octomusings

Service of Thanksgiving

2010-05-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

Service of Thanksgiving for Olive

On Wednesday 26th May, services will be held as follows:

1 pm Reading Crematorium, Henley Road , Caversham ( family and close friends )

2.30 pm Service of Thanksgiving at Caversham Heights Methodist Church , Highmoor Road , Caversham, Reading , RG4 7BG

followed by a reception in the Church Hall.

No flowers please.

Donations in memory of Olive may be made to the "Edward Morgan Foundation" in support of the education of the disadvantaged, account number 88667391 sort code 60-04-38

They may also be sent to:
A.B.Walker & Son Ltd., 36 Eldon Road , Reading RG1 4DL

With Great Sadness

2010-05-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that our Mum, Olive passed away on the 5th of May, 2010 in the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

We would like to offer our warmest, heartfelt thanks to all who have followed her blog, enriching her life with interest and happiness.

She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her.

Tony and Sheila Morgan.

Ban the Bomblet

2010-03-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Ban the bomblet – Churches celebrate the Cluster Munitions Act

Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Church leaders have welcomed the passing of the Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Act today in parliament.

The Act ensures that the UK military cannot use cluster munitions, nor can UK military establishments house cluster bombs for other nations. The Churches have been campaigning for this change for the last two years and were pleased to note the all-party support for the Act arising from strong public support for banning these weapons.

“Five years ago this issue was nowhere on the international political scene,” said Revd Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union. “We added our voice to the growing call to ban these weapons because our faith reminds us of the importance of every life. This Act enables the UK to ratify the international treaty banning cluster munitions – something that has been called for by thousands of people around the world.”

Cluster munitions contain many bomblets, small objects typically the size of a drinks can, which explode spreading shredded metal around the surrounding area. Sometimes bomblets fail to explode, meaning unexploded bombs are left at the scene of conflict.

Revd John Marsh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, added: “These weapons are indiscriminate, harming civilians and soldiers alike, and can lay dormant, only to explode years later. It is vital that when a war ends, it truly ends. Unexploded bombs must never maim children after armies have stopped fighting. ”

Cluster munitions have been widely used in conflicts around the globe, but on 1 August this year, an international treaty will come into effect, banning the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions, and requiring countries to assist survivors and affected communities.

Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, said: “The moral significance of this bill cannot be overstated. It builds upon widespread recognition of key ethical principles that are enshrined in international humanitarian law. When ensuring our own security we must recognise the importance of adhering to these principles.”

Church welcomes Zuma’s ‘soul-searching’

2010-03-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

South African churches gave a cautious welcome (23/2) to President Zuma’s call for a
Church welcomes Zuma’s ‘soul-searching’national dialogue on morality. The National Church Leaders’ Consultation said President Zuma’s proposal to examine the soul of South Africa was ‘timely’. The ‘common values and principles’ that formed the country under the leadership of President Mandela had been ‘substantially squandered’, the leaders said. The president’s recent fathering of an illegitimate child provoked strong criticism and was seen as a sign of the country’s declining moral standards. President Zuma told South Africa’s Sunday Times there was a need to agree the ‘values that define a common South African identity’. South Africa’s church leaders are keen to clarify this and establish the ‘sacred’ and ‘inviolable’ value of all human life, regardless of ‘race, class, nationality, religion and political persuasion’.

Source: Church of England Newspaper (5/3)

Only a decade to bring nuclear weapons under control

2010-03-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

Only a decade to bring nuclear weapons under control, says PM’s advisor on nuclear proliferation

Now is the time for nations to commit to a world free of nuclear weapons, say UK Churches.

Baroness Shirley Williams is warning that the proliferation of nuclear weapons is one of the greatest threats to the survival of humankind.

The Prime Minister’s advisor on nuclear proliferation made the statement just days after the White House indicated plans for ‘dramatic reductions’ in the nuclear arsenal of the United States of America.

Baroness Williams was endorsing a campaign by an alliance of nine UK Churches, which calls on the British Government to make a commitment to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons, building a safer future for all.

The Churches’ campaign, entitled Now is the Time, joins the World Council of Churches and others in pressing for governments to put all bomb-grade material under international control and commit to making the use and possession of nuclear weapons illegal through a new Nuclear Weapons Convention. They are asking people to sign an online petition expressing support for these aims.

Baroness Williams said: “The proliferation of nuclear weapons and climate change are the greatest threats to the survival of humankind. We have only a few years, at most a decade or so, to control and eventually abolish nuclear weapons. The support of concerned citizens in the UK and elsewhere is vital. The Churches have already played a crucial part in breaking the bonds of debt on poor countries and their leadership on this issue is equally important and urgently needed.”

The alliance includes the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the United Reformed Church, the International Affairs Department of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland and the Archbishop of the Church in Wales. The Churches are voicing these concerns in advance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference this May, which they believe will be crucial for international disarmament.

The Rt Revd Dr Tom Butler Lord Bishop of Southwark, said: “We cannot tackle the threat of nuclear terrorism by simply rehearsing old doctrines of defence. The simple fact is that more nuclear weapons do not make for a safer world. We must instead turn to the universal adoption of common rules and standards, enforced by international treaties. It is crucial that all nuclear armed states now demonstrate a willingness to redefine their concepts of security.”

“Nuclear weapons instil fear. They are divisive and counter-productive to a sustainable peace between nations,” added Steve Hucklesby, Policy Advisor for the Joint Public Issues Team. “The recent commitment by the United States and Russia to reduce their missiles and warheads has injected new life into non-proliferation and disarmament negotiations. We must grasp this opportunity and commit our governments to the road to zero nuclear weapons.”

Source: Methodist news Service 05/03/2010

Church leaders urge politicians to take the Pledge

2010-03-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

THE METHODIST CHURCH
THE BAPTIST UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

National Church leaders are calling on politicians to commit to responsible campaigning on issues of asylum and immigration, and to act to end the detention of children and families within the asylum system.

The leaders of the Methodist Church in Britain, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church are asking politicians to take the Sanctuary Pledge, which is an initiative of the Citizens for Sanctuary Campaign.

The Revd David Gamble, President of the British Methodist Conference, said, “Politicians must resist the temptation to use asylum as a political football in their election campaigns. We strongly support the Sanctuary Pledge campaign’s call for politicians to campaign responsibly, and not to demean those fleeing persecution and seeking sanctuary in Britain. I hope people will ask candidates standing for election to sign the Sanctuary Pledge.”

The pledge is a commitment to campaign positively and sensitively, helping the public to understand why it is important to offer a safe haven to people fleeing persecution. It also asks politicians to support policies that will end the forced detention of children and families, and to promote awareness of the UK’s long heritage of providing a safe haven for people seeking sanctuary.

The Revd John Marsh, Moderator of the United Reformed Church, said, “By taking this pledge, political candidates will show that they are serious about offering sanctuary to those who cannot find safety in their homelands. As Christians, we are called to love our neighbours as ourselves, and the Citizens for Sanctuary campaign encourages us to do just that.”

“We are particularly concerned about the detention of children and young people in the asylum system,” continued the Revd Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. “There is overwhelming evidence that holding children in detention centres is damaging to their physical and emotional wellbeing. Children are particularly vulnerable, and no matter where they are from, we all have a duty to protect them from harm. We encourage politicians from all parties will sign the pledge and commit to ending the detention of children.”

Source: Methodist News Service 04.03.2010

China adopts Christianity as its own

2010-02-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

China adopts Christianity as its own

Despite occasional clampdowns on unregistered churches, China’s support for Christianity is now official, the deputy of the country’s leading seminary claims. Revd Dr Gao Ying, vice president of Nanjing seminary said, ‘China doesn’t resist Christianity any more. We no longer call Christianity a foreign religion because it has been moulded into our blood.’ With Chinese government records reckoning there are some 28.6 million Christians in its registered churches, Dr Gao admitted that her 220 students are a drop in the ocean in the face of the church’s growth. Every year some 880 apply but the shortage of teachers and premises prevents China’s theological education from keeping pace. Kua Wee Seng, co-ordinator of the Bible Societies’ China Partnership has worked with the Amity Printing Company to produce 50 million Bibles for the Chinese church. ‘This is a time of opportunity,’ he said. < /p> Source: Reform (Mar/10)

what a wedding!

2010-02-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, what a commotion I caused when I went North to Pontefract for my nephew,John David's wedding to Annaliese! I very nearly didn't go because the extreme cold weather had left me a bit under the weather and I didn't fancy two days' travelling out of three days when it was so cold. I now know, of course, that i was even then suffering from fluid on my lungs! Had I known that, i would certainly not have risked the journeys. I think now that i was lucky not to have heart failure during that long walk from the furthest platgorm to the taxi rank at Reading, for i had to rest several times.

On the outward journey, all went well with the assisted travel at Birmingham New St., but it was a different story at Leeds! There was a mad scramble to get off the train (and avoid being taken on to Scotland) and the porter was late coming for me. Indicating my case, I said 'It's the green one.', but unknown to me he took the wrong green case and duly put it with me on the Pontefract train. This was a long train and all the carriages were packed, with not even any standing room, so that the porter refused to put me on until we got to the very last compartment and there was just one seat left.

When the guard said 'Pontefract' I alighted and he put my luggage on the platform. I said immediately, 'That's not my case', but he said it must be because there was no other luggage left on the train. When he saw that there was no-one to meet me, the guard said,'I'll just have a word with the driver and then I'll run over the bridge and see if your nephew's in the car park.' He wasn't, so the train went off. Only one passenger got off the train where I did and he said 'I'm not going to leave you here on your own. Where do you want to go?' I told him the name of the hotel and he said, We go past there. We'll take you.' Then he sent a text to his wife who was waiting in the car park to come over the bridge and help. He took my luggage and she helped me up and down all the steps to cross the line, and they took me to the Hotel.

Meanwhile, the bride-to-be was trying to meet her two sisters off a plane from Alicante, and she was texting John D. to say that the plane had been diverted to another airport because of fog!

I asked the hotelier to phone John D. to say I was at the hotel. What neither I nor John D. had realised was that there are 4 stations at Pontefract, and all are completely unmanned. When John D. realised this and that I was probably at a different station to the one where he was waiting, he stationed a member of the family at each station - and then called them off when he got the call to say I was at the hotel. So they all came to the hotel (where they had not planned to be that evening) and we all had a meal together before they went back to Wakefield.

So it was not until I went to my room at about 10pm that I was sure that I had the wrong case - a man's case! Fortunately, I had all my pills and the dressings for my ulcers in a separate bag, but I had nothing else! I had arrived at a wedding with my wedding hat in a hatbox but without my wedding outfit, nightwear or toiletries! So I went downstairs and gate-crashed the bride's hen party to break the news. She said to one friend,'You haven't been drinking, so you can drive! There's a 24-hour place just down the road, so we'll go and get Auntie Olive some things.' When they came back, they had black pyjamas covered with white spots, 3 toothbrushes, enough pants and tights for a week, toiletries like a flannel and soap and toothpaste, etc. - everything they thought I might need! But they forgot my hair! Next morning, before going down to breakfast, I laboriously did my hair with one of the toothbrushes!

Back in my room after breakfast, there was a knock on my door. Two of the bride's friends said, 'Quick! We've got a taxi waiting and we've got instructions to take you into Pontefract to Marks and Spencers and buy you a new outfit!' On the way, they told the taxi driver what we were doing and he said, 'You won't get anything in this M & S because it's very small and they don't have much in the way of clothing.' But a phone call had been made with my age and size and the fact that there wasn't much time, so the ladies at M & S were excited at this assignment and were ready waiting for us. There were just two outfits to choose from and one was very stylish but looked horrible on me. So there was only one outfit, which had a fairly low neckline, so a selection of necklaces was produced to choose from! Then while I dressed and the outfit was paid for the other friend chased off to Boots to buy a comb, and we were back in the hotel before you could say 'Jack Robinson'. Talk about a whirlwind!

Both bride and groom were members of the Police Force, doing the same job in adjacent towns, and when they eventually met they discovered that they had each lost their spouse to cancer a few years back and romance blossomed. So, at the wedding, the bride's two sons (in their late teens) escorted her down the aisle and gave her away and the bridegroom's son, James, was his best man and gave the traditional speech. At the wedding feast, I was seated with John D's, two sisters, Diane and Jill, and their families, so it was a good opportunity to get to know them all better than we can normally do at such distance.

At other times - at the evening celebration and disco, and at breakfast - the other people seated at the table with me were mainly policemen and their wives or members of the Gun Club and the conversations reflected this. The bridegroom, John D., is a Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist in shooting, so much of the talk was of competitions at Bisley and the next Commonwealth Games in August in Portugal.

The next day, when it came to my return journey, we had no idea which of the 4 stations I was supposed to depart from, so my great-nephew, James, decided to take me to Sheffield to catch my train there. On the way, he enlightened me as to why I had been regarded as such a special wedding guest, when he said that I was very special to him because I was the only link with his grandfather (my brother) who had died when he was only five years old. So, in spite of all the extra commotion I caused, it was just as well that I did make the effort to go to this wedding! I'm still waiting for the wedding photos to come, because, of course, my own camera went off in my case up to Scotland!

The cases? The one I'd been given by mistake belonged to a young man who apparently worked for a Norwegian firm. Since there was no other address, this firm was phoned and asked to let its owner know where it was and he eventually phoned to say that he would collect it. My case ended up in the Lost property at Edinburgh and I had to pay for its return by courier - after embarrassingly having to identify its contents.

Christian vote could swing General Election

2010-02-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

Christian vote could swing General Election
The results of the next General Election could be determined by which party can appeal best to Christians, theology think-tank Theos has claimed. Current forecasts suggest ‘We’re in hung parliament territory,’ Theos director, Paul Woolley, said. And while a Theos survey showed that support for Conservatives had risen from 21 to 34 per cent since 2005, among Christians it has only crept up from 38 to 40 per cent. The survey revealed Christians almost evenly split with 21 per cent thinking the Conservatives have been most sympathetic to them and 20 per cent feeling this about Labour. ‘Labour is in a position where it could benefit from reaching out especially to Christians,’ Mr Woolley said. Christian attendance at the ballot box is usually strong – with 48 per cent saying they are ‘absolutely certain’ to vote. And 81 per cent of 18- to 24-year-old Christians told an Evangelical Alliance survey they would be making use of their first vote.

Sources: Church of England Newspaper (26/2); Church Times (26/2)

Enforced Absence!

2010-02-25T23:36:00.000-08:00

So sorry, friends, if you have been looking for my posts in vain, but I was unexpectedly rushed to hospital. Quite scary, but more so for my friends, for it happened just as I arived to view the DVD on which our Lent groups are based!

However, although it could have been serious, the cause was two tablets which I have been prescribed for ages and these were immediately withdrawn. It then remained to stabilise the imbalance they had created and I am now discharged to lead a normal life again - my friends here say 'Your life is never normal!' - without any need for aftercare. God is good!

Foodbanks meet rising need in recession-hit Britain

2010-02-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

Foodbanks meet rising need in recession-hit Britain

The foodbank network, run by Christian organisation The Trussell Trust, has seen demand for its food parcel scheme almost double. Recent cold weather forcing higher spending on heating has combined with results of the recession to the sharp rise in families qualifying for support. A care professional has to provide vouchers for the foodbank parcels, designed to feed a family for six days. The Trust’s Haverhill, Suffolk depot leapt from feeding 29 families in November to 197 a month later, while the Salisbury centre doubled from 250 to 500. Jeremy Ravn, foodbank network manager, said resources were stretched but it was ‘so important that we as Christians are there to help’. The rising need is reflected in the Trust’s growth from 33 to 57 centres in the last 12 months and an expected increase to 35,000 people fed by the end of March, up from 26,000 in the last financial year.

Source: Baptist Times

Methodist Church welcomes alcohol labelling proposals

2010-02-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Methodist Church welcomes alcohol labelling proposals

Call for minimum unit price on alcohol

The Methodist Church has welcomed news that the drinks industry could be forced to put health warnings on all alcoholic drinks.

The proposals from the Department of Health would mean that, by law, labels would have to give information such as the number of units contained in the drink, guidelines for alcohol consumption and the Drinkaware Trust website (www.drinkaware.co.uk). The Church has been calling for improved labelling since the launch of the voluntary scheme in 2007.

David Bradwell, Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church in Britain, said: “There has been very slow progress with the voluntary labelling scheme, where the onus for action is left to producers. But because responsible marketing is not a priority for many alcohol producers, mandatory labelling has to be the answer. People should know exactly how many units are in each bottle and should be aware of the health risks, so that they can make an informed choice about what and how much they drink.”

But the Church believes that further action will be needed to tackle Britain’s binge drinking culture, and it is pressing for the Government to introduce a minimum sale price for each unit of alcohol. “Cheap booze blights lives,” David continued. “We need radical action to tackle the devastation caused by alcohol abuse.”

Source: Methodist news Service 15/02/2010

Methodists encouraged to fast for Fiji

2010-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

Methodists encouraged to fast for Fiji

February 25 will mark solidarity with oppressed Church

Methodists across Great Britain and Ireland are being urged to participate in a day of prayer and fasting, in solidarity with the Methodist Church in Fiji.

People are being asked to abstain from food and to consider donating the money they would have spent on food to the World Mission Fund, which will be offering long term support to the Church in Fiji. The Fijian Church has nominated February as a month for prayer and fasting. The Methodist Prayer Handbook remembers Fiji on February 25 and Methodists in Britain and Ireland are invited to join in the prayer and fasting on that date. Methodists are asked to pray for the people, churches and government in Fiji, and a special prayer is available here: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=3016.

The Fijian Methodist Church is under increasing pressure from the country’s government, led by Commodore Bainimarama, which has forced the Church to cancel its annual Conference and choir festivals until 2014. Local districts and circuits are also having their activities restricted, with administrative meetings banned.

Revd Stephen Poxon, ex-president of the British Methodist Conference and Secretary of the Methodist Missionary Society, said; “In the UK, it’s easy to take our religious freedoms for granted. The Methodist Church in Fiji simply desires to worship God and serve the people of Fiji with their ministry, but the government’s unreasonable restrictions are making the Church’s daily life almost impossible. Through fasting and prayer, we want to show our solidarity with our Fijian brothers and sisters.”

All members of the Fiji Methodist Church Standing Committee have been charged with attending an unauthorized meeting (held last April), and have been held for questioning by police. A number of church ministers have also been accused of spying on the government, although the allegations have yet to be substantiated.

The Fijian Church has requested a meeting with the government to discuss the ban and explore alternatives. ‘We are a people who believe in knocking,’ said one minister, ‘even ’til midnight!’ However one superintendent was overheard saying he would hold meetings anyway, and was reported to the military, who took him in for questioning.

Despite the pressures, the Fijian Church’s chaplains continue to serve the police and the military, leading devotions frequently in churches and barracks.

Under new legislation, speaking out against the government is deemed treason, and sending criticisms of the regime to or from abroad will be regarded as sedition. As any such criticism (whether made in Fiji or abroad) is now being treated as a criminal act.

People can donate to the World Mission Fund online at http://www.justgiving.co.uk/fast-for-fiji, or by sending a cheque payable to “The World Mission Fund” to Fast for Fiji c/o Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR.

Source: Methodist News Service 12/02/2010

National BBC radio appeal will benefit countryside people

2010-02-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

National BBC radio appeal will benefit countryside people

On 7 March BBC Radio 4 will broadcast an appeal to help the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC), a Christian countryside charity and resource unit supported by national Churches (including the Methodist Church), the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the Rank Foundation.

For all its beauty, life in the countryside can be tough. Over 900,000 rural households live in poverty, and problems such as depression, stress, relationship difficulties, health, finance and business difficulties can go undiagnosed and unheard.

The Revd Gordon Gatward, director of the ARC, said, “The ARC was chosen for an appeal because we have been supporting rural communities and their churches for over 38 years. Initiatives that have come out of the ARC have given thousands of people hope over the years: Rural Stress Helpline, agricultural chaplains and rural officers, Arthur Rank Training and community development projects like Hidden Britain, Care Farming, Farm Crisis Network and the ARC-Addington Fund.”

You can discover more about its activities at its website.

You can hear the BBC Radio 4 Appeal on Sunday 7 March at 7.55am or 9.26pm, or on Thursday 11 March at 3.27pm. It is also online all that week.

Source: Methodist E-News February 2010

Methodist covenant relationship with the Church of England

2010-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Methodist President and Vice-President affirm commitment to a covenant relationship with the Church of England

“We are prepared to be changed as a Church if that will serve the needs of the Kingdom.”

The President and the Vice-President of the Methodist Conference addressed the Church of England’s General Synod this morning, expressing the Methodist Church’s commitment to a covenant relationship with the Church of England and answering questions from synod members in a discussion following their address.

Revd David Gamble and Dr Richard Vautrey said that the Covenant relationship was a “serious, deeply committed relationship” and “not an irrelevant extra”. They said that responses to the challenges of the Covenant should be driven by a desire for mission.

Revd David Gamble said: “Within God’s overwhelming gracious covenant relationship with us and with our churches, we are in a covenant with each other. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, but always for the gospel.”

Dr Richard Vautrey talked about the work that the two Churches do together, referring to the Churches’ joint action on climate change and support for the Citizens for Sanctuary campaign.

“We can and do work together on issues of social justice, on issues that we both know God calls on us to challenge our society and our world,” said Dr Vautrey. “There is more that we could and should be doing together. David and I have just come back from a visit to Israel/Palestine. There can be few other places in the world where the cries for justice and peace strike deeper in to the heart. We know that Archbishop Rowan is shortly to visit Israel, and perhaps on his return we should explore ways that we could jointly work to help Methodists and Anglicans to respond to the increasingly desperate cries for help coming from the Holy Land.”

Revd David Gamble posed the question of how the two Churches could respond to the challenges of the 21st century; a society of different faiths, cultures and histories.

“Methodists approach the Covenant with the Church of England in the spirituality of the Covenant prayer,” said Revd David Gamble. “So when we say to God ‘let me have all things let me have nothing’, we say it by extension to our partners in the Church of England as well. We are prepared to go out of existence not because we are declining or failing in mission, but for the sake of mission. In other words we are prepared to be changed and even to cease having a separate existence as a Church if that will serve the needs of the Kingdom.”

Source: Methodist news Service 11/02/2010

Celtic Christianity

2010-02-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

Over on "Connexions" Richard Hall highlights a questionnaire and asks fellow bloggers to share it :-

The subject of Celtic Christianity is liable to raise strong emotions in some (calm down, Kim!), but if you are interested in Celtic worship, liturgies, saints, prayers or beliefs, you might like to take the questionnaire at
"Celtic Christianity Today". It is part of an academic project by Professor Leslie J. Francis and Revd Gill Hall.

Silent Auction works wonders!

2010-01-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

The Silent Auction held at Caversham heights Methodist Church for the relief of the people of Haiti raised £1,500 and the church is grateful to all those who donated items for auction and to all who helped to make it such a success.

This brings the final total raised in aid of Haiti at this church to £3,400, which includes Gift Aid, the 5 Shelterboxes (at a cost of £500 apiece) that were sent as quickly as possible, and the remainder which will be channelled through the Methodist Relief and Development Fund that has been at work in Haiti for many years.

For those who didn't see my earlier blog, each Shelterbox includes everything needed to help a family or group of ten people to survive a disaster. The following is lifted from their website and reduced to be more suitable for short items of news.

At the heart of every ShelterBox is a ten-person tent. Every box contains a children’s pack containing drawing books, crayons and pens. In addition to the tent, the boxes contain a range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall. Where malaria is prevalent mosquito nets are supplied, as well a life saving means of water purification. A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters can be found in every box. The box itself is lightweight and waterproof and has been used for a variety of purposes in the past - from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newly born baby.
A key piece in every box is either a wood burning or multi-fuel stove - that can burn anything from diesel to old paint. This provides the heart of the new home where water is boiled, food is cooked and families congregate. In addition, there are pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers.

Family treasures

2010-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

this post is to share some of the joys that Christmas with my two great grandchildren, Louisa and Toby, brought me.

Young men find church too girly

2010-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

Church services and interiors need a more macho makeover if they are to attract men aged under 30, Christian Vision for Men (CVM) believes. A questionnaire on the movement’s website found that men cringe with embarrassment at much of church culture. Songs declaring Christ to be the ‘beautiful one I love’ use words ‘many men wouldn’t sing to their wives,’ CVM director Carl Beech explains. ‘Feminine’ decorations such as banners and flowers, robed vicars, action songs and kid’s plays, and ‘pastorally driven’ sermons and discussions all alienated young men who ‘want to know about (Jesus’) great decision making and leadership’. CVM has launched two Christian-themed men’s magazines and is calling churches to host big screen transmissions of the World Cup this summer to boost churches’ flagging male attendance.

Source: The Times (27/1)

Church establishes independent Education Commission

2010-01-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

Church establishes independent Education Commission

Revd Dr John Barrett appointed as Chair

The Methodist Church is establishing an independent education commission, responsible for reviewing Methodism’s approach to education in Britain.

The Commission will be responsible for identifying a set of principles and a theological rationale, which underpins Methodism’s engagement with education. It will include all forms of formal education, including the Church’s responsibility for 64 state-maintained Methodist day schools and 14 independent schools across England and Wales, as well as its involvement in further education and higher education. It will also consider the Methodist approach to and involvement with informal education, including links to the Church's work with children and youth, and all forms of chaplaincy in education.

Revd Dr John Barrett has been appointed as Chair of the Commission. “Education is central to the development of both children and adults, and Methodism has always been passionate about accessible, high quality education provision,” he said. “It is important to review our approach to education and assess whether our commitment of our resources is appropriate for the responsibilities we have and to determine what our priorities should be for the future.”

John is a Methodist minister, and has extensive experience in education, having taught in a Methodist college, a theological college and having worked in schools in the UK. He recently stepped down after five years as the first Principal of the Anglo-Chinese International School in Singapore. Additionally, John is also Chair of the World Methodist Council Executive Committee, and was the first chairperson of the World Methodist Council’s Education Committee.

John would like to hear from anyone who would like to be considered for membership of the Commission or who feels they have a contribution to make to its work. Those interested are invited to register their interest by contacting the Methodist Church through the Projects, Research and Development Cluster by email: projects@methodistchurch.org.uk

The Commission will report to the Methodist Conference in 2012.

Source: Methodist News Service 25/01/2010

Methodist Haiti appeal passes £80,000 mark

2010-01-25T05:08:00.000-08:00

A joint appeal launched by the Methodist Church and MRDF for Haiti has smashed the £80,000 barrier, which means that more than £100,000 will be donated to Haiti.

Donations to the Church’s World Mission Fund have reached more than £37,000 by this morning. The Fund gave an immediate grant of £20,000 on 13 January, and the money raised through this appeal will allow for continued support. So far, donations to MRDF have reached £46,000. Donations have come from the Methodist Church in Ireland and people all over Great Britain and will go directly to the Church in Haiti, which is distributing aid to those most in need.

Expressing his gratitude for the initial grant, Revd Gesner Paul District President of the Methodist Church in Haiti, said; “We thank you for standing near us at this time of severe difficulty and continue to count on your support by any means as we try to recover from this very traumatic disaster.”

Revd Tom Quenet, Methodist Partnership Coordinator for the Americas and the Caribbean said; “We continue to be amazed by people’s generosity. While Haiti will remain in the news for a little while, we are in it for the long haul. We will continue to work with the Methodist Church in Haiti, helping them to rebuild their lives and communities long after the news crews have gone.”

In February, Tom hopes to lead a visit by a group of British Methodist representatives to the country. This will also include Lord Griffiths of Burry Port, who was ordained in Haiti, and Haitian minister Revd Marcus Torchon, whose family have been affected by the disaster.

Donations to MRDF will also support the work being carried out by the Methodist Church in Haiti, as well as the relief efforts of the charity’s emergency partner, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International. ACT is providing counselling services and water and sanitation engineers, who will construct water purification systems and latrines that will help in the fight against cholera and other water-based diseases. Donations through both ACT and the World Mission Fund will provide food, water, blankets and tents to thousands of people, as well as other essential support to those affected by the disaster.

Kirsty Smith, MRDF Director, said; “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported our appeal. These gifts will help to reinforce the relief efforts on the ground. The earthquake has caused major devastation to a country that was already battling extreme poverty. Key services and institutions have been totally destroyed. We will continue to do all that we can to make a difference.”

People can donate via the Methodist Church by visiting www.justgiving.com/Methodist-Church-Haiti-Appeal, or sending a cheque payable to the World Mission Fund to Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should be labelled ‘Haiti Appeal’. For further information visit www.methodist.org.uk or contact Revd Tom Quenet on 020 7467 5160.

To donate via MRDF, visit www.mrdf.org.uk or call 020 7224 4814 to give by debit or credit card, or send a cheque made payable 'MRDF (Haiti emergency)' and to MRDF, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR.

Source: Methodist news Service 25/01/2010

TV's Religious output

2010-01-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Synod motion to criticise TV’s religious output

The Church of England’s governing body is to debate the ‘sensationalist and unduly critical nature’ of TV coverage of religion. Noting that the quantity of religious programming has declined, a lay member’s motion will also lament its quality. Former BBC producer Nigel Holmes will claim at the Synod in February that even the ‘few remaining programmes’ are being marginalised. He says that the BBC’s percentage of religious output has dropped by a third in the last ten years, while ITV’s has reduced to ‘next to nothing’, and broadcasters have ‘a lack of sympathy for, and ignorance of, religion’. The Guardian commented that our ‘sneering’ media as a whole is ‘almost uniquely out-of-touch with the world of religion.’

Sources: The Guardian (18/1, 19/1); Daily Telegraph (18/1); Church Times (22/1)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

"Enough for Everyone"

2010-01-22T23:55:00.000-08:00

THE BAPTIST UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN

THE METHODIST CHURCH IN BRITAIN

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Churches say “There is enough for everyone” - Homelessness and Poverty Action Week

There is enough for everyone – that is the message of Poverty and Homelessness Action Week beginning on January 30.

The Methodist Church in Britain, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church are supporting the awareness-raising week run by Church Action on Poverty and Housing Justice. The three churches have recommended resources produced for the campaign to be used in worship services.

Paul Morrison, Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church in Britain, said Poverty and Homelessness Action Week was especially important this year as the country prepares for a general election.

“Poverty is not just the problem of some people having too little; it’s also a problem of some people having too much,” he said.

“From the very start, Methodism has been about sharing the gospel, and sharing was not just about telling people stories, it was about having compassion for who they are and the situation that each person finds themselves in.”

Revd Dr Rosemary Kidd, Faith and Unity Coordinator of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: “It is quite clear that some people are paid too much but we have no mechanism by which we measure what is too much. There is enough for everyone, it’s just that wealth is poorly distributed.”

Frank Kantor, Secretary for Church and Society at the United Reformed Church, said: “We want to hear from people who wish to contribute to the debate on incomes and inequality in the UK which will be a key issue in the run up to the next election”

You can find out more on Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, and contribute to the debate via the Methodist Church website or by visiting the Homelessness and Poverty Action Week homepage: http://www.actionweek.org.uk/html/home.html

Source: Methodist News Service 22/01/2010

Churches' Preparation Guide for 2010 General Election

2010-01-22T23:37:00.000-08:00

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

THE METHODIST CHURCH IN BRITAIN

THE BAPTIST UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN ENGLAND

CYTUN – CHURCHES TOGETHER IN WALES

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS)

THE SALVATION ARMY

SCOTTISH CHURCHES PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE

UNITARIAN AND FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND

NEWS RELEASE
22 January 2010

Churches launch guide to prepare for the 2010 General Election

Online resources designed to help Christians prepare for the General Election were launched today.

Eleven Churches and Church agencies have worked together to create an electronic booklet and website www.churcheselection.org.uk, which includes information on how to arrange a hustings meeting at local churches as well as a downloadable guide offering information on the important questions of this election campaign.

The election materials do not support a particular Church view or political party line, but aim to help people engage with a range of important issues facing the country, however they may decide to vote.

Rachel Lampard, Public Issues Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church who worked on the resources produced by Methodist Publishing and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, said: “We hope that the website will really help Christians engage with the election. The Faith in Politics booklet covers a whole range of policy issues, written by leading Christian experts and campaigners. The website also carries new guidance for groups wishing to hold hustings events during the election campaign, enabling people to register their interest in organising a hustings event and be put in touch with others in their constituency. We hope churches up and down the country will take advantage of these ecumenical resources.”

Faith in Politics covers issues including the economy, environment, health, education, equality and diversity, Europe, migration and sanctuary, poverty and criminal justice. The resource also provides a series of questions to facilitate personal or group reflection on political issues, or which could be used to quiz election candidates.

The Revd Dr Malcolm Brown, Director of the Church of England's Mission and Public Affairs Division, said: “I really hope these resources will be used by churches across the country to help them get ready for the General Election. They provide a rich range of material from which Christians and others can explore policy areas and form questions for their parliamentary candidates. The material points to the breadth of the impact that Westminster politics can have on the life of the nation, and I hope it will stimulate searching questions that will in turn help people make an informed judgement about how they use their vote.”

The Revd Bob Fyffe, General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, said “These resources will provide a rich source of information for churches and Churches Together groups across the four nations. The combination of these resources together with the online hustings information should ensure that Christians around the UK can fully engage in discussions with their prospective parliamentary candidates. The fact that the Churches have worked together to provide these resources is a strong statement in itself, and we hope that local churches and groups will fully engage in the democratic process.”

Source; Methodist News Service

Silent Auction for Haiti

2010-01-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Other churches may like to run something on similar lines as this event which I have just sent for publication in all our local papers and radio stations:-

Haiti Earthquake

Caversham Heights Methodist Church (Corner of Woodcote Rd and Highmoor Rd) in Reading will be holding a “Silent Auction” on Saturday 30th January. You are asked to donate gifts (of any value, new or second hand) that others might like to buy, and bring them to the church on Friday 29th between 7.00 pm and 10.00 pm, or Saturday 30th between 9.00am and 10.00 am. The gifts will be displayed in the church with a bidding paper beside them. From 10 am to 12 noon please come and write down bids for anything that takes your fancy.
At 12.00 noon the highest bidder gets the item.
Any unsold items to be collected by the donor plus items whose optional reserve price has not been reached.
There will be a homemade cake stall and tea and coffee will be served.

All proceeds will go to help bring aid to the people of Haiti.

UPDATE: from the two services at church on Sunday January 17th, £660 was donated which includes £111 of Gift Aid. Since than we have received a further £256 which also includes Gift Aid. A total of almost £930. We have already sent £500 to Shelterbox for box in our name to be sent to Haiti. The box includes everything needed to help a family or group of ten people to survive a disaster. The following is lifted from ther website and reduced to be more suitable for short items of news.

At the heart of every ShelterBox is a ten-person tent. Every box contains a children’s pack containing drawing books, crayons and pens. In addition to the tent, the boxes contain a range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall. Where malaria is prevalent mosquito nets are supplied, as well a life saving means of water purification. A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters can be found in every box. The box itself is lightweight and waterproof and has been used for a variety of purposes in the past - from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newly born baby.
A key piece in every box is either a wood burning or multi-fuel stove - that can burn anything from diesel to old paint. This provides the heart of the new home where water is boiled, food is cooked and families congregate. In addition, there are pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers. Each box costs £490 to equip and ship.

Methodist Podcast re Haitian earthquake

2010-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

A special edition of the Methodist Podcast following the earthquake disaster in Haiti on 12 January 2010 is now available to download from Methodist Web Radio.

People have been shocked and horrified by the scenes of devastation in Haiti following the massive earthquake, which left thousands of people dead and survivors fighting for their lives. Revd Tom Quenet, Methodist Partnership Coordinator for the Americas and the Caribbean, was due to be in Haiti when the earthquake struck. He told Karen Burke how he heard of the tragedy and the work he has been engaged in since to help with the relief effort.

To listen to the podcast, visit:

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.webradio

Soutce: Methodist News Service 18/01/2010

Crucifixion for Trafalgar Square

2010-01-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Over a hundred actors will bring Christ’s trial and execution to the heart of London next Good Friday by staging a Passion Play in Trafalgar Square. Organisers say the free performance will give a ‘unique’ taste of being in Jerusalem on the first Good Friday. The event has the backing of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster. Most Revd Vincent Nichols said: ‘I am delighted that people from so many Christian denominations will be coming together to remind Londoners why the bank holiday of Good Friday is observed.’

Source:Daily Telegraph (13/1)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Haiti earthquake Appeal

2010-01-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

Appeal launched to help thousands struck by devastating Haiti earthquake

Church donates £20,000 to aid victims of killer quake feared to have left thousands dead

The Methodist Church in Britain has launched an emergency appeal and granted £20,000 in immediate aid to Haiti after a catastrophic earthquake rocked the Caribbean nation yesterday.

Reports revealed that the 7.0-magnitude quake, the worst to hit the country in two centuries, tore down the HQ of the UN Mission, the presidential palace and thousands of homes in the space of a minute at 16.53 Haitian time and 21.53 GMT. Survivors used the micro-blogging site Twitter to report on the unfolding tragedy.

Revd Marcus Torchon, a Haitian Methodist minister serving in the Liverpool District on an exchange programme, said: “I am still waiting for news from family members who are missing. I managed to speak to my nephew after the quake happened, but since that phone call there were more than 10 after-shocks. Now the line is dead because the major phone networks are down.

“It is really destabilising emotionally. Practically, I would like to be of service to them. I feel that at some point I may have to go there when the airport is open. At the end of the day, we have nothing but our faith in God.”

Revd Tom Quenet, Partnership Coordinator for the Americas and Caribbean, established contact with the President of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas at 3am GMT today. Tom said: “Following the damage caused by four successive hurricanes that hit the island in 2008, I fear that the people of Haiti will wake up to scenes of devastation, fear and loss of life.”

Haiti’s Methodist church is the largest membership district of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean & the Americas with 12,000 members.

Tom Osbeck from aviation ministry Air Calvary said: “The buildings, homes, businesses and hospitals of Port-au-Prince are flattened. We stand outside and weep as we hear thousands of crying people. Thousands have died – many, many around our house.”

David Carwell of Mission Aviation Fellowship said: “All kinds of things in our house shook and slid and came tumbling to the floor. There have been many aftershocks and tremors. They seem to be weakening, but I doubt if it’s over yet.”

The Methodist Church in Britain is appealing to people to make their response through the World Mission Fund while international relief agencies and governments work to bring relief to Haitians.

Donations can be made through the Just Giving webpage on the Methodist Church website here or by sending a cheque payable to the World Mission Fund and posting it to Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should be labelled ‘Haiti Appeal’.

Source: Methodist news Service 13/01/2010

Please read what Angela Shier-Jones has written under "God of the Earthquake" on her blog http://the-kneeler.blogspot.com

'Now a Christian;

2010-01-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Tony Miles has let me know on his blog Maybe2day about a new Church Army initiative that is worth checking out and passing on to others.

Here are the details of the new Now a Christian FREE email course which they have launched @ www.nowachristian.org

You Tube – see http://www.youtube.com/churcharmy#p/a/u/0/KHsy5vf0zoU.

Do watch this it takes about 2.5 mins and gives a great overview of the programme which is FREE.

Please put the link on your website.

There is an Inspire Magazine article about it on their website:

http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/article.aspx?i=98&q=369

Methodists’ New Year’s Resolution

2010-01-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

Methodists’ New Year’s Resolution - to cut carbon emissions by 10 per cent within a year·
Call to be ‘earth keepers’ rather than ‘earth eaters’

Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, signed up to the 10:10 campaign yesterday on behalf of over 100 staff at Methodist Church House in London. Throughout 2010, staff will work to cut 10 per cent off the building’s energy use.

Martyn said: ‘We begin to change the world when we change our lives and lifestyles. It is absolutely right, then, that as Christian disciples heeding God’s command to be good stewards of the planet, and increasingly ‘earth keepers’ rather than ‘earth eaters’, we commit ourselves to joining the 10:10 campaign. Together we can make a small but significant change and express hope in God’s future.’

Using the principle of ‘small actions, big difference,’ office staff will be encouraged to switch off lights and computers when they are not in use. There will also be a travel survey, initiating a year-long challenge to look at travel patterns for work engagements in Britain and with partner churches worldwide.

Energy saving actions at Methodist Church House have already begun. Desk printers have been replaced by more efficient shared printers. All office staff have their own recycling bin with non-recyclable material now deposited in separate communal bins. Following the results of an independent audit by the Carbon Trust, there will be an investment in a suitable building management system and exploration of PIR (passive infrared sensors) lighting.

Tamsin Omond, Faith Coordinator for the 10:10 campaign, said: “It is great to have the Methodist Church joining the initiative. Faith groups have recently had a strong voice on this issue and turning words into action is essential to tackle the global problem of climate change. All our personal actions reinforce the message to our governments regarding the scale of ambition that we expect from international agreements.”

The wider Church is encouraged to join the campaign via http://www.1010uk.org

Source: Methodist News Service 07/01/2010

PC or WC?

2010-01-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

I can't resist sharing this laugh from my friend Tony Miles' blog Maybe2day and he was sent it by Catherine:-

"EU Directive No. 456179

In order to meet the conditions for joining the Single European currency, all citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland must be made aware that the phrase ‘Spending a Penny‘ is not to be used after 31st December 2009.

From the 1st January 2010, the correct terminology will be: ‘Euronating’.

Thank you for your attention.

Ha ha ha!"

The Longest Night

2010-01-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Further to my post 'Snow Relief Centre', I asked for a report of what happened on the longest night of 2009 for our local ecumenical newspaper, 'Caversham Bridge' and I have pleasure in sharing it with you here.

"The longest night

It seems that everyone has a story about the snow that fell on 21 December (the longest night) last year. At Caversham Heights Methodist Church, we too had an exciting time.

Early in the evening, my doorbell rang, and a very public-spirited neighbour asked if I knew that a number of motorists were stranded on the main road in their cars and trucks, and wondered whether we could open the church hall and offer hot drinks? While she went off to tell shivering drivers we were opening up, I phoned several church members who live nearby, and in a short space of time, we were offering warm shelter, hot drinks and most importantly, loos!

Many cars, vans and lorries, including big trucks, were straddling St. Peter’s Hill and Woodcote Road, and soon we had dozens of people, old and young (plus a couple of dogs) thawing out. Amazingly, the word got out very quickly, and a number of local residents (not necessarily connected with our church), appeared at the hall, offering help, food, bedding and accommodation, and so as the evening wore on, we were able to provide soup and sandwiches. Woodcote Way Stores kindly stayed open long enough for us to stock up on some items. (One local resident generously paid for these.) When it became clear that those travellers not within walking distance of home, would have to spend the night in Caversham, some folk were taken to local homes, and the rest slept at the church. Several valiant volunteers stayed up all or most of the night (thank you, Sarah & Steve, and Adam!), and in the morning, we offered a simple breakfast of toast and tea.

A BBC TV reporter appeared early on, and later, we were phoned by Radio Berkshire, the Reading Chronicle, the Reading Post and Rob Wilson MP. A few drivers decided to leave their cars and try the train. A police officer eventually appeared, but when there was still no sign of the road being cleared, some of the truckers knocked on doors, borrowed shovels, and began clearing the road. Meanwhile, some new drivers had arrived, having left the Oxford area that morning, unaware that the road was blocked.

We continued to benefit from the help and support of the Caversham community - for example, some bacon sandwiches turned up in the morning; someone brought in a flask of hot chocolate; and folks walked down to Waitrose to buy supplies and received a donation of tea bags from the store.

By midday on 22nd, all of our temporary visitors had gone, but not before some of the truckers had generously taken up a collection in gratitude.

If you are one of the people who very kindly offered or gave help, food or bedding that night, we are deeply grateful for your generosity. If you need reimbursement for your expenses, please contact me. Any surplus money from the collection will be divided between Shelter and Action for Children. If you lent bedding or a shovel, we still have a few items left in the church hall! Please ring (0118) 9470040 to arrange collection.

Once again, a big thank you to all those generous people who showed community spirit that night. When giving us the collected money, one of the truckers made a little speech. He said, “We thought Caversham people were all posh. We truckers are seen as the scum of the earth, but you’ve treated us with respect and kindness. Thank you.”

(Rev.) Jenny Dowding"

Forward into 2010

2010-01-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

On this first day of the new Year 2010 I send greetings to all my friends, wishing them a very blessed New Year, with many more disciples won for Christ so that His Kingdom grows in grace and in strength. May God direct all our labours and give us a new vision of how we should fulfil our calling.

With just 6 weeks before the beginning of Lent, Churches Together in Caversham are planning for the Lenten Study groups, with this interesting slogan -

"Don't give up Chocolate this year...... Take it up........

Lent groups 2010, will take a different form than other years, it will be
based around the film ‘Chocolate’ and there will be a sign up sheet in each
church at the beginning of the new year…"

This will certainly be different and should prove to be very interesting.

Christmas Greetings from Caversham

2009-12-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas greetings from Caversham. I hope that you and your family are well, have had a good Christmas, and that you will enjoy the rest of Christmas and then be looking forward to the New Year 2010. What a year 2009 has been, with such dreadful flooding and other natural disasters, as well as the unbearable casualties brought about by war in various places across the world. Yet in all this, as Christians, we find good news and hope. So I look forward to hearing your latest news.

I have been celebrating Christmas as usual with Tony and Caroline and their family in Derbyshire, including Anna and Carl’s 2-and-a-half year old daughter, Louisa Isobel, and their 3 months' old new baby, Toby James.

I’m thankful to have had a second whole year free of cellulitis, but I have not enjoyed quite such good health as last year, though nothing in particular to complain about (I have two months’ iron tablets just now for anaemia). This is probably because I’ve had to work really hard all the year, with little let-up. We continued studying the Disciple 4 course until July and 2009 has been the Centenary year for our church, Caversham Heights Methodist Church. There has been a very full programme of events and special guest preachers throughout the whole year. Since I am the Media Publicity Director, it has meant a lot of work for me – advertising each event or preacher beforehand in the three local papers and two local radio stations, and writing about them afterwards (with photos) for the same papers.

As well as the Centenary, I have had several really good celebrations elsewhere. At Easter, I returned to Llandudno for the second ECG Event (‘Equipping, Calling, Going’) which took the place of the former Easter People and, although run by different people – ‘NXT Ministries’, ‘Youth for Christ’, and ECG – was very similar, especially in regard to the in-depth Bible Studies so popular at ‘Easter People’. A main emphasis at ECG is in catering for the 20s and 30s age group and the provision of events and activities specially geared to their needs and aspirations. This year I looked after the MET (Methodist
Evangelicals Together) stand in the exhibition, and I am eagerly looking forward to doing the same, again in Llandudno, when ECG 2010 will be held on 6th to 11th April with Steve Brady as the Theatre Bible Teacher – see www.ecgevent.org.uk.

As last year there was a family gathering at Bethany School in Kent for my great
granddaughter Louisa’s second birthday on 10th May, which was much enjoyed by all of us. At two, she was able to entertain us with all her newly acquired skills.

I took turns in leading the experimental Wednesday afternoon midday services during
May at our church, but not too many people came, so we decided to re-think this later.

My cousin Jack Baul died in May and, since he never married and had no family except
cousins, we had to arrange the funeral at Ripon Methodist Church by email and I found it necessary to print the orders of service myself. John David gave a warm eulogy to his uncle, and it was good to meet so many of my nephews and nieces whom, because of distance, I had not seen for years. They also had not met each other for years. One nephew, Nigel, was unable to be there because his IT business had expanded so much that he was in the middle of moving it to larger premises. So those who were there decided that it was time to have a big family get-together and they joked that it would have to be in Pontefract to make sure that Nigel could come.

I went to the Methodist Conference in Wolverhampton in July where I was thrilled to be present at the ordination of our Deacon, Becky Bawden, and I was also glad to be able to step in once more to run the MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together) stand in the Exhibition, which gave me a unique opportunity to meet old friends from far and wide as well as listening in to the debates when not busy.

This year Churches Together in Caversham decided to carry out Street Evangelism in Caversham at the time of the Reading Pop Festival sited nearby, with a Welcome Café in the New Testament Church of God opposite the shopping precinct, and a number of us worked on a rota basis to hand out Bible reading booklets. After several interesting conversations with lovely young people from far and wide, I was startled to find that the greatest need was right on my doorstep! The CTC had been taken down but I was still sitting outside the Black Church (the NT Church of God) when a neighbour saw me and, thinking I must be ill, came to see if she could help! We offered her a cup of tea and explained why we were there. At first, she argued against what we were doing but she continued to ask questions, breaking down after a while and then being very reluctant to end the conversation! The NT Church of God were holding a regional convention that weekend, with their Bishop and 3 speakers from America. So it was a shock to me when I was pressed into addressing (by interview) their Sunday afternoon session about serving God in your 80s! Quite scary, but they begged me to ‘Come again!’

Finally, the year ended with the death and December funeral of my sister-in-law, Alice Mary Morgan, who will be much missed because she was never happier than when helping others and writing letters of encouragement.

I have continued to proofread translations of Scripture in strange languages for Wycliffe Associates and I have just returned Mark Chs. 4 – 6 in Zapotec Miahuatlan (a Mexican Language). I am still a representative to the Circuit Meeting, I prepare Prayer Guidelines each month and, as I have already said, I am Media Publicity Director at my church.

Tony and Caroline continue with their very full programme of teaching and concerts, etc. Caroline teaches reed instruments at the South-East Derbyshire Music Centre at Heanor, is a peripatetic teacher in local private schools and arranges concerts for ‘Music in Duffield’ Tony’s own professional chamber orchestra, English Pro Musica (based in Nottingham) is still in great demand. The orchestra sometimes works with his choir, the Ryton Chorale (based in Bassetlaw), which is very well established. Tony continues teaching Music at Nottingham University and High School and the Leicestershire Youth Orchestra, as well as running a thriving business selling instrument cases worldwide – see www.bassbags.co.uk .

David, their eldest son, has been completely transformed by the miracle ‘cure’ for his illness. He has regained his former energy, as he works for Bassbags, and even has a steady girl friend. Richard is now at Cambridge, training to teach science. Anna and her husband Carl moved in the summer to become house parents at a much larger school – Old Swinford Hospital School in Stourbridge. They are thrilled with their little daughter Louisa and new baby Toby. Youngest of the family, Emily is still working for the accountancy firm KPMG in London, and has now moved in with her boy friend. So this Grandma is eagerly wondering if there are likely to be any more weddings before long. (I must stop counting chickens …)

Sheila is in good health and spirits in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where she is head of a University English Department. The apprentice hairdressing project (Vuon Len) set up there in her father’s memory continues to give new hope to ever more apprentices - see www.vuonlen.org.uk.

I continue to blog on www.octomusings.blogspot.com and to enjoy the rich blessings of being part of the Methoblogosphere, though the frost was too severe for me to go to the recent DigiMission day conference in London.

2010, should prove to be an easier year for me, without the Disciple Course and all the centenary events, but I have already booked for the MET weekend conference in January in Torquay (which gives me the chance to visit Dermot and Charlene), the ECG Event in Llandudno at Easter and I hope to be able to help with the MET stand at the Methodist Conference in Portsmouth in June. Also, after the sadness of funerals this year, I am looking forward to the wedding in Pontefract on February 5th of my
nephew, John David, to Annaliese, another member of the West Riding Police Force, especially as this will unite two families who have both suffered bereavement in recent years. So there will be a happy family gathering in Pontefract after all.

.

Snow Relief Centre

2009-12-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

Reading had never known anything like it until last Monday! It kept on snowing until the early hours next morning. At 12.30 that morning there was a queue of cars moving at 1 mile an hour up Hemdean Road because whichever way they went at the top end of the road there would be some kind of incline and the gritters couldn't get out because there were so many abandoned cars on Vastern road and the IDR. The local BBC was saying that Church Road Caversham was blocked off - still is - both ways and the Caversham to Henley Road was impassable. Tilehurst was even worse.

Thousands of cars were abandoned in Reading and the radio said that they had opened up rest centres in the Oracle shopping centre and the Town Hall and a church in Caversham Heights had opened up as a rest centre. I wondered if that was ours. It was!

Soon, I was listening to our Minister, Jenny Dowding, speaking on the radio saying that they opened up at 6pm and people were still there. 'People came out of the woodwork and brought milk and food, and where there were children they were taken to local homes. Other people brought bedding to make the others more comfortable. We managed to do breakfasts and we're just wondering if we are going to have to serve lunches as well. The trouble is that people are still coming in from the North, having already been held up several hours and not knowing that they can't get any further.'

Help was offered to more than 100 drivers and the road was not opened up until mid-afternoon the next day, so lunches were also needed. So our church people here were fulfilling the Presodent's message, even before thet received his message. It is still extremely cold, with lying snow on the gardens and hills but the roads and footpaths are clear. The main hazard now is ice and more snow is forecast. This time we hope the the Reading Borough will be more prepared and so pevent too many roads being blocked.

Methodist President’s Christmas Message

2009-12-22T02:02:00.000-08:00

The President of the Methodist Church has challenged people to look beyond the romanticism of the Christmas story in search of the reality.

Revd David Gamble Christmas said Christmas was actually much more about the real world than it was about a lovely story of far off places in far off times.

“It's about a young unmarried mother,” he said. “And our country has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the European Union. It’s about a homeless couple and their young child out in the cold. Look on the streets of our cities. Think of the television pictures of refugees.”

Rev David Gamble reminded people to consider the hungry, the hurting, the oppressed and the abused this Christmas.

“That's the central part of the Christmas message,” he said. “God is with us. And behind and within the lovely Christmas story is the truth of God with us in our world and in our lives.”

The full text follows:

“I wonder how we shall remember Christmas 2009?
I have to admit that I don't always remember Christmas for very Christmassy reasons. Sometimes it is things to do with home or family. For example, 1995 was the Christmas we got a new cooker. It was delivered at the beginning of December. Eventually someone came to disconnect the old one on the morning of Christmas Eve, which seemed like good news, but wasn’t so good at 3.00 in the afternoon when still no one had come to connect the new one. They did come eventually – but not until very late.

Or I remember Christmas 1988. My wife, Liz, was pregnant and our baby was due in the middle of March. But then, just after Christmas, Liz went into hospital and our son, Joe, arrived two months early. When they came home at the beginning of March, I’d been so busy going to work, taking family members hospital visiting, doing the washing and so on, that the Christmas decorations were still up.

Or 1980, when my mum, who was housebound, asked to be taken out Christmas shopping on the last weekend in October. She bought and wrapped all our presents. The next day she contracted pneumonia and she died on the Monday. We opened her presents on Christmas Day. Many people associate Christmas with the death of someone special to them.

Other memories relate to work. In my first Circuit I was chaplain to an open prison for women. One Christmas we took a small group from the prison carol singing around the local village. Unfortunately, when we got back the group was one short!

So, many Christmas memories don’t seem to have much to do with the Christmas story itself. They’re not about the carols or the Christmas Day sermon, but about things – happy and sad - that were going on in our lives and the world at the time. Who will ever forget Christmas 2004, when, in the middle of the season of goodwill, the tsunami struck?

But that is part of the paradox of this time of the year. On the one hand is the Christmas story, which we like hearing again and again. On the other hand we have the real world; things going on for us, our neighbours and friends; things on the news, new cookers not turning up, people in prison, people being born too soon, people being ill, or dying. The real world.

But that’s the whole point! Christmas is actually much more about the real world than it is about a lovely story of far off places in far off times.

It's about a young unmarried mother. And our country has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the European Union. It’s about a homeless couple and their young child out in the cold. Look on the streets of our cities. Think of the television pictures of refugees.

It's about shepherds who didn't go to church and weren't all that respectable being there to witness how God was doing something new - while the churchgoers and the religious leaders weren't there.

It’s about wise men looking for a new king and finding him not in a palace but behind a pub.

It’s about Mary and Joseph having to escape with their baby, as sanctuary seekers. Who is to say they wouldn’t have been desperate enough to hide themselves in the back of a lorry coming through the channel tunnel in their attempt to save their precious son? And what kind of a welcome would they have received here in 21st Century Britain? And for those who didn’t escape, it's about innocent children being brutally killed. You don’t get much more real than that! And for Bethlehem in 2009 you could also read Baghdad or Afghanistan.

Christmas is about the real world – as we know it. And it’s in that real world – at times very cruel, painful and dangerous – that God acts. Not in heaven. Not even in the temple. But right in the middle of human life at its toughest. People being born, people dying, people on the run, people with nowhere to go, people for whom there is no room.

Remember the meaning of the name Immanuel in Isaiah’s prophecy? God is with us. That's the central part of the Christmas message. God is with us. And behind and within the lovely Christmas story is the truth of God with us in our world and in our lives. In good parts and bad, joys and pains, hopes and fears. Remember, too, that some people won’t be able to suspend normal life for a few days over Christmas. If you are literally starving; if you are a refugee or a sanctuary seeker; if you are a child being abused in your own home, worried sick that your dad’s going to be around more over the next few days – you can’t suspend normal life, however much you’d like to.

If the gospel is really the good news it claims to be (and I believe it is) then it has to be good news for the hungry, the hurting, the oppressed, the abused. Good news. God is with us.

Sharing that good news is a huge challenge – but it’s also our great joy. God be with you.”

Source: Metodist News Service 22/12/2009

Special Christmas Celebrations

2009-12-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

During Advent at Caversham Heights Methodist Church, we had a Mitten tree in our church porch on which members of the congregation hung children's mittens, hats and scarves that they had knitted - though a few were bought, and last week all these gifts were taken down and dedicated together with the gifts of toys brought to the church on Toy Sunday. Then all the gifts were taken to Christian Community Action, the local ecumenical charity helping families in need across greater reading.

Yesterday we had two wonderful services with our new Minister. We had had a very heavy snowfall which kept many elderly people at home, but fortunately friends gingerly transported me to and from the church for both 10.30am and 4pm services. It was a traditional nine lessons and carols service in the morning, beginning with a bbrief drama in which the dialogue told of the important part angels had in the Nativity story. Each lesson was followed by teaching from Jenny on angels. Quite interesting and very educational The closing prayer (for the whole congregation) was that we might all use our eyes and ears to be more aware of angels, for we often entertain angels unawares, and that we may help our neighbours and spread the Good News of the Nativity.

The afternoon children's service was wonderful, with little angels and shepherds doing unexpected things like ripping off their headdress or running to Mummy when they should be on stage. All the children (and some older 'children' like me!) were loaned bells to ring in the choruses of the carols. Most of them were too young to act the Nativity, so one of the youth group acted as narrator and handed out presents from a sack in stages. The little ones first unwrapped a manger and it was put on the communion table; then Mary and Joseph, animals, shepherds and wise men, etc. The little ones (with supervision) put everything in or round the stable themselves. Finally, the last BIG parcel unwrapped was the world which, when placed above the stable, lit up - to illustrate that Christ, the Light of the world had come. Just before the last hymn, all the children in the church (not just those on stage) were given Stars on sticks (lit by a switch on each handle) and they all kept going round and round the church waving their stars as we sang 'Shine, Jesus, shine'. So a very happy time was had by all.

There was a good congregation of mainly parents and grandparents but the severe cold kept many of our regular congregation at home. Such a pity, because I often hear them complain that we have few children in our SS these days and I keep telling them that we have but they don't all come on the same Sunday. Today they did! As they grow older, I believe they will come more often and under Jenny's ministry will build up into something more like the SS we used to have. At present we have a good group of young people and lots of very young families. For some reason Junior age children are missing in our church families. What happy Christmas services!

The Free Churches condemn failure to reach climate deal

2009-12-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches have condemned the world’s richest countries for failing to reach a binding agreement at the Copenhagen climate change summit.

The Free Churches have been arguing that, as the world’s biggest carbon emitters, developed countries have a moral responsibility to take the lead in agreeing a new deal to counter global warming when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

“The failure by negotiators at the climate talks in Copenhagen to agree to cut carbon emissions by 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, after two weeks of negotiations, represents an immense set-back for rich and poor countries alike,” said the Revd John Marsh, moderator of the general assembly of the United Reformed Church.

“History will judge our generation harshly for failing to act on the clear scientific evidence for global warming linked to human activity,” he added. “We therefore urge the British government to continue exerting pressure on all key players to agree the necessary cuts in emissions to reduce the risk of global temperatures rising above 2 degrees.”

The Revd Graham Sparkes, head of Faith and Unity at the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: “No doubt people will point the finger of blame in many different directions. But the fact is that those who will suffer most have no voice and no political power. They are the poorest in our world, and are least equipped to deal with the catastrophic effects of climate change. “

Steve Hucklesby, policy adviser for the Methodist Church, said: “The reality is that the US, Europe, Australia and some others are emitting a great deal more greenhouse gases than our eco-system can sustain. The science is clear; we know what needs to done to prevent catastrophic climate change. There is no realistic alternative to a strong international treaty that commits developed nation states to deep cuts in emissions.”

Notes

The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) is the Baptist family in England and Wales. (There is also the Baptist Union of Wales). It is made up of churches, regional associations, the national resource centre and Baptist colleges. The Union works with others in mission locally, regionally and internationally. There are some 150,000 members of Baptist churches associated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. www.baptist.org.uk

The Methodist Church has about 295,000 members and 800,000 people are connected with the Church. It has about 5,800 churches in Great Britain, and links with other Methodist churches bring the worldwide membership up to 70 million. www.methodist.org.uk

The United Reformed Church comprises one hundred thousand people in 1600 congregations. It has brought together English Presbyterians, English, Welsh and Scottish Congregationalists and members of the Churches of Christ. Worldwide, more than 70 million Christians are members of the Reformed family of churches, the largest Protestant tradition. The name “Reformed” is used because the churches emerged out of the reform movements of the sixteenth century. www.urc.org.uk

The three denominations are the largest of the Free Churches in Britain. The Joint Public Issues Team, created in September 2006, combines the expertise of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church in the area of public issues. Through close collaboration, the churches aim to increase the effectiveness of their engagement in public life and parliamentary affairs. www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/jpitpublications.

Source: Methodist News Service 21/12/2009

New film, 'Nativity'

2009-12-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Methodist Web Radio treats listeners to an interview between actor Martin Freeman and Steve Goddard, editor of the Christian website Ship-of-Fools.com, on the new film, Nativity, playing in cinemas this Christmas.

Hear why Martin thinks the nativity story is the greatest story ever told and why he thinks religion isn’t such a bad idea:

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.webradio

Merry Christmas!

Source: Methodist News Service 15/12/2009

My Minister tells me that our people have already downloaded clips from the film and an interview with Martin Freeman for her to use on Christmas Day. That means that I shall miss it because I shall be with my family in Derbysire. It's not fair!

Our Centenary Year

2009-12-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

We are so nearly at the end of the Centenary Year (2009) at Caversham Heights Methodist Church that I thought I would attempt to sum it up on my blog.

It has certainly been a very good Centenary year, beginning with a Concert ‘A Hundred Years of Entertainment – something from every decade’ and the Covenant Service in January. As well as our Annual Pancake Party in February, we were thrilled to welcome the National Methodist Youth Brass Band and even managed to supply enough beds for them to sleep off-floor! Their concert (and shared worship the next day) were a real highlight of the year. March was a very special month when we had the Women’s World Day of Prayer service, followed a week later by a visit for the President of Conference, the Revd Stephen Poxon, together with the District Chair, the Revd Dr Andrew Wood.

On the following Thursday, the ‘Riding Lights Theatre Company’ performed their very challenging production of ‘Redemption Song’ which gave us much food for thought and on the next Sunday our guest preacher was the Revd Dr Mark Wakelin, Connexional Secretary for Internal Affairs. A very powerful 8 days! Following our Easter celebrations at the beginning of April, we much enjoyed the preaching of former Minister here, the Revd Terry Harris, now enjoying retirement in Devon.

In May we hosted the Churches Together United Christian Aid Service, and later were inspired by the preaching of two guest preachers, the new Anglican Rector of Caversham, the Revd Dan Tyndall, and Bishop Crispian Hollis, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth

June was THE Centenary month with ‘Items of Special Interest’ in the church’s 100 years’ history displayed all month, and a Flower/Art Exhibition in the Hall, a Reminiscences Evening, the Sunday Starters’ Anniversary, and guest preachers, the Revd Jackie Case (who grew up in this church) and the Revd Dr Lord Leslie Griffiths (a former Minister of the church), who was the preacher for the actual Centenary
Anniversary, when the cake was cut and there was a hog roast lunch in the garden of two members’ home. A day to remember!

July was concerned with saying ‘Goodbye’ to a much-loved Minister, the Revd Dermot Thornberry and his wife Charlene, with a Farewell Party and a Circuit farewell service.

We began September with our new Minister, the Revd Jenny Dowding, who was recovering after 12 weeks in a straitjacket following an accident, and our Harvest Weekend with guest preacher Professor Sir John Marsh. Then in October there were three guest preachers – Major Samuel Edgar (Salvation Army), Chairman of West Midlands Free Church Federal Council, Deacon Vic Downs (a very welcome returnee), and Mr. John Bell, former Vice-President of Conference.

November began with our Autumn Fair in aid of the Fund for World Mission and ended with a concert by the Reading Male Voice Choir in aid of the Racecourse Community School in Zambia (whose teachers are paid by our church) and where we have our twin church. In between these there were two guest preachers – the Revd Andy Moffoot, who has served as a mission partner in Kenya, and former Minister, the Revd Rosemary Fletcher and her husband James Rowley, who made a popular all day visit just before returning to Sri Lanka where they are serving as Mission Partners.

Finally, for our last guest preacher this month we were privileged to have the Revd Professor Frances Young, OBE, the eminent theologian and author, and our final service of the year will be led by the Revd Dr John Ogden, who is ‘sitting down’ now and the service will also take the form of a farewell Thank you service for his ministry here. So ends our year of centenary celebrations. (Rachel Peirce’s wedding almost seemed part of the centenary.)

Methodist Climate Cyclist arrives in Copenhagen

2009-12-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

Survey shows that 1 in 5 people are using their cars less

Ben Bradley has cycled 140 miles to the United Nations climate change summit at Copenhagen, with a group organised by Christian Aid.

Ben, Events Coordinator for the Methodist Church, has spent the last three days travelling with a team of 28 Christian Aid cyclists to bring a simple message to world leaders in Copenhagen: It’s not raining, it’s pouring – time to act on climate change.

Last month, a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Methodist Church showed that around 1 in 5 people are using cars less in favour of other forms of transport such as cycling. It also showed that around one in 20 people are flying less.

On arriving in Copenhagen, Ben said: “We may all be tired from cycling, but in an important sense, the real journey starts here. It’s make or break time – at Copenhagen it is essential that our leaders make some hard choices and decide on real action for the future of our planet.” People can find out more about Ben’s journey by visiting his blog: www.climatecycleride.blogspot.com.

The cyclists will join a mass rally in Copenhagen today, lobbying world leaders to take bold action and make real commitments to tackle climate change. While in Copenhagen, Ben also plans to deliver a letter of solidarity from the President of the British Methodist Conference to a church representative from Bangladesh.

The Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church have urged the European Union to agree cuts of at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and for these cuts to be made without extensive use of carbon offsets. The three churches have produced a report and study guide called Hope in God’s Future. The booklet, available from Methodist Publishing (www.mph.org.uk), takes the reader on a journey using the changing mood of a worship service as a framework for considering climate change and our impact on the planet.

Source: Methodist News Service 12/12/2009

The most important card you’ll send this Christmas

2009-12-11T23:37:00.000-08:00

Last post for 2nd class – 18 December
Last post for 1st class – 21 December

Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Church leaders are reminding people to send Christmas greetings to Immigration Minister Phil Woolas MP, asking him to end the detention of children in the asylum system.

Last month, the Churches launched One More Card, a campaign encouraging people to add Mr Woolas to their Christmas card list. Eight-year-old Moya is among those who have already sent cards. In her handmade card she writes: “To Mr Woolas, Happy Christmas and please stop locking children up in detention.” An image of her card is available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/methodistmedia.

Britain is the only country in Europe to lock up the children of people who have had their asylum claims declined and the Churches are calling on the Government to keep families together.

Paediatricians, GPs and psychiatrists have described children seeking sanctuary in the UK as among those most vulnerable in society, requiring special and humane treatment.

Dr Rosalyn Proops, Officer for Child Protection at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said; “We are very concerned about the health and welfare of children in immigration detention. These children are among the most vulnerable in our communities and detention causes unnecessary harm to their physical and mental health. The current situation is unacceptable and we urge the Government to develop alternatives to detention without delay.”

Revd Roberta Rominger, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, Revd David Gamble, President of the Methodist Conference and Revd Jonathan Edwards, President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain have already sent their card and are asking others to make sure they don’t miss the last posting date before Christmas.

People should send cards to Phil Woolas MP at the Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF and can find tips for drafting their Christmas message at www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/childrenindetention.

Source: Methodist News Service 11/12/2009

Service on skates makes a n-ice impression

2009-12-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

Attendance at Stuart Cradduck’s church may not have been slipping before, but the congregation certainly was after he put a plastic ice rink inside the building. The vicar of St George’s at Whyke in West Sussex came up with the idea to attract more people to a five-day Christmas tree festival held in the church. The Sun newspaper called Revd Cradduck ‘barmy’ and ‘eccentric’ as well as ‘cool’, but he had the last laugh as 4,500 people came through the doors. Asked why he did it, Revd Cradduck didn’t skate around the issue: ‘I want people to know that church isn’t just a boring thing. We want to show people that it’s a place to celebrate life.’

Source: The Sun (30/11)

Prioritise the poor, say Churches ahead of the Pre-Budget Report

2009-12-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

Three UK Churches are calling for protection for the poor and job security in a response to think tank Reform’s call today to cut public sector jobs.

Ahead of the Government’s Pre-Budget Report, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church are challenging the centre-right think tank, which has called for job cuts in the police force and NHS in order to reduce public borrowing.

Paul Morrison, Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church said: “The Government must prioritise maintaining employment and improving opportunities for those on benefits. Previous recessions have been marked by sustained high unemployment even after economic growth has returned and we must not allow that to happen again. Unemployment is a personal disaster, a social disaster and by taking large numbers of people away from paying tax, an economic disaster.”

Economic gains over the past decade have not been shared equally as the gap between rich and poor has increased. Evidence shows that this economic inequality has a massive negative impact on social cohesion, solidarity and wellbeing. The Churches are calling on the Government to produce a budget that prioritises jobs.

Commenting ahead of the Pre-Budget Report, Frank Kantor, Secretary for Church and Society for the United Reformed Church, said: “The Government’s finances are in trouble because tax revenue has decreased dramatically. It is vital that any tax rises or spending cuts do not further shrink the tax base by costing jobs. A return to high and sustainable employment is essential for both society and the economy.”

Graham Sparkes, Head of Faith and Unity for the Baptist Union of Great Britain, added: “A Pre-Budget Report that puts people’s welfare before market gains is vital. We cannot just return to business as usual – we need a system that promotes social justice, international co-operation and environmental sustainability. It will take more than one Pre-Budget Report to achieve this, but we pray that Wednesday’s announcement will take us in the right direction.”

Source: Methodist News Service 08/12/2009

Tory leader attacks Labour’s policy on marriage

2009-12-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

David Cameron has reprimanded the government for its ‘pathological’ denial that marriage is the best option for couples and parenting. The Conservative leader said, if elected, he would encourage marriage. Mr Cameron singled out Children's Secretary Ed Balls for particular criticism because of his assertion that children’s welfare is not necessarily related to marriage. Mr Cameron pointed out that most other European countries are happy to promote marriage, and that he would give tax breaks to civil partnerships as well as married couples. Meanwhile, the government-funded Family and Parenting Institute suggested that the traditional family is disappearing and advised against trying to prevent its decline through financial incentives.

Source: Daily Mail (1/12)

Christmas outreach idea snapped up by churches

2009-12-05T03:55:00.000-08:00

An evangelistic initiative that invites members of the public to be photographed in a nativity tableau has caught the imagination of a broad spectrum of churches. The idea, first brought to the streets by evangelist Chris Duffett in Chester last Christmas, was taken up nationally this year by the Baptist Union and then endorsed by Churches Together in England. Now at least 40 towns are offering the chance to ‘Get in the Picture’. Afterwards, the photos can be seen and downloaded for free from a website which also tells people about local Christmas services and presents a Christmas message. Churches Together in Peterborough have rented a shop in the city centre where Christmas shoppers can have their photo taken with a real donkey.

Source: Baptist Times (3/12)

Employers claim Christmas holiday is unfair on other religions

2009-12-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

The Employers Forum on Belief says closing down over Christmas is ‘indirect discrimination’. The Forum, comprising major employers like Barclays, Sainsbury’s, West Midlands Police and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, advises that shutting offices could be resented by members of other faiths. They have to use up their holidays for their own religious festivals while Christians are given time off for Christmas. The Forum suggests that companies can ease tension by pointing out that shutting down at this time makes economic sense, and admits that celebrating Christmas should not offend minorities, yet recommends avoiding the use of religious-looking seasonal decorations.

Source: Daily Telegraph (21/11)

Methodist Church using investments to fight climate change

2009-12-03T02:13:00.000-08:00

Aims to reduce carbon footprint of its portfolios
New investment policy on climate change ahead of Copenhagen Summit

The Methodist Church’s investment arm has outlined how its investments reflect Methodist teaching on the environment and take forward the fight against climate change. It aims to ‘create and manage portfolios with a carbon footprint that is relatively low and measurably declining.’

‘The new policy explains how we will encourage companies to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,’ said Bill Seddon, Chief Executive of the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church. ‘We will also look for better disclosure of emissions, including those produced from a company’s supply chains.’

The policy builds on the CFB’s work on climate change over many years. It has long been a signatory of the Climate Disclosure Project, is a founder member of the Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change and works with other churches through the Church Investors Group. It regularly asks companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions. ‘We are now looking for action to accelerate the reduction of those emissions,’ said Mr Seddon.

The new policy helps to integrate church investing with church teaching, most recently expressed in a report entitled ‘Hope in God’s future’.

Steve Hucklesby, Methodist Church Policy Adviser, welcomed the CFB’s approach: ‘We are delighted that the CFB has adopted this policy. Climate change threatens to cause irreversible damage to the planet’s eco-system causing suffering to millions of people over the coming decades. It is vital that governments commit to massively reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the Copenhagen Summit, but we should not just leave it to them. We can all play a part and companies also have a responsibility to act. With this policy, the church will also be making its voice heard in boardrooms.’

Tackling climate change issues through an investment policy will not always be straightforward. ‘We know we will not always get it right,’ said Mr Seddon, ‘but the Methodist Church will always seek to act as a responsible investor.’

Source: Methodist News Service 03/12/2009

Church leaders urge government to push for commitment at Copenhagen

2009-12-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

The leaders of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed churches have called on the government to put pressure on the world’s richest countries to reach a binding agreement at next week’s climate change conference in Copenhagen.

The churches argue that since developed countries such as the UK and US owe their wealth to activities producing high levels of carbon, they also have a moral responsibility to take the lead in setting measures to counter global warming.

The statement comes amid widespread acknowledge that agreement on a climate treaty at Copenhagen – needed for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 – is unlikely.

The Free Churches have been supporting developing countries in their fight for a deal that mitigates the effects of climate change on the poor and vulnerable, and allows poor nations to develop economically.

The Revd John Marsh, moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, said:

“We share the anger and frustration of the world’s poorest countries with the intransigent positions adopted by negotiators of some of the richest countries ahead of the Copenhagen Summit which has rendered a binding agreement unlikely. The time for talking is over.

“The richest countries have a moral obligation to ensure that a series of clear decisions are now made in order to have a treaty committing them to a cut of greenhouse gas emissions of at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. We

call on the government to do everything in their power to persuade their American counterparts to commit to this timeframe and target at Copenhagen.”

Source: Methodist News Service 30/11/2009

EU says churches must employ homosexuals

2009-12-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

In perhaps the first test of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Commission has overruled the British government’s decision to allow religious groups to avoid giving jobs to gays. The EU says that UK concessions break a Brussels directive on discrimination. The National Secular Society had complained to the Commission about the opt-outs. Churches will now only be able to turn down homosexual applicants for jobs involving religious activities or practices. One Christian charity responded: ‘If evangelical churches cannot be sure that they can employ practising evangelicals with respect to sexual ethics, how will they be able to continue?’ Gay campaigners are also pushing for legislation to force churches to bless civil partnerships.

Sources: LifeSiteNews (24/11); The Observer (22/11)

Former BBC newsreader appointed as “chaplain to older people” in Alton

2009-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

Broadcaster Debbie Thrower becomes the country’s first Simeon Chaplain

Broadcaster Debbie Thrower has been appointed by Churches in Alton as the new “chaplain to older people”. The appointment has been funded by The Simeon Trust through The Greater Alton Project or GAP, a partnership of Anglican and Methodist Churches in the town.

Working as Simeon Chaplain, Debbie will be concerned for the spiritual welfare of people in residential care and sheltered accommodation in Alton. She is the first Simeon Chaplain in the country.

The Simeon Trust was founded to promote the spiritual welfare of older people and it is intended that more chaplains will be appointed in other parts of the UK. In the Bible, Simeon was the elderly man who first discerned that Jesus, who was then just a baby being brought by his parents to the Temple, was the Son of God and long-hoped for Saviour (Luke 2: 25-35).

“Hope is what the new job is all about,” said Debbie, who is also a lay minister (or Reader) in the Church of England. “I seek to come alongside not only older people but also their relatives, carers and staff working in residential care. It is the clearest possible message from the churches I’ll represent that older people matter.”

Debbie, 52, is a former BBC national newsreader, presenter of South Today and was for many years one of the best known faces in the region presenting ITV’s “Meridian Tonight” with Fred Dinenage.

“It is a fresh challenge for me and it is a great privilege to be taking on this representative role for the congregations who are demonstrating their commitment to help people at a time in their lives which can be beset with difficulties,” she said. “As health fails, fears can grow and a chaplain comes alongside people to bring reassurance and hope that the God of love is with us at all stages of our life.”

Debbie, who starts as chaplain in January, will be using her married surname Thompson.

“I hope to combine this part-time work with my other freelance broadcasting projects working as Debbie Thrower, and I am very excited by the opportunity to become an advocate for older people,” she added. “It is pioneering work in many ways, and it is the dream that Simeon chaplains will become commonplace in communities across the country. The need for it is immense, especially with a growing older population.”

Revd Canon Peter Doores, who is the Priest in Charge at St Lawrence Church, said: “We are pleased to appoint Debbie as Simeon Chaplain. It has been our aspiration for some time to offer older people better spiritual support and help them to continue to make important contributions to the life of our local community.”

“Debbie has both knowledge and experience of the changing needs of the elderly,” said Revd Keith Underhill from Alton Methodist Church. “Her journalistic background is a bonus that will make her a valuable asset to this pioneering post.”

Since leaving ITV Meridian earlier this year, Debbie has returned to her former station BBC Radio Solent as guest presenter. She fronted a weekday show on BBC Radio 2 for five years in the 90’s and regularly appeared on BBC 1’s “Songs of Praise.”

Six years ago she began the three year training to be a Reader, licensed to preach, teach and lead worship, gaining a Certificate of Christian Theology and Ministry from the University of Winchester. She is married with two teenage children and lives near Alresford.

Source: Methodist News Service 30/11/2009

Poirot actor fears Christianity is getting a raw deal

2009-11-29T00:18:00.000-08:00

David Suchet worries that Christianity is being marginalised in Britain in deference to other religions. The star of the long-running Poirot TV series believes ‘we should embrace all religions and marginalise none. But we seem more concerned with marginalising Christianity, and not offending other faiths.’ His concern crystallised after Government aid was recently withdrawn from a Christian charity that he supports. He says: ‘We are in danger of losing the importance of the Christian faith in our own country.’ Christian Peoples Alliance leader Alan Craig agrees: ‘Christianity is being marginalised by those who rule our society.’ Suchet, who found God after reading the Bible 20 years ago, has been open about his beliefs in several interviews.

Sources: Daily Mail (26/11); Daily Express (26/11)

10,000 attend Salvationist meetings in India

2009-11-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

India,

Salvation Army Chief of the Staff Robin Dunster has toured the Army’s India Northern territory to encourage the troops. Over 10,000 have attended events led by Commissioner Dunster, including a rally of more than 3,000 young people in Amritsar. The Indian Salvationists were excited to see the Chief, and wherever she went she and her support officer, Lieut-Colonel Edna Williams, were given gifts like garlands, flowers and shawls. In two cities, thousands of Salvationists took part in grand marches of witness, backed by Punjabi bagpipes and drums. Another event was attended by India’s Agriculture Minister, who told the Salvationists he supported them in their service of the Indian people.

Source: The Salvationist (21/11)

Government minister sides with faith community

2009-11-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

Communities Secretary John Denham aims to give religious groups a greater say in government policy and has rejected calls for faith to be pushed out of the public sphere. In a move that has angered secularists, Mr Denham says he wants Christians, Muslims and others to contribute to policy-making because their views are vital if the UK is to be a ‘progressive society’. He has created a new team of religious advisors to give their suggestions on the economy, parenting, climate change and other subjects. Conceding that in recent years Labour has too often ignored religious opinion, the minister praised faith as ‘a strong and powerful source of honesty, solidarity, generosity – the very values which are essential to politics, to our economy and our society.’

Source: Daily Telegraph (14/11)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Urgent call to prayer for those affected by flooding

2009-11-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Special prayer available online: http://tinyurl.com/yfl2jpp

The President of the Methodist Conference has called for people to pray for all those affected by last night’s severe flooding.

Revd David Gamble is asking churches to pray in their services this Sunday for people affected by the flooding and has written a special prayer for use by churches and individuals across the UK (below).

Revd Richard Teal, Chair of the Cumbria Methodist District, has asked for Christians to pray particularly for the people of Cumbria.

Loving God

We remember in your presence all those who have been affected by the recent flooding:
people whose homes and livelihoods have been devastated;
people who feel they have lost everything and don’t know what to do next;
people who fear for the safety of ones they love.
We remember, too, all those involved in bringing help and support:
those who work in the emergency services, sometimes at risk of their lives;
volunteers, wanting to do whatever they can to help;
and the churches in Cumbria, especially those in the Methodist district.
And we remember the land.
As the elements rage, we remember that you have called us to care for your creation.
In the midst of all the confusion, pain, fear, anger and loss may your Spirit brood over the face of the waters and bring hope.
And may your love be known,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen

Source: Methodist News Service 20/11/2009

Churches encourage politicians to prioritise the common good

2009-11-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

On the occasion of the State Opening of Parliament, three British Churches are reminding politicians that they still have a duty to work for the benefit of all people.

With a general election looming, political parties are already focusing on their campaigns. But the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have expressed concern that many of the proposals they welcome in the Queen’s Speech may not become law because time is running short.

Speaking on behalf of the Churches, David Bradwell, Public Issues Policy Adviser, said: “Now more than ever we need politicians to work for the common good, and not let party politics and the imminent election distract them from the important work that is before them. I hope they have the courage to do what is right, even if it is not universally popular.”

The Churches highlighted key issues in the Queen’s Speech such as the Bribery Bill, which will criminalise the bribery of foreign officials in order to get business, and the Cluster Munitions Bill, which the churches are urging the Government to make further progress on. They consider the Constitutional Renewal Bill as an important step towards greater accountability in politics. The three Churches have also urged policy makers to focus their concern on those who made little out of the good economic years so that the public services they rely on are not cut in the bad years.

“As the General Election approaches, it is a good time for churches to think about how they can engage with politics and build relationships with politicians,” added David. “Many churches hold hustings meetings during election campaigns, but the election should be seen as the start of a relationship with an MP, and not the end of it. We have a duty to hold politicians accountable for their policies and promises.”

Local churches may also be interested to follow the Flood and Water Management Bill, which might be amended to allow community organisations a discount on water rate tariffs.

Source: Methodist News Service 18/11/2009

Youth Assembly appoints new full time Youth President

2009-11-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

Attendance of Youth Assembly up by 75%

Last weekend, the Methodist Youth Assembly appointed Pete Brady from Bradford, aged 23, as its President.

Pete will be the Methodist Youth President, working full-time for one year to serve the young people of the Methodist Church in Britain, making their voices heard and helping them to get more involved in every aspect of Church life. The Youth President is a paid post as part of the Children and Youth Team of the Methodist Church in Britain

“It’s a real honour being appointed to this role” said Pete “Ensuring the voices of young people are heard within our church is something that I have felt passionately about for a long time and it’s amazing to be given the opportunity to be that voice for young people across the country. My aim for the year is to be easily accessible to young people across the Connexion, to voice their opinions and represent them to the very best of my ability in everything I do.”

Attendance at the Youth Assembly increased by 75% from last year. Over 200 11 – 23 year-olds gathered at the Ushaw Conference Centre in Durham to take part in a programme designed by young people for young people. They came from as far afield as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales, from churches in the inner cities to rural chapels in the Cotswolds. The issues they explored ranged from youth violence to equality and diversity, human sexuality and self-esteem.

“Maybe it’s the economic times we’re living in,” said Jude Levermore, Youth Participation Development Officer for the Methodist Church. “Or maybe it’s the attention given to global climate change, or Afghanistan. But the age of apathy seems to be over. Young people want to see the world in which they live transformed. And they seem to see the church as being a place where that change can start.”

The decisions taken and commitments made by the Youth Assembly will influence policy-making at the annual Methodist Conference next year and will be input into the work of the Connexional Team, as well as impacting immediately on the work of the Children and Youth Team.

“These are exciting times for the Methodist Church and for young people,” said Jude. “Anyone who was at Youth Assembly cannot fail to have been impressed by the level of engagement and passion and desire on the part of young people there to get involved and to be the change they want to see - in the world and in their church.”

Source: Methodist news Service 18/11/2009

‘Living peace wall’ on Belfast’s dividing line

2009-11-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

A church initiative has seen Catholics and Protestants joining hands to form a symbolic link through the gates in Belfast’s 26-mile dividing wall between the two communities. The action was part of a 40-day peace vigil arranged by New Life City Church. Community members as well as churchgoers took part including a young motorcyclist who stopped to apologise to Pastor Jack McKee for having smashed his home windows and petrol bombed his car ‘on orders’ some years ago. The church owns a former warehouse on part of the concrete ‘peace wall’ erected during the Troubles to protect people on both sides from attack. It hopes to eventually refurbish this as a community facility.

Source: Christianity magazine (Dec)

Personal Debt Cancellation

2009-11-14T00:42:00.000-08:00

I am being constantly getting phone calls telling me how to cancel my debt. I'm afraid i get annoyed and immediately hang up, so that the last call said, "This is a public announcement, so please don't hang up. From April 6th the Government plans to relieve you of your debts..." As soon as the word 'debts' occurred, I hung up once more.

For someone of my generation these calls are an insult, because we were brought up never to be in debt no matter how hard times were for us - and somehow we managed to keep free of debt. One of the most vivid memories I have of growing up in a large family in the North-East of England in a recession is of my mother often having to say "We can always do without what we can't get!" This was always greeted by a loud, disgusted chorus of "Mum!" from her seven children - but it was very good training for us and she was a wizard at coming up with alternatives that were nowhere near as good but clamed us all down. My mother also managed to be a keen supporter of Methodist overseas Women's Work no matter how tough it was for her to make ends meet, because "their situation is much worse than ours".

The result is that throughout my long life I have followed this principle and never been in debt, though sometimes life has been hard and it meant that because I was the fifth child I was the first to, of necessity, be denied College education. (I have never ceased to take every opportunity to keep on learning.)

There is no doubt that this generation has unprecedented debt problems for various reasons and has great distress because of this. My grandchildren incurred huge debts in order to pursue their chosen University courses. While I applaud their academic success, I can't come to terms with the fact that this is a heavy burden to bear at the start of their careers. I can just about accept this kind of debt for the huge benefit that a university degree can bring (and because I had so wanted to take up the place I'd been offered in my youth).

However, it continually distresses me to see the TV adverts which advise viewers to "buy now, pay later. Nothing to pay for the first year." I have great sympathy for young people setting up home for the first time (and I help them when I can) but is there no other way in these days? Is life really harder now than it was for us in the recession of the 1930s? I know that there are some - homeless and immigrants, for example - who are in dire straits through no fault of their own, but, those apart, are families being encouraged to spend above their means? Would they be happier managing 'to do without what they can't get' until they could really afford it. You may say that it's easy enough for me to write like this because my hard times are over. In a sense that is true, because I have a nice house and garden (where I can grow my vegetables) but on a widow's pension I am still having to watch what I spend and leave enough to support tsunami appeals, etc.

Here in Reading, Christian Community Action is doing a wonderful job to give practical help and advice for those in desperate need and I am glad to support them. But I still ask whether so many people ought to be in debt, just by buying what they fancy instead of waiting until they can afford it.

With Christmas approaching some families run themselves into debt because they want to 'put on a good show' of food and presents. Other families stop giving presents to the adults in the family to save money. So I'm repeating what I wrote in an ealier post, in case it helps one or two families to enjoy a happy debt-free Christmas -

My daughter-in-law came up with a suggestion that I think is worth sharing in case it will help your family too. The idea is that all the adult names are put into a hat and each member of the family draws one out and buys a present for the person whose name (s)he has drawn, thus buying only one present - but the children are excepted. Before making the draw, a reasonable price is agreed that each present should cost. This way, every adult receives a good present and no-one knows who has bought which present for whom - and, best of all, no-one has run themselves into debt by trying to buy more presents than they can afford!

Churches propose Christian prison

2009-11-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

Cornish churches have united behind proposals for a prison run on Christian principles as a solution to woefully high reoffending rates. Free, Independent Evangelical and Pentecostal churches have joined Quakers and Anglicans in support for a new model of prison. The Carpenter’s House would draw on approaches used by the Kainos Community programme which has slashed reoffending rates in three prisons by 87 per cent. The idea coincides with Prisons Week (15–21 Nov) and an appeal for churches to become much more prison-aware. Revd Bob Payne, chair of the Prisons Week Committee, urged churches to invite prison representatives to present the ‘reality of prisons’ to congregations. Churches should also learn about the challenges for ex-offenders and the developing role of community chaplaincy, he said.

Sources: Church Times (13/11); Baptist Times (12/11)

ITV People's Millions - Thornaby Methodist Church

2009-11-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

We have yet another Methodist nominee for ITV People’s Millions! Noah’s Garden, based at Thornaby Methodist Church in Stockton on Tees, will appear on ITV Tyne-Tees at 6pm on Wednesday 25 November. Do vote for Thornaby if you are able.

Synchronised Blogging on Digimission

2009-11-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Today is designated as a synchronised bloging day on the subject of Digimission but i have seen no evidence of this on any of the blogs i have visited. Digimission is a subject very close to my heart because it was the reason I took up blogging in the first place.

My earliest years in blogging were the happiest because I was in direct touch with so many young people, many of whom had problems that they discussed with me and I answered them from a Christian viewpoint. But my blog then was also a mixture of fun and seriousness, as I posted games and puzzles and trick questions. It really was great fun and I felt that I had a host of young eager blog friends, including a 25 year old who was traumatised after escaping the 9/11 bombings. Then my server Modblog went out of business and i lost my digi-family.

I have not found such a ministry since then, despite my yearnings to find another effective way of digimission. I enjoy blogging still, but it is now much more a sharing of information with like-minded Christian people and there seemms to be no contact with the unchurched people, especially young people, out there in the world. I sem to be fulfilling a purpose for a number of people, but it is certainly not what I felt called to do when i took up blogging. So I shall be very interested to learn what IS being effective NOW in digimission.

I get the feeling that one has to be on facebook and twitter these days to be really in touch with the 'real' world, but i don't feel that these are for me. Twitter is such a shallow means of communication and certainly NOT a channel on whch a young man could pour out his heart, pleading for help. I may be wrong but I shy away from Facebook because it seems to me that I would get such a huge number of followers that I would not have time for all the other things that I do besides blogging. So I have not entered that hiher echelon of blogging - yet.

I was hoping that I would be reading lots of brilliant ideas for digimission today, so I am very disappointed. I hope I haven't disappointed you too much! So all I can do is to refer you to this link:
http://www.eauk.org/slipstream/events/digimission.cfm .

Update - For those who have not yet visited the Slipstream website, I feel that the following details might be helpful and perhaps encourage others to book for this Digimission event.

When: 1st December 2009 10.30am to 3.00pm

Where: St. Paul's Church, Robert Adam Street, London W1

Cost: £12 early bird rate until 16 November
£15 after 16 November, booking deadline 25 November
Booking online only

For other details, visit the Slipstream website.

Pressure to drop court case against Fiji Church leaders

2009-11-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

British Church leaders to meet with Foreign Office

At a court hearing today, a lawyer representing nine Fijian Church leaders appealed for the case against them to be dropped.

The leaders of the Fijian Methodist Church, including the Church’s President, General Secretary, Accountant and Trust Secretary, have pleaded not guilty to charges of breaching Public Emergency Regulations. Their solicitor met today with the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposing counsel and magistrate to argue that there is no case to be answered.

Tomorrow afternoon, Revd David Gamble, President of the British Methodist Conference and Dr Richard Vautrey, Vice President of the Conference, will meet with Meg Munn MP and Chris Bryant MP, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

David said; “We are very concerned for our sister Church in Fiji. This situation threatens to consume so much of their time, energy and finance. Strict bail conditions have robbed the Church of its leaders and we hope to seek a way forward that will enable the Church to continue to worship and serve its communities.”

The Fijian Church leaders are appealing against their bail conditions, which prohibit them from public speaking, preaching or taking part in church meetings.

The Church represents around a third of Fiji’s population and has challenged Fiji’s military government, which is lead by Commodore Bainimarama. Earlier in the year the Church was forced to cancel its annual Conference and choir festivals.

Hold Fast to Hope for Prisons Week 15-21 November 2009

2009-11-09T02:43:00.000-08:00

Churches across Great Britain are being encouraged to hold special services and events to mark Prisons Week from 15-21 November.

The theme for Prisons Week this year is Hold Fast to Hope, encouraging Christians to focus on real stories of hope and redemption from around the world.

Revd David Gamble, President of the Methodist Conference, said; “Prisons week reminds us of the harsh realities of crime and imprisonment, but it also speaks of hope in dark places. This is a time to pray for those in prison and those affected by crime as we seek a better future for all. It's also a time to give thanks for and remember the contribution made by chaplains to the lives of those living and working in prisons.”

The Prisons Week website (www.prisonsweek.org) offers a range of free resources, including prayers, sketches and stories of hope from the UK and further afield.

Revd Alan Ogier, Superintendent Methodist and Free Church Chaplain to the Prison Service, said; “The Christian message is one of real hope for all – not just shallow optimism. This is a solid belief that no one is beyond redemption, that change can and does happen.”

You can listen to an interview with Alan about the reality of prison life online here: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.webradio.

Source: Methodist News Service 09/11/2009

Put a little Christmas in your pocket

2009-11-06T01:58:00.000-08:00

The Methodist Church is hoping to spread a little festive cheer with the latest edition to their hugely popular In Your Pocket booklet series.

Christmas in Your Pocket offers readers an inspiring collection of images, Bible verses, prayers and reflections on the Christmas season. It draws together contributions from authors as diverse as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Benjamin Franklin and Bob Hope.

Joy Fisher, Series Editor, said; “This is a pocket-sized reminder that Christmas starts with Christ and finds its home in us. Christmas is for everyone - it’s a time of miracles, hope, expectation, excitement and the most precious gift that anyone can receive.”

Christmas in Your Pocket is ideal for personal or group reflection, but churches are also encouraged to share the Christmas spirit with their communities by giving the booklets away.

The whole range of In Your Pocket booklets (also including Prayer in Your Pocket and Hope in Your Pocket), are available from Methodist Publishing at £5 for 50 copies. They can be purchased online here: http://tinyurl.com/yen2zce/.

Source: Methodist News Service 06/11/2009

Date and venue announced for Methodist Conference 2011

2009-11-05T04:44:00.000-08:00

In 2011, the Methodist Conference will be heading northwest to Southport, from 30 June to 7 July.

The Methodist Conference is the governing body of the Methodist Church and meets annually in June or July. Next year’s Conference will be held in Portsmouth, from 24 June to 1 July, at the Portsmouth Guildhall.

Six months of searching for a suitable venue to bring the event back to the north of England for 2011 have concluded with the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.

“This is a newly refurbished venue, well suited to the needs of today’s Methodist Conference,” said Ben Bradley, Connexional Events Coordinator. “I’m excited by what Southport has to offer. Not only does it boast all the best features of a Victorian resort town, but it has all the amenities the modern conference goer would expect.”

The opening ceremony of the Conference and Conference worship are due to be held in the Southport Theatre Auditorium with a capacity for seating over 1,600 people. Conference business sessions will take place in the Art Deco Floral Hall in the adjoining convention centre.

Source; Methodist News Service 05/11/2009

New Youth Assembly comes to Durham

2009-11-05T03:55:00.000-08:00

More young people’s voices will be heard in oversubscribed event.

This year more young Methodists than ever will be making their voices heard through an interactive-styled assembly that replaces Youth Conference.

The new process has been designed to maximise the impact of young people’s influence on the Methodist Church in Britain and enable a greater number of 11 to 23-year-olds to have their say. For the first time in 14 years, the event is oversubscribed with around 200 young people set to take part.

The Youth Assembly will also elect its Youth President; a full t ime, salaried role open to 18 to 23-year-olds.

Youth Conference was modelled on the style of the annual Methodist Conference, but the new Youth Assembly will involve sessions facilitated by young Methodists who have been trained with the skills to help groups run their own debates. Youth violence, vocation, climate change and self-esteem are among the issues expected to be discussed during the weekend conference from November 13 to 15 at Ushaw College Conference Centre in Durham. Conversations will be streamed via webcams around the venue and outcomes from the debates will be displayed on plasma screens and graffiti boards as they happen.

Fiona Holmes, 20, from Newcastle, has been part of the planning team right from the start. “The Youth Assembly is ground-breaking, something totally new to the Church, something that will let young people feel they are a part of the Church,” said Fiona, a British Gas engineer. “This will show the Church who young people are and what we can do. We are not the Church of the future; we are the Church of today.”

There will be a “drop-in zone” on Saturday 14 November where a team of consultants from the Connexion will be on hand to help answer any questions which come out of the young people’s discussions. Consultants in areas of work from Faith and Order through to Equalities and Diversity will be asked to share their knowledge in the style of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire’s Phone-A-Friend. Revd David Gamble, President of Methodist Conference, and Vice-President Dr Richard Vautrey will be among the team members who have all been given guidelines by the young people about how to carry out their consultative roles on the day.

Jude Levermore, Participation Development Officer, said: “I am really excited at the way young people have been involved in the planning of this event, so that the format has completely changed. I am confident it will have more of an impact on the wider Church because of their input. I am very proud of every thing that the planning group has achieved.

“The Youth Assembly will enable young people from all different backgrounds and abilities to engage – not just those who are articulate and confident about speaking to a roomful of people.”

Newcastle Upon Tyne District is hosting the event and not-for-profit organisation - Dynamix - has helped enable the young people’s democratic vision to come to life.

Source: Methodist News Service 05/11/2009

Christmas is coming!

2009-11-02T01:23:00.000-08:00

There are 52 days to Christmas - with all that that means for us as Christians as well as all the preparations for a big family get-together.

Ecumenically, we usually use one of the shop windows in the shopping precinct for a large Nativity scene. This year there seem to be a number of difficulties in the way. The window in question has been papered over with brown paper, which will need to be removed (and replaced after Christmas)- involving quite a lot of work! It so happens that the hard-working secretary will be away for several weeks at a crucial time and another stalwart is recovering from an operation, though he himself is making light of whether he will be fit to work on the project. It will be a great shame if we have to break with tradition are unable to mount the usual Nativity scene, so your prayers will be appreciated.

Now for the family get-together! I wonder if you have a similar situation in your family? Ours was a big family to start with, but it keeps on growing and growing!
Not only are all my grandchildren finding soulmates (? future spouses) who want to be included, but more great-grandchildren are being born. Well, at my age, in this recession, I am just about making ends meet each week, so what can I possibly do about buying presnts for each and every one of them?

My daughter-in-law, when I made a quick trip up to Derbyshire this week to meet my new-born great-grandson, came up with a suggestion that I think is worth sharing in case it will help your family too. The idea is that all the names are put into a hat and each member of the family draws one out and buys a present for the person whose name (s)he has drawn. Thus buying only one present - but the children are excepted. Before making the draw, a reasonable price is agreed that each present should cost.

This way, every adult receives a good present and no-one knows who has bought which present for whom - and, best of all, no-one has run themselves into debt by trying to buy more presents than they can afford! That has taken a great weight off my mind and it leaves me to enjoy Christmas as it should be enjoyed, with everybody happy and blessed.

But my immediate task is to send out advertisements of all our Christmas services and other events to the three local newspapers and local radio.

Update: Alas! A message has now been received from the owners of the premises in the shopping precinct that are normally used for the Nativity scene to explain that a change of use behind the window covered in brown paper makes it quite impossible for this window to be used by the churches this year.

Getting the best for Local Preachers

2009-10-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

First phase of major consultation begins

The Methodist Church is carrying out a major review of training and support for local preachers throughout Great Britain.

This week, questionnaires and discussion documents have been sent to all circuit local preachers’ secretaries and circuit superintendents inviting them to facilitate a review of continuing development programmes for Britain’s 10,000 local preachers.

Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, said; “Local preachers are essential to the life and ministry of the Church. As a team, we are committed to listening to local preachers about their needs and concerns so that we can offer them better support and training, helping them to live out their calling to the full.”

The first phase of the consultation will ask local preachers about what kind of continuing development programmes they would find most helpful. Each local preachers’ meeting has been asked to encourage all local preachers present to complete a questionnaire about existing and future continuing development provision. Each meeting is also being asked to discuss what the major challenges are for local preachers today and how they can best be supported in their ministry. Documentation to support the consultation is available online at www.methodist.org.uk/lpconsultation.

Speaking of the Church’s duty to nurture and uphold the ministry of local preachers, Revd Dr Mark Wakelin, Secretary for Internal Relationships, said; “Sitting in a pew I want the person leading to know that they are not simply there to fill a plan appointment, but because God has called them, that the Church recognises this and had tried to equip and support that call. I have been most helped when a preacher exudes a sense of their worth and value as God’s messenger.”

A second consultation phase in spring 2010 will specifically consider Faith and Worship, the local preachers’ training course.

Source: Methodist News Service 30/10/2009

Second Synchronised Blogging Day

2009-10-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

As far as I can tell, not too many bloggers took part in the first synchronised blogging day, so perhaps this email might tempt a few more to have a go this second time round.

Hi Bloggers,

Following on from my previous email about DigiMission (http://www.eauk.org/slipstream/events/digimission.cfm) I’d like to let you know that we’re organising another synchronised blogging day, and this time there’s a prize involved!

All we’re asking is that you come up with a creative idea of how Christians can use the digital space to impact mission, and then to blog about it! The date is Thursday 12 November so put it in your diaries, or write something now and schedule it for publication on that day. The top three entries/ideas will each win the full set of Test of Faith materials (www.testoffaith.com). And we have a few extra books and DVDs for honourable mentions. J

Then if you could link back to Slipstream and/or the DigiMission event we’d really appreciate it.

All the details are here, and closer to the date we’ll have a list of all the blogs participating:

http://www.eauk.org/slipstream/events/digimission-synchro-blog.cfm

Tell your blogging friends all about it.

Best regards
Anna Moyle
Slipstream Administrator
www.eauk.org/slipstream

Pakistan Church calls for an end to religious violence

2009-10-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Call for prayer this Sunday

The leader of the Methodist Church in Britain has welcomed moves by Church leaders in Pakistan which call on the Pakistani government to end religious violence in the country.

This year, violent attacks against Christians have left many dead and made hundreds of families homeless, as many more fear for their safety. Church leaders in Pakistan have formed a Christian Action Forum to address the problem and are lobbying their Government to act to end the violence.

The Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Britain, said, “I welcome this announcement and want to add my voice to theirs in calling for serious and credible efforts from the Government to stem the violence against religious minorities. I also want to extend my sympathy to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the recent violent attacks.”

Martyn affirmed the right of all people to live in safety and worship freely, encouraging Christians to pray for the Church and people of Pakistan, especially on Sunday which is the 39th anniversary of the founding of the United Church of Pakistan.

Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator for Asia, is currently in Pakistan and yesterday attended a press conference given by the Moderator of the Church of Pakistan, Bishop Samuel Azariah, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lahore, His Grace Lawrence John Saldanha. At the conference, Church leaders called for the repeal of laws which encourage crime and discrimination, especially the controversial blasphemy laws, which have been used to justify violence against Christians.

Steve said, “There is considerable tension in the country following indiscriminate suicide bombings and the assassination of a provincial government minister. All schools must now have armed guards, establishments where girls are educated are particularly worried and many church meetings are being cancelled. It is late in the evening now, and I can hear gunfire in nearby streets.”

Speaking after the press conference, Bishop Azariah commented, “The most important thing about the new Forum is that Christian leaders are now struggling together for the establishment of democratic values in Pakistan and fighting against the discriminatory laws being used against the religious minorities.”

Martyn also invited Methodists in Britain to lobby their representatives at the national and European parliaments to question the Pakistan government about the protection of the rights of minorities in the country. He welcomed the contribution of Pakistani Christians to the life of the Methodist Church in Britain and encouraged local congregations across Britain to offer pastoral support to them during this difficult time.

Source: Methodist News service 27/10/2009

Risky youth initiative ‘part of Methodist DNA’

2009-10-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

The Methodist Church’s £7 million initiative to reach unchurched 20- and 30-somethings is part of the ‘pioneering DNA’ of the denomination, its coordinator has claimed. VentureFX leader Revd Ian Bell suggested the project is ‘one of those bold and adventurous schemes that Methodism has from time to time embraced’ and one of which the denomination’s founder, John Wesley, would be proud. Mr Bell invited church circuits and districts to step forward for the scheme, which will initially establish five area projects. The aim is to create innovative worship communities for a generation with postmodern views and no past loyalty to organised religion. ‘It will be scary, but it will not be boring!’ commented Methodist Connexional Team spokesman Revd Dr Howard Mellor.

Source: Methodist Recorder (22/10)

http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/

Brighter Future for Young Girls

2009-10-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker officially opened state-of-the-art buildings at Reading Girls' School and Kendrick School on Tuesday October 21st.

Mr. Coaker visited Reading Girls' School in Northumberland Avenue, Whitley, where he opened a £5.5 million post-16 learning centre. The centre will provide facilities for young Mums who want to return to education with an on-site nursery for children. It also provides purpose-built hair and beauty salons for girls who want to achieve vocational qualifications such as hairdressing or leisure or tourism. Thames Valley University will run the courses at the centre, which was funded by Reading Borough Council and the Learning and Skills Council.

Mr. Coaker also opened the new Sixth Form Block at Kendrick School as well as its new Faraday Building for Sixth Form students. The £3.15 million Sixth Form block at the London Road school was developed as part of the Kendrick Federation that was formed between Kendrick and Reading Girls' Schools in 2007. It was built using £2.3 million funding from central government and the balance from the borough council's capital programme. It provides a common room and library for students. The new block means that the school can also increase its Sixth Form by 50 pupils and provide better learning resources.

The £1.2 million Faraday Building is an extension to the main school building. It features laboratories for Sixth Form students and was funded by £150,000 raised by the school, while the rest was funded by government and the council's capital programme.

Mr Coaker said, "The important thing the people of Reading will want to know is that standards are improving and that young people, whatever their background, whatever their ability, will achieve the very best they can. It's obvious that the council has improvd standards across the board. I think Reading has demonstrated that, in the federation of those two schools, to the rest of the country."

Marsha Elms, Executive Head of the Kendrick Federation, said, "We are thrilled to be leading an initiative which will serve the women of all abilities across Reading."

Viv Angus, Headteacher of Reading Girls' School, said, "It is indeed an innovative project which I am confident will greatly enhance opportunities for girls."

Jon Hartley, lead councillor for education and life-long learning, added, "These superb new facilities show the real benefits to both schools of being in a federation. Everybody involved should be proud to have been able to make these ambitious projects a reality."

Source: Reading Post lherbert@reading-epost.co.uk

It gives me great pleasure to post about this - not least because my daughter was educated at Kendrick School before going on to study Classics at Leeds University and much later to teach English in Vietnam, where she set up a charity in Ho Chi Minh City in memory of her father (my husband) which, for seven years now, has trained disadvantaged young people in hairdressing - see http://www.vuonlen.org.uk .

Churches call for an end to ‘credit slavery’

2009-10-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

This week, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church have called for transparency in money-lending and greater protection for borrowers.

In a submission to the Office of Fair Trading, the Churches assert that money-lenders must give borrowers all the information necessary to make a sensible decision about borrowing.

The submission also criticises the practice of credit dependency, also known as ‘credit slavery’. The Churches assert that lenders should only lend money if a borrower can pay both the interest and the loan amount within a reasonable timescale.

Paul Morrison, Public Issues Policy Adviser, said, “This is an issue that Methodists have been concerned about since before we knew we were Methodists.”

The first Methodist building run by the Wesleys was called the Foundry, as it was the old military cannon works in Woolwich. The upstairs was used for meetings and worship, the downstairs was a loan dispensary to help people to escape exploitative and violent moneylenders.

“Debt and exploitative lending are just as much a problem today as they were in the early days of Methodism. Poverty often means that people come to loans companies in a situation of urgent need and are willing to accept exploitative rates of interest. Borrowers should be treated with dignity and respect, and their lives must not be crippled by the need to service unpayable debts.”

Source: Methodist news Service 22/10/2009

Faith in England Podcast

2009-10-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Anna Drew, the Lead Media Officer of the Methodist Church Connexional Team, writes:-

Hope you’re having a good week. This is just a quick note to tell you about the BBC’s weekly faith podcast. Called Faith in England it is presented by Songs of Praise host Diane Louise Jordan and BBC London presenter Jumoke Fashola.

Each week the podcast captures what's going on and what's being discussed in communities served by the 40 BBC local radio stations. The 30 minute programme can be heard worldwide and will interest people living abroad as well as those at home.

Please do check it out. Barely a week goes by without someone coming to me raising concerns about the future of religious broadcasting on the BBC. So, here’s a fantastic example from the good people at BBC regions. Like all BBC podcasts, it’s free and the BBC are encouraging people to link to it through their own church websites.

And the best thing? You can access it though the News pages on the Methodist Church website:

http://www.methodistchurch.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1633

Two churches threatened by noise complaints

2009-10-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

Two London churches have voiced fears for their future after noise abatement orders were served on them. Immanuel International Christian Centre in Walthamstow and All Nations Church in Kennington have both had to cut their sound levels after neighbours’ complaints. In the case of Immanuel Church, the order was served even after they cut their services from two to one and reduced their sung worship to only 40 minutes. Pastor Dunni Odetoyinbo told The Evening Standard that his congregation had fallen from 100 to 30. Pastor Victor Jibuike, meanwhile, said he believes complaints against his church are nothing to do with noise but have been prompted by opposition to their plans to turn a disused school into a community centre.

Sources: Church of England Newspaper (16/10); Christian Legal Centre

Eating Well with Kidney Failure

2009-10-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

Following on from my post last Saturday
Potassium is the key , I am pleased to report that I have now obtained a book of 50 recipes that have been tried and tested to create a healthy diet for anyone with kidney malfunction (from those just slightly affected to those who have to undergo dialysis). It also contains good advice and helpful hints for making sure that your restricted diet contains enough protein and vitamins and for limiting the salt, phosphate and potassium in your diet without it being boring and inadequate.

So I can recommend "Eating Well with Kidney Failure - A practical guide and cookbook" to anyone who has been told to limit their phosphate or potassium intake. It deals with all levels of kidney malfunction and can make life much easier and meals much more interesting. It is written by Helena Jackson, Annie Cassidy, and Gavin James,'with the help and support of our renal and dietetic colleagues at St. George's and King's College Hospitals', and is published by Class Publishing, Barb House, Barb Mews, London W6 7PA www.class.co.uk .

Beyond reach?

2009-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Having already posted a recent sermon by John Madeley, I now have pleasure in introducing a new book by John Madeley which will be published this week:-

Beyond Reach?
Publication date: 17th October 2009

When a feisty young married woman inspires a church minister, known for his inappropriate choice of women, to join a campaign to end poverty, the result is an explosive mix that takes them into a world that neither bargained for.

Set in 2005 this novel is an eye-witness account of the Make Poverty History campaign, of the scrapes and joys of campaigning for a just cause.

Taking the reader through English suburbia, to Gleneagles in Scotland, and Niger, West Africa, John Madeley tells a sensitive, witty story of a relationship between people who are dedicated to ending poverty, Their relationship energises them for the campaign, leading them to a devastating exposé of government duplicity.

Anyone who took part in the Make Poverty History campaign, who bought a wrist band, who now wants to see the end of poverty, or who just wants a good read, will find this an inspiring book.

‘A revealing story about a scandal of our time, witty, sharp - and above all urgent’ - Rosie Boycott

‘In this amusing novel, John Madeley links modern ethics and politics with the age-old issues of relationships and the meaning of life. All this, with serious intent, too’ - Tim Lang

‘In the tradition of Saturday, this outstanding novel weaves together the world of public events with the private world of individual lives’ - Carl Rayer

‘Be warned, this book could change your life’ - Ann Pettifor

Methodists Take Action on Climate Change

2009-10-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

In case you stop reading before the end of this News Bulletin, I want to draw your attention to the challenge 'Everyone across the connexion is invited to comment'. Please read carefully, on this Blog Action Day:-

Copies of Hope in God’s Future – a report and study guide addressing climate change – are flying off the shelves just days after the first printed editions became available.

The first print run of the booklet has sold out and Methodist Publishing has ordered a second run.

Hope in God’s Future takes the reader on a journey using the changing mood of a worship service as a framework for considering climate change and people’s effect on the planet. It outlines the position of the Methodist Church, The Baptist Union and The United Reformed Church on climate change and invites people to see how deeply faith connects with the challenge facing us.

Thaddeus Dell, Carbon Reduction Policy Officer at the Methodist Church, said: “Hope In God’s Future gets people to understand the science and how this is linked to our Christian theology. Climate change is the greatest challenge to the Church in our generation. The science is overwhelming and it leads us to a moral obligation. It is especially important for people to engage in these issues ahead of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.”

The 2009 Methodist Conference adopted sections one to four of Hope in God’s Future as a draft Conference statement. This means that everyone across the Connexion is invited to comment before it returns to the Conference in 2011.

The study guide offers the full text of the report, as well as ideas for creative activities, inspirational prayers and worship, help and advice for leaders, and suggestions for group sessions lasting one or two evenings or even a whole day.

Copies of Hope in God’s Future are available from Methodist Publishing at £5.00 each, with discounts offered for bulk buys of 10 or more.

Source: Methodist News Service 15/09/2009

Where is God in all these diasters?

2009-10-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

Where is God in all these disasters?
by John Madeley

An earthquake in Indonesia, a tsunami affecting Samoa and Tonga, a
typhoon hitting Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, devastating
flooding in South India, severe drought in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Hundreds of people dead, tens of thousands displaced. Suffering on a
massive scale. It all happened in a week in late September this year.

What is going on? Where is God in all these disasters? Why doesn’t God
intervene to stop them? These are fair questions. The meaning of
suffering is difficult for us to answer, but what we do know is that
God gives a free will. In that sense God is vulnerable to our choices.
If we chose to exercise that free will in a way that is damaging for
others, and for ourselves, God does not stop us.

God gives us freedom, to choose the right or the wrong path. If we
choose the wrong path, it will grieve God’s heart, but God does not
stop us, does not act like some giant policeman in the sky. God the
Son died on the cross 2000 years because people decided he should die.
They exercised their free will. God did not stop them. The world is
not God’s puppet theatre.

God guides us to use our free will in accordance with his will for us.
But if we ignore it, if we turn away from God, if we abuse natural
resources, then consequences may follow.

We should stop calling disasters “natural disasters”. Severe floods
and droughts, hurricanes. typhoons and cyclones are occurring at twice
the rate of 40 years ago. They are not as natural as they seem, they
are more related to the way we live than they appear. Disasters are
increasingly related to climate change, to emissions of carbon, to the
world’s heavy use of energy. And that includes our use of energy.

A few years ago, Christian Aid published a report entitled “Unnatural
Disasters”. It said that rich nations such as Britain were condemning
poor countries to an "ever increasing number of overwhelming
humanitarian catastrophes".

Climate-related disasters, which kill thousands of people and cost
millions in terms of providing aid to stricken populations, are
manmade and should no longer be termed natural disasters, it said.

But what about earthquakes? 98% of people who die in earthquakes die
not because of the earthquake itself, but because buildings collapse
on them. They are related to poverty. On tsunamis, we know from the
2004 tsunami that here nature's barriers were intact - mangroves
forests along coast lines for example - there was far less damage. New
tourist hotels, shrimp farms etc had caused many to be removed.

Where is God is these disasters? God is with those who suffer. And God
is with us, calling us to be more responsible stewards of the
beautiful wold he created.

What can we do? At the very least we can support the 10/10 Initiative
- cut our emissions of carbon, our use of electricity, gas, oil, by
10% by the end of 2010. Cutting our emissions is vital if our
children, our grandchildren are to have a future. It’s vital if
children women and men in poor countries are to have a present. Where
is God in all this? God is working in us.

Based on a sermon given at Caversham Heights Methodist Church on 4th October.

Potassium is the key

2009-10-10T01:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have kept you all wondering what has happened to me! I seem to have had all the possible health check-ups coinciding in the last few weeks and diet seems to loom importantly in all of them! But such conflicting advice only confuses me, the patient, and makes me wonder what I CAN eat safely without triggering some other weakness in my anatomy.

I now think that potassium is the key, but what a complex subject that is! What a bewildering list of foods contain potassium, and then you have to learn which foods are high potassium foods and which are low potassium foods and choose your diet accordingly. That sounds simple, but it isn't, for, if you are trying not to consume too much potassium, you not only have to avoid eating the high potassium foods but you also have to beware of eating too much of any of the low potassium foods!

So the equation is:- How to eat well, keeping this balance and at the same time making sure that you don't lose any more weight? It's even more of a conundrum when you have a garden full of delicious apples, tomatoes, runner beans and brussel sprouts (nearly ready) and only me here to eat them all! It's not fair! (I've eaten all my own-grown potatoes and carrots for this year.) I've also got my broad beans in early and they are now two inches high. I do love broad beans!

I was so happy with my 'healthy' home-grown fruit and vegetables (and piled my plate high!), and I loved the advice to 'eat five fruits and vegetables a day', but now I must limit myself to such small servings at a time. And when I eat out in a restaurant? That doesn't bear thinking about at the moment!

Well, now that I've got that off my chest, there's nothing for it but to discipline myself in regard to meals - and to give away much of the produce that I would normally be eating! Spare me a thought sometimes, please!

Appeal for disaster victims in Indonesia, Samoa and Tonga

2009-10-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

An appeal for prayer and funds for victims of the tsunami and earthquake tragedies in Samoa, Tonga and Indonesia has been launched by the Methodist Church in Britain.

The Church’s World Mission Fund granted £10,000 to aid the relief work of partner Churches in the region.

Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific, said: “As ever our partner Churches will feel enormously supported knowing that Methodists in Britain are praying for them. The appeal and grant money will go to partner Churches, which are playing an important role in rebuilding communities.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can do so online here: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoworld.content&cmid=1492 or by sending a cheque payable to the World Mission Fund and posting it to Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should be labelled ‘Pacific Appeal’.

A State of Emergency was declared in Tonga for Niuatoputapu, the closest island to Samoa with a population of around 1,000 people. The General Secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga is due to travel to Niuatoputapu by boat today. The 1,000 inhabitants of Niuatoputapu island have been badly hit by the tsunamis and earthquakes which have rocked the area. Food, clothing and kitchen utensils are set to arrive in Niuatoputapu by boat tomorrow.

Steve added: “I have been unable to reach the President or the Methodist Church headquarters in Samoa by phone, but it is clear that the Church will be heavily involved in the recovery both spiritually and pastorally in the weeks to come.”

In Indonesia, the main centre of the earthquake damage has been in Padang on the island of Sumatera. The Methodist Head Quarters is in Medan more than 1,000 miles away.

Steve continued: “We have not heard news from the Methodist Church in Padang as yet. We have sent an initial solidarity grant and will respond further to our partner Church as their need becomes clearer. I have assured the church and its members of our prayers and support.”

Updates on the partner Churches in the affected region will appear at www.methodist.org.uk as soon as news is available.

The following prayer has been posted on the Methodist Church in Britain’s website and churches are encouraged to use it during worship on Sunday.

Prayer

Loving God,

Who cares ceaselessly for all creation,
We pray for the people of Samoa;
That they may know your pacific touch in these days of earthquake and tsunami,
That the ocean, the moana, may continue to surround and sustain them,
That your compassion may help women, men and children
Live with the loss of their loved ones,
Overcome the destruction of their homes and livelihoods and
Deal with the fear of what the future may hold.
Let us feel the breeze of your Spirit in the sails of our companionship with the Island peoples of the Pacific and
Let us see the light of your presence as we plot the course of our common Discipleship within your worldwide Church.

Amen.

Source: Methodist News Service 02/10/2009

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE

2009-09-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Centenary Year Celebrations continue at Caversham Heights Methodist Church with three more visiting preachers this month, including Major Samuel Edgar of the Salvation Army who is currently the Chairman of the West Midlands Free Church Federal Council who will preach at 10.30am on Sunday, 4th October;.

Deacon Vic Downs, now serving in Hednesford, makes an eagerly-awaited return visit to Caversham (where he served for several years) on Back to Church Sunday, 18th October at both 10.30am and 6.30pm services.

Mr. John Bell, who was Vice-President of the Methodist Conference 2005-2006 is the special preacher on Sunday, 25th October at 10.30am. He will assist at the 6.30pm Communion Service and at 4pm will also be chairing a discussion group in the church at 4pm on the way ahead.

As the Centenary Year draws to a close, there are four further visiting preachers to look forward to. The Revd Chris Jones, the Southampton District Ecumenical Enabler for Berks and Wilts, but temporarily the acting Superintendent for the Winchester Methodist Circuit, will preach at 10.30am on 1st November. Prior to entering the Methodist Ministry Chris was a schoolteacher and ended that career as a headmaster in Essex. His father and grandfather were both Baptist ministers.

The Revd Andy Moffoot, from the Tilehurst Methodist Church, who has spent some years as a Mission Partner in Kenya, will preach at the 10.30am service on World Mission Day, 8th November.

Former Caversham Minister, the Revd Rosemary Fletcher, and her husband James Rowley will spend the whole of Sunday 29th November (Advent Sunday) at the church, with Rosemary preaching at both the 10.30am and the 6.30pm services and together at 4pm they will give a picture of Sri Lanka where they are currently serving as Mission Partners.

The final special preacher at the 10.30am service on 6th December will be the Revd Professor Frances Young, well-known author and theologian, who taught theology at the University of Birmingham from 1971 to 2005. Her books include both academic and more popular theological writings, drawing on her work on the New Testament and on Christianity in its formative centuries, but also on her experience as the mother of a son (Arthur) who was born with profound physical and mental disabilities.

A warm welcome is extended to everyone at these centenary services.

Racecourse Community School in Kitwe, Zambia

2009-09-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 14th November, the Reading Male Voice Choir will give a concert in Caversham Heights Methodist Church, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the Racecourse Community School in Kitwe, Zambia, which that church has been supporting for the past six years.

The Racecourse Community School was established in March 1999 in the township of Chimwemwe, Kitwe, Zambia. Its aim is to provide for the children of that community, orphaned by the death of their parents due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is having terrible consequences for millions of people in the developing world. As a result of this, many children were left without shelter, clothing, food and the finances needed to pay the fees and buy the school uniform needed to attend a Government school.

Racecourse School started with 410 pupils and 6 volunteer teachers. Today there are 2,000 children attending the school and 20 volunteer teachers. Classes run from Pre-school to Grade 7. The school now has one purpose-built classroom block but the majority of the children are taught in cramped, dark, mud-bricked rooms with earth floors and little light coming in from small openings high in the walls. These are in buildings scattered around the township. The pupils are crammed three to a desk and attend school in three shifts commencing at 7am.. text books are a luxury, mainly used by the teachers to transfer information to a blackboard using a stub of chalk. There is so little food; the children try to study on an empty stomach because they are so keen to learn.

Fiji Update

2009-09-25T01:31:00.000-07:00

For information:

Nine Methodist Church leaders returned to court in Fiji yesterday to negotiate their bail conditions and seek greater religious freedom for their Church.

When they arrived they were informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions is away and that they should return to court next month. The leaders, including the Church’s President, Revd Ame Tugaue, and General Secretary, Revd Tuikilakila Waqairatu, remain bound by strict bail conditions, which prohibit them from travelling abroad, teaching, preaching, leading worship or attending Church tings.

The leaders will return to court on 27 October.

Source: Methodist News Service 25/09/2009

SPEAK OUT FOR DISPLACED CHRISTIANS IN ORISSA, INDIA.

2009-09-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Only one year ago, 50, 000 Christians were forced from their homes in Orissa state, India, because of their faith. In this ruthless persecution over 120 people died and 300 villages were destroyed, leaving many homeless.

We need 50, 000 people, one for each of the Christians who have suffered, to contact Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh of India and to urge him to seek justice for our Christian brothers and sisters. They should not have to worship in fear.

Current Situation
A year on from the decimation of the Christian people and their homes in Orissa, over 4,000 are still displaced and continue to face hardship and persecution.

They cannot return home because of their fear for their lives and the threat of forced conversion. Their situation is desperate, but you can make a difference.

Please go to www.premier.co.uk and fill in the form provided to ask the Indian government to seek justice for the victims of this campaign of hate. We want the government to try the perpetrators, protect the witnesses and compensate the victims. With your help we can do this.

Sourse: Premier Christian Media 24/09/2099

Fijian Church leaders return to court

2009-09-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Church is being intimidated by government

Today, nine Methodist Church leaders have returned to court in order to negotiate their bail conditions and seek greater religious freedom for their Church.

The leaders, including the Church’s President, Revd Ame Tugaue and General Secretary Revd Tuikilakila Waqairatu, appeared in court last month, pleading not guilty to charges of breaching public emergency regulations. They were released on bail, but prohibited from attending Church meetings, preaching or leading worship.

The Church, which includes more than a third of the population, has been outspoken in its criticism of Fiji’s military government, which is lead by Commodore Bainimarama. Bainimarama originally promised to return the country to democratic rule by April 2009, but is now saying this will not happen until 2014.

Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator, said; ‘Our communications with the Church in Fiji are being monitored and all Church activities and meetings are being scrutinised by government officials. This is intimidation and we applaud the Church in Fiji for its continuing attempts at dialogue rather than confrontation. The Methodist Church is the only faith group in Fiji to receive this treatment, but it remains committed to playing its necessary role in building a renewed and just society in Fiji.”

Earlier this year the Church was forced to cancel its annual Conference, at which the President and Vice President would have been sworn-in and new ministers ordained. The Church has to seek government permission for any formal meeting, one sign of hope this week was government assent for a meeting to station ministers for the coming year.

But there is hope that Fiji’s expulsion from the Commonwealth will lead to increased dialogue between the Church and government, leading to a quicker return to democracy. Steve said; “We continue to hope and pray for lines of dialogue to open and for God’s wisdom to prevail”.

Despite the adversity, Church life continues and the Church is delighted to have appointed its first ever female Divisional Superintendent, the Revd Kelera Wesele.

Source: Methodist News Service 24/09/2009

September meeting of the Methodist Council

2009-09-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

The Methodist Council met on 21-22 September at Methodist Church House in London. This is the first Council meeting of the new Church year.

Discipleship was high on the agenda for this Council meeting. General Secretary the Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, introduced the discussion by asking Council members to consider the challenges that Christian discipleship presents to the contemporary church. Presenting a vision for discipleship, John Ellis, Secretary for Team Operations, said; “Christian discipleship isn’t just about self improvement and it’s certainly not about self promotion. We want to encourage people to grow in faith and action as their own lives change and grow. As the life of John Wesley has taught us, Christian discipleship can change the world.”

The Council also discussed a new fundraising strategy for the Church, which will now be developed in consultation with Methodists around Britain. Fundraising Coordinator David Bennett, said, “At the heart of this strategy is better communication with all those who give so generously to the Methodist funds. We want them to see the enormous difference their money makes to the lives of people all over the world. We couldn’t do any of this work without their support.”

The Council spent time in discussions about the progress of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant, which was signed in 2003. Groups discussed how the covenant might be further progressed in practical ways, including different models of episcopacy and how the churches might consult and make decisions together.

The Council also welcomed the Revd Kirsty Thorpe, a minister of the United Reformed Church (URC), as a participant observer. The Revd Alison Tomlin, President Designate of the Methodist Conference, will attend the URC Mission Council in November.

Other topics discussed at the Council included a new communications strategy for the Church and plans to lease Southlands College to Roehampton University, with continued Methodist involvement in the life of the College. The papers of the Methodist Council are available online at: http://methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1325.

Source: Methodist News Service 22/09/2009

World Methodist Council

2009-09-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

However busy you are, please don't forget to visit
the President and Vice-President's blog to follow the very interesting account by our Vice-President, Dr. Richard Vautrey, of the Methodist work in Chile, as he accompanies his wife to the Methodist World Council meeting - this year in Santiago. You will get an even better idea of the people and their work if you remember to click on each photo, to enlarge them and see them in greater detail. There is sure to be more to come yet before Dr. Vautrey and his wife return home on Saturday, and I shall be eagerly waiting to follow this exciting visit.

Then we can look forward to our President, the Revd David Gamble's, visit next week to the wonderful work funded by MRDF in India and his reports and photos from there.

27 September is Back to Church Sunday: Come as you are

2009-09-21T02:43:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, half a million Christians will be inviting someone special to come back to church in one of the largest co-ordinated ecumenical evangelism events staged across Britain.

Churches across the UK and further afield will be offering an especially warm welcome at church services and events for Back to Church Sunday (27 September). Church members have been encouraged to personally invite someone they know to come back to church for special services and events on the theme of ‘Come as you are’.

A number of churches are combining the event with their harvest celebrations. “Harvest is a time when some folk return to church for their annual visit to say ‘thank you’ and on this occasion they will find an even warmer welcome than usual,” said the Revd Gill Newton, minister at Cheadle Hulme Methodist Church in Cheshire.

Derrick Norton, Evangelism Network Development Officer, said; “Back to Church Sunday is taking many people by surprise, because of the growing awareness of its success. Here is an event which accords with some people’s interest in spiritual things, and which is an opportunity for those outside the church to find a way to return.

“We are encouraged to do what we know we should – to be welcoming. It starts with prayerfully and personally inviting someone we know to what is a fairly typical church service, but where we have planned a warm welcome for visitors. We know there will again be lots of good news stories, as people step out and allow God to use their simple acts of hospitality.”

In Appleby and Dufton in Cumbria, people who come to church this Sunday will be invited to attend a ‘Come as you are’ course later in the year. Paul Dunstan, District Evangelism Enabler for the Cumbria Methodist District, said, “The beauty of Back to Church Sunday is its simplicity”.

A 40-second radio advert promoting Back to Church Sunday will be broadcast on local radio stations around the UK, inviting people to take part.

Back to Church Sunday is a joint initiative of the Church of England, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Salvation Army, the Church in Wales, Churches Together in Scotland and Elim Pentecostal Churches, as well as churches in Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Canada.

Source: Methodist News Agency 21/09/2009

At Caversham Heights Methodist Church we will be combining this year's Back to Church Sunday with the Cenetenary return visit of our former Deacon, deacon Vic Downs and his wife Anne on 18th October.

Methodists win at the Blog Awards

2009-09-21T02:06:00.000-07:00

Two Methodist weblogs received awards at this year’s Christian Web and New Media Awards.

The Revd David Perry won the award for Best Christian Blog and The President and Vice President’s blog came runner up in the Most Inspiring Leadership Blog category at a ceremony in London on Friday.

David Perry’s blog (http://davesdistrictblog.blogspot.com/) combines his stunning photography with spiritual reflections. “Like the colourful flower, my images attract traffic to the blog which I might not otherwise get,” said David, who is Chair of the Lincoln and Grimsby Methodist District. “What I hope is true is that all leave with a little bit of incidental gospel pollen clinging to them. Even one tiny grain of grace, love and hope gathered here by chance in something seen or read might be a God-given gift to someone who needs it.”

The President and Vice President’s blog (http://www.methodist-presandvp.blogspot.com), documents the travels and experiences of the President and Vice President of the Methodist Conference, as they spend a year visiting Methodists around the UK and much further afield.

The Original Christian Web and New Media Awards were the first ever exclusively Christian award ceremony for bloggers and web designers in the UK. They were established in 2007 by Premier Christian Media to recognise and reward Christian achievements on the internet. For more information, visit http://www.christianblogawards.com.

Hospital Open Day

2009-09-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was invited to another Open Day at my local hospital (as a member of the Hospital Trust). This time it was a mystery until we got there. Then we found that we were divided into three groups and sent in seqence on three tours - cardiology, ophthalmology and then a 45 minute tour of the hospital on foot! That's the way my group did it. The other groups had a different sequence. When I first arrived, I was greeted by the man who had sent out the invitation, who turned out to have lived opposite me before he worked in the Hospital Admin! So that was a nice warm welcome, and he was the leader of my group too.

Cardiology was very interesting, as they demonstrated (with a healthy member of staff as a 'patient') what they do when a new heart patient comes in. We saw what the doctors see and were told what they look for when a patient goes through an echocardiogram, an ECG, and is walking on a treadmill and we had angioplasty explained to us - all very interesting. They said that women are not as good as men at recognising heart attacks and if any of us had a pain in the chest we should call an ambulance immediately, in order to get quick treatment. So I asked, 'What if you don't have a pain as such but simply a tightening across your chest?' and I was told, 'You should go to see your GP.' {I have now done so, was told that it was angina and was referred to cardiology!}

In the ophthalmology Dept., they were keen to show us the new unit that they have just acquired to deal (separately from the rest of the Eye Dept.), with the 300 patients (of which I am one) who have AMD (age-related macular degeneration). My referral from the optician was so early that they only told me to come again in February, so it was very interesting to see how someone in need of treatment was treated, including having to go to the Hospital two or three times a week for eye injections over a period of (I think it was) 15 days. So I know what I could be in for sometime in the future! A tailor-made tour for me!

When the staff saw my dressings on my ankles, they insisted that I had a chair at every change of location. I couldn't have had better attention if I had been the queen. When it came to the foot tour of the hospital, I opted out, saying that I knew the hospital quite well anyway, and went with Mike (our leader) for a coffee to wait for them all returning to the dining hall for lunch. (There was another member of staff leading the foot tour.)

At lunch, I happened to sit beside a man who said he was the church organist at Dunsden parish church and he sometimes plays at our Gosbrook Road church. Not only that, but he said he was the father-in-law of one of our Local preachers, Patrick Stonehewer! So it turned out to be a very interesting and happy Open Day!

Thought for the Day controversy to be aired in public debate

2009-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Church and Media Network will host a public debate on BBC Radio 4’s controversial Thought for the Day next month. The motion for debate is that "This House Believes that Humanist speakers should be included in BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day."

The two minute slot will come into sharp focus this Autumn when the BBC Trust will deliver a ruling on a formal complaint that humanist views are under-represented by the BBC, with Thought for the Day cited in evidence.

Announcing the debate the Director of the Church and Media Network Andrew Graystone said, “Thought for the Day is a totemic issue for the humanist movement. But some fear that it is religious, not secular voices that are in danger of being under-represented. Because their ruling was generated by a complaint, the BBC Trust has not opened this issue for public consultation. We hope that by hosting this debate on a cornerstone of the BBC’s religious output we can give a proper airing to the arguments on all sides.”

The motion will be proposed by Dr Andrew Copson, the Director of Education and Public Affairs at the British Humanist Association. He will be joined by comedienne Ariane Sherine, who masterminded the "atheist bus campaign" and delivered an experimental secular Thought for the Day on Radio 4’s PM programme. Opposing the motion will be Canon Giles Fraser, who is a regular Thought for the Day contributor and was recently appointed Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. He will be joined by Rt Rev Nick Baines, the Bishop of Croydon. The debate will be chaired by the distinguished broadcaster Edward Stourton, who as presenter of Today on Radio 4 has introduced many Thoughts for the Day.

The debate will take place on Thursday 8th October at the LICC at St Peter’s, Vere Street (off Oxford Street) London. Refreshments will be served from 6.30pm and the debate will begin at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome, with tickets priced £7.50, available on the door.

The Church and Media Network (formerly known as the Churches’ Media Council) exists to promote mutual understanding between the media and the Christian community.

Last Call for Applications to MA Course in Spirituality at Sarum College

2009-09-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last call for applications to Sarum College’s unique ecumenical programme offering an interdisciplinary exploration of Christian Spirituality.

The course is delivered through intensive modules in the beautiful setting of Salisbury’s Cathedral Close making it accessible to those who live outside Salisbury and overseas.

Modules are supplemented by tutorial support for home-based study. There are two core modules, four optional modules and a written dissertation.

Optional modules include: Medieval Spirituality, Celtic Spirituality, Pastoral Ministry and Christian Spiritual Direction, Philosophical and Psychological Roots of Christian Spirituality, among others.

These can also be taken individually by non-MA students.

For more information, follow this link http://www.sarum.ac.uk/ma-degree

Or contact the academic administrator on 01722 424827 / simon.lever@sarum.ac.uk

Church leaders’ public support for Credit Union

2009-09-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Cornwall’s three senior Church leaders are next month going public with their support for the credit union by signing up to Cornish Community Banking.
The Chair of the Methodist Church in Cornwall, The Anglican Bishop of Truro and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Plymouth will all sign on the dotted line to make a difference to the lives of some of the poorest people in the county.
The public sign-in will be on Tuesday, October 6, on the Piazza at Lemon Quay, Truro, between 12.30pm and 1.30pm.
Members of Speaking in Drums will be beating out the rhythm of justice at the same time.
This is the Church in action in the local community - acting to bring hope right at the heart of the economic concerns that are affecting so many people.
Members of church communities are being invited to join their leaders on the day by bringing a photo ID and utility bill and becoming a member of the Credit Union as well. All the money will be safe and working in Cornwall.

Source: Metodist News Service 17/09/09

Churches’ delegation to attend the three main political party conferences

2009-09-17T04:01:00.000-07:00

Christian leaders will engage with politicians at the three main party political conferences over the next few weeks.

Senior representatives from the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and The Salvation Army will attend the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative party conferences to discuss their shared concerns.

The Churches’ delegation will emphasise the importance of working together to achieve international agreements which address climate change, fairer trade arrangements and the regulation of financial markets in order to benefit the poorest communities. Nuclear weapons, asylum seekers and migration will also feature on the Christian group’s agenda.

Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: “At each party conference we will meet with politicians, listening to their concerns and sharing our own. Politicians, whether they work at a national, regional or local level, often feel disconnected from the Churches and this is a wonderful opportunity to make contact with them and assure them of our prayerful concern.”

As well as building relationships, the representatives will offer visible support for the ministry of Christians involved in politics, promote the work of the Churches and strengthen ecumenical links through discussions on social issues.

Richard Vautrey, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, said: “We want to offer our support for the ministry of Christians involved in politics as well as to highlight the importance of Christian engagement with politics.”

For several years the Churches have been coming together to organise a joint delegation to the party conferences, and it has now become an established date in the Church leaders’ calendar.

The Revd John Marsh, Moderator of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, said: “The party conferences are taking place in an election year at a time of widespread disillusionment in the political process in the UK following the MPs’ expenses scandal. We look forward to engaging with politicians at the party conferences this year to encourage them to continue pursuing constitutional renewal to restore confidence in the political process.”

This year the delegation will be supporting the work of Citizens for Sanctuary; a campaign calling for justice for people seeking sanctuary, following the report of the Independent Asylum Commission last year.

Tim Stone, Public Affairs Officer for The Salvation Army UK and Ireland, said: “Especially now, at this time of economic crisis, The Salvation Army is joining with other Christian Churches to remind politicians of the plight of the most vulnerable in society.
“When budgets are tight, it may be too easy for decision makers to consider slashing public funding for families and individuals without being held fully to account. However, there is growing evidence that failing to look after all members of our society will only store up more problems for tomorrow.”

Source: Methodist News Service 17/09/09

Premier Christian Radio launches DAB Digital Radio

2009-09-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

26th September at Methodist Central Hall Westminster

In just 4 days on Monday 21st Premier Christian Radio will realise the dream to become a National Broadcaster. Not just on people's television sets or through the Internet, but across the nation on DAB Digital Radio.

And to mark the occasion in style you are invited to join us for two great events to celebrate what God is doing to touch the nation through Christian media.

The DAB National Launch Celebration Event - at 7pm
Join Peter Kerridge, Dave Rose, Tony Miles and a host of other Premier presenters for what promises to be a wonderful celebration of Premier's National Launch, on
Saturday, 26th September.

Worship will be led by Dave Bilbrough, Muyiwa & Riversongz and the London Community Gospel Choir, and there will be many surprises during this praise-party event.

Book your FREE tickets by emailing premier.org.uk

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The DAB National Prayer Event - at 5pm
Join John Pantry, Rick Easter and David Aldous for the Premier DAB National Prayer Event.

Join with us in prayer as we ask God's blessing on Premier's new national service and for the future of our nation. Time will be spent praying for the different regions of the UK and the major issues that this country faces.

Complementing our prayer will be renowned worship leader Dave Bilbrough who will be leading us in reflective worship.

Book your FREE tickets by emailing premier.org.uk

Methodists will attend Trade Union Congress

2009-09-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Church to join campaign to protect vulnerable workers

Methodists will attend the Trade Union Congress in Liverpool on Tuesday (September 15) to build further relationships with Trade Unionists.

David Gamble, President of the Methodist Conference, and Dr Richard Vautrey, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, will meet with Unite trade union to discuss work-place issues brought on by the recession. They will also sign up to a campaign led by the Trade Union movement to extend the rights of vulnerable employees, and meet with the President of the Trade Union Congress.

Paul Morrison, Policy Adviser, Revd Rosa Leto, Chair of Chaplains Council, and Revd David Wrighton from Methodist Chaplaincy, will also attend and listen to the debates.

Revd David Wrighton, Deputy Chaplaincy Coordinator, said: “There is a lot of common ground between the TUC and the Methodist Church. The TUC is dealing with issues like migration, unemployment, bullying at work, which are also areas that the Church is concerned about. The Methodist Church has always been involved in social issues and a great deal of what the TUC does is good, solid social action work.”

The Methodist Church has historical links with the Trade Union movement dating back to the Tolpuddle Martyrs in the 19th Century.

Source: Methodist News Service 11/09/2009

Join the Dance

2009-09-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

Join the Trafalgar Squaredance this Sunday

This Sunday a church organist will be taking to Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth with the simple aim of making London happy with music.

For one hour only, from 6pm on Sunday 13 September, Peter Harding, from Solihull will play the accordion to tourists, passers-by and other visitors to London’s Trafalgar Square. Listeners will be treated to a varied playlist, including folk music, Handel, ragtime and hymns, culminating with the theme tune of Radio 4’s The Archers.

Peter said; “Busking seems to suit me, as it is what I do every Sunday morning at the organ console, and I hope that I'll also be able to persuade those standing by to do a little barn dancing in the square. I plan to play the accordion for an hour to make London happy, although they may be happier when I stop. I'm a self-taught accordion player, and maybe skipped a few too many classes!”

Peter is one of 2,400 people who will appear on the fourth plinth between 6 July and 14 October 2009, picked from more than 33,400 applicants for sculptor Anthony Gormley’s One and Other project.

Those who can’t make it to Trafalgar Square can join the dance virtually by visiting http://www.oneandother.co.uk , to watch the plinth live.

Peter has been the organist and choirmaster for Acocks Green Methodist Church in
Birmingham for 25 years. Since he’ll be having a whale of a time, Peter invites those who appreciate his music to make donations to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) www.hwdt.org.

Source: Methodist News Service 10/09/2009

European Methodist Council comes to Manchester

2009-09-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

Church leaders from all over Europe will meet in Manchester this weekend to discuss mass unemployment, migration, Christian and Muslim dialogue and ecumenical relationships.

Methodists from Ireland in the West across to Russia in the East and from Portugal in the South up to Scandinavia in the North will arrive at the Luther King House in Brighton Grove on September 12 for the annual European Methodist Council.

Representatives from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Britain, Ireland and northern, central and southern Europe will also discuss the Church’s response to the financial crisis which rocked the globe this year.

A celebratory day of worship at local churches across the city on Sunday will conclude with evensong at Manchester Cathedral followed by a dinner. Council business will begin on September 14 and end on September 16.

Revd Keith Davies, Manchester and Stockport Methodist Chair of District, will address the Council on urban mission using Manchester as a model.

“We are really excited about the European Methodist Council coming to Manchester. I think it is really good to have that link with our European partners,” he said. “We are hoping that there may be a more focused link with some of our partners.”

Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, will be giving a talk on vision, identity and Methodist charisma in Europe. There are nine Methodist denominational churches in Europe with around half million members and adherents.

The European Methodist Council is a consultative body that exists to enable member churches to consult together on matters of common concern and develop a stronger Methodist witness in Europe.

Source: Methodist News Service 10/09/2009