I'm Back!!!

Perhaps you hadn't noticed but I haven't posted for a few days well almost two weeks I think, but I haven't! I am now back and would have to say although I haven't been posting I have been keeping a watch on what has been going on with those blogs I read regularly and I have made the odd comment here and there - although after commenting on Connexions about the Methodist Church Website I was then not able to comment any further so not sure if someone had got to me! (only joking - I'm not really paranoid)

Anyway I was interested to read that Pam BG was encouraging us to be a bit more positive so here is a little something I want to share with readers that I think is encouraging.

I have spent the last few doing all the normal things that many of us do with home, family, work and church (not noted in order of importance by the way) and as well as all the normal stuff it has been both my pleasure and privilege to be assessing Local Preachers study material.

I am really encouraged by what I have seen again in this round of connexional assessment with some really good work, some very good sermons and excellent prayers that I would feel very comfortable using myself. I have as is normally the case found some thought provoking and interesting stuff among the submissions and there were some very good Mediations written by our Local Preachers in Training (on trial for the initiated).

I sensed there was a great deal of potential among the students whose work I have assessed and believe this augurs well for the future of Local Preaching in those circuits represented by the work I have seen.

I would just say to any On Trial Local Preachers to keep up the good work and I look forward to reading in the Methodist Recorder that all those I have assessed this last week or so have been accepted as fully accredited Local Preachers

Healing in Methodist Churches

Following posts in a number of places about the Todd Bentley meetings in America there has been some discussion about healing and praying for the sick in Methodist Churches. Methodist Preacher has said there does not seem to be much going on in this respect but I am pleased to report there are five services on our current plan that are marked as healing services. Unfortunately three of them have already happened but for information and I suppose invite if anyone wished to go the remaining two are at Central Hall, Ablewell Street, Walsall at 6-30p.m. this Sunday 11th May and the following Sunday at 4p.m. at Bentley Methodist Church, Margaret Road, Bentley.
The Central Hall services appear to be a regular event on the second Sunday of the month except in June when it is on the fourth Sunday.
Aldridge Methodist Church also hold periodic healing services but there is not one on the next quarters plan.

Preaching to the heathens! lol!

I am always tempted to say I have been preaching to the heathens when I have taken a service in Cradley Heath. I was at Four Ways Baptist Church this morning and unfortunately they had no organist so I said I would play for them. It was interesting because I got the organ going and half way through the first verse of Praise my soul, the king of heaven, the organ stopped - I pressed the button again and managed half of the second verse and so it went on. I managed to work it out before the second hymn so it kept going for the rest of the service. The church is over 100 years old and they have just discovered some dry rot which will cost many thousands of pounds to get rid of.
Tonight I was at Walsall Central Hall with the worship group from Pleck and played a very nice grand piano.
I have just read a piece on Methodist Preachers blog that appears to be a humorous piece but it has a serious side to it as I believe there are Methodist churches and folk who may well think as the steward in the story. I have been to some churches that appear to be in a time warp somewhere way back in the 20th century - perhaps that is one of the factors in Methodism shrinking - what we do is old fashioned and therefore does not appeal to younger people.
When I joined the Borth Beach Mission Team 6 or 7 years ago team members were called Auntie or Uncle and this was something that we changed in my first year as team leader because it seemed very 1960's to me. It didn't harm the work we did in any way and I believe made the work more attractive to the youngsters.
I believe that some of the most dangerous words we can say are 'We've always done it this way' as if that makes it right - surely we need to look at what we are doing on a regular basis.
At our circuit meeting the other night we were discussing annual reports and while this gives us a chance to look at the year that has gone perhaps we should have a 'Corporate Plan' for the next few years to enable us to focus our work on a vision for the future and where we see our particular fellowship being in three or four years time.

Circuit mergers

Not long got back from circuit meeting where two items we discussed were to do with meeting the Circuit Budget and the possibility of the three circuits that cover parts of Walsall becoming one circuit or two circuits rather than the current three.
One of the points made in both discussions was that our church numbers are declining and I recognise that this is true of many churches not just those in Methodism. We discussed various options relating to the possible ways ahead for the circuits but no mention was made of what I believe to be the fundamental issue here and that is declining membership, or conversely how we increase membership which would help both the financial situation and may help to remove the concerns about having to close churches due to dwindling membership which may lead to the eventual forced merger of circuits.
I do wonder if some of the things that are happening with fresh expressions will help to bring more people in to churches and whether there needs to be a wider take up on some of these ideas.
I remember reading years ago about a church that used to have a traditional service in the morning and more modern services in the evening and as a consequence had two almost totally different congregations. They then started having the services the opposite way round once a month and those who normally only came to one or the other attended at their normal time and found there was something in the services that they could quite enjoy. Before long services became a mix of traditional and modern and membership started to grow.
How often do folk in our churches discount something without even experiencing it?