translated...

In April 2003, Ruth and Chris Baker went to Romania, to spend a couple of weeks helping at an orphanage. They believed that it would be a one-off trip - but -  in their own words, God had other plans for them - and those plans involved Ruth and Chris buying a home in North East Romania and devoting their lives to Hands of Hope - a charity registered in the Isle of Man and in Romania, where th...

Blein vie noa!  Happy New Year! Welcome to a specially extended New Years Day edition of At Your Service - looking back at some of the guests, stories and music that featured on the programme during 2022. Philip Longworth has never let his sight problems be an obstacle to serving others - and now he's living and working on the Island - with a mission that's church-based but aiming to...

Celebrating the reason for the season - the birth of Jesus Christ - in words and music. In this Christmas Day specially-extended programme, I'm joined by Richard Littledale - a recently-retired Baptist pastor, who is also a published author, and regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4.        Richard shares stories from his ministry, his family life, and his work as...

This is a special weekend in the life of a much-loved church in the North of the Island, as the Old Church in Ballaugh opens its doors once more.  Caroline Devlin is the driving force - looking to find new ways for this historic church to serve the local community. Author and broadcaster Richard Littledale is back, with something else from his collection of over 70 nativity sets from around t...