This week’s article is from AFCU member Elisabeth Roberts (R SIGNALS). Elisabeth shares her experience attending New Wine 2026 and being part of the AFCU village.
‘Having attended New Wine for the first time last year, as an exhibitor, not a delegate, I knew that I would love to return and immerse myself in the full programme. I also knew that I had a teenage daughter who would absolutely love it. Attending New Wine this year, I was proven right on both counts.
For anyone unfamiliar with New Wine, it is a 6-day festival at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, with a daily programme of worship, teaching and activities to suit a range of styles of worship, biblical teaching, ages and stages of faith. Whilst sunshine cannot be promised, we were truly blessed with a hot and sunny week this year, which lends itself rather well to the camping majority.
I was delighted to join the AFCU village, and for one of my daughters to spend time with this special community we have the privilege of being part of. With nearly 30 years of military experience, I have learnt some useful things along the way, one of those being that anyone can be uncomfortable. This means that if you are in a tent, you make it as comfortable as possible by bringing proper mattresses and a z-bed frame, which we did.
For the second year running, the AFCU also provided a fully catered option and the most hospitable marquee in which to gather, eat and fellowship together. I think, complete with bunting, it may have generated some un-Christian jealousy in some corners of the Royal Bath and West Showground; fortunately God forgives.
Between attending the main Big Top services, with 7000 other worshipping Christians each morning and evening, I found plenty else to choose from. I enjoyed morning chapel with communion, attended sessions on spiritual gifts, fasting, and women in leadership. I particularly enjoyed the afternoon ‘interview with’ sessions, including Pete Greig, Amy Orr-Ewing (the main speaker for the week), and Dr Krish Kandiah. In between all of this, I found time for sitting in a deck chair for quite some time and listening to music by the bandstand, getting a bird’s-eye view of the showground on the Ferris Wheel, wandering around the many stalls and stands and, most importantly, spending time with members of the AFCU and my own daughter! It was so lovely to catch up with old friends and make new ones; the AFCU village certainly has a reputation for being inclusive and welcoming.
New Wine was a week that gave me so much in every way. The teaching was spiritually challenging and relevant; the worship was meaningful and brought me closer into the presence of God time after time; my relationship with my daughter developed – she talked to me all the way home, which many of you may appreciate is not normal behaviour for a teenager.
I returned home feeling full of a joy I hadn’t experienced in some time, and it was most definitely of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t feel alone and was covered in blessings, which continued with various opportunities to witness in the weeks that followed.
The New Wine Festival programme is in itself a good enough reason to get yourself booked in for 2027. Two things in particular blessed me:
First, I ended up on the prayer ministry team, which means completing a short training session and then joining a volunteer group that prays with the many individuals who come forward for prayer during services. I boldly informed AFCU friends that ‘prayer ministry is not one of my gifts’. God must have spat his morning New Wine coffee out as He laughed at that one – He kept me busy. I ended up praying for so many amazing women, all with different stories, needs and requests, across the various services and sessions I attended. It was exhausting, challenging, refreshing, and fulfilling. I got so much from the giving; my prayer language has matured, and God did amazing work. I am certain He is continuing to work in the lives of the women I was blessed to encounter.
The second was the outstanding Christian love, friendship and selfless service demonstrated by our AFCU leadership – thank you, Becca and Rhett – alongside Carl, who used a week of leave for the sole purpose of preparing the most satisfying meals three times a day, every day with such humility and a splash of wit. I am immensely grateful that one of my daughters got to see the practical love of Christ in action and meet other teens with hearts full for Christ and time for each other.
New Wine 2027 takes place from Tuesday 27th July to Monday 2nd August in Shepton Mallet. Very early-bird prices are available until the end of this month. If you haven’t tried it, you really should!’You can book your New Wine tickets for 2027 here.
Do get in touch with the office if you want to know more first.