The Connexional Safeguarding Team hosted a Zoom webinar on the topic of Dementia-Friendly churches on Tuesday 30 November. Areas covered included the theology of personhood and spirituality in dementia, safeguarding vulnerable adults with dementia, tips on making our church buildings more dementia-friendly and advice on understanding ‘challenging’ behaviours along with positive stories from Methodist churches who already are leading in this area. Watch here.
Author: Wesley
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Praying with Hymns
The new booklet Praying with Hymns is now available both as a downloadable PDF and as an A5 booklet, which you can order from Methodist Publishing, price £3.50. This is a resource for anyone who wants to use hymns as prayers. It is packed with easy-to-find suggestions grouped under themes familiar from Sunday worship, and includes suggestions of hymns written in the ten years since the hymn book was first published.
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Advent and Christmas Resources
The Methodist Church has produced a variety of resources. These include Contemporary reflections, a Christmas CD (free), posters and postcards.
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Advent Resources from the Joint Public Issues Team
JPIT has produced a liturgy for lighting Advent candles, exploring JPIT’s Six Hopes. Each week contains a reading, prayer and short reflection; there are Power point slides and short videos.
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COP26: Response
COP26 took place in Glasgow over the last two weeks. Despite hundreds of events, thousands of people lobbying and tens of thousands of delegates attending the conference, the outcomes were met with disappointment. Now, more than ever, we must focus on maintain the ambition of 1.5°c warming.
Read a response from JPIT’s denominations – Methodists, Baptists and URC
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Through the Roof – enabling those with disabilities within our churches
“We Need To Show Another Way”
At a recent online event Jonathan Bryan, who communicates by using eye movements only, encouraged us all that, “As a church community we need to show another way from the norms of society, where disability is often begrudgingly accommodated.”
Jonathan communicated every word of his powerful presentation, although it was physically read by his friend.
At the event, hosted by Christian disability charity, Through the Roof, Jonathan shared some of his incredible journey from being unable to communicate to being freed to express his innermost thoughts and perspectives on life and faith, using eye movements alone to communicate via a specially designed spelling board.
He is used to the many disabling factors in society, and church life, that limit his full participation as part of God’s family – although his own church and youth leader intentionally involve him in the planning and decision-making of activities which affect him.
Still only aged 15, he has published a book, ‘Eye Can Write’ and established a charity, ‘Teach Us Too’calling for all children to be given the opportunity to read and write, regardless of their perceived ability.
One delegate enthused: “Jonathan showed us that although he is profoundly disabled, he is also profoundly able.”
Through the Roof CEO, Tim Wood said, “Jonathan’s presentation is highly recommended viewing for those committed to enabling disabled people to be part of church life, and absolutely essential for those who aren’t!”
The charity provides free support and resources to anyone who signs up as a Roofbreaker to champion the needs of disabled people in their church or ministry. Find out more at: https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/roofbreakers
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Call to Prayer 21 November 2021
‘So you are a king?’ We can picture the scene as Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate asks: ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’
In response, Jesus speaks of a kingdom ‘not from this world’ and ‘not from here’. Pilate, perhaps perplexed, asks: ‘So you are a king?’ (John 18: 33-37)
In the exchange between Pilate and Jesus, we sense the contrasting understandings of what a ‘king’ will be and what a ‘kingdom’ will look like. We can well imagine that Pilate had a clear understanding of what these were at that time.
However, when faced by a Jesus whose kingdom is ‘not from this world’, Pilate struggles to comprehend how he might be a ‘king’.
Nevertheless, in time, Pilate will crucify: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews’. (John 19: 19)
The Jesus who is present before Pilate is a King whose Kingdom is to come and is already present in his life lived out in this world.
We respond in faith to the King who is present in our midst, crowned with thorns and robed in purple, and pray that the Kingdom will come…
We pray:
Lord, who reigns on high
And who is robed in majesty,
We see Your Son come amongst us
As a King whose kingdom is not from this world.
May we respond to His presence
With faith and trust as we pray for the kingdom that is to come.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Lord, who reigns on high
And who is robed in majesty,
We see Your Son come amongst us
As the One who very life is a sign of the kingdom.
May we recognise the signs of the kingdom in our midst
And live as those who await its coming with expectation.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Lord, who reigns on high
And who is robed in majesty,
We see Your Son come amongst us
As a King whose reign resembles not the rulers of this world.
May we follow in His way
And seek to live in the light of His coming kingdom.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Lord, who reigns on high
And who is robed in majesty,
We see Your Son come amongst us
As the bearer of truth and as the light of the world.
May Christ the King reign amongst His people
And His way be known to all who seek Him in spirit and in truth.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Signed by:
- Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
- Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
- Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
- Rev. Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
- Rev. Neil MacMillan, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
- Rev. Paul Whittle, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
- Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
- Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
- Rev. Thomas R. Wilson, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
- Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
- Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- Rev. Ruth Turner, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
- Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
- Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
- Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)
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Call to Prayer 14 November 2021
Print Version
In a time of Remembrance, we turn to the One who offers ‘refuge and strength’ in time of trouble and whose presence stills the storm and calms our fears. (Psalm 46: 1)Our faith is rooted in the remembrance of the Christ who laid ‘down His life for His friends’. (John 15: 13) In turn, it is rooted in our receiving the Good News of the Christ who ‘was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures’. (1 Corinthian 15: 4)
In turn again, we come by faith to understand the death of Christ in the light of the resurrection and so comprehend that it was for us and for our salvation that He gave His life.
In a time of loss, we find no human words adequate to express the depth of that loss and we often find ourselves seemingly detached from the onward rush of time.
In silence, and as memory casts its eye across the span of time, we hear the voice of the One who calls to us: ‘Be still, and know that I am God’.
We pray:
Living God,
Our refuge and our strength,
Hear our cry in time of remembrance.
Hear our cry as memory, and stories told,
Carry us to places of loss and sorrow.
Meet us in this time,
To still the storm and calm our fears.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Living God,
Our refuge and our strength,
Hear our cry in time of loss.
Hear our cry, though it seems long lost,
In the cruel winds that blow.
May the measure of our loss
Be the measure of Your grace.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Living God,
Our refuge and our strength,
Hear our cry in time of sorrow.
Hear our cry, and the cry of all who mourn,
As it gives voice to hidden grief.
May it rise from the depths of the earth
And be embraced in the heights of heaven.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Living God,
Our refuge and our strength,
Hear our cry in time of remembrance.
Hear our cry,
And still our hearts,
That we may we hear the voice that speaks:
Be still, and know that I am God.
Lord, in Your mercy
Hear our prayer.Signed by:
- Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
- Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
- Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
- Rev. Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
- Rev. Neil MacMillan, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
- Rev. Paul Whittle, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
- Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
- Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
- Rev. Thomas R. Wilson, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
- Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
- Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- Rev. Ruth Turner, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
- Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
- Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
- Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)
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Join the Community of Evangelists
The Methodist Church in Britain launchied a Community of Evangelists in September 2021 – a small group of Methodists called and spiritually gifted as Evangelists. This community aims to raise up, challenge, and support theologically diverse Evangelists for our world today.
If you’re an Evangelist interested in finding out more about the Community, please download this Guidance Pack for Individuals.
If you’re a church leader who is supporting an Evangelist who may wish to join the Community, please download this Guidance Pack for Churches.
To apply to join the Community, you can use this Discernment Workbook if it’s helpful, and you can access the Application Form here.If you would like to ask a question about the Community, please contact Holly Adams (Evangelism and Contemporary Culture Officer).
