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Change
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Another year begins and for some of you change may have already happened - either instigated by you or by others. We say how a year flies by, but on the other hand sometimes a day can seem like an eternity. What chances would you like to happen this year? Is God prompting you to change or do something different? Will you embrace the opportunities that come your way? Will you spend more time talking to God? One of the biggest changes for me last year was travelling alone on the train, as I was involved in planning the adult activities during the 3Generate weekend that happened in November. I dared to get involved and by doing that I grew in confidence and made new friendships. Using technology - I have to confess, my knowledge of computers and all things technical has room to improve this year! The websites below were on a leaflet given to the adults who attended 3 Generate. Some you may find useful, either for yourself, your family or our church as we learn more about God and Christianity this year. www. Methodist Church in Britain: Contains lots of information. www. YouTube.com/3Generate TV: watch what the young people at 3 Generate talked about. http://www.faithinhomes.org.uk : contains a wealth of ideas, articles and resources for families about developing faith together. http://flamecreativekids.blogspot.co.uk : full of creative ideas to nurture faith together. https://homefrontmag.com : website from the US, with lots of stories and variety of ideas Dates for February and March Messy Mice at 10am is on 6th and 20th February and March – crafts and bible stories for the under 5's. Toddlers is on every Thursday morning 9 - 11.45am. Film club for year 7 to Upper Six. On the 12th of each month, starting at 7pm. 0930 Live! 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. May you grow in the knowledge and love of Christ this year. Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker
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From Wednesday 15th February until Sunday 19th February we’ll be inviting the secondary school aged young people connected in our church to take part in “Life Together – An Experiment in Christian Community Living”. You will be familiar with church youth weekends, but Life Together is different. During our Life Together, we will be exploring the claims of Jesus Christ in the context of a normal working or school week whilst sharing in Christian community here in a church building. Our church will become “home” for those few days and we will eat together and live together whilst still taking part in our school day and evening activities. Each day will begin and end with 10-15 minutes of prayer and worship. As church is our home, we will feel free to invite friends home and it is our hope and prayer that our community will grow as the week progresses.
The source and inspiration of “Life Together” is the life and works of the great 20th century Christian pastor, martyr and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His book: "Gemeinsames Leben" ("Life Together") was based on his ideas and experiences leading an underground seminary at Finkelwalde (now Stettin) in Poland just before the Second World War. The mission of the Finkelwalde seminary was to train pastors for the Confessing Church, the church that took a stand against Hitler by confessing that there "was only one head of the church" (and that it wasn't Adolf Hitler!) Dietrich Bonhoeffer refused sanctuary in university postings to the USA and UK. He was arrested in 1943 and was finally executed on 9th April 1945 at Flossenburg concentration camp just weeks before its liberation and the end of the Second World War in Europe. For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Christian life to which Jesus calls us was not one of isolation or escape from the world but rather a joyful and obedient response to the love of God shown to us in Jesus Christ. - the Word made flesh. Christians are people who dare to believe that we can find God working in and through every experience of our lives and not just when we are doing specifically “religious” activities. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “Only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith”. During our Life Together, we’ll be testing that huge claim. That’s why Life Together is not a holiday, escape, retreat or some sort of wacky cult. It’s not like Big Brother where the contestants are isolated from their normal lives. We are not trying to separate ourselves or withdraw from anything. Our Life Together takes place in the midst of our life of school, college or work, our friends and weekly activities. Just as all of our lives are too! Grace and peace. Andrew The following video has been produced by the Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed churches Joint Public Issues Team for Christmas 2017. Do take a look. The search for a name ... If you look closely at the Trinity Methodist Church War Memorial (which is today in the front garden of our Church), you will notice that near the bottom of the list of names there is room to insert another name. The reason for this was deliberate.
The original memorial was in a poor condition and several names were badly worn. After a great deal of photo-taking and discussion, the WW1 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. Well surprise, surprise! We found what we believe to be the missing name. We could make out the name Efic Sax ... something, but nothing else. Searches of the War Graves archives showed that there were two E. Saxons who died during the Great War. Who were they and did they have a connection with Frodsham? Of the two names, Ethel Saxon seemed a stronger candidate but we still could not link her with Frodsham. We knew that her father was a primitive Methodist minister and further research showed the family living in Runcorn during part of his ministry, although the family was living in South Wales prior to the outbreak of war. Recently Territorial Forces records for nurses became available and we obtained a copy of her service records. Normally these are usually 2/3 pages long, however Ethel's ran to 147 pages. It turned out that her father had bombarded the War Office with letters about her effects, missing salary and if they were prepared to erect memorials to the nurses who had been killed/ died during the conflict. Whilst slowly ploughing through all the paperwork, a reference was found to a Mrs E. Thornton of Frodsham as being where all the mail should be directed. Further searching established that she was Ethel's aunt whose husband owned the motorcycle works opposite the church and that they lived in the large Edwardian house next to Trinity church, Deyne Court. When Ethel was sent to work as a nurse she was sent to Liverpool and not Cardiff wherever she lived. Coincidence? Without going into further details, we now firmly believe that Ethel Saxon is the name we have been searching for and we are going ahead with arranging for a stone mason to inscribe her name. Now does anyone know who Alan Stevenson was? Frodsham Town Council’s WW1 Group, with the help of children from all Frodsham Primary Schools, produced a Poppy Cascade to commemorate the Frodsham soldiers who lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 during WW1, and this has been displayed in the Medical Centre. I was asked to cut the ribbon to open the Cascade, as my Uncle Billie (William Jeffs) was killed in action, aged 21, during the battle of Mont St Eloi in May 1916.
Following the opening ceremony, Ken Crouch, from the WW1 Group, read out the following story, written by Mr Percy Dunbavand of Runcorn. “Around 1948, Mr Wilf Cotgrave, who lived at 2 Fountain Lane, Frodsham, was employed as a Bin-man (refuse collector) in the town, and one day, while depositing a bin full of rubbish in the bin wagon, he noticed an object as it fell out. He picked it up and found it to be a Bronze Death Plaque that had been awarded to the next of kin of a young Frodsham soldier who had lost his life during the Great War. It was known as the “Dead Man's Penny” due to the similarity to the smaller penny coin. Wilf took it home, where it was kept on the mantelpiece. His son, John, remembers seeing it there when he was 6 years of age 68 years ago." Percy continued, "In 1964 John Cotgreave married my wife’s niece and came to live in Runcorn. He inherited the Plaque and always maintained that if ever he found a relative of the man who was commemorated on it, he would return it to them. However, John had never discovered any relatives until, in July this year, when I attended the Frodsham Fete in Castle Park and visited the stall that commemorated the Frodsham lads from the Great War. I talked to Sara Wakefield and after telling her of the Plaque she mentioned that there were relatives of the man still living in the town and if John was still willing to return the Plaque she would arrange for the transfer to go ahead. " I rang John Cotgrave and he agreed, but unfortunately he could not attend the Ceremony, and asked if I would do the honour, which I gladly did. To my surprise, I was then presented with the Plaque, which was inscribed, 'William Jeffs' (my Uncle Billy). It was extremely emotional and my family can only think that when his Mother, my Granny, died and the house was cleared, it was mistakenly thrown away. Thankfully it was found and we will now treasure it greatly. Brenda Frodsham I started off this half-term in school reminding the children about being lights in the world. Matthew 5: 14-16 says, “You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."
When the darkness closes in, either from shorter days or it’s just one of those days when nothing is going right, remember God’s presence provides a light in that darkness. Connect to him and shine brightly through this season. May you rest in God’s love and peace. Let me suggest 3 ways we can share God's love this Christmas:
Finally, let me tell you about an event we have in early January. "Be the Light Holiday Club" at Frodsham Methodist Church on Thursday 5th January 2017 Time: 2-4pm. Lots of fun, games and activities for Primary School Children. Cost £5 each. To book a place contact Andrea on 07749877823. At the end of the afternoon, at 4pm, there will be a Celebration of Light Service, followed by refreshments to which everyone is invited. Come and join us for this festive session. Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker Dear Friends,
Christians like me sometimes complain that our society no longer remembers “the true meaning of Christmas”. We regret that Christmas cards are more likely to feature snowmen or Father Christmas rather than the “traditional nativity scene”. Picture that nativity scene now as you read this. There in your mind’s eye you can see a wooden stable. Mary and Joseph are in the middle (conveniently identified with halos so that you know who they are). They gaze at baby Jesus in a manger of pristine hay or straw. To their left are some shepherds with neatly trimmed beards. To their right are the wise men, usually three of them. Above them all, hovering inexplicably at a scale altitude of about 12 feet, is a star. If this was the scene that was featured on all our Christmas cards, we Christians would be happy! Unfortunately this cosy, familiar image is about as near to the Christmas story of the bible as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. There are four accounts of Jesus’ life in the bible. They are named after Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Of these only two of them, Matthew and Luke, tell the story that sounds something like the story that we are familiar with. Remember, Matthew and Luke are religious insiders who are inspired by God to write their accounts to convince all of us that the birth of the baby at the centre of the story is of ultimate significance for every man, woman and child in every place and every time. This is the story they tell. Firstly, they set their stall out by making it clear that the question of Jesus’ parentage scandalised their local community. Matthew tells the story from Joseph’s point of view and Luke tells it from Mary’s point of view. Far from being people of influence or of noble birth, Mary and Joseph are a couple of nobodies who are compelled by the so-called real power of the time to travel a long distance. There is no room in any of the guest rooms in the town so with labour underway, they find shelter in a cow shed. The baby is born and placed in the animal feeding trough. Who witnessed this amazing event? Luke is writing to a wealthy, educated man, yet Luke tells us that amongst the first to be invited were poor, uneducated shepherds. Matthew, writing to a community of religious insiders tells us that amongst the first visitors were “magi from the east”. These magi (the word from which we get our word “Magic”) were not God-squad types, they were most probably astrologers from the area that is now modern-day Iran. God it seemed had reached out beyond the traditional faith community to those with a different religion or none. Matthew concludes the story by telling us that Mary, Joseph and Jesus were forced to flee persecution and seek asylum in a foreign land. The story claims that at the centre of this messy story that tells the truth about my life and yours; God gives himself to us. You are invited to join us at any of our services this Christmas. You are invited, not because we in the churches have a story to share with you; but rather because this story belongs to all of us. It a story of truth speaking to power. It is a story of radical inclusion that calls time on the barriers of wealth, race and religion in our community. It is a story that dares to believe that we belong to each other and that each one of us, in all of our wondrous diversity, is of infinite worth and value. You are invited, not by an establishment or institution; you are invited by choirs of angels! May we all know God’s presence, peace and love this Christmas. Andrew M Emison Minister, Frodsham Methodist Church For those who enjoy a bit of creativity along with a good old chat and friendship, you could join with either or both of these groups ...
E-mail [email protected] for more details... Dear Friends,
Naomi, Matthew and Sophie join me in thanking you all for all of the time, gifts, cards and messages that you have sent to us to welcome us to our home here in Frodsham. We’re grateful also to our District Chair, Rev’d Peter Barber and our Superintendent, Rev’d Neil Stacey and to all those who shared in the welcome service on 30th August. We were welcomed, but we also celebrated our shared ministry. We did so in the context of the worship of the living God who we know in Jesus. It is Jesus who I believe has called us together and who calls each one of us, not just to come to him but to follow him. It’s good to be amongst you and I ask for your patience as I take time to get to know you all. One of the things that moving to a new station does is to give the opportunity to take stock and to reflect on my ministry to this point. I will try to learn from the mistakes I made on the Isle of Man and try not to make too many all-new mistakes as we journey on together. All I can do is ask for your grace and your prayers! Perhaps those of you reading this letter might also like to take the opportunity to pause and reflect. Could this be a time for you to respond in a new way to God’s call and claim upon your life?
If any of you ever want to talk about any aspect of our faith, of being a disciple, of following Jesus, of your sense of call and vocation, please know that there is nothing I love to do more and that I am never too busy for a black coffee with no sugar! It’s my privilege to join you as together we explore God’s plan for our life together. Grace and peace. Andrew M. Emison Minister, Frodsham Methodist Church  A sense of time, growth and seasons always becomes apparent at this time of year, when our thoughts turn to activities and events in the winter months.
Familiar faces, and taller children return to the various activities held at Church. It has been wonderful to greet people again after the summer and catch up with their news. This reminds me of the Church being like a family - welcoming people whom we see frequently, others we see occasionally, and perhaps new people into the family. I pray we find new ways of being family in our Church. Looking forward, we have plans for a number of events where we can come together as a family. Firstly on Saturday 15th October, there is a walk (about 8 miles ) from the aqueduct in Trevor along the canal to Llangollen and back. We are walking in aid of our Church Charity (The Boaz Trust) and a donation towards this will be greatly received. All welcome, including dogs. Meet at 10am in the overflow car park near the aqueduct at Trevor. This year we are also collecting items to make shoe boxes for The Boaz Trust. These will be in the free shop for their clients to receive them at Christmas time. We can put the following items into the boxes: chocolates, gloves, scarves, hats, jewellery, moisturisers (but not creams), and accessories (clients receive toiletries monthly). We will be meeting in November to put the boxes together. The youth at Church would like to have a 'Stay Awake', so if you are a night owl and fancy helping at an event such as this, please speak to Andrea. Due to the primary schools finishing late for Christmas this year, there will be a Holiday Club and Christingle on Thursday 5th January 2017. Time and details will follow. Details for Toddlers and Messy Mice activities are on Facebook: Tots and Frodsham Methodist Church. Looking ahead to Summer 2017, some young people have already booked to go to Greenbelt! So, check out details on the Internet and see if you fancy going too. It would be great to have a big group going from Frodsham and Norley. Andrea's contact number is 07749877823 if you need any more information on the above events. Andrea Ellams Young Families Worker, Frodsham Methodist Church What a wonderful Service of Welcome for Rev'd. Andrew Emison and his family last night.
We were delighted to be joined in a packed Church by:- the Mayor of Frodsham, Cllr. Mallie Poulton; representatives from the other churches in Frodsham, Fr. James Kenny of St. Luke Roman Catholic Church, Fr. Michael Mills of St. Laurence Church of England Parish Church, Rev'd. Mansell Morgan of King's Church, and Mrs. Sue Spilman of Main Street Community Church; Mrs. Aelison Wilson of Frodsham Churches Together; and, Suzie Treeton of Chapel Fields MHA Nursing & Dementia Care Home, Frodsham. We were also pleased to welcome Rev'd. Neil Stacey, Superintendent of the Chester & Delamere Forest Circuit of the Methodist Church, and Rev'd. Peter Barber, Chair of the Chester & Stoke-on-Trent District of the Methodist Church.  The book club at Frodsham Methodist Church continues to meet on every third Wednesday of the month at 7.30. New members are always welcome.
At our June meeting we were very fortunate to be visited by local lay preacher Dr Judy Ford, who talked to us about her novel, Awayday, that we had read for the meeting. She told us about writing her books, and where her inspiration comes, and answered lots of questions, including how to design a book cover. Awayday is a traditional ‘whodunnit’ set amongst the dons of an Oxford college. Very few of us had guessed ‘whodunnit’ before we reached the end of the book. If you are interested in reading a ‘whodunnit’ that will leave you with something to think about then I can highly recommend one of her novels. These are the books that we are reading for the rest of the year: August 17th – Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey September 21st - Momo by Michael Ende October 19th - Travelling to infinity by Jane Hawkins November 16th - After You by Jo Jo Moyes Patricia Barnard Each year I say goodbye to those who have been part of Messy Mice and the Toddler Group and those children who are starting new schools in September. This year especially there seem to be many children and families who have been part of these groups for many years. I wish all a bright and happy future-may they remember God goes with them, and I hope they embrace life to the full. It would be good to see you again, so please check our website for upcoming events.
The young people were sad to hear that all the tickets for 3 Generate this year have sold out. I have been involved in the planning of The Well-the leaders' part of the weekend and it looks as if I will be helping during the weekend. Plans for an event similar to last year’s sleepover are beginning to emerge and for the year 7’s and above I think there is an opportunity to be involved in Engage again in November. September brings an opportunity to review/change the activities we offer to families and the young people and if you think you can offer a willing helping hand please speak to Andrea. God Bless, Andrea Young Families Worker Review of the year
In our final 0930live! of the year, we revisited some of the themes we have looked at since September. As we planned this last service, we reflected that we had concentrated on aspects of God’s character before Christmas, then looked at Jesus’ characteristics up to Easter. Finally, we considered how it was the power of the Holy Spirit that brought about the dramatic change in Peter. In a previous service, we had used the imagery of the Olympic rings to remind us that we are all joined to one another. A Venn diagram (cruel so soon after GCSEs) showing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit interlocking, with us in the middle,emphasised that whilst we are all connected, we rely on the Trinity to sustain us. Our challenge to ourselves before our long summer break was; in a world full of so many needs, what could we do over the holidays to make a difference? We used the Starfish story to illustrate the thought that we can make a difference to people in small ways. Starfish Story A girl was walking along a beach throwing starfish that had been washed up by the tide back into the sea. A man saw her and, laughing, asked her why she was bothering to do it as there were thousands and she couldn’t possibly throw them all back. In response, the girl picked up one starfish and threw it into the water, saying that she had made a difference to that one. She continued to do this whilst he turned and walked away. But instead of walking off, the man slowly turned, bent down and started to throw the starfish back into the sea. Hopefully, we can all make a difference to someone through the next few weeks until we meet again in September. Pippa Jacobson Community and Schools Worker Dear Friends,
A change of minister is an opportunity to step back and to reflect on how our story has led us to this point. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate ministry. By ministry, I don’t mean that of Denise, Neil or Andrew Emison, I mean the ministry of Frodsham Methodist Church. In September, it will be my privilege to come alongside of you in ministry, listening to what you have discerned that God is calling us to do. In time,your ministry will become our ministry, but it will never be “mine”. It is true that Conference is sending me to take a “principal and directing role” amongst you, but that leadership is to be modelled on Jesus as he takes towel and bowl and kneels before those he calls friends. My first task will be to not break the good, courageous and mission-shaped work which is already happening! The calling we share is to be a priestly, prophetic and evangelising fellowship within our community that celebrates and shares God’s love. In our Methodist understanding, no part of that great calling is exclusively mine, but it is my privilege to share in it with you. I already know that I am joining a gifted team. As I met with various people during my visit I was struck by how many chose to mention how much they valued the ministry of Andrea and Pippa and of the gifting and grace of our Leadership Team. Our Vision and Strategy Document 2015-2020 clearly represents a significant work of discernment and provides the framework for our way forward. We have resilient structures, we shall continue to need prayer, the ministry of God’s Word, the power of the Holy Spirit and most of all God’s grace as together we seek to join in God’s mission. We shall continue to pray for Denise as she finishes her sabbatical and moves to Crewe/South Cheshire and for Neil as he continues to lead the life and ministry of our circuit. We celebrate the glory of Christian ministry to which we are called and in which we all share: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) ‘Alleluia! Amen! Naomi, Matthew and Sophie share my excitement as we join with you to take the next steps in our discipleship together. Grace and peace. Andrew  ‘Spiritual Friendship in the Marketplace’ seminar held at Wesley Methodist Church, Singapore I’m just home from a ‘Spiritual Friendship in the Marketplace’ seminar held at Wesley Methodist Church today. The speaker, Rev. Dr. Soo-Inn Tan, is a pastor, preacher and author. His message was powerful. He said churches and Christians often like to measure their success in numbers or size or will comment that ‘that church on the corner has just been refurbished again—what are they doing right?’. But what is constantly on the lips of Jesus in the gospels is the pressing need to share the Good News of the coming Kingdom with all people. Dr. Tan spoke of how when we bring kingdom values into the workplace we are doing God’s work. Indeed, we see the legitimacy of our daily work in how we bring God’s work in. The church exists to equip us for that.
Our question as Christians—and indeed what marks us a Christians—is how do we take God's principles and apply them in our daily lives in the marketplace? That is to say in our places of work, where we volunteer, where we live. What does a Christian teacher look like? What does a Christian hairdresser look like? What does a Christian banker look like? We do not study God’s work in an exam, but in how Christian’s live out their lives: What does a Christian HR policy look like? How does a Christian respond to corruption or racism in the workplace? It is in our answering of these questions that we work out what being a Christian in this world of ours means. One example he shared was of a street hawker. Let’s say the hawker has six children to feed. He dutifully fulfils all his legal requirements regarding health and hygiene and diligently submits tax returns on time. Yet a person in authority still asks for more, still says ‘give me X amount of money toward my retirement fund before I grant you a license’. Is paying bribes still wrong? Yes. So how does the hawker deal with the reality that he has to pay if he wants to keep his stall open? How does a Christian interpret Bible principles in the world? Dr. Tan spoke of how following God in this fallen world will mean there are times when we need encouragement. As it says in Hebrews 10:24-5, ‘Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works’. The new initiative of Marketplace Support Gatherings at Wesley are designed to provide us with role models, encouragement, contextual learning and accountability on that journey. The hope is that Christians working in different areas can meet together and communicate online to talk through, to pray, to get advice on how they should respond to challenges in the workplace. Instead of asking ‘is God on our side?’, let us as Christians be on God’s side as we live out our lives! Matthew Singapore, Saturday 7th May, 2016 This Summer brings a time of hard work and exams for some and for others a chance for an easier pace of life. Is it a time of preparation for change or a time to refresh old habits? May we always remember that at whatever stage of life we are; God is with us. May we be excited about the future and encourage others.
Encouraging Others Recently the Toddler Group raised £71 in a Good as New Sale, which will go to support the Baby Grow Appeal in Chester Hospital and Frodsham Food Bank. Not only did we raise money but many went home pleased with the items they had brought and the people who sold gained some extra cash too. In July the Toddler Group will be holding the Summer Beach party where we will say Farewell to the oldest children, who will be starting school in September. For some families this is an end to many years of coming to Toddlers and we send them on their way with God’s Blessings and a hope that our paths cross again in the future. Pippa and I are taking the Moving On books into some of the Frodsham Schools this term. This little booklet gives the Year 6 children an opportunity with us to discuss their hopes and fears about their move to High school. During the session it’s a real privilege to remind the children that God is their faithful friend who understands them and is only a prayer away. I was presented with this verse recently and asked what is God saying to you through this verse. So, in faith, I am presenting this verse to you and asking you what is God saying to you in these words? “God, your God, is leading the way: he’s fighting for you. You saw with your own eye what he did for you in Egypt: you saw what he did in the wilderness, how God your God, carried you as a father carries his child, carried you the whole way until you arrived here.” (Deuteronomy 1 :31) I am always amazed at the different responses of people; of the ways in which God touches us and works through us. The future is exciting; may we allow God to renew, inspire and excite us. Are you up for a challenge this summer? Do you want to do a sponsored walk to raise money for our Church Charity? Are you around on Saturday 20th or Sunday 21st August? I am thinking of walking an 11-mile trail, starting from the Pontcysyllite Aqueduct at Trevor. Please get in touch if you are interested. God bless, Andrea Peter – Acts
Since Easter we have been focussing on Jesus’ disciple Peter. He is a fascinating mix of impetuous reaction and passion, as well as doubt and denial. We looked at how he, and Jesus, reacted to his denying Jesus, and reflected on how we can get back on track when we make a mess of things. Through Lent we had a tree with brown leaves that we gradually exchanged for green leaves if we had kept up good habits, and we referred back to this to give ideas of how to refresh us spiritually. A vital transformation Peter experienced resulted from a vision. He realised that God’s love was for everyone – not just the Jews. This must have caused an enormous reaction at the time and it made us think about who in our world and society we marginalise and exclude. The final story about Peter that we explored was his healing of the lame man. Despite being arrested and threatened by the authorities, he could not do anything except for tell people who Jesus is. What a difference from the scared man who denied him only a little while earlier. Summer Social Weekend – 22nd-24th July We have subtly changed the name of this weekend! The emphasis is no longer on ‘camping’, although that will certainly take place on the Friday and Saturday nights for those who wish to (space permitting). But we want everyone to feel included and are planning the Saturday as our main activity day, concluding with a short worship time and meal. Brassey Green is near Beeston so it is ideally situated for anyone who wants to join us for the day. More details will follow as we get into the planning. Pippa Jacobson My elder brother's first car was a Ford Popular and, way back in the early 1950's, he took me on a tour of Scotland in it. We were aiming for Cape Wrath. It was Sunday; we were north of Inverness, and as we passed through Invergordon we saw people wending their way to church, so I decided to join them. By the time I reached the church door, the service had already begun, and as I walked down the aisle the congregation were singing Psalm 121 - ‘I to the hills will lift mine eyes from whence doth come mine aid ...’
They sang in that deep, measured, melodious way that is so characteristic of Scottish hymn singing, and I felt to be transported to the very gates of heaven and caught a glimpse of the glory beyond, and I knew that God IS! And now, if ever I am in doubt, in confusion, tempted or tried, I think back to Invergordon, and my faith is restored to its firm foundation. We are spiritual beings; our souls and spirits need to be fed as much as our bodies, and that is why music, literature and art are so important to bring fullness into our lives. In my home church in the 1930s/40s, Arthur Beaver - a great outdoors man - would lead a church ramble into the Yorkshire dales every Bank Holiday Monday. As we trudged to catch the bus home, from Otley or Ilkley or Skipton, it would be raining. We would be drenched and feeling sorry for ourselves - then someone would strike up, 'Old Macdonald had - a farm, ee aye ee aye oh', and very soon we would all be singing, spirits lifted, strength renewed - and who cares about wet feet anyway! This is true also on a higher plain. Listen to the Huddersfield Choral Society sing Handel's Halleleiua Chorus, and you find yourself in another world, your inner being tingles, you are touching eternity, and you know that God IS. I am no poet, and many poems I just do not understand, but often the rhythm, balance and cadences of rhyming poetry do speak to me and touch my inner self. "I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd, host of golden daffodils." These words help me to see the glory of the Creator in the sparkling yellow flowers. I am lifted up, my soul is warmed, I feel the surge of new life in my old bones, and I know God IS. And when I read the poetic rhythm of St Paul's words in wonderment of Christ (Col 1:15f), "Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God ... through him God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself", I become transfixed in wonder and awe, as I do when I read the words of Isaac Watts (Singing the Faith 287), "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." It draws me to my knees, warms my soul, renews my spirit, and I know Jesus IS the fullness of life, and God IS. Lift up a fine bone china cup and saucer; the very feel of it speaks of craftsmanship, beauty and perfection. When your lips touch the cup to take a sip of tea, your spirit is lifted, your soul warmed, and the tea tastes far better than from that old earthenware mug hanging on a hook in the kitchen. The Bible likens us to potter's clay (Jer 18), and the whole purpose of God's creation and Christ's calling is that we should be moulded into 'Something Beautiful for God' (as Malcolm Muggeridge once described Mother Teresa). The feel of the bone china cup gives us a vision of what we ought to be and can be if we let Jesus have his way in our lives. St John (1 John 3:2) assures us that if we do let Jesus have a hand in our lives, then ultimately 'We Shall Be as He is', glowing with the radiance of His divine spirit. But we cannot touch Jesus as we touch the china cup, so we must bear in mind the words Jesus spoke to Doubting Thomas, "Blessed are they who cannot see me yet believe." (John 20:20) The most beautiful and fulfilling thing in all the world is the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, because, through it, the transforming and fulfilling love of God flows out to embrace all humanity - and you and me - because God IS, and with Him and in Him we are fulfilled in body, mind and spirit. The highest calling in life is to be 'Something beautiful for God', and this was the deep yearning of Katie Barclay Wilkinson when she wrote, "May the mind of Christ my Saviour live in me from day to day, by His love and power controlling all I do or say". (Singing the Faith 504) Rev'd. Bernard Dodd Dear Friends,
I am pleased to be able to share the news that (subject to final confirmation at the Methodist Conference in July) the Rev'd. Andrew Emison will take up an appointment in the Chester and Delamere Forest Circuit, beginning in September, with particular responsibility for Frodsham, Oakmere, and Bunbury and Tiverton. Andrew’s wife, Naomi, is a primary school teacher. Along with their two children, Matthew and Sophie, they will be moving into the Fairways manse in August. Andrew is currently serving on the Isle of Man. No doubt in due course Andrew will introduce himself and the family. In times when there continue to be shortages of Methodist presbyters (this year there will be around 40 appointments not filled, including our Helsby and Kingsley appointment) we are thrilled that a minister so highly regarded as Andrew has been appointed to the circuit. Please pray for the Emison family as they prepare to join us; and for all those who are working hard behind the scenes to help our fellowship and mission in Frodsham to grow. A circuit welcome service for Andrew will be held at Frodsham Methodist Church on the evening of Tuesday 30th August at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome to come, and to enjoy refreshments afterwards. Yours in Christ, Neil |
Pastoral LettersWritten by the Minister & Members
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