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Home Mission - Sunday 3rd February 2008

Not all churches or individuals wish to give to separate funds, preferring to support the work of the Church as a whole. They can do this by supporting the Home Mission Church Fund, which uses the gifts where the need is judged to be the greatest. The Methodist Church uses the Home Mission Fund to support the following activities in Britain: 

- Evangelism training and resources 
- Planting new congregations 
- Prisons, industrial and higher education chaplaincy 
- Media relations 
- Mission in rural areas 
- Mission alongside the poor 
- Grants to local churches and circuits 
- Public issues 
- Support for children's & youth work 
- Political and parliamentary affairs

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A word in your ear ... Methodist Church launches audio Bible study

A Word in Time, the online Bible study for daily life, was launched at the beginning of September and has been hugely successful, with around 300 visitors to the site every day www.methodist.org.uk/bible.   But now the team have decided to make the studies even more accessible. An audio file of each day's Bible study, and a bigger file with all of the studies for each week can easily be downloaded onto a computer or mp3 player, so that users can listen at a time convenient to them.  

Alison Pollard, Web Writer and Researcher and the new voice of A Word in Time says; 'People find it increasingly difficult to make time to read and reflect on the Bible in today's busy world. A Word in Time made it easier by giving people access to a Bible study on the internet. Now we've taken it to the next level and you can catch up with your daily Bible study at a time most convenient to you - whether you're cooking dinner, doing your weekly shop or on the daily commute to work.'  

A Word in Time features a daily Bible reading, background and an explanation of the text, reflections and questions to ponder from that week's contributor. It follows the readings in the Methodist Prayer Handbook bringing the 40,000 readers of the handbook together with online disciples in their search for daily spirituality.   Each audio file is available in two formats - a high quality version for those using broadband internet connections and a lower-quality file for those using a dial-up connection. The audio files for past Bible studies are available online in the Word in Time archives.  

The audio Bible studies are also ideal for sharing with those who otherwise might not have access to daily Bible notes, perhaps because of a disability or simply not having access to the internet.

www.methodist.org.uk/bible

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Prisions Week - November 2008   Prisons Week is a Christian initiative to pray for, and raise awareness  of, the needs of prisoners and their families, victims of crime, prison   staff and all those who care. The week can also be used by other faith communities and secular groups as a time to highlight criminal justice concerns.                __________________________________________________________

One World Week - October 2008

One World Week is an annual opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together to learn about global justice, to spread that learning and to use it to take action for justice locally and globally, by: - Working together in caring for the Earth and its resources - Taking action for justice, equality, peace and fullness of life for all - Building relationships of mutual respect that cross boundaries - Running local events that celebrate the diversity of cultures in our communities In 1978, One World Week (OWW) was founded by the World Development Movement out of a desire that, for one week in every year, the churches should draw the attention of their communities to the fact that the world consists of one human race which shares one planet in which all may enjoy fullness of life.  Growth and Development Over the years OWW has broadened its approach to include people from all backgrounds. In a series of projects funded by the EU (Voices from the South) and DfID (Reaching Out and Reaching South or ROARS), OWW focused on incorporating the perspectives of people from developing countries though providing mentors (from the diasporas) to local OWW organising committees and involving people from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds in planning and writing resources. OWW has become known throughout the UK and developed an international reputation for bringing people together to learn about global issues, and to take action locally on things which have an impact on the whole world. One World Week now involves people of many nationalities and has events all the year round, but there is still one week in October (the week containing United Nations Day, 24 October) when the excitement is greater than at any other time.                __________________________________________________________

Racial Justice Sunday - September 2008

Racial Justice Sunday (RJS) is an important date in the British churches' calendar. It provides an opportunity each year for all the churches together in Britain and Ireland to prayerfully focus on how to better relate across the divides of cultural and ethnic differences. Churches are encouraged to be more inclusive and culturally sensitive in their worship life and for this rich diversity to be reflected in their liturgies. It is a time for all Christians in the UK to celebrate God's gift of diversity and to seriously consider ways to rid our society and our world of racial prejudice and discrimination. This year Racial Justice Sunday will be on 9 September. It helps us in the Methodist Church to consider many issues including: - Thinking about racial justice - Thanksgiving for human diversity, - Prayer for an end to misunderstanding, racism and injustice - Action that truly makes a difference - Fundraising for national and local racial justice initiative                              __________________________________________________________

Refugee Sunday - 27th June 2008

Refugee Sunday is an opportunity for us to reflect on where we are and where we are at home in relation to others. It is an incredible opportunity for churches worldwide to show support and solidarity with millions of displaced women, men, and children, seeking to rouse the conscience of the Church through this powerful celebration Sunday. More than 33 million people throughout the world are refugees or displaced persons.  Persecution and terror force these individuals to flee their homeland, often leaving everything behind. These people have lost family members, friends, and possessions, not to mention the familiarity of home which is one reason why this event – and the continued involvement of the Church – is so vital. It’s a signal that we care deeply for each of them and Refugee Sunday is an opportunity to reflect on their plight, pray for their health and safety and respond to those in need.

Trinity Sunday - June 2008

The first Sunday after Pentecost is the Festival of the Holy Trinity. On this day, the church rejoices in the impenetrable mystery that God is triune (three-in-one) -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  How the Lord can be one God in three distinct persons is completely beyond the ability of any human to understand.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians accept this incomprehensible mystery as a fundamental article of faith. How God can be one God in three Persons is a mystery.  While it is clearly taught in the Bible (for example, in Maththew 28:18-20 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 ), it can never be understood or rationalized -- it can only be accepted by faith.  Since faith comes only through the Holy Spirit working through the means of grace, it is appropriate that this glorious mystery is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost, the great festival of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Aldersgate Sunday - May 2008

Influenced by the Moravians the Wesleys joined in a 'Religious Society' in London, and in May 1738 both underwent a profound spiritual experience. John famously described this in his Journal for 24 May 1738. In the evening he went unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where someone was reading Luther and preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter to nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, John felt his heart strangely warmed. He felt trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation and an assurance was given to him that he had taken away his sins even his and saved from the law of sin and death.  Three days earlier, following his own 'conversion', Charles had written a hymn. Where shall my wondering soul begin. How shall I all to heaven aspire? For the following half-century such hymns flowed from Charles' pen (it is estimated he wrote over 6,000), while John was the organising genius who turned a spontaneous movement into structured body which became the origin of today's world-wide Methodist Church.

Christian Aid Week - 13th-19 May 2008                        Christian Aid is Britain's longest running door-to-door fundraising week and also turns 50 this year. To mark its golden jubilee it is going green by encouraging people of all ages to plant trees in support of its overseas projects.

The first , in 1957, mobilised residents in 200 towns and villages across Britain collecting £26,000 for overseas development work. Half a century later Christian Aid hopes to raise £15.5 million from the annual fundraising week.Christian Aid works with 700 local organisations across 50 developing countries. Working with poor communities, it trains people to deal with the effects of climate change and prepares them for the threat of natural disasters.

Beryl Anderson is Park Lane's Christian Aid co-ordinator. www.christian-aid.org.uk/

Vocations Sunday - April 2008

Vocations Sunday is usually held on the forth Sunday after Easter. Vocations Sunday is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the gifts we have to offer to God and the challenges God places before us. Go to the Methodist Church site to find out more.      www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=pandw.content&cmid=871

The Road to Freedom - The 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery

Sunday 25th March 2007 marked 200 years that a Parliamentary Bill was passed to abolish the slave trade in the then British Empire. This marked the beginning of the end for the transatlantic traffic in human beings. The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807 was the start of a successful process that outlawed the African slave trade worldwide. After centuries of suffering, millions of African slaves were eventually freed and millions of lives saved. Those who worked so hard in the 18th and 19th century to abolish slavery would be shocked to find that there was still so much work to be done 200 years later. On this 200th anniversary slavery has changed but it has not been eradicated.

Slavery can still be found in every corner of the world. In Europe today, slavery manifests itself in many different forms, including; the trafficking of women and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation; the holding of migrant women in domestic servitude; the exploitation of bonded labourers in the agricultural sector and the trafficking of children for the purposes of begging.

The Wembley Circuit celebrated this mementos occasion with a series of discussion and dialogue culminating in an all day event on Saturday 24th March. Go to our exclusive Road To Freedom page to review how we marked this special event ...

Poverty Action Sunday - February 2008

This year Poverty Action Sunday was on Sunday 18th February. Depending on where we live it is sometimes hard to imagine that poverty still affects many people in Britain today, from people trapped on inadequate benefits, or in low paid work, to senior citizens trying to eke out their ever deminishing pensions. Alongside these a new group of people has emerged, destitute asylum seekers. It is the plight of this group, the so-called ‘Living Ghosts’ that is the focus of Poverty Action Sunday this year. 

Poverty Action Sunday also offers us an opportunity to reflect on the reality of poverty in the UK through the views, stories and experiences of those directly affected. Personal stories breathe life into the statistics and show us the world through new eyes.