Category Archives: News

Do you want free resources that provide suggested actions to take as a follow up to the 2024 Methodist report on Singleness? Then check out Single Friendly Church Network’s campaign www.singlefriendlychurch.com, which has been going for over 10 years!

What is Single Friendly Church Network?
We are a Christian charity helping churches to welcome and value single people at every stage of life. We are research-based and provide free resources and training for churches and leaders. We believe listening to single people’s voices is so important to pastoral care and church growth. You can also watch our short video www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HcbPTm8DPY to find out more about our work.
Register your church here www.singlefriendlychurch.com/register-your-church-form

Scotland released census data last year and here are some articles which you might find interesting about single person households:

www.heraldscotland.com/news/24400205.scotland-highest-percentage-single-person-households-uk/
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c897zwwz29yo 

www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/2022-reports/scotland-s-census-2022-demography-and-migration/

www.scotpho.org.uk/wider-determinants/social-environment/data/lone-parent-households/

“We need to recognise that the world we are in is not neutral – empire has shaped the whole way we engage with each other in terms of bodies having worth.”
The Beckly Lecture took place in Telford and was given by Anthony Reddie, Professor of Black Theology at the University of Oxford. Speaking to a packed auditorium, Professor Reddie spoke of a post-colonial critique of British Methodism in a lecture entitled: Whiteness is the Sea, not the Shark.

Watch the lecture on YouTube

The Methodist Conference has elected the Revd Mark Slaney to serve as President and Caroline Stead to serve as Vice-President, starting their year of office when the Representative Session of the Methodist Conference opens in Telford in June 2026.
Mark is the chair of the Shetland District and the Scotland District, and Caroline is Synod Secretary for the Yorkshire West District.

Read more

The National Churches Survey is in full swing, and it is going well with around 2,200 responses so far. The Methodist Church though are underrepresented, and we would like to try and do something about that.

We are extending the deadline to Sunday the 13th of July, and this will be the final date for responses.

A link to the survey and some more detail on it is here: https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/survey.

Action for Children Sunday – Fundraise in your church!

Sunday 13th July is Action for Children Sunday, a day to draw attention to and fundraise for the wonderful work Action for Children does to improve the lives of vulnerable children across the UK experiencing poverty, homelessness and other issues.

We are encouraging local churches to get involved however you can, holding fundraising events big and small to support all that Action for Children do. In past years, churches have held more traditional events like coffee mornings and bake sales, but also jigsaw puzzle races! See what unique skills and gifts those in your church community can offer to the fundraising efforts!

You can find out more about Action for Children and download resources to support with your worship and fundraising events here.

The Property Steward’s Handbook has been updated and a 2025 edition is now available to download.

The Methodist Conference will take place from 26 June to 2 July at the Telford International Centre.
The Conference is the governing body of the Methodist Church and meets annually to discuss matters affecting the life of the Church, the nation and the world.
More details, including the full agenda, along with details of the live stream, tickets and
ordinations.

How do we try to live in ways that are just and fair in a profoundly unfair world? Where do we find hope, particularly when things get tough? What does it mean to try to do this as Christians?

Living Justly is a brand-new Bible study resource for exploring God’s justice in the Bible, our lives and in the world. It offers a flexible approach to understanding and embodying justice, based on the six Principles for Justice adopted by the Methodist Conference in 2023.

With films, engaging activities and Bible study passages, Living Justly is an excellent tool for fostering a deeper understanding and commitment to justice – and you can decide which parts you want to use and how!

Take a look!