|
Dear Friends,
It’s almost time for the winter festival which I call “Winterval”. Winterval is a highly religious festival with all the trimmings that celebrates excessive consumption. Winterval features lot of wonderful traditions such as goodwill to all. It is a time for communities to come together for a short time lasting roughly between the 1st and 25th December. On this date, Winterval gives way to a season of recuperation and leftovers. Its chief characters are snowmen, reindeer, donkeys and a pleasant, white-bearded gentleman of a friendly disposition. All these things are good and have their place. My family and I will enjoy Winterval as usual. However, I hope we’ll also find time to celebrate Christmas. Its chief characters are a tradesman, an unmarried pregnant teenager and her baby. Christians believe that this baby, who was born into scandal, mess and foreign occupation, has actually come to inspire and empower us to a brand new way of being together as a community. In this baby, God comes to be with us in every event of life and season of the soul. In these last two years since I joined the ministry of Frodsham Methodist Church it has been my privilege to come alongside our annual “Time to Remember” service. This time of worship is particularly for those who wish to remember people who they love but have lost. We will light candles and decorate our Christmas tree with memories of those who have died. Some say that this does not sound very “Christmassy”. I am not so sure. I agree that it doesn’t sound like “Winterval”, but it does, I believe, say something about what Christmas is about. Christmas is about truth and reality. It’s about God making God’s own self known to us and alongside us. I want to suggest that it’s Christmas and not Winterval that the world really needs. Jesus came to share in the reality of life not some cosy and temporary pretence. If all that is true as I believe, then it’s something that’s really worth celebrating! I invite you to celebrate with us and wish you all a very happy Christmas. Grace and peace. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister
0 Comments
Over the summer ( what a summer it’s been!), the young people (teenagers) have been involved in a youth weekend in Chester. The theme was serving others and started with a youth service on the Friday evening, followed by activities on the Saturday where groups of young people had various tasks to do in Chester. These ranged from handing out water and cake, to painting a fence and providing sports activities - all free of charge with the idea that we can bless others. We gathered together for another service to finish the weekend on the Saturday. The youth leaders from the surrounding villages are beginning to plan events to bring the young people from our various churches together. We joined together at the end of July for a fun evening in glorious sunshine. The campfire marshmallows went down a treat!
At our own church we have held a KS2 sleepover and the children and adults enjoyed discovering the caves (some for the first time) and thanks to Ric who showed us campfire skills and marshmallows were eaten over the fire. (The fire pit has been well used) All these activities bring people together and gives them an opportunity to learn new things about themselves; social skills to interact with others, and space to learn more about our Christian faith through practical activities, talks and prayer. We live in such an amazing area and the woods and hills around Frodsham were enjoyed by the people who came to our social at the end of July. Finishing with a barbecue at church. There are other activities planned for the coming months - so check our church website and tots at Frodsham Methodist Facebook page. We send our blessings and good wishes to the five children who left Toddlers to start school this September. I hope they settle in quickly. Others from our church family are starting High School – may they enjoy the new opportunities available to them and know they are in our thoughts and prayers. We welcome new families in September as the Messy Mice group and toddlers continue to run. A large group of families and young people are going together to Greenbelt again this year, some for the first time. A time to listen to speakers, new bands, poets and watch performances; joining 5000 plus for a Sunday Morning service. Last year we had no rain, not sure it that will be the same this year. Happy camping! As the months unfold may we strive to serve each other, support each other and together discover all that God has in store for us. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”. Micah 6:8 Andrea Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker Dear Friends,
Many of you will be part of organisations outside of the church and will know that it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new members to anything, be it a bowling club or a gardening club. People are wary of any sort of commitment. We see it in personal relationships. I’m puzzled when friends say: “we don’t want to get married; it might change things”. The same is true in the church. People are wary of church membership and the reason I hear most often is not an issue with faith, but a fear that membership makes them eligible for committees! This is not what church membership is about, but in any case, the question our young people challenged us with a few weeks ago was: “Do we come to church to serve or to be served?” We’re fortunate that we have a God who sees things differently. The bible uses the concept of “covenant” to describe God’s relationship with people. Covenants are agreements but ones which differ from contracts with which we are perhaps more familiar. Contracts are closed, well-defined and based in law. The covenant God makes with us is relational, open-ended and based in God’s unmerited love which we call “grace”. The story of God witnessed to by Scripture is the story of human beings letting God down and yet God refuses to walk away and tries again. Far different from church where one bad experience can lead people to say “I am never going back there again”. We’re flawed people and when things have gone wrong in the past, we’re very sorry. Church Membership is the way in which Methodists commit themselves to following Jesus Christ in this covenant that God offers us. When we welcome people into membership, we welcome them firstly in the One Church of Jesus Christ, secondly into the church in a particular place and only thirdly into the part of that one church called Methodist. Being received into church membership is about making the deeply counter-cultural declaration that I am going to commit myself to be part of God’s rescue plan for the world. I am going to be part of this work in this place and I will ask others around me to “watch over me in love” as I seek to do so. There is nothing I would like more than to discuss Church Membership with any of you. Please get in touch with me or a member of the Leadership Team and we’ll have an informal chat. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister So far, it’s been a busy year and a year where we have seriously considered changes in our church. In a world which is always changing sometimes it's hard to let go of things that are precious to us. God's spirit is a moving spirit and Jesus told his disciples to go and tell people about him and his love for them.
In my work I often search the internet for inspiration and ideas. There is so much we can learn and use in our church journey. May God grant us patience, co-operation, excitement and a passion for him as we go forward. Something that has been running for a long time is our Toddler Group, and June has been declared as the national month of prayer for Christian Toddler Groups. Its theme is “Welcome one, welcome all.” (Luke 19 v1-10). Over the years many families from Frodsham and beyond have found a home in our group and it seems that each month I welcome new people to the group. Please include our Group in your prayers in June. Looking after young children isn’t easy - I’m sure the carers of little people would appreciate a prayer for patience, energy, fun and a little peace! Andrea Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker Dear Friends,
“It is not good that the man should be alone” says God as he surveys Adam alone in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:18). The first two chapters of Genesis offer us a description of the world as God intended before everything went wrong as described in Genesis 3 onwards. From the outset, God affirms that human beings are social by design. In the seventeenth century, the Anglican cleric and metaphysical poet John Donne would write: “No man is an island”. Let’s choose not to focus on the gender questions properly raised by these quotations and simply notice that these insights from scripture and the life of faith in Jesus Christ are completely at odds with a world which preaches that individual prosperity and self-determination are definitions of success. The bible insists in all sorts of different ways that we are created and designed for each other.(Incidentally, I am completely at ease with the fact that evolutionary theory would agree). We are incurably social. Writing in the late 1950s, the American economist J K Galbraith once remarked that it is ridiculous to retain personal wealth to be able to buy new cars only to drive them on pot-holed roads. Surely this is not a matter of political ideology but rather the relentless pursuit of sheer folly. In an age of pragmatic “glass half full” politics, we are succeeding in telling each other that the glass itself has become a thimble whist all the time growing our fence panels and conifers between us and our neighbours. Denying our mutual independence is a denial of our humanity. As neighbours in our town, Christian Aid collectors offer their neighbours the opportunity to connect with people of any faith or none through local partnerships established by what is a highly respected non-governmental organisation. During Christian Aid week in May, one of our Christian Aid collectors walked up an immaculate driveway with an envelope. The greeting on the door read: “No canvassers. No religion. No cold-callers”. Is that our best message we can give to our neighbours? How about, “I would prefer not to buy or discuss religion or politics at the door, but I wish you and yours well. Grace and peace”? As a consequence, communities up and down our nation are becoming aware of a growing epidemic of loneliness. Churches Together in Frodsham are looking at how we can partner with community leaders to bring people together. If you have ideas of how we can tackle loneliness in our community, let us know. Grace and peace. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister In Acts 2: 46-47 we have an insight of how the first followers of Jesus lived – being together, learning, sharing and eating. Following in these footsteps we are beginning to try something new here at church: Tea@5. Come and share in a simple meal, followed by games, craft, prayers and exploring different parts of the Bible. Open to anyone of any age. Donations towards the cost of food. For more details or to let us know you are coming ring 07749877823.
One way we help each other is through our children’s toy and clothes Good as New Sale Thursday, which is on April 26th this year. 9.30 -12noon and 7.30-8.30pm. You decide how much you would like to sell items for, label them up and bring the day before or on the morning of the sale. 75% of the sell comes back to you. Look out for more details near the time. Vice-President Jill Baker visited our District recently and lead a Lay Employees' day about Pilgrimage and the place called Bethel found in the Old Testament. It was interesting to hear that Bethel over the years was a place where people found God’s presence and went to seek wisdom, but eventually became a place of pagan worship. This reminded me that places, people and situations change. Dare I suggest that staying the same isn’t an option? Just as each day dawns and brings new opportunities and challenges, may we ask God to strengthen us, re energise and guide us for what lies ahead. Jill has discovered that spending some time in silence has helped her to stay connected to God, and perhaps this Lent time you may like to try and find 15 minutes of silence in each day. Perhaps reading from the Bible, praying, listening or just resting in God’s presence. The President’s theme for this year is exploring the rhythm of mission and discipleship, and the booklet, Day by Day, contains prayer to help you explore prayer day by day. This little booklet can be found in church if you want to pick one up. One of the prayers - Creator God, whose Word, at the dawn of time gave light and life; receive my praise. Jesus Christ, companion on the way, listening, healing; forgive my self-centredness. Holy spirit, giver of energy and love; Source of grace and courage; fill me today. Andrea Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker Dear Friends,
One of the features of Jesus’ ministry that I notice over and over again is the way which Jesus seems to welcome all the so-called “wrong” people. The company that Jesus chooses sets fingers-wagging and tut-tutting. As a church which seeks to be shaped by the example of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we aspire to be similarly inclusive. In January our Church Council adopted an Inclusivity statement. It deliberately uses conversational language rather than that of a formal policy statement. It will shortly be displayed around the church building. It reads as follows: Welcome! We welcome everyone whether you are single, married, divorced, widowed, gay, confused, rich or poor. We hope that you feel able to belong, whatever your gender, sexuality, mental health, physical health, ability, race or ethnicity. We welcome children; wailing babies, excited toddlers, even those that wiggle, giggle, cry or are shy. We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or prefer to just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re just browsing, just woken up, or have just left prison. We don’t care if you are more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury or haven’t been to church since Christmas ten years ago. We welcome YOU, whoever you may be. It’s our hope that together we will experience the width, length, height and depth of God’s love for us in Jesus and understand our sacred worth. Unfortunately we don’t have any perfect people here. We all have hang-ups and we get things wrong. We’re not yet who God is calling us to be either as individuals or as a church. Please help us to understand each other’s needs better so that all of our colours can shine as God intended. We believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to follow Jesus Christ together. This is our dream. We need each other. We need YOU! Our inclusivity statement is aspirational. We recognise that we are not yet where we need to be. We don’t yet provide the best welcome that we could to wheelchair users for example. It also seeks to reflect our brokenness. At Frodsham Methodist Church we have different opinions on some of the issues raised. Part of being an inclusive church is that we belong together despite the fact that we hold different views sincerely. I believe that this is normal within the church of Jesus Christ. Living with difference can be costly. A Jesus-shaped church is one which like Jesus, bears pain so that God and people can be held together. Grace and peace. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister An afternoon of Fun! In October we opened our doors and invited people to attend an afternoon of fun. Many, many people from tiny babies to eighty-year olds came and enjoyed each other's company as well as the varied activities on offer. There will be other afternoons next year for us all to enjoy.
Another event which you are invited to is our Community Nativity on Sunday 17th December at 10.45. We all take part in telling the Christmas story through words, song and talking parts, dressed as a character from the Christmas story. Anyone, young and old, is welcome to dress up! The Knitted Travelling Crib is available for you to have for a couple of nights during December. The figures are made of wool and are ready to be cared for, played with and looked after during this time. Let Andrea know if you would like a slot on 07749877823. And don’t forget - Toddlers' Christmas Party is on Thursday 21st December. Wishing you God ’s blessing for the Christmas season and beyond. Andrea Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker Dear Friends,
The 25th of December marks the beginning of the church’s celebration of Christmas and the end of everyone else’s. When Christmas Day finally arrives, children’s parties at school are a distant memory and office parties are best forgotten! The season will end for many as they nurse their stomachs listening to HM The Queen at 3pm. I am being too cynical of course! However, even in the church, the season of Advent which begins this year on Sunday 3rd December will be overtaken by Christmas services starting around 17th December. I often wonder if we shouldn’t start Advent two weeks earlier so that we can observe it fully. I think Advent is important, not because I am particularly worried about observing “the church year”, but because of the prominence of advent themes in the bible. Prof. Tom Wright observes that if we cut Christmas out of the bible, we lose about three chapters. Cut out advent themes and we lose half of the Old Testament and most of the New. The story of scripture which finds its centre around a manger and a cross, is about God’s presence being experienced precisely in times of deepest loss and darkness. God’s promises are found to be true when it is almost too late for them to be fulfilled. Locating Christmas at the end of Advent gives our celebration its proper context. Its light shines all the more brightly because of the contrast that Advent sharpens. Tinsel and sentimentality cannot survive the raw honesty of Advent. I’m so pleased to be associated with our annual “Remembrance Service” for those of us who have lost loved ones. I say “associated” because as many of your will know, the real work is done by our pastoral team. I’m glad that our Christmas (Advent?) Tree is decorated with the memories and feelings of loss associated with the season which are felt by so many. Sometimes these services in other churches are called “Blue Christmas Services”. I think that they are just “Christmas Services”, because that’s what we celebrate. Entering unexpectedly, mysteriously into the deepest darkness of our world and lives, comes God in Jesus to share in it fully. God with us. God for us. There is nothing more Christmassy than realising that great truth. For me, that really is something worth celebrating. Grace and peace. Andrew Andrew M. Emison Minister When the Trinity Methodist Church War Memorial (now sited at Frodsham Methodist Church) was restored in 2015 as part of the work of the World War I Commemoration Group marking the centenary of the First World War, one of the names originally engraved on it was almost illegible. The group set about checking records to see if there was information about who this might have been. After a great deal of photo taking and discussion, the group decided that the renovated memorial would have space for the unknown name and that one day someone might trace it and we could then inscribe it in its rightful place.
Looking for the missing name was difficult, though the group was fairly sure that the engraving looked like ‘Effie Saxon (Nurse)’. Searches of the World War I archives showed that there were two E Saxons who died during the Great War. Of the two names, Ethel Saxon seemed the most likely, though the group still could not link her directly with Frodsham. It was known that her grandfather was a primitive Methodist minister and further research revealed that the family lived in Runcorn during part of his ministry, although the family later moved to South Wales. When the Territorial Forces records for nurses became available in 2016, it was possible to acquire copies of her service records. Normally these are about 2 or 3 pages long - Ethel's ran to 147 pages. It transpired that her father had bombarded the War Office with letters about her effects and missing salary and had also asked whether the authorities were prepared to erect memorials to the nurses who had been killed or had died during the conflict. In the paperwork, there was reference to a Mrs E Thornton of Frodsham as the person to whom all mail should be directed. Further searching established that Mrs Thornton was Ethel's aunt and that she lived at Deyne Court, the large Edwardian house next to Trinity Methodist Church. When Ethel was sent to work as a nurse she went to Liverpool, not to Cardiff, so perhaps she had come to Frodsham then. Ethel’s name was duly inscribed on the War Memorial in the spring of 2016 and this is her story. Ethel’s links with Frodsham exist because her grandfather was a Primitive Methodist Minister whose ministry brought him to Runcorn in the 1880s. Revd Joseph Morton and his wife Jane lived at 17 Waterloo Road, Runcorn at the time of the 1881 census. They had seven daughters and four sons. By 1991 the family had moved to Llangattock in Breconshire. This was where Ethel’s mother, Adelaide, the fourth of the seven daughters, met and married builder Henry Saxon. Henry’s own family had originally come from Warrington. He and Adelaide brought up their family in South Wales. Meanwhile, the Revd Morton’s eldest daughter, Charlotte Evangeline, had remained in Cheshire, married local insurance company manager William Thornton and lived for some time in Frodsham. Ethel was born in 1890 in Abertillery, when her parents, Henry and Adelaide Saxon, lived at 38 Oak Street. By 1901 they had moved to 104 High Street, Abersychan and now had three daughters - Ethel, Mary Augusta and Lucy. By the time of the 1911 census, Ethel and her sister Augusta were listed as living with their grandfather, Aaron Saxon, retired Assistant Superintendent of Assurance at Park View, Pontrewynydd. Ethel’s occupation states that she was a ‘mothers’ help’. Whilst Adelaide and Henry Saxon remained in South Wales and eventually retired to Kingsland in Herefordshire, Mrs Saxon’s sister, Charlotte Evangeline spent her life in Cheshire. She had been born in Preston in 1860 and married William Ebert Thornton in 1884 in Warrington. In 1891 the Thorntons lived in Padgate (Warrington) with the three eldest of their children - Francis Harry, Ella, and Nellie. Mr Thornton was an insurance agent. The two youngest children, Eric and Phyllis, were born in Frodsham, which places them here from about 1895, though Mr Thornton’s business (Insurance Agent) is listed in Kelly’s Directory for Warrington of that year. 10 years later they had moved to Liscard (Wirral) and lived with the now retired Revd Morton and only Eric was at home with them. Other census records suggest that the girls were away at school. On the 1911 census, Eric, was a boarder at the Groves School, Wrexham. This is where the census records become something of a mystery. In 1911 Mr Thornton gives their address as Deynecourt, Frodsham (High Street) next to Trinity Methodist Church. However, the address given on the outside of the census form is 14 Dunster Gardens, Kilburn, NW and they also had the youngest Morton sister living with them. Meanwhile their elder son, Francis Harry and his sisters Ella and Nellie are shown separately at Deynecourt, where Francis was ‘in charge’. No doubt as a Methodist family, the Thorntons attended Trinity Methodist Church. Charlotte Evangeline died in Headington, Oxford in 1925 and her husband at Edzell Lodge, Iverleith Terrace, Edinburgh in 1939, though he was buried at Warrington cemetery. Eric’s war service records show that he joined the Royal Air Force in 1915. When he died in 1973, his address was given as ‘Deynecourt, Storrington (Sussex) - so the name of the family’s home in Frodsham had gone with him into later life. As we have seen, Ethel trained as a nurse, and was sent to work in Liverpool, not in Cardiff as one might expect. Given that the younger members of the Morton and Saxon families lived variously with their grandparents or with other relatives, it is quite possible that Ethel may also have lived with, or at least frequently visited, her aunt at Deynecourt. After the outbreak of World War I, she was posted to India with the Territorial Nursing Force, where she served in Karachi. The Karachi Port Trust Building was converted into a 500 bed hospital in 1915 and Ethel seems to have been working there at the time of her death. She died of acute appendicitis on 3 September 1917 and is named on the India Gate, New Delhi. She is also named on nurses’ memorials in Liverpool Cathedral and York Minster, and on the war memorial in Kingsland, Herefordshire, her parents home after their retirement. Her family wrote many letters in an attempt to retrieve her belongings and it was to her aunt Charlotte Evangeline in Frodsham that these were eventually returned after the War. Given that she is honoured in so many places, we are privileged that she is also named here in Frodsham. Heather Powling The basic truth that underlies all life and being is found in Genesis chapter 1 - in the beginning God created the universe. God is the source of all the life that pulsates through the entire universe for all time and eternity. Yet, strangely, one of the names the Bible uses for God is a plural word - Elohim - which translates as Gods, a hint at the very beginning of the Bible that God is not just one solitary Being presiding single-handedly over His creation; God is a Fellowship, Companionship, at the very heart of the universe, and this is confirmed by Jesus when he speaks of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (John 14:16). Fellowship generates love, and the love at the centre of the universe overflows to embrace all humanity (John 3:16).
So we human beings will never find peace and wholeness until we share in the loving fellowship of God. Life on earth is enriched in fellowship with one another, and so our lives will be really fulfilled as we share in the loving fellowship of God, who embraces the whole universe for time and eternity. Here are three simple steps to help us find oneness with God and fullness of life. A The Bible is quite ruthless and compels us to face reality, and the first reality is ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23. Rom 5:13). We must measure ourselves not against our neighbours, but against Jesus, and there is no doubt that we do fall short. We are sinners, but nevertheless we are precious in the sight of God, and he is doing something to help us. B BEHOLD I stand at the door and knock (Rev 3:20). Someone is calling us to better things - to a better and more fulfilling life. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) are the basic standard of civilised living from the beginning of time to all eternity - for both sexes, for people of all races, religions, cultures and colours. They are condensed by Jesus into two foundation stones - Love God and your neighbour as yourself (Matt 22:17). C COME UNTO ME ... AND I WILL REFRESH YOU (Matt 11:28). The only way forward is to come to Jesus and confess (1 John 1:8). If we confess our sins we are forgiven, and we can stand up as 'new creatures in Christ Jesus' (2 Cor 5:17). We are not as yet perfect, but newly envisioned, newly empowered; we are now the friends of God (2 Cor 5:20), working together with God for His good purposes (1 Cor 3:9, 2 Cor 6:1, Heb 3:10). The Holy Spirit will lead us forward to grasp more and more of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus (John 16:13), secure in the knowledge that GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES MAY NOT DIE BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:16, 1 John 4:10). So, as friends of God and disciples of Jesus, we are called to be witnesses for Jesus in the words we speak and in the lives we live, knowing that Jesus will be with us to the end of time (Matt 28:20). Here are some simple steps to help us keep near to Jesus - 1 Have fellowship with Christian friends and worship regularly with them at church. 2 Pray each day. 3 Read a passage of Scripture each day. 4 Give time, talents and money to the work of the church, and to those good causes that the Lord lays on your heart. 5 Speak and live, at home and at work, as Jesus would have you do. And so, as Tiny Tim said, "God bless us all". Rev'd. F. Bernard Dodd Greenbelt – Check the following You tube clips to see what the Greenbelt Festival is all about. There is a group going again next year - to get the best deal on ticket prices check out the Greenbelt website for details. Come and join others at a festival for all ages.
Becky preaching at Greenbelt's Communion Service 2017 Greenbelt Festival Film 2017 Greenbelt 2017 in a minute Greenbelt festival: Acts of the Imagination GB17- the movie. How do you condense four days of festival fervour into a two -minute video? As a Christian community it is good to come together and celebrate our individual talents and uniqueness and in doing so discover something new about ourselves, others and God. Events to get involved in … Fun Afternoon… October 14th Come and join the fun. Check out further details on our website. Lots to do for all ages. From bouncy castles, building structures, to baking activities, a walk. Treasure hunt and much more. Engage is a youth event held in Chester over October half term for high school children. Some of our teenagers have been to this in the past and really enjoyed it. You take part in community activities, worship, games, and tea together. Again more details to follow. Messy Mice is back! On 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Starting at 10am with crafts and outdoor toys. Snack and then songs and story time, based on a bible theme. £2.50 per family for children aged one and a half to school age. Details about Toddlers are on the Facebook page : Tots at Frodsham Methodist Church. Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker As another year draws to a close we have been reflecting in the planning meetings on where God has led us since September. Of course it has been great to have welcomed Andrew, Naomi, Matthew and Sophie to Frodsham Methodist Church, and to have the benefit of Andrew’s knowledge and enthusiasm both in the planning and delivery of 0930live!- as well as having the whole family participate in the services.
We have been guided to look at how God is in the ordinariness of our lives. For example, in our ‘messy’ family circumstances, and we looked at various Biblical families to see how God still worked through them despite some pretty desperate situations (think Joseph and his brothers…). After Easter we considered how Jesus appeared in ’ordinary’ settings to normal people following his resurrection. Further evidence that God works through the ordinariness of life. As we prepare to break for the holidays, we shall be asking God to go with us and to be with us, wherever we go and whatever we are doing this summer. Jonny Ellams is going on a particularly exciting trip soon – to Haiti as part of the Methodist Church OneEncounter programme, and we shall be able to pray for him at 0930live! before he goes. Sadly we were not able to go on our annual away weekend this year, so instead we have planned a social afternoon, Saturday 22nd July. Around 40 people will be meeting at Church to walk through the woods to Foxhill Centre where we’ll have drink and cake. Then after a short service of thanks we’ll walk back to Church for a BBQ tea and team games. A good way to end a good year! May God go with you and be with you this summer The 0930live! Team Summer is here again and I hope you find time to relax and enjoy the warmer weather. It’s a time when many
of us catch up with friends, share events, news and plan events for the rest of the year. Toddlers will be open 9am-11.45am on the following Thursdays during August: Thursday 3rd August – Open Thursday 24th August – Open Thursday 31st August – Open . .. and then we are open every week from the end of August On Saturday, 23rd September, as part of our Harvest celebrations we are gathering together to celebrate our talents. Can you sing, play an instrument, read a poem, make people laugh, dance? Anyone and everyone is invited to share their talent in an evening of entertainment and refreshments. So, don’t be shy, fill in the forms available on the notice board or ring Andrea on 01928 732612. ... and don’t forget to look in the weekly Notice Sheet for the date that Messy Mice is starting again in September. Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker On Saturday 15th July thirteen people left our church in a Methodist convoy and drove to Appleton Thorn Village Hall. After avoiding being detained in the Young Offenders Institute the group set off down the traffic-free Lumbrooke Valley Trail. A theological quiz, asking people to identify a piece of scripture which was part of a dedication to a local person, and whose inscription read, “and the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it”, was our next task. Only with the help of Jim “google” Caldwell was the answer to be found – Ecclesiastes Chapter 12 verse 7. Extra bible study has now been prescribed to the walking group!
The walk continued through the jungle of South Warrington known as The Dingle, and into a pine forest that afforded a lovely view of Warrington in the distance. Shortly afterwards the group arrived at the highly secret point of interest known as The Grappenhall Heyes Walled Gardens - with ponds and a lovely café which we are sure will be explored in the future visits by many in the group. Upon leaving this Parr family estate the route led across local fields back onto the Lumbrooke Valley Trail which took us back to the car park. On the return to church Sue’s homemade cakes refreshed our weary walkers who had been out for nearly 3 hours. Sue & Kevin Fairbanks PS Why not join us for a bit of exercise and explore somewhere new on one of our monthly Church Walks? We normally leave from the church car park at 1.30pm and walk somewhere in the local area. Afterwards we head back to Church for tea/coffee and cake. Our next walks will be on Saturday 12th August (led by Ros and Jim Caldwell) and Saturday 16th September (led by Kathleen Povall). Dear Friends,
I have two school aged children and seem to be surrounded in my life by teachers for whom the weeks of summer centred on August have a different rhythm. Those with connections to the school year also change gear at this time. The roads will be quieter at commute times and busier on holiday “changeover days”. For some it will be a time to take holiday. For others, it will be a time not to take holiday in order to avoid premium prices. For others, these weeks will not be any different. The bible seems to acknowledge the need for human beings to mark the passage of time with rhythms. The poem of Genesis 1 describes a rhythm of “it was evening and morning….” and a weekly Sabbath is instituted. There are annual festivals and the writer of Ecclesiastes notes that there is a “time to plant and a time to uproot” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Jesus himself observed rhythms of engagement and withdrawal, of action and of prayers and took time out to recharge and to gain perspective. Worship and prayer was central to Jesus’ life. Where does worship, corporate or individual fit in our lives? For many of us, our time of worship of God is at the centre of our pattern of life. We have found that prioritising worship helps us make sense of all the other demands on our time. At Frodsham Methodist Church we offer a wide range of opportunities to worship. I know that for some of you it is impossible for you to share in any of these. As a father of two I know the pressure that families are under. Families are often separated by great distances and grandparents often have significant child care responsibilities. We don’t expect people to fit into our pattern and we’re not about making people feel guilty about not being able to come to share in worship. One of the hazards of wearing a dog collar is that people feel that they must explain why they have not been at church. I do not keep records! If however there is something that we can do to help you, either to provide a time of worship together or to resource your devotional life at home, please have a word with me or indeed with your Pastoral Friend or the person who delivers your magazine. We’re about supporting people in their lives, not in adding further demands. Whatever we’re doing this summer, perhaps we could take time to reflect on our lives and those around us and know that God is with us in all of the rhythms of life, seeking to give us that fresh, wider perspective. Perhaps we could all take time to ask, what is central to our rhythm of life and what is peripheral? Grace and peace. Andrew Frodsham Churches Together is planning to pray for our town continuously for 48 hours between 7pm on Wednesday 17th May and 7pm on Friday 19th May.
Our base will be right at the centre of our town in the function room behind the Bear’s Paw. We are all invited to take part by offering 1 hour slots during that time, including overnight. During this time we are asked to attend at the Function Room. Resources will be available to help you in your time of prayer. Praying for our town means praying for its needs and to find out what those are, we have produced “Prayer Request Cards” which are available in the Church Foyer. If you belong to or have connections with our town’s organisations or businesses, please take one of these cards. If offering prayer feels difficult, just try asking what are the biggest concerns for our town and ask permission to pray on their behalf. It would be good if Frodsham Methodist Church is well represented during the 48 hours so if you can offer a slot, please e-mail Rev'd. Andrew Emison on [email protected]. If you don’t have e-mail, please contact Andrea Ellams. Rev’d. Andrew Today is Good Friday. You could join Christians in Frodsham for a Walk of Witness through the town starting at Main Street Community Church at 9.45am. Or if you are in Chester, Chester Mystery Plays' Way of the Cross will pass through the streets leaving Eastgate Street clock at 10.30am (more details here).
If you cannot make it to either of these events, do take some time to read scripture (John 18.1 - 19.42) and to remember what happened that first Good Friday before we rush on to Easter Sunday. “A few weeks ago I heard, through members of the circuit and through the Methodist website that, as part of one of its missions, the Methodist Church was putting together a Trip to Haiti. The Methodist church has worked in Haiti for a number of years and their work is currently headed by Dr John and Sharon Harbottle, Methodist Mission Partners, who are both doing incredible work. John is helping to update the 11 clinics which the church has, and is starting a community health programme. Sharon is working in Christian Education, helping to develop the teaching materials for Sunday School, Youth, Women's and Men's groups as well as updating training for 600 local Preachers.
As part of the description of what they were looking for in a person to go to Haiti, they stated they wanted someone to teach sport. This is what I decided to lead my application with as I teach sport in primary schools and I have lots of experience in this area. Over the last couple of years my relationship with God and Methodism has matured hugely, which is why I believed it was right for me to apply to go to Haiti. A few days after sending off my application, I received an email back to say that I had been accepted as one of the eight people that will be going to Haiti from the 24th July to 4th August. At first I couldn’t believe that I had been accepted to go to the other side of the world for a once in a lifetime opportunity! After reading my acceptance letter through a few times, I became hugely excited and grateful that God has given me this opportunity to learn more about our religion in the wider world. During my trip I will be working with the children and young people of Haiti. I am having to fundraise to cover the cost of going on this trip. And so I am planning on doing a physical challenge which I will announce in the coming weeks. Any support or sponsorship for my trip will be hugely appreciated.” Dear Friends,
The season of Lent is a time during which we are invited to reflect on our lives. It is a time of "giving up" in order to create the space in our lives for the renewing purposes of God. It's a time of repentance; of turning around. The problem is as I write this letter sIx months into my time here in Frodsham, I want to celebrate! We have much to thank God and each other for in our fellowship at Frodsham Methodist Church. Through the enthusiasm and hard work of our members we have a wide programme of opportunities for fellowship and worship. We have six different forms of Sunday worship! Through these different forms of worship we celebrate that God meets us where we are. We see this in Jesus' own ministry. Philippians 2 celebrates with wonder that in Jesus, God has eschewed the throne of heaven to come alongside of us. Jesus ventures out to the workplace in order to call his disciples to him. He meets us where we are. However, the call to discipleship does not allow us to remain there. The turning point in Mark's account of the Gospel is the conversation at Caesarea Philippi when Jesus asks those who have journeyed with him: "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8:27). From that point onwards, Jesus calls his disciples to take up the cross and follow him. That's the challenge of this Lenten season. God has met us in our needs, in our preference for a particular style of worship, but now he asks us if it has made a difference. He has taken upon himself our form and image. Are we willing to be re-formed in his? Are we now willing to follow him on the road that he leads even if that road is contrary to our own preferences? Are we willing to take up the cross in our lives and the life of our fellowship? Some of us reading this magazine will not need reminding that we are called to carry a cross. For some of us it is daily, lived reality. As we follow Jesus, so we are able to know his presence alongside us. The Good News of this season is that strangely, unexpectedly, wondrously, this road, this suffering, this ending - is actually the way to new life. Grace and peace. Andrew |
Pastoral LettersWritten by the Minister & Members
|
RSS Feed