Christmas Greetings from Caversham

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.


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What the 'noughties' HAVE done for God!

Were any of you listening to/watching last night's TV programme 'What have the 'noughties' done for God?'? I had not noticed it in the evening's programme and I was sight-checking part of John's Gospel in the Huastec language for Wycliffe Associates (UK) when the TV programme in the background changed. So I stopped checking when I could (at the end of a page), to listen. Actually, I discovered that I was listening to Newsnight (as I usually do) and, with the end of the first decade of the 21st Century in sight, the BBC had begun a series on the changes brought about during this decade - the 'noughties'.

I found it a most depressing account of the decade, since it dwelt on the arguments and divisions that have been prominent in the media and the often highlighted decline in churchgoing. It was said that the habitual church-going world had vanished very quickly, and marriage and the sanctity of human life have been downgraded; that freedom of speech now comes above religious belief, which is now less influential, with no monopoly on the moral highground. It went on to say that today there is a fuzzy faith, so that the church now meets the people half-way, bringing the secular world into the church with cafes, and that many Christians question the rules (on homosexuality, for instance) - in turn, causing schism and a two-tier Church of England.

The programme included the change that radical Muslims had brought about by the bombing of New York and London, and also the new prominence of atheism, with an atheist exhibition in Cambridge and posters denying the existence of God on London's buses. Showing a ruined church, it stated that people want a religious home but not a prison, and it concluded that 'this is an age of doubt which offers great opportunities but threatens it with ruin'. Most depressing! But is it right?

How do you view the last decade, the 'noughties'? This programme emphasised all the negative aspects of life in the last ten years, but what about the positive side? I would like you to listen to last night's Newsnight on BB2 iPlayer and join me in listing what we HAVE actually done for God in the 'noughties', please.

In many churches, fresh ways of worshipping and 'Back to Church Sundays' have brought many people back to church in this decade. Countering that sense of being imprisoned in the four walls of the church, its people are now taking the Gospel out on to the streets much more than in previous decades, using all kinds of new expressions of church, like cafe churches and the surfers' church in Devon! The
most notable of all is Share Jesus international 'Pentecost Festival 2008 and 2009' which flooded the streets of London with all kinds of events to bring the living Jesus to the people of London. Again, outside the churches, events like , Easter People and , , and , to name but a few, keep gathering together many hundreds of Christians (young and old) to worship and learn with great enthusiasm. There is no decline there! The emphasis today is that the church is not the building but the people who worship there. There are churches who are selling their church buildings in favour of worshipping in the school or community centre.

In Reading, an ecumenical charity called has grown in the 'noughties' from one small shop and advice centre to five shops in all, covering the outskirts of the town - and plans are in hand to open a sixth in another area. CCA demonstrates God's love by meeting people's practical needs and restoring self-worth to immigrants and those who are rehabilitating after treatment for drug or alcohol addiction or a spell in prison. The shops sell donated goods ,and donated furniture furnishes the flats of those starting a home.

Then there is the remarkable success of Wycliffe Bible Translators in the provision of the Scriptures in the heart languages of so many peoples throughout the world - a work which gathered pace tremendously during the 'noughties' and set a target of Vision 2025. Alongside this, Wycliffe Associates (UK) have produced EasyEnglish translations, with limited vocabulary at three levels, for people whose second language is English and for the Deaf. This work has been so successful that it created a demand for similar work in other languages and now teams of people across the world are working to produce easyBibles in their own heart languages. Forgetting everything else, all this translation work alone has done mighty things for God in the 'noughties'. I am glad and proud to have lived to see this transformation, making it possible for all kinds of disadvantaged people to be able to read and hear the Word of God in their own language.

I must mention the work made possible through the which has made small miracles possible around the world - training and assisting small farmers to grow more efficiently and providing clean water in poor countries. The 'noughties' have done so much for God through the giving to MRDF!

Finally, not least are the countless churches here that are twinned, as my church is, with work in other parts of the world, building churches, paying teachers' salaries and providing equipment. This work goes on quietly, regularly, and added up tells a story of powerful work for God in the 'noughties'.

I could go on, and I'm sure you could all add to what I have written. Why don't we let the outside world know what IS being done for God? Isn't it time that the Media ran some Good News stories instead of concentrating on the arguments and negative aspects of church life? It would make much better reading than the depressing news we keep hearing every day, and please, please, PLEASE can't someone produce a really good film for TV Newsnight showing the positive side of our work for God?

Christmas Greetings

As I am about to go away for Christmas, I want to take the opportunity to send my Christmas letter to my many blogging friends who will not have had it by post. God has been good to me this year and I hope that 2009 will be an equally good adventure with Him, both for me and for you.

"Christmas greetings from Caversham. I hope that you and your family are well and looking forward to Christmas and the New Year 2009. I think you’ll agree that 2008 has been a very mixed year, both with the weather and the economy, but I hope that overall it has been a good year for you and that you will manage to escape the worst terrors of the credit crunch in 2009. It looks like being a difficult year ahead for most people but there are many more across the world whose situation is far worse than ours and we remember them as we approach Christmas once more.

I expect to be celebrating Christmas with Tony and Caroline and their family in
Derbyshire. I have enjoyed really good health this year as a result of being asked to take part in a research project to see if taking penicillin VK tablets twice a day for a year would prevent the recurrence of cellulitis. It looks as though I was taking these (and not the placebo) because I’m thankful to have had a whole year free of cellulitis.

I began the year by attending the first ever Methodist Bloggers’ Meeting on 4th and
5th January at the Community for Reconciliation Centre, Barnes Close, near Birmingham,where a small group of us discussed good blogging practice and ways to improve this method of communication. Since I was in that part of the country, I went on to Widnes to spend a couple of days with the widow of one of our former Ministers and we really enjoyed catching up on all our news.

After our annual ecumenical Good Friday March of Witness here, I went north again,
this time to steward for a new venture called the ECG Event (‘A Heart for the Nations’) which was held at Easter (25th-30th March) in Llandudno. This took the place of the former Easter People and, although run by different people – ‘NXT Ministries’, Hope ’08, ‘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. For me, ECG was one of the highlights of 2008 and I am eagerly looking forward to the 2009 ECG Event which will also be in Llandudno, on 14th to 19th April 2009 – see www.ecgevent.org.uk.

Another highlight this year was a family gathering at Bethany School in Kent for my great granddaughter Louisa’s first birthday on 10th May, which was much enjoyed by all of us.

Then I went to High Wycombe for the annual Wycliffe Associates Conference on 16th to
18th May where, as always, I was amazed at the amount of work that has been, and
continues to be, undertaken in support of missionaries working overseas. Of the speakers at the Conference, I was most impressed by Heather Patrick who has been doing translation work for Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea.

I went to the Methodist Conference in Scarborough in July where I was glad to be able
to step in 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. As well as finding people I knew who were
manning other stands, I found myself opposite a stand run by two people who had been
teachers in the school across the road from me some years ago! It’s a small world!

I spent a week with Tony and family in Derbyshire, when we visited National Trust
Houses and then early September found me travelling north again – this time to Newcastle for the wedding of my great-niece, Nicola, to Neal, a direct descendant of John Wesley! I was met at the station by my nephew, Michael, who also lives in Newcastle, and I was delighted that he first took me along the waterfront to show me the bridges and the buildings on the Gateshead side of the Tyne in which he had been involved in the planning, before he took me home for a meal.

Despite the rain, the wedding was a very exciting occasion – both the ceremony in their local church and the reception in the magnificent Longhurst Hall in Morpeth,
Northumberland. Nicola and Neal are a lovely couple and I found myself thoroughly
enjoying the company of their many friends, who were all calling me ‘Auntie Olive!’
After staying the night at the Hall, we returned to Newcastle for an ‘Open house’ at the bride and groom’s very interesting house, which has only one room on each floor!. My only regret was that I was not able to see more of Nicola’s parents, who were kept busy seeing to the rest of their guests.

From there, my nephew Michael and I did something we have been talking about for ages
and we headed out towards Stanhope and the North Pennines’ National Park, despite the
rain that was so heavy that we were obliged to travel very slowly along the flooded
roads. Then we spent three wonderful days in Upper Teesdale, visiting familiar places from our youth, exploring places we’d only heard of previously and researching our family history. We made two visits each to the two Methodist Chapels that I remembered with such affection from the days of my youth when we had a family concert party and gave concerts there. The former Bowlees Primitive Methodist Chapel is now the Bowlees Tourist Centre, popular because of its proximity to the High Force waterfall and Gibson’s Cave, and the Newbiggin-in-Teesdale Methodist Chapel is very proud to be the oldest Methodist Chapel still in regular use in the world and jealously guards the pulpit from which John Wesley preached. Seeing a sign to Ettersgill, we followed the sign to see where my school friend, Lilian, had hailed from, but no-one remembered her – not surprising since she must have left the area in the early 1940s and then spent many years in Ghana. We visited the site of the Lady Rake Lead Mine where my father had driven an ancient vehicle in his youth – there is a photograph of him in the Beamish Museum – and,
when we went to the farmhouse where my grandfather had farmed, the current farmers
there came out to talk to us about the difficulties of farming today. A memorable trip!

I had two day trips to London (at the end of September and in early October) for a
Christian Bloggers’ Day and for the launch of the 2009 Pentecost Festival.

In September we began the 34-week Disciple 4 course, with participants from 3 Circuits. We are working hard, with quite a lot of homework, but there is such a lot of laughter in the group. The course is called ‘Under the Tree of Life’ and includes the study of the Writings, John and Revelation. I believe we are the only group in the country who have progressed through the other Disciple courses to the Disciple 4 course.

I am a representative on the Churches Together project to carry out Street Evangelism in Caversham, with a Welcome Café in the New Testament Church of God opposite the shopping precinct, but it is proving hard to recruit volunteers at present.

I have continued to proofread translations of Scripture in strange languages for Wycliffe Associates and now I have 1 John and Jude in Achi de Cubulco (a Guatemalan Language) awaiting me when I have finished writing this. I am still a representative to the Circuit Meeting, I prepare Prayer Guidelines each month and I am Media Publicity Director with a lot of work awaiting me in 2009 because of the very full programme of preachers and events arranged for our Centenary Year – see http://cavhmc.org.uk .

I continue to blog on www.octomusings.blogspot.com and I was recently interviewed by
email for an article on ‘post retirement use of the Internet’, which appeared on the front page of the US Methodist Reporter – more because of my age than its content, I guess!

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and every blessing in the New Year."

P.S. Have you read my post entitled 'Letter to a Friend'? Please don't miss it!


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ECG 2009 A HEART FOR THE NATIONS

INSPIRING A PROPHETIC CHURCH TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD

This is the title of the second ECG Event to be held at Easter on 14-19th April 2009 at the beautiful North Wales holiday resort of Llandudno. Everyone who experienced the movement of God's Spirit at this year's ECG Event can hardly wait for next Easter to renew that inspiring sense of being equipped, called and sent out in the name of Jesus.

If you dream of being a prophetic voice in your community, if you long to be part of a church that speaks out and seeks to make a real difference in the world, then you need to be at ECG 2009 - because so do we! That's our dream too! This is our passion and we want to share this journey together! ECG seeks to challenge, envision and equip you to be a relevant and radical disciple of Jesus!

Once again the inspiring worship will be led by the popular, lively (and very noisy) Y-Friday and Philippa Hanna in two very different main venues. The Key Bible Teacher for ECG 2009 is Martyn Atkins (General Secretary of the Methodist Church of Great Britain) and there are aslo a whole host of world-class speakers, Bible-teachers and specialist experts, including: Roy Crowne, Pete Greig and Michelle Guiness. There will be prayer spaces, outstanding children's, youth and sports programmes, and the fringe brimming with the best of Christian music, theatre and comedy talent and even more community-based mission activities on offer.

As last year, there is special emphasis on catering for the 20-30 year olds, as Gav Calver and Kate John, both in their 20s and part of the ECG Exec Team, can testify. They say, "If, like us, you are in your 20s and 30s and want to see your heart, life and community changed by God, then Venue 2 is the place to be. Together we will share in a range of worship experiences and learning opportunities specifically with people of our age-range in mind. We're committed to equipping Christians in their
20s and 30s with interactive workshops run by experts in their fields on key issues such as money/debt, relationships/singleness, career/calling, fair-trade/environmentalism. There is also a multi-stage prayer-path for you to chill out with God in your own time, town-wide mission activities to dive into (including cafe/sports evangelism and social action), plus some not-to-be-missed performances from top singer-songwriters."

Bookings made before 31st December are at least £5 cheaper than after that date and group bookings of 20 or more will earn you one free place! There is Kibbutz as well as other accommodation available.

The ECG Event has the same buzz that Easter People had and provides the same level of in-depth Bible study that was so popular at Easter People. All age groups were inspired by ECG this Easter and there is such eagerness to make sure of being involved in 2009 that I have found that many of the modestly-priced guest houses are already filling up. You will have an unforgettable experience at ECG 2009 and I will look forward to seeing you there.

To book, or for any other information, visit www.ecgevent.org.uk .

ECG A Heart for the Nations 2009

I think it is time to put in a plug for the ECG A Heart for the Nations Event 2009 so that we get people thinking about where to go and what to do next Easter. It was such a marvellous experience this year when we held the first ECG Event, a real venture in faith that thrilled the large crowds that gathered in Llandudno.

We will be back in Llandudno next Easter (14th - 19th April 2009) and I, for one, can't wait to be part of this dynamic conference again. There is so much to do that there is something to suit all tastes and all ages, with a great depth of spirituality. Take a look at (and then keep an eye on) the website http://ecgevent.org.uk, which has been revamped to include a description of what happened this year and still has much more to add to give a full picture of the 2009 ECG Event.

You can be assured that the ECG Event 2009 will be a thrilling alternative to other events like Spring Harvest, so why not see what will be on offer and join us, with all your friends, at Easter in Llandudno? See you there?

ECG A Heart for the Nations

Sorry to have kept you waiting for my write-up of the ECG Event at Easter. It has taken until now to be able to use my right hand without pain after the bad fall I had in the rain in Llandudno. So I hope you will find it's worth the wait:-

Easter People was finished. I had never heard of NXT Ministries until ECG came on the scene and what was ECG anyway? It seemed a stupid title! I knew Youth for Christ and I’d heard and read about Hope ’08 – but, with input from all of these, would this new event even hold a candle to our beloved Easter People which had been run by Share Jesus International? These were the doubts in my mind as I prepared to travel to Llandudno to act as a steward for this new event.

However, we’d been told that there would be similar in-depth Bible studies to that provided by Easter People, with the renowned Clive and Ruth Calver as the main speakers, and that the main focus would be the ‘lost generation’ (the 20s to 40s). Even more reassuring was the fact that my friends from MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together) would be there, showing that they had faith in the new venture, and they were backing it financially.

So I set off on Easter Tuesday morning on a 6.10am train to Birmingham International rail station where I was met by another volunteer steward to drive to Llandudno – a very scenic journey through Wales, which included breakfast at the popular restaurant at the Horseshoe Pass. A sudden snowstorm painted the stunning landscape pure white just before our arrival there – absolutely wonderful!

In Llandudno there was the stewards’ briefing that included a tour of the new Conference Centre, Venue Cymru, so that we could direct others easily to the various events on site. The first thing we were told, however, was that, being in Wales, we should be aware that if someone shouted something that sounded like ‘daniel squirrel’ all the Welsh speakers would make a hasty exit - because it meant ‘Fire!’ Then we were told how to make a ‘horizontal evacuation’ of the building. My private sense of humour played tricks with that word ‘horizontal’!

I have always enjoyed welcoming people to Easter People and it was the same at ECG, but I was amazed at the number of folk who were so pleased to see me, some flinging their arms round me with joy and one lady saying ‘As we drove here, I was wondering if we would see you again!’ During the week I met a girl who said she had belonged to our youth group ‘Squash’; a lady who said she had belonged to my son’s choir (the Ryton Chorale) in Worksop until she began candidating for the Methodist ministry and could no longer go on Monday evenings; a young man who said my son had taught his young brother the ‘cello in Nottinghamshire; and another young man who was a steward at one of Will Grady’s churches. (I’d met Will at a UK Methodist bloggers’ meeting in January.) So there are many joys in stewarding, though it limits the number of sessions you can attend. We are told that we shall need twice as many stewards next year, so please consider whether you can be a volunteer!

However, I did get to a good number of the morning Bible Studies, whose themes were Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the social activist, Jesus the suffering servant and Jesus the mentor. It was good to witness the application of the Bible studies to our everyday lives in line with ECG (Equipping, Calling, Going). I was also glad to be at the main celebration event each evening led by the impressive worship band Yfriday (known world-wide) and with a variety of speakers on Jesus the Friend, Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Evangelist, Jesus the Risen One, Jesus the Radical and Jesus the Returning Hero. Large numbers of people responded to the call each day – a different call each time, according to the chosen theme, aiming to envision and enable radical mission and discipleship. For instance, I was most impressed when Gavin Calver (Youth for Christ Director of Church & Schools resources) summed up on Saturday by saying ‘I used to think that revival would come through our young people but now I believe it will also come from older people mentoring young people’. – after so many older people had stood to indicate their willingness to be a mentor.

In addition to these main events there was a very full programme, with something to suit every age group. The morning seminars, equipping people for ministry and growth were on Leadership, Lifestyle, Vocation (which, surprisingly, included one session on ‘Called to make money’!), and Church were so popular that each day we had to turn people away and refer them to the repeat sessions in the afternoon. There was all age worship each morning, a Kidz Zone for (0-4s, 5-6s, and 7-10s) and an evening children’s Praise Party run by Big Ministries and a Youth Programme for 11-14s and 15-18s.

In the afternoon, there was a choice of Family Film Fun, a Masterclass (on things like Songwriting, Public Speaking, and How to use Comedy), Signs of Hope sessions with the Fresh Expressions Team, Sports for all ages and fitness levels, the ECG-run Café Revival in the town centre, and social action projects like restoring a community centre, painting a church hall, and hosting a skate park and a mission bus. There was also much interest in the Prayer Path that occupied four rooms on the first floor, with interactive stations and different elements added each day to help us think more about Jesus’ character.

Fringe, late night events included a ‘Late Night Laughter Lounge’ at a local hotel, dramatic productions by the Lacey Theatre Company and the Inside Out Theatre group, Latin dance lessons by a professional salsa teacher, a Disco night, and each night there was a late night alternative Bible study in the Centre’s Café Bar (led on the Saturday by our President, Dr Martyn Atkins).

Before we left 480 people had booked and paid for next year’s ECG Event which will again be held in Llandudno from 14th to 19th April 2009, with Martyn Atkins (who will then be the Secretary of the Methodist Conference and the chief spokesman for the Methodist Church) as the main speaker for the Bible Study sessions. So 2008 had been a very encouraging start for ECG, with its aim of 'inspiring a prophetic church to build a better world'.

ECG 'Inspiring a prophetic church to build a better world'

I have been away for a week stewarding for the new ECG event at the Conference Centre in Llandudno about which I hope to be blogging soon. Meanwhile, you can find the comments of our President, Martyn Atkins, on the short time that he was with us on his blog www.methodist-presandvp.blogspot.com . I'm disappointed that so far there has been only one comment there.

Those of us stewards who returned home on Sunday afternoon were encouragd by this email from the stewards' team leader, John Cass:-

"After you had gone we had another great Celebration for the local folk from the Llandudno Area, an area stretching from Holyhead to Wolverhampton and Liverpool, so not that local! The stalls were so full that we had to open the circle as well. Clive Calver preached, YFriday led worship and many responded to Salvation and a personal commitment to growth. There is a real possibility that many of those who attended may return for the week next year.

Next year we are going to need twice as many stewards as this year so when the volunteer forms appear please encourage your friends to volunteer. The record is 8 additional volunteers recruited, currently held by Kath."

We also heard in another email that 475 people had already signed up for next year!

ECG - EQUIPPING CALLING GOING - 25-30 MARCH 2008

I have been asked to invite others to join the (at present small) team of stewards for
ECG THE CONFERENCE - AN EVENT FOR ALL AGES
TO ENVISION, EQUIP & ENABLE RADICAL MISSION & DISCIPLESHIP

The Stewarding coordinator writes - "If you know of any one else who might be available to Steward please let me know. I might be able to work a deal if needed."

He can be contacted on jwlecass@aol.com

Highlighting NXT Ministries

This has just to me by email, so i am using my blog to alert my readers to the request for more people to sign up to become involved in NXT ministries.


NXT Ministries

c/o Swanbank Mission Centre

Swan Square

Burslem

Stoke on Trent

ST6 2AA

0870 066 0766

07817842976

www.nxt.org.uk

dave.oxford@nxt.org.uk



"Resolution" was a great evening at the Victoria Hall, Stoke on Trent, on 5th Jan and a wonderful way to start the New Year, we have the 3rd Jan 09 pencilled in for Resolution 09, so please pencil the date in your diary and don’t miss it.

2008 promises to be a great year with exciting new events and projects ahead. We have ECG – The Conference in Llandudno at Easter, and "Adoration" a 2 day music festival, along with other events to be decided. As we get more details of these events we will let you know.

We really want to expand our mailing list this year so that we can let as many people as possible know about our events. With this in mind please tell anyone you know to send us their details in an email to info@nxt.org.uk and we will add them to the database."

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I have booked myself in for the ECG event as both an intercessor and a steward, so perhaps I will see you there? I haven't yet seen the programme but I know that there will be the same kind of in-depth Bible teaching that many people valued at Easter People. Also I know that there will be events for all age groups but a particular emphasis this year will be on events for the 'missing generation' - the 20s to 40s.
Go to the NXT site and look for yourselves.

Christmas Greetings and summary of my year

Christmas 2007
Christmas Greetings from Caversham to my blogger friends who will not receive this letter by any other means! I have enjoyed good health this year, apart from a severe flare-up of cellulitis that necessitated 3 weeks in hospital in August.

Here, this year has been a year of mission called Regenerate Reading, which began with a big commissioning service in January and saw many new mission projects initiated by the various individual churches in the town. On Good Friday there was an ecumenical Walk of Witness through the town centre, with a very talented actor miming the story of the crucifixion in Broad Street and ending with a service outside St. Mary’s Minster Church. Recently we had a huge Thanksgiving Service in the Globe (a large West Indian Church), when we heard reports of all these new ventures and an inspiring and challenging address by the Bishop of Reading. Speakers on the platform remarked on the very good reporting from the Methodist churches, and it is all very encouraging. We have never had all the Christians in the town uniting together like this!

It was good to be back at Easter People – this time in Blackpool - in April as a Steward and Intercessor, among so many old friends, for the 20th and Final celebration. There were huge crowds and many more than were expected, so that the morning Bible Study session became two sessions instead of one and new venues had to be found for other events. It was very exciting and the hardest stewarding I have ever done (or am ever likely to have to do) but it was a great joy to be able to do it. I am very sorry to see the end of this great festival. Many will miss it!

Now we are all very sad because (the Revd Dr) Rob Frost, its founder and principal speaker, died on Remembrance Sunday at the age of 57. His funeral was at Raynes Park Methodist Church where we were members many years ago in the early years of our marriage, and a Thanksgiving Service for his life will be held at Westminster Central Hall at 3pm on 12th January. We also mourn the death of Janice Palmer, the Lay Minister of the Reading Deaf Church in a tragic road accident.

In June we completed the 33-week Disciple 3 course, with participants from 4 Circuits, and it is planned to begin studying the Disciple 4 course in September 2008. At my own Church (Caversham Heights) we have just ended the 6-week ‘Lost for Words’ course to train people to talk naturally about their faith in their ordinary everyday conversations, and it is hoped to offer more such courses next year. It has felt good, if a little strange after a few years without doing any leading or teaching, to be sharing the leadership of ‘Lost for Words’.

I went to the Methodist Conference in Blackpool in July where it was good to be able to listen to all the debates at this time of change within the Methodist Church, and it is always good to meet old friends from far and wide.

We welcomed a new Deacon in September who is learning to sign for the Deaf, so I took her with me when I went to the Oxford Diocesan Harvest Service for the Deaf at Wendover. and to the signed Diocesan Christmas Service for the Deaf when the speaker was the Archdeacon of Oxford.

At Caversham Heights we held our ‘Back to Church Sunday’ on the last Sunday of September and were well rewarded by the number of returnees.

Recently, about 8 of us went from our church to the Southampton District Fresh Expressions Roadshow when it came to Thatcham. This was extremely helpful and we came home with much to think about. It is hoped that we can organise our own version of Fresh Expressions next year.

In October I started a one-full-day-a-month course on spirituality at Sarum College, Salisbury, so I have journeyed there three times so far. The course is called ‘The Heart of the Divine’ and I am finding it very interesting, with much of it very new to me. It is well worth the early rising and catching two trains – because I have to change at Basingstoke – in the rush hour!

A major effort this year has been helping to identify photos and other information for the book on the family history of the Emmersons (my father’s family and the Bauls (my mother’s family) being compiled by my sister Muriel’s son, my nephew John. I had not bargained for the amount of work that this would entail, but it has thrown up much that is very interesting, including an account of the D-day landing by the commandos in the War! Then the Morgan family asked for my help with their family history, but I couldn’t help so much with that, except for a few old photos.

I have continued to proof-read translations of Scripture in strange languages for Wycliffe Associates, including the Bible in the Igbo language used in Nigeria. Now I have part of the Sotho 1985 Bible to check for use in Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa.

ECG, A Heart for the Nations

I have booked my place at the new event being planned for next Easter in Llandudno called "ECG A Heart for the Nations" and I was told that bookings are rolling in at present. ECG stands for 'equipping, calling, going'. The last "Easter People" was held this last Easter and many people were protesting that they would miss the in-depth Bible study that has been one of the main characteristics of "Easter People".

So this quite separate new event called "ECG, A Heart for the Nations" (which in other respects will not be the same as "Easter People") will include similar in-depth Bible studies. The ECG event is planned ‘to envision, equip and enable radical mission and discipleship'. It will take place on 25th to 30th March 2008 at the new Llandudno Conference Centre. There will be special weekend arrangements (28th - 30th, running from Friday night until Sunday)for those who cannot book for the whole session because they will have different half-terms – if this applies to you, email info@ecgevent.org.uk .

This event is being organised by MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together), Youth for Christ and NXT Ministries. It will be for all ages but it will include sessions of special interest to people in the 20-40 age range. Speakers will include the President of Conference, the Revd Dr. Martyn Atkins. It is worth noting that family tickets are only available until 31st December and that ‘Early Bird’ (pay in full) bookings will have £10 off before 30th September.

Bookings will still be taken right up until the event. There will be provision for all ages and there will be a need for volunteeers to act as stewards, etc. I have volunteered as a steward because I feel that at my age I can best serve such events by stewarding - health permitting, of course. Booking costs are: Adult £75, Children £35, Youth & students £55 (with Kibbutz £70), Family £180 (2 Adults and up to 3 children, but family bookings are only available up to 31 December). Early Bird Bookings (Pay in full before 30 September) £10 off and before 31 December £5 off - but these discounts do not apply to family tickets. Bookings may be made by secure online credit or debit card booking. I am looking forward to the new brochure that is now in preparation and will soon be available.