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Applying the circuit principle

I don’t want to be perceived as knocking the structures of Methodism. They are its very genius! This applies to the foundational concept of circuit. Circuits were created to support mission using the principle of shared resources. This was acted out in planting new congregations – the strong (resourceful) helping the weak. This has always been a symbiotic relationship and not a one directional flow. The problem is most churches; even the large ones are in survival mode with little spare capacity to look beyond their own needs. So the challenge of leadership is not to become parochial. I am glad to read in the Statistics for Mission report that the rate of church closures has slowed to just 100 a year as opposed to 150! I am not advocating propping up dying causes, but the loss of a rural/small town chapels should be a cause for heart-break. I suggest as an organisation we have become too reliant on the minister for leadership. Yes the minister brings a wider perspective and specific t...
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RACHEL'S WELCOME On Tuesday 23 August we had a very joyful and uplifting welcome to our new Superintendent minister, Rachel Borgars. The District Chair, Andrew Wood, gave the address reflecting on the two passages that had been read earlier. The one from Isaiah 61 reminds us of Jesus’ own mission statement which he declared at the synagogue in Nazareth. This was to preach good news, proclaim deliverance, release the oppressed and give recovery of sight to the blind. The other reading was from Acts 2 when the people responded to the coming of the Spirit and formed the first Christian community. Both readings include an invitation to action. The good news of God’s love does not generate a passive response, it requires action. Of course we have to be careful that we don’t just busy ourselves and thus feel we are fulfilling our purpose as Christian disciples. Busyness is sometimes an excuse for not getting on with the important things in life. Rachel reflected on her Quaker upbringi...
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WHAT DO YOU SEE?

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 The recent welcome service for Peter Bennett, the new minister based in Newbury, was led by Andrew Wood, the Chair of District. In his sermon he reflected on the call of Jeremiah. At his call God asked the question of Jeremiah, “What do you see”? It seems an odd question to ask a prophet and his observations don’t immediately seem to have much relevance. Jeremiah sees an almond tree and a boiling pot tipping away from the North. Both observations come from the rural environment in which he was living. Good observations are a vital part of any attempt to address the situation in which we find ourselves.  If we don’t observe we will never learn what is going on in the area in which we live and work.   So what do you see? As with Jeremiah what we see may not give us an obvious strategy or vision, but it is an essential part of being receptive.  Peter and the congregations at Newbury and Thatcham are being encouraged to look with fresh eyes at their situation. We a...
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