On November 15 the Church of the Nazarene, East Lincolnshire, took part in the Remembrance Sunday wreath laying service in Skegness.

A wreath was laid on behalf of the Nazarene Church by Paula Aphale.

This was the first year that the Nazarene Church has taken part in the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Skegness.

Our Pastor, Ian actually took part in the parade through the town in his capacity as the pastor of the Church and as Chaplain to the local Burma Star Association.

The parade was made particularly special as the Burma Star Standard was paraded by James Porter who was on leave from serving in Afghanistan.

Many of our Nazarene fellowship attended the service at the War memorial outside St Matthew's Church and then, as part of our Sunday meeting, we held our own Act of Remembrance at the County Hotel where we paid a special tribute to those who had lost their lives in Afghanistan during the past year.

In his address at our meeting, the Rev'd Ian Banks reminded us that we were gathered to remember the sacrifice made by ordinary men and women, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, young and old, who died during two great world wars and many theatres of war since, in the defence of their country. He went on to say that not only was it a day to remember, but also an opportunity to pay tribute to the work that the Royal British Legion, and many other ex-service organisation, do in keeping those memories alive and in helping the many millions of ex service men and women and their families.

He went on to say that each year the nation expresses its unequivocal support for The Royal British Legion's charity work through the Poppy Appeal. The 2009 Poppy Appeal is emphasising the need to help the Afghan generation of the Armed Forces and their families – today and for the rest of their lives.

The Royal British Legion was formed in 1921 to support the veterans of the Great War. But since then, Britain has been involved in many other wars and fields of Service, creating a continuous supply of Service men and women (and their families), who need our assistance. The British Legion is recognised as the Nation's custodians of Remembrance.

The Cenotaph in Whitehall and numerous war memorials around the country commemorate those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in World Wars I and II. And to commemorate those that have lost their lives in the Service of their country since 1945, the Armed Forces Memorial was opened in 2007 in the grounds of the National Memorial Arboretum. Each June, the names of those who have died in conflict, as a result of terrorist action or on training exercises, in the previous calendar year, are added to this impressive memorial, as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice.

As a tribute to those lost in action this year, whose names will not appear in stone until next June we included a list of their names in our Remembrance Book and on a special banner.

Ian then linked the earlier civic ceremony with our meeting through a poem which was written by a lady he knew when he last lived in Skegness, the late Barbara Davidson.

So once again we watch with pride

as men and women side by side
with crutch and wreath and sword and staff
assemble round the cenotaph.
Daughters and nieces, nephews and wives,
remember those who gave their lives.
That we who watch this autumn day
may ask of God when next we pray
that we, for whom our hero's fought,
may live in peace as people ought.
So that our children's lives may be
the sweeter for their gallantry.
The poppy from those fields of mud,
the colour of the soldier's blood,
grow still amongst the wind swept grass,
continuing as aeons pass.
So may we all with hand on heart
as flags are furled and crowds depart,
forget not those whom we do love.
World Peace their sacrifice may prove.

Later in our meeting Ian shared one of the many real-life stories of how the Royal British Legion and other Ex-service organisations help many of the millions of men and women and their families who have served in this country's armed forces. It was a story which touched our hearts in more ways than one.

Allen Parton's story is one of courage, perseverance and love. With the help of his family, the Royal British Legion's assistance and Endal, a very special dog, Allen has managed to turn tragedy into triumph. For 20 years, Allen served with the Royal Navy until a tragic accident changed his life. Allen spent the next five years in hospital. He was wheelchair bound, severely depressed and unable to communicate with people. "I was in the darkest, soulless place a person can be, without hope," Allen recalls. Then a one-year-old golden Labrador called Endal from the charity Canine Partners was introduced to Allen and an unbreakable bond was forged. This was the moment when Allen's life began to turn around. Endal became Allen's assistance dog and his best friend. Allen says, "with the Legion's help we stopped looking back with sadness and started looking forward with hope."