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Dear Friends,
In the Methodist Church we’re not always consistent in observing the “church year”. Our Roman Catholic and Anglican sisters and brothers are perhaps better at remembering through liturgy and symbol the story of our faith and the tradition (church history). They will commemorate feast days and tell the stories of Christian heroes from the past. We share with them in that great story as together we write and participate in its latest chapter. I suppose if I’m honest I have to admit that we “pick and choose”. We’re quite hot on Christmas and Easter and its antecedent seasons of Advent and Lent, we mark Pentecost but that’s about it. One thing we are good at is lamenting the fact that wider society seems to celebrate a Christmas without Jesus. In the average school nativity, Jesus is in any case relegated to a bit part as a child’s plastic doll is placed in the manger in the final moments of the drama, eclipsed by the unpredictable antics of small children in cow outfits. Wider society also ignores Advent. With its fertile imagery, Advent provides the context into which the light of Christmas dawns. Instead, by the time the “church year” wishes to begin our celebrations at midnight on Christmas Day, everyone else has finished! This year may feel different. As I write in mid-November, it is difficult to predict where we shall be. It’s possible that those of us who can will be able to celebrate with others. Others will be on their own. We shall still be in the grip of pandemic. None of us I suspect will have difficulty acknowledging the darkness. In a real sense then, Christmas is coming home. The razzmatazz of a Christ-less Christmas has no answer. Only that flicker of light and the cry of that promised new born baby born in obscurity points the way to the hope that we all need. May you all know the promise the Christmas brings this year. Andrew Rev'd. Andrew M. Emison
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We are very pleased to confirm that we will be reopening the church for worship, starting from Sunday 6th December.
As before, we will be holding services at 10am on a Sunday and 4pm on a Wednesday. As numbers will continue to be restricted in order to attend you will need to book a place by filling in the form on the website or by ringing Ros or Marg. The Sunday morning services will continue to be streamed and available to watch live or later on the YouTube channel. Dear Friends, Some of us have been delighted that we have been able to meet together for worship in these last weeks both on Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. The longed for moment came when we were able to “go up to the house of the Lord” to that setting where many of us have experienced some of the most profound moments of our lives.
On the other hand, we remembered those who were not able to come and just how difficult that must have felt for you. All this makes the news of last weekend all the more disheartening. As a result, we are sadly not able to meeting for collective worship at church until at least the 2nd December. This is not a local decision, but is the law of the land. In the last week I have spoken to a couple of people whose businesses and livelihoods are threatened. The increase in testing since the spring means that we hear of cases much nearer to us. Our own loss of fellowship is both important and symbolic of what is happening elsewhere. In the meantime, we will continue with our weekly services online. They can be found each week at 10am on YouTube. For many of us, November feels harder than April. . All over our society the news is causing upset and anger. I would ask that we all continue to be aware of how we’re feeling and reacting as well as those around us. Keep in touch; give me a call. Let’s encourage each other with those stories of God’s promise as we watch out for each other. In our service last week I asked us to reflect that God in Jesus has already won the victory over all things that would harm us, even death itself. As we travel through these dark days, let us hold each other in that same love and grace in which we ourselves are held. With love, Andrew Rev'd. Andrew M. Emison Methodist Minister, Frodsham & Norley, North Cheshire Circuit.  It is with great joy that can announce that on Sunday 4th October at 10 am we will be holding our first service in church since March. There will also be a mid week early evening service on Wednesday 7th October at 4 pm. These will not be the same as the services that we are used to:
However, we will be able to worship God in a familiar setting. If you would like to attend a service you can book place by filling in the form HERE. If we are oversubscribed then those that miss out will be first on the list for the next service. We can assure you that we are following all guidelines around safety, and church will be a safe place. If you are not ready to return to the church building, and we realise that many of you will not be, the YouTube service will still be broadcast each week, and will be available on line or over the phone. The service sheet for those who are unable to access the online service will also continue to be produced each week. The Leadership Team Frodsham Methodist Church  Frodsham Methodist Church is a thriving North Cheshire market town church which has been running a lively families and children’s work for the last 16 years including our 09.30live! family friendly service, recent schools outreach, a small teenagers group regularly visiting Greenbelt and other events. The church has excellent ecumenical links in the town. Historically the town began as a small market town but with excellent links to Chester, Runcorn, Liverpool and Manchester it now has a widely diverse population of commuters and service industries. The town shares schools and services with the surrounding villages of Norley, Helsby and Kingsley, which also have smaller but thriving Methodist congregations.
The Church, which is part of the North Cheshire Methodist Circuit, is now looking for a committed Christian with a clear calling to work to encourage young people and under 30s (from within and currently outside the church) to develop a deep and long lasting faith in God, embedded and working within the community. The appointed candidate will work with the existing youth and young adults to assist them in developing their faith into adulthood, but also work with the wider community outside of the church. Covid-19 has focused our attention on the exciting possibilities that are available to us to fulfil our Vision. We wish to recruit someone who will help us explore, determine and then implement the new ways of ‘doing/being church’ in a post pandemic scenario, both in the physical and in the digital world. You are a good communicator, able to work independently at times to suit the range of activities and to encourage and motivate others to get involved. Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week including Sundays. Salary £21,060 per annum + agreed expenses + training opportunities. The Church Council met on 17th July 2020 (by Zoom) and recommitted itself to worship, study and prayer. We agreed to continue to pray for each other and seek discernment and wisdom at this time.
Whilst the Church Council retains legal responsibility for the reopening of the church, it delegated the task of making and executing decisions regarding the phased reopening of the church to the Church Leadership Team. During the whole of the COVID-19 the Church Leadership Team has met together every three weeks online via Zoom to pray and carefully consider/plan how as a church we can continue to worship and grow as disciples, love and support each other, and how we can serve our wider community. We are reminded that through this difficult time we remain a community who love and care for each other. We have agreed to continue the online service via YouTube every Sunday morning at 10am for at least several more months. We also have a separate printed service sheet issued every week to those who can’t access the online service. We have taken the decision to not open or start Sunday services with people attending church in September – due to all of the restrictions we would need to impose, it would be very strange and different to what we remember as normal. There would be no singing, we would need to wear masks, seats would need to be booked, lots of people would not be able to attend, there could be no refreshments or social time after the service, and we may only be able to get up to 20/30 people safely in church. We are therefore considering and setting out a plan to get us from September to the New Year – this plan can be amended, speeded up, or slowed down to reflect changing local restrictions and government direction/legislation. Regular updates on the gradual reopening of church will be provided as we continue to react to the swift changing situation and national and local guidance, including guidance from the Methodist Church. We welcome any views on these proposals via email to leadership.team (@) frodshammethodist.org, via your pastoral visitor or to one of the Church Leadership team. Every activity/event which we propose and which eventually starts will be the subject of a detailed Covid-19 risk assessment, with the wider effect and risk assessment of the church and any collateral impact from one event/activity on another also assessed. We have noted that for some of these events and activities to take place, zoning of the whole of the Church premises including the hall, annexe etc. would be required (we would need to separate parts of the church premises to make sure no one from one event/activity went into another zone of church which was saved and cleaned for a separate activity) and/or enhanced cleaning will be needed. As part of this plan we hope in September to be able to move the online service to be streamed live from church. There will be no congregation present, but it will enable more flexibility and permit more than one person to be present and help lead it. There is also the potential for funerals restarting at church later in September, but numbers attending will be significantly restricted. It is possible that we may be able to restart youth group at church in some format and maybe the regular walking group. As we move later into October, there is a possibility that we may be able to permit a very small number of people to attend our live streamed services at church, but the services will continue to be streamed on YouTube for all to attend online or listen via their phone. Even later in October we are looking at if we can start some sort of short spoken prayer service for a small number of people, possibly midweek. During November and December, and into the New Year, we will look to gradually reopen activities and events at church. Sadly it is too early yet to give any real detail of what this may look like as, at the time of writing, we have no knowledge of any potential second waves of Covid-19, how Government advice may change, of the effect of local lockdowns, etc. We will keep everyone updated and we appreciate everyone’s patience, love and support as we try to carefully pick our way through this difficult situation. The Leadership Team Frodsham Methodist Church  The Methodist Church in Britain publises a quarterly magazine, The Connexion. Issue 18 (Spring 2020) is available now and you can read the magazine online here. It is well worth a read!
Along with this magazine this month is a prayer journal, also available online here. This is published by Thy Kingdom Come, which is a worldwide prayer movement. They have prayer journals that can be printed off / read / used for free available here. These might be of help to those who are searching at this difficult time. Due to the COVID-19 situation, all public worship and activities are suspended.
Visit our What's On page for daily reflections and live Sunday worship! During this time, the Methodist Church in Britain is providing a number of resources online for Methodists to continue to worship.
Online Worship Resources The best place to find these online resources is by following this link: https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/singing-the-faith-plus/seasons-and-themes/worship-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/ Online Worship A number of Methodist Churches around the country are also conducted acts of worship online. These include the following: Wesley's Chapel in London who will live-stream from the chapel (the minister lives on the premises): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA Swan Bank Methodist Church in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, this worship will be studio based – with strict distancing rules being followed: www.youtube.com/user/SwanBank and www.facebook.com/swanbank/ Methodist Central Hall Westminster: www.youtube.com/mchwevents Dear Friends,
In accordance with the advice from government, we must, with great sadness, suspend all public / collective acts of worship and all meetings and activities which involve meeting in groups either at chapel or elsewhere. This is effective immediately meaning that there will be no worship at Frodsham Methodist Church from this Sunday. Full and ongoing information with regard to the position of the Methodist Church may be found at: https://www.methodist.org.uk/coronavirus/ This is a sad day. Our story tells us that sad, dark days should also be days of anticipation and expectant hope. Over the coming days, we have the opportunity to innovate new ways of being together and of worshipping. Some of these ideas will involve technology for which some will be more enthusiastic than others. We must be mindful of those who cannot access such resources. Rev'd. Andrew M. Emison Minister Dear Friends,
I write this from my tent, pitched at the front of the worship area at Frodsham Methodist Church. It’s the start of our Life Together; our annual event where the teenagers of our church live in Christian community. For five days beginning in the midst of a school week, church becomes our home. We’ve just finished evening prayers. It’s 11pm. So far, all is quiet! During prayers I was sharing my belief that we see God most clearly as God comes to us in Jesus Christ. “Where was God when I prayed to God every day for my Gran to be cured of cancer? She died!” “Where was God during the genocide at Auschwitz?” Great questions! It’s at times like these I remember 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you;” I like a bit of theology, but at times like this that I beat a hasty retreat. My retreat takes to the firm ground of that rocky hill of Golgotha; to the cross of Jesus Christ. At the centre of my faith I do not find some Greek god sitting on a cloud pulling levers. When I retreat to the core of my faith I find a young man, nailed to a cross who prays for me and for you. Dietrich Bonhöffer, the 20th century martyr who inspired our Life Together wrote from his prison cell: “Only a suffering God will do”. My answer was not complete. It was partial. Where is God? Right in the middle of it! Jesus – God with us, God for us. Grace and peace. Andrew Rev'd. Andrew M. Emison Minister The news at the start of this new decade has been dominated by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation, which seems to have originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. For anyone who has read my letters for the Church magazine before, you may recall I spent four years living in that city and now over five years in Singapore. It is hard to write with any certainty about this topic as the situation is continually evolving, and so it was with some reluctance that I agreed to write a few words for this blog!
The virus was seemingly first identified in December 2019 when a doctor in Wuhan, Dr. Li Wenliang, posted in his medical school alumni group on the Chinese messaging app WeChat that seven patients from a local seafood market had been diagnosed with a SARS-like illness and were quarantined in his hospital in Wuhan. He warned other doctors to take care. However, the media reports that local authorities in Wuhan moved quickly to suppress this news and even accused him of rumour-mongering and asked him to retract the comments. At the time of writing—Monday 10 February—, there are 41,000 confirmed cases and over 900 deaths worldwide, as we know, mostly in mainland China. The situation seems to be getting increasingly serious and looking more and more like it will become a pandemic situation. UK experts are warning there could be a sharp increase in cases in the UK. In China, tens of millions of people have been asked to stay home, offices and factories are closed, transport is limited, and there is a shortage of medical equipment, even basic equipment like surgical masks. Here in Singapore, over the weekend people have become increasingly worried. Stocks of masks and hand sanitiser in shops have run out and long queues formed as people started to panic buy meat, vegetables, instant noodles, toilet paper, and so on. The Government have reassured people there is no need to panic and the queues have lessened somewhat since then. Schools have been asked to cancel external events, stagger lunchtimes and cancel any non-essential gatherings, like school assemblies and trips. The number of confirmed cases in Singapore has grown to 43 and the virus has spread from Singapore to other countries, including, of course, the UK. The situation was made worse as it coincided with the Lunar New Year holiday when hundreds of millions of people worldwide return to their hometowns for family celebrations. Some of my ex-students and friends in Wuhan have been affected by this virus and have suffered. Thankfully, they seem to be recovering. Many millions are still not able to return to their homes or their jobs and this will have a great effect economically, politically and socially. I have been in touch with Christian friends and contacts in Wuhan to reassure them of our prayers. What we can continue to do though is join our prayers with those of the President of The Methodist Conference, The Rev’d. Dr. Barbara Glasson, who sent the following statement, on Thursday 06 February, on our behalf: “We thank God for all those who are heading medical research into the disease. At such times we realise that we are dependent on expertise, advice and cooperation from people across the world. We trust that the ongoing work of the Chinese health services, the World Health Organization and other medical experts will soon limit the disease and succeed in finding the causes and cure. We are glad that the Church in China is strong both in numbers and faith. We know that you will be working alongside communities to help people be calm and to support those in need. Although we are many miles away geographically, we feel close to you in prayer. Please be assured of our concern for you all, and our shared faith in the love of Jesus who shows us his strength in our human vulnerability.” Good News has been shared with me of Christians in Wuhan continuing to do good work; preaching in the streets and handing out supplies of masks along with Christian tracts. Their commitment even at this time has brought positive attention to the church in China. Officials, normally sceptical of church activities, appear to be more hands off and accepting at present. The sad news as I write this article though is that the doctor who first alerted his colleagues to this virus back in December, Dr. Li, has sadly died of this same virus he sought to treat others for. It is reported in Chinese media that his wife is expecting a baby later this year. This has caused much upset and anger to many in China. As with all such ongoing situations around the world where people are suffering and in pain, as Christians we continue to remember the individuals affected the most, and remember them in our prayers. We think of all those affected by so many difficult situations around the world at this time Amen. Matthew August bank holiday weekend, 9 young people bundled into a borrowed mini bus and noisily made their way to Kettering, for Frodsham Methodist Church’s third annual trip to Greenbelt festival.
On entrance we received our non-plastic wrist bands (the whole festival attempts to be plastic-free) and then chugged our belongings across the field to set up camp. We were very glad that it wasn’t raining this year, in fact it turned out to be one of the hottest weekends on record. After set up, we went to explore the festival area and eye up the food. The site looked amazing with extra venues and a huge variety of food outlets: pancakes, potato wedges, pizza, chips, doughnuts, sweets, Chocolate Brownies ... so many to choose from. Like any other festival, Greenbelt is a bustle of vibrancy, energy, noise, and great sound and visuals. However Greenbelt is unique in its focus on ‘arts, justice and faith’. So the line up was an eclectic mix of Russell Brand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Nadia Boltz Weber, Lucy Sproggon, John Bell and award winning comedians such as Harry and Chris. We particularly enjoyed the silent discos. Sunday Morning, we all got up early so we could sit together for the communion service. This took place in a Big Marquee in scorching August heat; the theme was Christmas! There were party games, live camels, Christmas jumpers, carols. Worship was provided by a DJ and drummer, which divided opinions among the group. We then united as we shared communion together. The organisers describe the festival as ‘somewhere that welcomes anyone and everyone, where punks meet priests, debate meets Dancefloor and belief meets beats: somewhere to believe in’. There was definitely a great sense of community, inclusivity and warmth. We came away feeling inspired by what humans are capable of when they come together and feeling empowered that we can be people who make a difference. A very big thank you to Andrew Ellams who stepped in as an extra youth leader at the last minute and to Frodsham Scouts who allowed us to use their minibus, we are very grateful. Dear Friends,
As I approach Christmas and contemplate Christmas dinners and the odd mince pie or two (hundred) I will stare anxiously at my waistline! In the New Year that follows, new or renewed gym memberships will spike as many of us resolve to get fit for 2020. Rightly so! Christian faith teaches us that our bodies matter. In Genesis, God creates them and declares them to be not just good but “very good”. When our bodies don’t work as they once did or when we become poorly, it is not what God had in mind. Christmas teaches us that God takes on our body and becomes fully human; that amazing fusion of body and spirit that is our true humanity. At very least all of this inspires me to take the dog on longer walks! I know that for those who exercise regularly, if they don’t get exercise they begin to crave it. They long to “feel the burn” of a good workout. Medical science teaches us that our wellbeing and health is improved with regular exercise. The odd walk once a month won’t make any difference but regular exercise will. If that is true of our physical bodies, it is also true of our spiritual life. Over the last eleven weeks at our 09:30Live! and 10.45 services we’ve been exploring the “Holy Habits” of the early church as recorded in Acts 2: 42-47. You can see the ten Holy Habits in the pictures opposite. Just as our bodies need exercise to be healthy, so does our spiritual life. Those of us who exercise the Holy Habits regularly know the need to engage in all of them regularly. I wonder if we recognise this? Do we crave the exercise of the Holy Habits? Do we long to “feel the burn” in our lives? Andrew Rev'd. Andrew M. Emison Minister What is Truth?
We live in a turbulent time in our politics. We feel disorientated as the boundary lines of conviction which separate have rotated. The boundaries are now within our political traditions and tribes rather than between them. No wonder then that debate offered across the despatch boxes of the House of Commons fails to reach consensus. I shared some time recently with a man who lamented that the output from one of our national broadcasters was biased. He felt that his choice of news was far more reliable and impartial. I asked him what measure or reference he had chosen to help him reach his conclusion. His answer was that the source of news he trusted was the one that matched how he thinks. He had no other resources that he could refer to beyond his own cognition. Does this mean that there was nothing else in the world in which he could place his trust? Was he right? For me, in this time of widespread cynicism and mistrust, this raises an interesting question. How do we determine in what or in whom we place our trust and allegiance? At the trial of Jesus before Pilate in John chapter 18 Jesus says: “…For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth”. (John 18:38) Perhaps Pilate articulates our contemporary cynicism in our politics when he replies: “and what is truth?” For Christians, the answer of course stood before him. For in the beaten, wounded Jesus stood God’s answer to the reality of our life together and of God’s love for us. In Jesus' resurrection, we are invited to recognise that a brand new way of living is possible. Jesus’ new life is as Paul says, the first-fruits of the revolution begun in Jesus’ life and death. Christians are invited to confess a source of authority and reference point which sometimes affirms and sometimes challenges all of our preconceptions including our political ones. Looking forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit Jesus said: “When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:13a). That might not seem to take us very much further forward until we realise that the “you” is plural. For Christians, the truth is not given to individuals but to communities. I’m never going to tell anyone how to vote, least of all from the pulpit. Being accountable to God for my own vote is enough! I would like to suggest however that we have a choice. We can say: “{insert preferred news outlet here} is Lord” or we can say: “Jesus is Lord”. If we choose the latter, then we need to get together to discern how together the Spirit is lifting us from a posture of cynicism and self-referential belief and guiding us to a confident vision of God’s future, God’s will and God’s truth. Grace and peace. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister  Junior church member Ella Carter, aged 12, writes about the life of Susanna Wesley ...
Susanna was born in 1669. She was the 25th child, of Dr Samuel Annesley and Mary White, meaning that she had 24 siblings! She attended her father’s church until she was 13, then she joined the official Church of England. At the age of 19 she married Samuel Wesley and they had 19 children with 11 surviving beyond infancy. Mother of Methodism ... Despite Susanna not writing any books on Methodism, or ever preaching a sermon, she has been called ‘the Mother of Methodism’. Why? Because it was two of her sons who founded Methodism - John and Charles Wesley. Inspiration ... Susanna is rather inspirational because she educated all her children and led a different life, for that period of time. For example, her girls were educated as well as the boys. She taught all of her children the Lord’s Prayer, as soon as they could talk. Her life wasn’t without hardship, she survived two fires at her house - one where John nearly died - and her husband was sent to prison twice. But Susanna continued to look after her children and she always prioritised her faith. It is believed that it was Susanna who mostly influenced John and Charles Wesley. She led a methodical and devout life, was highly disciplined, organised and charitable, all of which were to become the hallmarks of ‘Methodism’. Relationship with God ... Susanna took her relationship with God as seriously as she did her duties as a wife and mother. Early in her life, she vowed that she would never spend more time having fun or in leisure, than she would in prayer and study. Daily, Susanna scheduled two hours for fellowship with God. This was challenging in a house overflowing with children. She would sit every day on her special chair, with a blanket over her head, praying and reading her Bible. The blanket over her head acted like a tent and was a sign to her children not to disturb her! However… Susanna, while highly esteemed, is not without controversy. Some of her parenting techniques could certainly be questioned today. She ran a very tight schedule, times were assigned for sleep, education, meals and bedtime. The children were given nothing that they cried for and had to speak ‘handsomely’. She would smack the children if they disobeyed her, although she did allow the children to confess their sins and if they promised to make amendments they would not be punished. Finally ... Susanna Wesley is still admired today, and thought of as inspirational! This year marks the 350th Anniversary of Susanna’s birth. So we’re celebrating her life! In November last year five of our young people joined over a thousand others from all over Britain for the Methodist church young weekend at Pontins holiday camp in Southport. The theme this year was Be Courageous.
We took part in discussions/ workshops, drumming worship and bible study, rode bikes and climbed walls outside, laughed at the comedian and enjoyed the different types of worship. We voted for the Youth President and created the Manifesto for 2019, which will be available soon on the Methodist Church website. Ellie, one of our young people, made this comment about the weekend, “I really enjoyed 3Gen. It was a chance to make new friends and experience new things. I took a lot away from the workshops we did there. About how the world is changing and what some people have done to change rules in our world and how they have changed how we do things. Also about how different people may feel in different ways. Like how people may pray in different ways and give thanks to God. I enjoyed sharing a chalet with my amazing friend Sam, especially when we were going to bed in the evenings because we had so many laughs and jokes. I think if I could take one thing away from 3Gen, it would be, always move forwards, don’t go back because one small thing could make a huge change in the world we live in today”. A great weekend!  Dear Friends,
As I write, the teenagers from our church are sharing in “Life Together – An Experiment in Christian Community Living”. During a normal school week, church becomes our home as we explore what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ in the context of normal life. We share meals, find time to do our homework and attend our normal weekly activities. Each day begins and ends with prayers. We begin the day committing it to God and asking for God’s guidance and at the end of the day reflect on the day that has past. Our Life Together is based on the experience and writings of the theologian and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who led an illegal seminary in Finkelwalde (now Stettin), Poland before the outbreak of the second world war. Bonhoeffer’s book Life Together was based on his experiences. The students of this first Life Together community were amongst those who led the Confessing Church so called because they confessed Jesus as Lord (and not Hitler). Bonhoeffer wrote that community was not a “given”, it’s a gift of God and something that has to be celebrated and which needs to be nurtured. Christian community is not one of isolation but of engagement. “It is only by fully living in the world that [people] find faith”. The intention of our Life Together is to model community which celebrates God’s gifts whilst living in midst of the world. The churches in our town are joining with others to seek to make Frodsham a loneliness aware community in which we seek to make connections across our community, not just because those who are lonely need us, but because we need them. Let’s continue to build up our common life and in so doing reflect and share the love of God in Jesus Christ. Grace and peace. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister |
Pastoral LettersWritten by the Minister & Members
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