Methodist philatelists

It was good to meet the Methodist philatelists who were holding a competition at Wesley's Chapel.

Their exhibition included fascinating collections of stamps from around the world - including Tonga!

London District line

These past few days I have been visiting the London District and seeing some of the exciting ministry being done in a variety of contexts. It began at an excellent re-dedication service at the Hayes End Methodist Church - a great time of worship co-ordinated by the minister Jongi and a great variety of food and good conversation. The people here have done a great job and are hoping to do a second phase later on to make the church more open and accessible to the community.

This was the common thread running through all the visits I made. On the Friday I was at Parchmore Methyodist Youth and Community Centre and the minister, Nigel Cowgill, spent the day sharing some of the marvbellous ministry which has been offered from this church for the

past 40 years. Thios was the time when Parchmore was one of the 10 designated centres of Youth & Community work. They do some excellent work among the elderly with a pop in centre and a 'Good Neighbour'scheme. Te excellent relationships with the community were highlighted in a community meeting at the church which centred on how to tackle gun and knife crime.

One of the challenges I laid before the Church at conference was how we can be hospitable to the growing number of Christians coming among us from the wider World Church. there are now many fellowships of language and cultural groups spreading right across the connexion. So I was thrilled that one of the evnts organised was to gather together some of the key people from across the District. They included people from the Korean congregations, Chinese congregations, Ghanaian fellowships and the Urdu congregation in Southall. We had a meal together and shared conversation of how we as the Methodist Church in Britain can widen our understanding of connexion to include congregations and fellowships from across the world. It is an exciting, pressing and creative question.
I was privileged to meet some of the staff and children at Bermondsey Central Hall at their saturday supplementary school. This has been running for nearly 10 years and has helped shape and enrich the lives of many many children. I applaud the commitment and professionalism of the teachers and staff. This is but one of many community activities of this growing congregation. They have the dilemma that the worship sanctuary is now not large enough! Here, as in all the places I have visited, I met some wonderful dedicated lay people who are excited at all that God is doing among and throught them. Thank you.

that evening we were guests atLeytonstone Church's International Evening Spectacular...it was great. I enjoyed being able to eat rice and pease and curried goat agian! The Shernall methodist Youth Steel Band was superb and had everyone up on their feet dancing........Ermal Kirby, one of the London Chairs is a smooth mover! I'm hoping david will post some photos as I only took a couple - too busy eating and dancing


I have been wonderfully cared for by all three London Chairs but particularly by Jenny Impey. We went together on the Sunday to lead worship at Wallington for thier Centenary and then afterwards to the Chinese Congregation at Epsom Metyhodist Church. Both were wonderful times of worship and celebration but in very different ways. I am really encouraged by all I see. There is a new feel within so much of the Church as if we are on the cusp of something new and exciting.

Hospitality plus

The credit crunch is clearly begining to have its effects and this was reflected in two discussions I had with Church members involved in business at Bishops Stortford and Harpenden.

How do you operate ethically and fairly at any time is an issue - but even more acute in the pressures of a recession.

I will be exploring this further in a Consultation on Ethical Business to be held in Manchester over the weekend of October 4th/5th - but I was very much helped by the people who met me both at the Chair's Manse and in the splendidly refurbished hall at High Street Church in Harpenden.

At both places our discussion was aided by a warming meal.

After a good day at the Bedfordshire Essex and Hertfordshire Synod in Luton - where there was much laughter as well as serious conversation - I participated in services in Harpenden and Harlow on the Sunday.

Jenny Dyer welcomed me to the informal worship at High Street and I then did a quick sprint into the Sanctary where Chris Greening had been conducting two baptisms. I was able in my sermon to speak about the important step their parents had made in bringing Ella and Nathaniel in thanksgiving to God at the beginning of their young lives.

In the evening Andrew Hollings conducted an Area Service at St. Andrew's Harlow where three of the staff spoke about some exciting new developments in mission. I was pleased to meet up with Peter Mountsteven of the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society (a shared passion!) and Christine Ripley, the aunt of Michelle, a fellow local preacher and an accepted candidate for the Diaconal Order from my own Circuit in Salford. What a small world it is....

On Tuesday we were at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester ...but as I am about to depart for London I willl leave discussion of that for a later post.

fresh eco ways of being school

I've had a great few days visiting the Beds, Essex and Herts District. Anne was a very gracious hostess and with her husband Andrew cared for me and then later David, when he came for the weekend, There is lots of new housing development going on within the District and the South east generally. One of the visits was to Hatfiekld where the Circuit is actively engaged with developing Fresh Expressions of mission and of being church on a new housing area.

The minister, Nina Johnson,has been working in the community for a year and has just moved onto the estate in a house with her family which has an additional 'upper room' built over the garage and she is going to use this as for community use and a sacred space. She has already built up excellent relationships with people in the community and the new;y built school

Howe Dell is the first eco school in Hertforshire with wind turbines, solar panels,light sensors in every room, equipment and carpets made from recycled material. The children allwear plimsoles in the school building and put on their shoes to go outside. The best for me was when the four children Stephen, Georgia, Josh and Henry......


showed us the toilets. The water for the flush comes from rainwater collected on the roof. The flushed water goes into the pond (pictured above) and then that feeds into the tap water!!

Our four guides were tremendous and Nina is welcomed with open arms by the school and the community people I met.

I did lots of other things in the District and met a variety of people and as photos arrive will post some of them on the blog - but just off to catch a train to London.

Postcards from Cornwall

What a wonderful time I've had in Cornwall. I spent a few days visiting the District around the Induction of their new Chair of District, the Rev Steve Wild. This was held at Truro Methodist church and it was full of people from across the district, family, friends and an excellent reprentation of civic and political leaders from across the Duchy. Steve and Laura are returning to a district they have s lived in previously and they were received with real joy. Since they moved into their new manse they have been being filmed as part of the BBC series 'Island Parish' wich is now focusing on the Methodist minister on the Isles of Scilly, the Rev David Easton and the arrival of his new Chair will be part of the programme!

I suggested to the congregation that the next few years of ministry under Steve would be a roller coaster ride of excitement, encouragement and vision. This would describe my time with Steve as we did a whistle stop tour ofthe whole of Cornwall on the Friday calling in at Truru School, (meeting Ron Crewes as chair of Governors, just recovering from being in and out of hospital) visiting Pamela Luke, an ex Vice President of Conference and then calling in unannounced at the Polzeath Methodist church. Here is a fresh expression of Church which is now renamed Tubestation. A few years ago the congregation were encouraged to enagage with the local coastal community and especially to the large surfing community. There is anow a fully refurbished set of premises with a state of the art coffee lounge, skateboarding, non stop videos, live mucs, places of prayer and sacred space....and much more.

At the Synod we had an excellent preentation by Howard Mellor on 'Evangelism as parable' and as I listened to some of the new initiatives within the District I was greatly encouraged that there are many parables beng enacted. On the Sunday morning at the circuit service at Launceston we were part of a packed congregation with a variety of ages, stimulated by a new approach to worship with younger people and families. The church served a Sunday roast dinner for 150 people - it was great!!

Then in the evening we shared in a circuit service in Truro Church where about 200 people gathered in worship which with rousing singing of many kinds and traditions were encouraged to continue followoing Christ wherever He leads us.

It was a real privilege for me to share with Steve and Laura in their lovely home and to get to know their daughters Phoebe (who is living at home, beautiful and single!) and Lois (who lives in St Ives and spoken for) with their youngest daughter, Timna, away at college.

One lasting memory was the morning Steve appeared in his cassock and preaching bands - for the first time ever. His mum had bought them and she couldn't be with them for this special moment and so partly in honour of mum but also in making a new beinginning - and if our God can perform such miracles then we know that there will be many exciting and enriching days ahead for the Methodist community in Cornwall.

Dudley Anniversary

It was good to be at Central Church in Dudley on Sunday to share in their celebration of 30 years as a united congregation.

In 1978 four Methodist churches came together to create an attractive new church which (apart from a flat roof!) has well stood the test of time.

The Church was beautifully decorated for its Flower Festival and there was a good congregation and Junior Church; they are fortunate to have a superb organist (and several more I was told) and a mixed choir in good voice.

I was given a warm welcome, not least by my hosts Janette and David Robinson, their father Dennis and son Matthew.

I was also able to meet their Church Secretary, Joyce Holmes, at her home. She has been recovering from a heart attack but was clearly undaunted by her experience - she enthusiastically told me about her time working at Wesley House in Gibraltar, which formerly served the forces stationed there.

In the congregation was one of the members of the local Council and also the mother of Ian Austin, the Dudley North MP - who I will look out for when I attend the Labour Party Conference next week!

Network lives!

On Saturday I travelled across the Pennines to Sheffield with three of the Womens's Network stalwarts from my own Circuit - Lynette Brocklehurst, Barbara Huddleston and Cynthia Wilson.

We were off to the induction of Judith Simms as the new National President of Women's Network at Wesley Hall Church in Crookes, not far from Broomhill where I had lived and worshipped as a student several years ago now!

The Church was well filled with people from all over the country and the service was skilfully constructed to include elements of drama and reflection as well as a good mix of hymns and songs.

Judith was presented with a cross crafted by Sheffield Forgemasters and a preaching scarf beautifully designed and made by her mother Iris Sherwood - it was very much a family occasion as her father played the organ and her husband (John is the minister at Wesley Hall) and two sons were there as well (pictured above).

Judith spoke in her address of those who were pioneers and settlors; both need to be valued as Network moves into a new phase of its life. She reminde us of the work which Network had pioneered both on domestic violence and sex trafficking - an important resource for the Church as a whole.

There was pleasure that Margaret Sawyer had been appointed by the Connexion to provide support in the process of transition and warm thanks were expressed to the outgoing President Pam Turner.

A very happy and positive occasion - I was pleased to see Network in such good heart. I know how much the women of Network do all around the country - especially to keep us focussed on the needs of the wider world and in raising funds for the World Church. They are very often the backbone of the local Church.

I look forward to them continuing in new ways to be at the heart of Methodism, helping to ginger up the whole Church - as I can tell Judith will be gingering them up this year!