The Chester & Delamere Forest Circuit Service at Helsby Methodist Church on 12th January launched the Circuit Project - 'Transforming Women's Lives in Afghanistan' - with a speaker from Christian Aid. The collection raised over £550 to get us under way to try and reach our £10,000 target over the next twelve months or so. The Methodist Church of Britain aims to review all 'safeguarding cases' since 1950. For the purposes of the review, a 'safeguarding concern' is defined as any concern that a child or adult may be at risk, be suffering or have suffered abuse, or that someone represents a risk of abuse to others.
Anyone who would appreciate support through this difficult process should contact either their District Safeguarding Coordinators or Hilary Walker and Brendan Stephens on 0207 486 5502 or e-mail pastcasesreview@methodistchurch.org.uk Please look here for all the information you may require (or contact Revd Denise Harding if you do not have internet access): In particular, please feel free to complete the response form and send it in either by email to pastcasesreview@methodistchurch.org.uk or post it to Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Please send responses before the end of February if possible. For further questions please contact Patricia Tagumigwa, Past Cases Review assistant, via Methodist Church helpdesk 020 7486 5502 or e-mail pastcasesreview@methodistchurch.org.uk Chester and Delamere Forest Circuit require an Administrator, based at Frodsham Church but occasionally working from home. This will be a permanent appointment to assist the Minister in the daily running of the churches in her care.
The hours of work are 7 hours per week worked on a flexible basis. Salary will be £9.25 per hour The date of commencement will be week commencing 30th September 2013 (or earlier if the successful applicant is available). The closing date for applications is 30th August, 2013. For an application pack and a full job description, please contact Peter Sandercock (01352 711761 or e-mail peter.sandercock@btinternet.com). On Saturday 2nd February, a small group headed down to Swan Bank Methodist Mission in Burslem for a Children & Youth Conference entitled ‘Unite’. The day consisted of three sessions, with a variety of options to choose from ranging from ‘bongo madness’ to a workshop on the ethical use of social media and a sport workshop to a session on leading worship. This was followed by a fabulous meal shared together. The evening saw performances by two Christian bands and a short talk by the Rev’d. Ashley Cooper, the senior pastor (who was formerly at Helsby Methodist Church). All in all there were over 160 young people in attendance and it was enriching to see so many gathered together to share, learn and grow in faith. Below are the comments made by those from our Church who attended. I enjoyed this trip loads. The drumming lesson was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the games in the sports hall. I also liked the social lesson, where we watched lots of funny clips. Also, the food there was great and very filling! I especially enjoyed the singing and being part of it. Eve This trip was amazing! I loved playing the fun games and activities. We made some cool foam fish and had a lovely dinner. Emma R. I loved the activities that went on at Swan Bank. Emma and me were doing sports and made foam fish in the craft room. Emma H. I really liked this trip. All three activities I did were really fun and interesting. I did bongo drumming, sports and a social media lesson. I also really enjoyed the bands at the end. Jodie I enjoyed the workshops, especially the sports one because it was fun. The bands were really good and Ash was really funny and he used to live in Helsby! Georgina In his Christmas message, the Rev'd. Dr Mark Wakelin, President of the Methodist Conference, urges people to discover a "vulnerable God" in Jesus this festive season. The full text of the message follows: "Truly this was the Son of God! "I was asked once by a well-known broadcaster, ‘do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?’ I replied, as you do, by asking him, ‘it depends on what you mean by, ‘Son of God.’ His reply shook me because he then said, ‘It’s a perfectly simple question, ‘Is Jesus Christ the Son of God?' My own thought was immediately, ‘I wonder which bit of ‘Son of God’ he is finding simple?' "I presume he meant do I believe in a literal way? But that is hardly simple. Literal language is OK for baked beans and possibly sunsets, but it gets a bit thin when talking about most of the things that really matter such as love, sadness and wonder. It runs out of steam totally when talking of God. You can’t say anything literal about God! "I was once in an argument about the new hymn book (I am afraid I get a bit grumpy about some of the alterations to ancient poems that we make and think that our desire to modernise the old is a little like the Christians who wanted to cover the modesty of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel). My colleague disliked the word ‘ineffable’ because he felt no one would understand it. There is a certain irony in that as you can imagine! Given that ‘ineffable’ basically means something we can’t understand, I would have thought it was a useful word to hang on to if we also want to talk about God. God is ‘ineffable’ – and that’s the point. "That’s the point of Christmas. How does God communicate with us when words are not adequate? How can we even try to talk of God when literal language so lets us down? God’s answer is, of course, the ‘self sending’ – of a God who in Charles Wesley’s words is, ‘contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man.’ What we can ever understand of God has to begin by taking account of God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Who is written about in Colossians 1:15: ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation’ and verse 19: ‘For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.’ "The ‘Word’ is God, says John. Now this isn’t simple language either, but it directs you a kind of struggle to understand that is different from, for example, trying to get your head around Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity! Because it is truth revealed and held in a person, understanding and engaging with that truth is as much about love and obedience as it is about intellectual capacity and linguistic dexterity. We are not so much asked to assent to a philosophical or religious claim, ‘yes I agree that Jesus is the Son of God,’ but inhabit a story, the Christmas story, to live within ancient tale of human struggle and courage, of wonder and delight, of mystery and of angels declaring good news. Children get this much more easily than adults who want the whys and the wherefores of an extraordinary story which is far more than an odd biological claim on the Universe. "Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Of course, wonder of wonders, ‘Let earth and heaven combine, angels and men agree, to praise in songs divine the incarnate deity.’ I inhabit this ancient story and find it to be true. Wrapped in our clay we may not immediately recognise the creator of all things. But it is our life task, to discover a vulnerable God who is on a mission to finish the ‘new creation’ and is looking for followers. "Happy Christmas!" An Exhibition of Art, Craft and Photography opened on Friday 30th November running until Sunday 1st December at Frodsham Methodist Church.
The event was organised by Alun Evans, a well known local artist himself, and attracted over 220 entries from over 80 exhibitors from as far afield as Warrington, Chester and Northwich. Although most of the exhibitors were amateur artists, the standard of entries in both artistic skill and presentation was very high. Entries included Paintings in oils, watercolour and mixed media, Photographs as well as Stitchcraft, Patchwork and Quilting. Viewing the exhibition was a feast of colour, texture and form to stimulate the senses and lift the spirits. The exhibition was opened at 2pm on Friday when our Minister, Rev'd. Denise Harding, welcomed Weaver Vale M.P. Graham Evans who, after a short address in which he said he felt honoured to be asked, declared the event formally open. He then handed over to a group of children from Frodsham C. of E. Primary School who, under the direction of their teacher, Mrs Corradine, entertained us with singing and mime. It was a pleasure to listen to the children's singing talents amid the wonderful artistic skills on display around us. Trevor Vernon On behalf of JMA, a big thank you to all our collectors who have raised £531.79. Our top collector this year is William Deakin, who raised £94. Well done William! He has won the shield, and we have also won the new Circuit's shield for the first time. So well done everyone!
Pat Worrall L-R: David Ray (Minister for Hamilton Street Methodist Church, Chester), Denise Harding (Minister for Frodsham, Tarvin and Oakmere with Ashton Methodist Churches, Peter Barber (Chair of the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District), Ruth Pickles (District Synod Secretary and past Vice President of Conference), Neil Stacey (Superintendent Minister) Sunday 2nd September, 2012, saw a momentous occasion in the life of Frodsham Methodist Church. The Inauguration Service was held for the combining of the Delamere Forest and Chester Circuits to form one, much larger, circuit, better equipped for mission. The event was held at Frodsham Methodist Church starting at 5.00pm with Tea and Cakes (scrumptious!) followed by Worship at 6.00pm. It was combined with the Welcome Service for The Rev'd. Denise Harding, the new minister for Frodsham, Tarvin and Oakmere with Ashton Methodist Churches and the Rev'd. David Ray, who is to take up a new post at Hamilton Street Methodist Church, Chester . The Rev'd. Neil Stacey was comfirmed as the Superintendent of the new Circuit. An exhibition of modern Christian art 22nd September to 27th October at Wesley Methodist Church, St John St, Chester (next to the main Post Office) This inspiring exhibition is taken from the Methodist Art Collection, and is well worth seeing. The Wesley Coffee Bar is open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday and they also run a Fairtrade shop. Alongside the exhibition there is an extensive programme of talks and workshops. For more information pick up an event programme from our own Church Hall or foyer. Alternatively, visit Wesley's website or visit the Methodist Art Collection's website. The Methodist Art Collection is one of the largest collections of Christian art in Britain. A full transcript of the Rev'd. Dr. Mark Wakelin's presidential address to the 2012 Methodist Conference is available to read here and you can still listen to it here. Dr. Wakelin is the President of the Methodist Conference for the year 2012-2013. MHA Chapel Fields Care Home (behind Main Street Community Church) is holding a Summer Fayre on Saturday 18th August from 2-5pm. There will be a bouncy castle, BBQ, tombola, raffle, and cake, book and bric-a-brac stalls. As a Church, we have strong links with Chapel Fields, particularly now it is now run by Methodist Homes. (Please note, the event is postponed from 4th August) Peter Sandercock, Circuit and Church Administrator, is ordering copies of the new Handbook called Crossing the Chasm. If any member of the congregation would like to order a copy, the cost will be £3.15 each (assuming we order ten or more!). If you would like to order a copy, please speak to Ken Blasbery, Senior Steward, by the end of July or contact Peter in the Church office (enquiries@fromdshammethodist.org or (01928) 735312). Large print versions are available at no additional cost. Susie Treeton is pictured third from right. What a happy afternoon we enjoyed! Residents of Chapel Fields Care Home for Older People, their family members, friends and staff joined together for a service of welcome to Susie Treeton and to mark her commissioning as M.H.A. Chaplain to Chapel Fields. The service was led by Rev’d. Pat Christopher and the Chaplaincy Adviser for the West of England gave a short address. I think we will all remember his visual aid – a very small salt spoon. The purpose of a spoon is to stir, so here we had a mini – stir (minister - oh dear!!) which is what Susie has been called to be. She is obviously very much at home at Chapel Fields and already known and loved by the residents. The service included prayers, familiar hymns and Bible readings reminding us that in serving others we are serving Christ. We ended on a rousing note singing the hymn ‘God is our strength and our refuge’ to the tune ‘The Dam Busters March’ after which we were all ready for a welcome cup of tea! As part of the commissioning we said together: Susie we welcome you! May the Lord make you a blessing amongst us and us a blessing to you, as we work together for Christ. I’m sure we can all say ‘Amen’ to that. Sylvia Langley Presbyters from the local Methodist Church circuit, of which Frodsham Methodist Church is part, have begun holding monthly services of Holy Communion in the Care Home. The BBC will be recording Songs of Praise at Longton Central Hall, Stoke-on-Trent in June. If you wish to join the combined choir, there are two rehearsals on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 June from 7:30 to 9:30pm. If you wish to take part as a member of the congregation, you are not required to attend these rehearsals. Actual recordings will take place on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June from 2:15 to 5:45pm each day. Admission will be by free ticket only. An application form can be downloaded from the District Website under News & Events. Alternatively, e-mail songsofpraise@bbc.co.uk or telephone 0161 335 8429. The ticket application deadline is Tuesday 29 May. The programmes will be broadcast on 14 October 2012 and 13 January 2013. ‘in the image’ is an exhibition of pieces from the Methodist Art Collection, to be held at the Wesley Church Centre, St John Street, Chester, from 22nd September to 27th October. This renowned collection includes works by Graham Sutherland, Elizabeth Frink and Edward Burra – people I’ve spoken to who’ve seen it say how brilliant it is. The event is aiming to be more than just an art exhibition. There are already links with local schools and a programme of school visits is planned, with relevant material available for teachers. There is an exciting programme of workshops, including an art appreciation course and other events involving creative writing, music and drama as well as visual art. Wesley is looking for volunteers to help with a wide range of tasks, including transport, painting boards, etc., in readiness for setting up the exhibition; stewarding; helping with school visits. There are two briefing sessions for prospective volunteers, on Thursday 5th July at 2pm or Thursday 12th July at 7.30pm. By September we will be in the same Circuit as Wesley, the new Chester and Delamere Forest Circuit. It would be good to give as much support as possible to our new friends. There is more information on their website or in the flyer here, and there will be more details nearer the time. Liz Holmes On the evening of Palm Sunday, Rev'd. Pat Christopher led a party of members from Frodsham, Tarvin and Kingsley The Hurst Methodist Churches to walk the Stations of the Cross at the Pantasaph Friary, near Holywell in North Wales. The eighteen members (pictured below) walked up the zig zag path, stopping for Prayer and Meditation at each of the fourteen Stations of the Cross that have been placed on the hillside there. This proved to be a moving experience in the lovely, if somewhat cool, evening sunlight and reminded us of the awful journey Christ made up the hill carrying his own heavy cross for our salvation. For us there were no noisy jeering crowds, just a sense of peace and quietness as we trudged up the slope to the Crucifix at the summit and tried in vain to imagine the suffering and pain. As many of you will know The Methodist Church recently published a new hymn book called "Singing the Faith". It includes a balance of classic and contemporary hymns. The Church Council has agreed to buy a number of copies for use in Church and some people have expressed an interest in having their own copy. If you would like to buy a personal copy I will be placing an order on 26th March. Please let me know if you would like a copy by e-mailing secretary@frodshammethodist.org. Words only - £9 : Music Edition - £30. There is more information on the Methodist Church website. Ros Caldwell Church Council Secretary A Theme for Lent A special event was held for Lent on Sunday 4th March here at Frodsham Methodist Church when the Delamere Forest Circuit joined the Chester Circuit for a shared afternoon of CRAFTS, ACTIVITES and CHAT. There was a short time together in the Church for WORSHIP followed by an excellent HIGH TEA. Later this year, the two Circuits are merging to further strengthen ministry and mission across this part of Cheshire. For more details contact the current Delamere Forest Circuit Superintendent Minister, the Rev'd. Pat Christopher on (01928) 733180 or pat.christopher@frodshammethodist.org. Methodist Homes for the Aged (MHA) is a charity providing care homes, housing and support services for older people. We are looking for a chaplain (a lay person or an ordained minister) who will take the lead on pastoral care, and the spiritual and worship aspects of life within our Care Home at Chapel Fields, Frodsham, which provides nursing and dementia care. As a key member of the staff team, you will also be responsible for building good working relationships with local faith communities.
For an application pack and an informal discussion, please contact 01332 221831 or email spirituality@mha.org.uk. Closing date: 19th March 2012. To find out more visit www.mha.org.uk. Rev'd. Pat Christopher & Liz Holmes are running a Worship Leaders Course on the five dates below. This is for people who would like to explore the possibility of becoming Worship Leaders. For more details please contact Liz Holmes.
Thursday 1st March: ‘What is Worship? & Service Structure Tuesday 20th: March Prayer Thursday 19th April: Drama, Dialogue, Poetry & Worship Songs Thursday 3rd May: Special Services, Music & IT Thursday 17th May: General Overview, how to get started & liaising with other people. All at Frodsham Methodist Church, starting at 7.30pm |
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December 2020
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