Information eXchange 7
September 2011

Fuller information can be obtained by clicking on the relevant links.

All information herein is intended for use in churches in whatever form the user thinks fit. If printed, an acknowledgement of source should be included.

New President of Conference says Church should be more welcoming.

The new President of the Methodist Conference, Revd Lionel Osborn, challenged the assumption that the Methodist Church was welcoming in his inaugural address to the Methodist Conference. He emphasised the need for pastoral relationships in the church that go beyond a 30 second chat at the door on the way out. "The number of times I've heard people say "we're a welcoming church" and the number of times I've wanted to ask "Who told you that?" - for the aspiration and the reality may be two different things," said Mr Osborn. "A relationship that does not have a pastoral element to it is hardly worthy of the name." He commended churches that organised welcoming teams to greet newcomers and praised the new vicar of a neighbouring Anglican church who had decided to open the doors every day.

"Whilst I am concerned about what is happening at the front door of the church I'm equally concerned about what is happening at the back door: those who slip away due to our pastoral neglect or remain but feel disappointed or uncared for," he said, adding that churches can build a bridge between themselves and the community in small as well as grea t ways.

Mr Osborn worked as a nursing orderly in Norfolk before offering for the Methodist ministry. He trained at Wesley College Bristol and has served in the Ripley (Derbyshire), Bury (Lancashire), Bramhall (Cheshire) and North Shield s and Whitley Bay Circuits over 25 years. He has been Chair of the Newcastle upon Tyne Methodist District for the past ten years.

Ruth Pickles the new Vice-president chose “learning as disciples of Jesus” as the theme of her vice-presidential year.

At its best, she said, “The Methodist Church has been at the forefront of helping ordinary people to develop into extra-ordinary people. Miners, fishermen, shop assistants, housewives … learnt how to read, to speak in public, to get engaged in community affairs, trades unions, politics ... all through membership of the chapel and their class meetings. Knowing God’s love, they felt valued as individuals; their learning needs were recognised and addressed.”

Ruth concluded her address by asking those present what the future might hold for them and the Church, “I have my filled-in diary for the coming year, but don’t really know what lies ahead. It looks immense, exciting, daunting. How about you? Where do you find yourself on your journey? Will you too look with hope to the future? What exciting, but risky and costly, opportunities lie ahead for us as a discipleship movement?”

Click here to read her full address or watch it here.

A discipleship movement shaped for mission.

In his general secretary’s report to the Conference, the Revd Dr Martyn Atkins spoke of his hopes for the life, work, worship and mission of the Methodist Church and his belief that it must change to fulfil its calling in contemporary society. "As disciples of Jesus we are called to become the Church God wants us to be," he said. "This will involve making some tough decisions. We don’t have all the resources we would like to have but God has not given up on us. We must work hard to become a Church that demonstrates our faith through a commitment to justice and serving our local, national and international communities."

The wide-ranging report, Contemporary Methodism: A discipleship movement shaped for mission, addresses issues from church buildings to evangelism and the nature of local ministry. The report was warmly received by the Conference, which commended it to the whole Church for study, response and action.

At a Conference Fringe event 120 people gathered for a model Seder (Jewish ceremonial meal on the first night of Passover), hosted by the Southport Hebrew Community. Rabbi Zevi Saunders led those attending through the different parts of Seder, conveying the historical and spiritual importance of it for Jews and giving those attending the opportunity to taste the different foods such as matzoth and bitter herbs which are eaten during the meal. The Revd James Booth, chair of the Liverpool District, gave a theological reflection after the dinner that followed the Seder. Christine Elliott described the evening as a time when “representatives of our two communities could take time to sit together, talk, laugh and begin to hear each other. A rare gift.”

Click here for further details and pictures of the event

Big Society: engagement not endorsement.

The message from the Conference’s debate on the Big Society was that churches must not walk away from opportunities to serve their communities. A report presented to the annual Methodist Conference expressed serious concerns about the government’s use of the Big Society initiative to justify cuts in public spending. "Not everyone will be able to join in the Big Society and benefit from its opportunities to the same degree," said Rachel Lampard. The Big Society will look very different in Kensington and Chelsea than it will in Kensington, Liverpool. In reality, the Big Society could reinforce the fault lines in an already fractured Britain." This report recommended that the Methodist Church should to continue to speak publicly about justice, whilst serving its communities locally, nationally and internationally.

Read the full report online.

From Methodist E-News, June 2011. Changes in copyright law

From 1 January 2011 changes to copyright law in the UK mean that churches now require a PPL licence to play recorded music. This amendment followed lengthy government consultation during which CCLI registered its concern regarding the proposed changes. However, the exemptions previously enjoyed by churches have now been removed.

There is one exception. Following discussions with CCLI, PPL has agreed to waive the requirement for a licence if the only time recorded music is played on church premises is during acts of divine worship. However, if recorded music is played on any other occasion, a licence is required. If you are a CCLI licence-holder, CCLI will be contacting you shortly with more details about how the change in law might affect you. Meanwhile you can find more information at www.ccli.co.uk/ppl

From The Buzz 97, August 2011.

Prayer with Porridge    From: St Just in Penwith Methodist Church, Cornwall.

.... two of us decided to have a prayer meeting specifically for new members to join us. Our only problem was that we lead very busy lives - one working full time, singing in choirs etc., and although I am well and truly retired, I also have many commitments, so the answer seemed to be very early morning! We decided on Wednesday mornings at 7.15 am and as my friend would go straight to work afterwards, we would need to have breakfast - hence Prayer with Porridge.

"We have now been going for several months and there are usually six to eight of us praying together. We had one lady join us who is not normally a church goer but finds this time of prayer at the beginning of the day very uplifting. A notice of invitation was placed in the local newspaper and parish magazines emphasizing that prayer can be spoken or silent, and we always lay places for two extra people, just in case! We have a prayer box attached to the wall outside the church so that people can place any requests in there.

"We have a huge church that seats 1,000 people, so it will take some filling but we have great faith that our numbers will increase. We are also praying for guidance in what kind of children's work we should be doing as we have no young people at all. Just this week I felt that part of that prayer was answered when I saw 20 children's chairs advertised on FREEGLE (all goods free) which we were able to collect from a village hall that no longer had use for them.

"Please pray for our outreach in St Just and for guidance on bringing in families."

E-mail contact: Joyce Lee

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From MRDF News, June 2011

You’d be amazed what £5 a month can do in India.

£5 might mean a coffee and cake for us, but in India it could lift a family out of poverty.

As a result of the prejudice surrounding her caste status, Aluramma didn’t have the social standing, education or investment she needed to set up a business or enter a profession. This meant that she had to beg for money to support her four children after her husband died.

Begging did not provide a regular income and Aluramma was frequently beaten and harassed. Then she signed up for a free business training course with an MRDF partner and accessed a small loan to start a second-hand sari selling business. She says: ‘Now my children are happy and have life skills. We have dignity. I have bought land nearby and have begun to build a house.’

Just £5 would pay for a place on a life-changing training course like the one Aluramma attended. A regular gift of £5 would allow us to make a long-term commitment to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. Our work in India is just one example of what your regular donation could make possible.

Setting up a regular gift is quick and easy. Find out more

From Methodist E-News, August 2011.

The Methodist Church responds to riots across England

Methodist churches in their local communities have been working and praying hard after the riots across England last week. There have been prayer vigils in Tottenham, Wolverhampton, Central London, Manchester and Birmingham, and many other locations. Street pastors, town centre and retail chaplains have been out on the streets; Ministers have been interviewed on local radio stations; the Nexus Fresh Expression in Central Buildings, Manchester has been offering free coffee to people helping with the clean-up. For more details go to the Methodist Media page on Facebook.

The Methodists’ Handwritten Bible goes online.

The Methodists’ Handwritten Bible, created by tens of thousands of people across Britain and Northern Ireland, is now on line. It will be available for display at churches, Bible Fresh events, anniversaries and museums until the 2012 Methodist Conference. For more details contact Jenny Ellis.

Church leaders’ delegation to the party conferences.

Leaders from the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church will again be joining with leaders from the Salvation Army and Society of Friends in a delegation to the autumn conferences of the three main political parties. By attending some of the sessions and meeting with MPs, the delegation is able to demonstrate the support of the Churches for those involved in the political process.

Liberal Democrat - Tuesday 20 September (Birmingham) – Birmingham Christian Centre

Labour - Tuesday 27 September (Liverpool) – Friends' Meeting House

Conservative - Tuesday 4 October (Manchester) – Living Oasis Christian Bookshop

For more details email the Joint Public Issues Team.

The healing touch of God.

Healing has been integral to the Church's life and ministry since the beginnings of Christianity. But in recent times it has become marginalized and often treated with suspicion by mainstream Churches. The Healing Touch of God is an attempt to show the Church, and the Methodist Church in particular, that healing ministry should be as much a part of every congregation’s life as any other form of prayer. In the book, the author Peter Edwards (a Methodist minister) uses his experience of ministry in his local church in Rotherham.

Peter and his wife Rita headed up the Healing Touch at Easter People for six years and have led courses on healing ministry across the country.

The book costs £12.50 (including p&p) and is available from Peter Edwards, 28 Broomfield Grove, Rotherham S60 2SY.