Paul Welch

I have been in theCircuit since 2008 and enjoy being in Yorkshire. I love sport, playing and
watching, and delivered Pioneer Sports Ministry within the Circuit over thelast 4 years which has now come to an end as I now have 5 churches to lookafter.

I have a wonderfulsupportive wife and two beautiful daughters, (I'm biased) who are a real
blessing, one works in the TV industry while the other is still at high school.

I am originallyfrom Stoke on Trent (The Potteries) which is (according to me) the centre of
the universe followed closely by Yorkshire. I support Port Vale FC and LeedsUnited FC and was Chaplain at Leeds for 10 years. I enjoy playing golf and oncegot a hole in one at a club I was a member of in North Leeds.

I have run 2walking football groups in the circuit which now have others running them but I
still play as I see it as part of my Ministry. I also brought to birth theBusoasis project (link opens in a new window) and currently project manage thatamazing ministry within the Circuit Mission Enabling Team which I also chair. Iam an active member of the Circuit Heritage Group mainly at Mount Zion HeritageChapel where I am also the named Minister.

I also run aphotography group (Simple Reflections community photo group Facebook) which has
a monthly theme and a monthly photo walk where we share together our picturesbased on those themes.

I have written afew reflective walks along the canal which goes from one end of the circuit to
the other as well as others. These are headed on the website as 'Walking TheWAY'. As part of the Circuit Mission Enabling Team we are beginning monthlyreflective walks on a Sunday afternoon around Calderdale.

None of this wouldbe possible without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God the Father
who continues to encourage, resource and bless me with the wonderful gifts offriends, colleagues and partner projects.

As I look back at my time in the circuit I realise what ablessing it has been to me and hopefully to others too and I look forward tothe remaining years I have here, however long or short that may be. At MountZion, in Irene's Garden, it says: 'Time how short, Eternity, how long.' Howtrue that is!