News from the Circuit and The Methodist Church
News from W/Bridgford Section Churches
News from Radcliffe Section Churches
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E-NEWS
Please feel free to circulate these stories by email or by cutting and pasting into your church newsletter or magazine or printing them out and pinning them on your noticeboard. E-News is sent out to all who have submitted their details to the Email Directory of the Methodist Church in Britain. Visit www.methodist.org.uk/signup to subscribe. If you wish to unsubscribe please visit www.methodist.org.uk/signup to remove your details. Ken Kingston, E-News editor: newseditor@methodistchurch.org.uk The Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, general secretary of the Methodist Church in Britain, said, “Europe must not be afraid to lead on climate change. This challenge will not be solved by nations sitting back and waiting for others to act first. Developed nations have benefited most from cheap fossil fuels and we must now lead on developing low carbon futures for all. Caring for God’s planet earth is today a crucial expression of Christian discipleship.” The three Churches have produced a report and study guide called Hope in God's Future. The booklet, available from Methodist Publishing, 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. Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of London on December 5 to show their support for The Wave campaign – a procession to advocate a safe climate future for everyone organised by Stop Climate Chaos coalition. Senior representatives from the three Churches will be at the 11.00am ecumenical service at Westminster Central Hall on the day of The Wave procession (5 December). Ben Bradley, connexional team events coordinator, will be cycling 140 miles in 3 days to the United Nations Climate Change conference at Copenhagen, with a clear message for world leaders: It’s not raining, it’s pouring – time to act on climate change. Ben will be cycling with Christian Aid to join a mass rally in Copenhagen on Saturday 12 December. You can follow Ben’s progress and find out more on his blog. The 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 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. The 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 offers a range of free resources, including prayers, sketches and stories of hope from the UK and further afield. 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. This Christmas the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) has launched its new range of Extraordinary Gifts – ordinary sounding things that make an extraordinary difference to people’s lives. The gifts support MRDF’s ongoing work overseas – so whether you’re buying a goat for a family in Ethiopia or equipping a child to go to school in Nepal, you’re making a small miracle possible. Gifts are available from just £9 and come with a colourful fridge magnet and card showing the long-term impact of the gift on some of the poorest communities in the world. Order your gifts today. There is a simple survey for each of these groups to do (which should take only a few minutes of your time). These are all available on the ARC website. Each individual questionnaire can be completed as often as you like, depending on the number of examples you want to tell us about! If you have any questions, contact Simon Martin on 024 7685 3068. It includes stories from round the world of where the money has been of particular benefit. The latest one includes news from Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Sierra Leone, Brazil and Peru. The bulletin can be found on the Methodist Church website. To receive a copy via email, contact Sandra Lopez. You can access the podcast through the news pages of the Methodist Church website. Why not also check out the latest Methodist Church podcasts which focus on Prisons Week and how Christians in Orissa, India are rebuilding their lives following the religious violence in August 2008? Children make themselves at home in a tiny Scottish chapel, new initiatives recognise the gifts of older people and members of minority communities, and a new book brings us the stories of gay and lesbian Methodists – “here to stay”. Plus, how new Government equalities legislation may affect your church. Add to that the Rotherham church that is influencing Government policy, and a selection of Advent worship resources, and you’ll have plenty to stimulate and inspire until well after the Christmas turkey has grown cold. Compassionate grounds? Do you have a faith in faith healing? Confused? You will be To join the discussion click on the title of the article. Centrepoint in Wednesbury and Tipton in the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District will appear on ITV Central News on Monday 23 November at 6pm. Cottenham Community Centre in what was the old Cottenham Methodist Church in the Cambridge Circuit appears on ITV Anglia News on Tuesday 24 November at 6pm. Noah’s Garden, based at Thornaby Methodist Church in Stockton on Tees, will appear on ITV Tyne-Tees at 6pm on Wednesday 25 November. Please watch if you are able and pledge your support by voting. |
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Churches across Great Britain are holding special services and events to mark Prisons Week from 15-21 November. 
The Connexional Team's World Church Relationships Office has begun a fortnightly bulletin with news of the different ways donations to the World Mission Fund are being spent.
