School visit

One of the most pleasurable aspects of having been a minister living and working in a community is the opportunity to work with schools. I have always found I get more out of it than the youngsters themselves. Their sense of wonder if they are coming into your church building helps you to stop taking what you have for granted. Then there is the honesty they bring. You may have been asked to talk about one thing but they always have their own agenda, insights and challenging questions. 

This academic year we have once again Hinde House lower school visiting  Firth Park Methodist Church through out the year, in their year groups. This past week 60 plus year four's  came to explore Why Christians worship? Not only were they well behaved and amazingly attentive they kept me on my toes with their questions and insights. What I love about this school is the diversity of children in culture and faith. Two questions stood out for me. One boy asked 'is it alright not to be religious?' And another when we were talking about those who are of the same faith being our brother and sisters, said 'me and my friend both like trains does that make us brothers?'  He had clearly picked up that having something in common can bind you together as family that is not dependent on biology. It was also great to be able to explore that relgious does not automatically make you a person of faith? or that not being a peson of faith means you cant have core values which are of worth. So not just a simple visit and chat. I will see them again when in school leading assemblies and so important relationships are forged. So it's great for our church community to have over 450 children coming into our buildings to continue to build their sense of awareness of God,be they Christian, Muslim or non religious!

Religious buzz words

Over my ministry I have experienced the various changes and suggestions that have sought to find the way to change things that saves the church from decline. 

From the 'decade of evangelism' to 'fresh expression of church' the church has sought to clutch at something that will make the difference . 

Alongside this is the inevitable jargon that afflicts alll organisations. So we no longer talk about stories we speak of the narrative. Like strictly come dancing we are 'on a journey'. And 'Mission' or 'missional'  has become a word bandied about as if saying it enough times will wave a magic wand and all will be well. Then again everything has to be 'intentional' Does that mean I have spent the last 32 years of ministry with no idea of what I have been about no clear purpose? 

To complain about all this can appear to make one a grumpy old minister. But I would suggest that just as fresh expressions can be all smoke and mirrors 'we do cafe  church' No you put a few tables out and drink non fairtrade  coffee' and claim you do cafe church. The reality is the church had always sought to reinvent itself for the current day. In fact there is nothing new under the sun.  What we are trying to do in many different ways is discover what works for one faith community and not another.  In so doing we just use tools of today to learn and share faith. I am sure if John Wesley was around today he would have written blogs instead of pamphlets, delivered 'ted talks' instead of 44 sermons, and get his brother to set the words of scripture to various music genres of today.  What wouldn't have changed is his engagement with people and the lives they actually live. Their need for a roof over their head, not to be forgotten because they have been put in prison, food for their  stomachs and clothes for their backs. The language he would have used about why he did such things would still be telling them they are loved by God , a God they can get to know. It's not exactly rocket science to say you have to start with where people are, but we have a whole course for people to undertake based on it. Its great don't  get me wrong , it  just stands in a long line of other such courses. 

My latest growing bug bear is talk of mission - without any real clarity of this overarching word. The more it seems to be used now the less clarity that comes with it.  For some it appears it just means making Christians. When people  meet those for whom this is their agenda they are very often switched off because they are not being listened to. Its certainly not the way Jesus operated. For  others mission is working with youth while for others its about the environment. But ' What is the mission of the church? 

 If we take the great commission as a command for the overarching meaning of Mission then its about 'discipleship'  ( apprenticeship learning on the job) and 'the Kingdom of God'. Jesus did not say go out into the world and make pew fodder, or create an institution that perpetuates itself, with power and self preservation as its guiding principles. Surely it is about working out a way of life, that reflects trying to live life in the way Jesus did, and in so doing help to create the kingdom of God. And of course enabling others to become disciples is to draw them both into that Kingdom which will also mean they can help make that kingdom. They might turn out not to be Christians! The judgement that Jesus said will occur at the end,  sort of implies very strongly, doing what Jesus did will show who is of the Kingdom and who is not ( sheep and goats) disciples not christians!   The values of the Kingdom are often at variance  with the values of the society around you, be that first century Palestine, 21st century Britain or Ghana. They can even be at varience with the institution of the church you belong to. So the response to those who try to live this way can often be the response Jesus received. 

Living as I do in a vibrant city of Sheffield, but one which is one of the most divided in the country,  It is sad that this division is often reflected in the life of my own christian tradition. Wealth and what it can buy ( influence) professionals who can talk the talk, draw the resources into their churches duplicating the divide of our city. To be then a faithful disciple is to challenge this divide. I think its also at times important to poke a little fun at the holy language we use that have become the buzz words of the initiated. The rest of the world really couldn't care less . What the people who come into one my churches on a Wednesday after we have had a communion service need . Is a listening ear to their story, food for their table to feed the children at home, and just a sense that they are of worth. The acceptance they receive is changing lives. They may never become Christians but does that matter? 

 So what buzz words annoy you ? And what do you understand is the Mission of the Christian church? 

New Methodist Year

What a dim memory our holidays are once we get back to work.

September seems to gave flown by . We have welcomed three new ministers into the life of our  circuit which includes Henry and family from  Nigeria to enrich our team.

So we had a great service to start our year together as a circuit at our Wesley Hall Church in Crookes. 

Of course its also the harvest festival season and at Firth Park we looked at the parable of the sower and this year we made our gifts money for a vital toilet twinning sceheme through CAFOD . £460 was raised for what can be life changing basic sanitation. It remined me of the building work at the church in Asaebu which was enabled by the funds I was able to take on my last visit which created a whole toilet block.

Firth Park is an amazing and generous church community as this past weekend has shown again. It raised £421 for Macmillian. So thats not much short of £1000  being given not for ourselves but for others. Surely a community that needs to be blessed itself as it seeks to transform it building to better enable us to both worship and to serve. 

So it has also been fun to have a drone fly over our roof to take close high resolution pictures to see what has to be repaired and what could be left.

On the ground 

Then wow in the air flying high and school children passing by loved it, as did this minister. Sadly I was not allowed to control it!

Our hope is that we might do a smaller repair to the roof and get on with converting the inside to create a space for worship and the space for a soft play centre. The latter will not only provide a much needed community facility but mean we can connect with people who would  not normally cross our doors. So we press on with fund raising and pray that God will liberate a few bank accounts and wallets to make it happen sooner rather than later.

Cadgwith - Cornwall

Welcome to the devils frying pan!

It may be a long way to the Lizard from Sheffield but it's well worth the journey. A delightful converted barn for two awaited us with fresh farm milk, cakes and bread. The owners next door are attentive and welcoming with plentiful suggestions of where to  walk and eat.

Of course the primary purpose is not to do anything hence writing the blog on our last day

sitting in glorious  sunshine having had breakfast yet again outside, how good is that?

The beauty of the barn is you can walk straight out onto the coastal path 

And when you look down you can be treated to the delight of a seal or two bobbing in the water .

 

Wonderful coves abound 

And so of course one day I went back to more youthful days with young children  and took my body board into the waves.

 To say it was cold does not sum up the intial sensation. This is not the vendee beaches of France, so wisely many wear wet suits, but nonetheless I spent sometime reliving riding in on the waves, avoiding young children and rocks. Youngest daughter'sresponse   to news of her dad doing  this was merely ' bless him' Did I detect a note of sarcasm? If so I don't care it was really good fun and all thoughts of anything else drifted away as I Concentrated on catching the wave just at the right point to travel the longest distance I could. 

Well we could hardly come all this way and not go to the Eden project. We kept an eye out for a weather day that was not going to be too warm and spent a great time exploring the site. In particular the Mediterranean zone  and tropical zone. The place was really busy , loads of children! Still we were able to absorb what an an amazing project this really is. Once again you come face to face with the reality of what we are doing    to our planet and how with a determination to restore balance we have the   means to protect and enjoy the world that provides us with all we need. 

      This is what we do to our rain forests every day 

 

Beautiful birds just wandering the dome....

A great quote by Nelson Mandela 

And little things catch your eye and smile . Near the barn on a local house .....

Or beas trying to go first class to a new nest? 

But in the end it's the beauty of the area 

The animals wisely used to keep the habitat in good shape

Oh and those seals keeping their heads above water . You can imagine them saying to each other 'how long do we have to keep this up? '  ' till the tourists go'

And go we must having savoured the beauty of the scenery, the wonderful fish meals and time out from working. Mind you having no phone signal was good but we did have the internet so we could face  time  our eldest daughter - only the excuse so we could see our granddaughter.

Catch up on the blog

This took me back to the old days of working with children and young people. 

A gathering of those who work with them to look at ways the gospel is told, is yet another sign of something bubbling under the surface in the life of our circuit. It took place at our Hillsborough church. A renewed sense that we now need to re invest our energies in work with youngsters is really encouraging . At our Firth Park church,  how we work with children on a Sunday morning, is being reimagined and plans are being put in place to work with teenagers on a Sunday evening. This will complement our other work that happens through uniform groups and the open youth work of Firestorm. So good to get new ideas from this circuit evening.

Thanks to Katie who is drawing together step by step those who undertake this vital workacross our   circuit of 60 churches. The evening ended with balloon prayers on the parachute.

 

Our Final BB time of worship before the summer saw parents, youngsters and church members exploring a varity of prayer Zones. From the graffitti Zone, Sand Zone, Crayon Zone, Friendship  Zone and Rock Zone. A great way to end what has been a good year of building on our relationship with not just the young people but their parents. 

Some of our afternoon congregation enjoying a Saturday evening with 'Vinesong' on tour and leading an evening at Firth Park. It was a very vibrant evening. Having the Family Worship centre as part of our church community continues to enrich us all as we seek to complement each others tradition and way of serving. 

What a delight to discover at last the grounds of Renishaw Hall. 

Lots of wonderful vistas to take in so no need to go into the house  at all.

Of course the highlight of current life is our granddaughter !

When all around seems crazy and work undending she does put life into perspective.

Then out of the blue a photo sent on reminding me of my last time in Ghana and an open air wedding.

This too stirs up the need to hold all things in perspective. Never will I forget the hospitality I recieved, the generosity of people and the deep commitment to their faith journey in the face of poverty. Prayers are needed as the nation moves this Autumn to a general election and the need for a change of government that will use its country's resources wisely and justly. We must pray that the outcome is good , and tensions do not lead to violence,  in this nation that prides itself in not being violent like many African countries struggling to create democratic countries in an African context.   

City of Sanctuary

Well I thought I lived in a city of sanctuary, but the vote even though close, reveals how when peoples fears are played upon that picture begins to fragment. Sitting now listening to the leave leadership you can hear the hollowness of what they claimed. Not one has yet been able to explain how they are going to negotiate the way out. Rather they appear to be at sea. Picking and choosing which laws to keep and you can bet they wont keep the ones that protect people. So foolish to play into the hands of a divided conservative party that willlpotentially leave us with a right wing government. They will not care about workers rights as they only see things in terms of making wealth for a few under the guise of caring about the working person.  So will we now have to have Boris as prime minister who clearly has played this one in the hope of becoming that? 

The need to find a way forward and for society to be reconciled is clear. But that future must not be built on fear of the stranger, and the false hopes that have been the hallmark of the leave campaign. Dont't be surprised when Boris and co start giving reasons why they can't reduce immigration. After all he and they knew the evidence shows we are richer because of it not poorer. 

We need to be very conscious how those who live, work and contribute to our society who have come from Europe will be feeling. Nothing may have actually changed and may not for years, but peoples perceptions of how they are viewed is real and can be hurtful. The Christian community needs to ensure that in word and action it reveals the inclusive, hospitable Christ and be the voice that holds the leave leadership to account for what it goes on to do.  

A grandchild at last

Well after all the waiting Emily was born on Tuesday. Its both a sense of joy and relief. Joy at new 

Life and relief that mum and baby are fine, oh and her dad. Then the further wait to be able to drive down and not only see her but hold her.

 Jill was out of school really prompt and soon we were on our way to London. Traffice was kind so not the usual horrendous Friday night drive. 

So what do you do as a Granddad? Well do some  cooking and have the fun in the middle of the night to settle her down so mum can go back to sleep. Already it puts the rest of life into perspective. Who cares if England go through in the euro, or some vote in a referendum or even the length of our last circuit meeting.... 

Is it not strange how we can get so excited about some issues and lose sight of what is really important. So as I sit here writing my first grandchild is feeding and six adults are all focussed on one small child. Her other aunty will soon be ariving and we will have all gathered as a family and I will have all my girls in one place. Then it will be perfect and all well with the world.