Dear One and All,
The new 'Plan' for the Circuit arrived the other day (if this means nothing
then see footnote first). Some of you, I know, are great 'plan' watchers and
perhaps share in the excitement of seeing who will be preaching at our
various churches during the next quarter. Others of you will yawn, reach for
the Prozac or feel I should get out a bit more! Whatever your feelings I ask
you to stick with me a bit longer.
The Plan is a unique document and goes deep into Methodist history. It says
something about us as a Methodist people and about us too as Christians,
which is far more important. What does it say about us as Methodists?
It says this at least, that we are a people under discipline and not
tyranny. The discipline is this that both lay and ordained who bring their
gifts, talents, weaknesses and frailties are willing to be subject to
direction. It may be far easier simply to ask to preach and lead worship at
our favourite churches, where one suspects there will be a good reception,
rather than to accept being placed, at the discretion of the Superintendent,
who has absolute power in this matter, in any of the churches within the
Circuit. Both lay and ordained people willingly accept this discipline and
joyfully respond, but it does require a willingness to be under discipline.
It may be that some would pour scorn on this as being a fairly light kind of
discipline, but then perhaps those who do have never had to bring a hard
message to a church during a sermon, would least of all understand the
pressure this brings on the preacher or minister. It may be tempting simply
to walk away or not preach about what truly is laid on one's heart. This is
discipline.
The Plan is not simply a document restricted to British Methodism for I have
seen it in the United States and elsewhere. Its authority binds us together
as a Methodist community, larger than the Anglican Communion, across the
face of the world. It reminds us of a common heritage, a set of values and
an implicit demand that we recognise that our church is part of something
far greater and that the discipline of Methodism, rather like that of the
Jesuits, is international in flavour but common in intent.
The Plan says something too about us as Christians. The Plan follows the
liturgical year and in so doing imbues us with the sights and sound, seasons
if you like of the Christian year from Advent through to the long Trinity
weeks of the summer. It marks our passage of Christian living. Perhaps most
importantly it marks the fact that the church is a worshipping community
seeking Christ at its heart. I didn't ever expect to say this, but perhaps I
could be so bold in saying that in the Plan we see the work of the Holy
Spirit! Wow, what a claim! But why not? For those brave souls who have heard
the call of God to preach the Good News and that far greater number who have
heard God's calling to them to follow Christ in the church, through the
publication of the Plan, hear the Good News brought to them. Each preacher
will bring their own unique perspective, each service will have its own
style, but whether in sacrament or preaching each will bring Christ. In
fulfilling the obligations of the Plan, the preacher, the minister, the
musicians and congregation will play its part and in so doing our lives are
immeasurably enriched. Our task is to hold firm to the faith and I contend
that the discipline of the Plan is a useful tool in enabling us to do just
that.
So the next time you pick up your copy of 'The Plan', see it with new eyes,
as a theological tool, a statement of the church's mission and the
possibility of meeting Christ in a new way.
Every blessing,
Simon.
Footnote:-
The new 'Plan' for the Circuit arrived the other day, if you have
not seen the Circuit Plan then download......................here.
and
My Journey
My heart rejoices when I made my
commitment to Christ because my inner peace and joy told me of God’s
greatness.
On reflection,
my response to God’s call was gradual. After I had been working in nursing
and teaching, ministry is my third career. I had doubts and fears to begin
with. Am I the right person? I have asked God many times because I do not
think that I am a good speaker.
I believe God has a personal plan for each of us. God’s purpose for us in
our lives can only be accomplished when we obey and trust Him.
God first called me when I was living in Leatherhead. My husband and I
wanted to offer our house to be a place for worship, for prayer and
Bible study.
It was because when we looked around the churches, there were only few
Chinese Christians attending. So we started a house group with eight
people. The number increased each week with non-Christians joining. In
four months time, there were about fifty people worshipping in our
house.
I felt God’s call to me become stronger as our house group increased in
number. It was the Methodist Superintendent who introduced the Faith and
Worship Course and I responded to God’s call by embarking on this course.
Through prayers and conversation with the Superintendent, I felt God’s call
to Presbyterian ministry became clear. Going through various levels of
interviews and assessments, I was approved to further my training to become
a Minister in Wesley House, Cambridge. I enjoyed the training as a Local
Preacher which gave me a foundation to learn more of God’s Word. I learned
much more in the Pre-ordination training with Pastoral Theology in Wesley
House, Cambridge. To become a student again taught me humility. I had to
re-learn my study skills. It took me a total of seven years in training
since the Faith and Worship Course. God has given me patience in this
extended time to become His servant. It is God’s grace and mercy to appoint
me to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last (John 15:16).
My Commitment
I am now committed to serve in
Epsom Methodist Church. I am pleased to be able to serve both the Chinese
speaking and the English speaking congregations and have the opportunity to
bring two cultures together. God’s purpose is sure for me to minister in
this community. I know God has called me to make disciples of all nations
(Matthew 28:19a). I aim towards Jesus’ Great Commission to bring the
Gospel to all people.
Last month, I had a chance to join a short term mission to Qingyuen in
mainland China. I received further inspiration in this mission field. But
I know a mission field can be very close to home. It could be a neighbour
who has not heard the Good News or neighbours who need help. Jesus calls us
to spend our lives in the service of the least, the lost and lonely. It is
about putting Jesus teaching into practice. I give praise and thanks to God
for His firm promise. He says, “I am with you always, to the end of the
age” (Matthew 28:20b). My confidence comes from Jesus. I know He will
support me to the end of the world.
The Challenge
God’s Word constantly resurfaces in my mind, “I am the Lord your God, don’t
be afraid, I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13). God’s promise and mercy are
sure from age to age, and now reaching me. It is a challenge to me with
many responsibilities to love, to care and to serve God and His people.
But, I feel secure, safe and happy because God’s Spirit is behind me. My
vision is to serve. After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He said, “I
have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John
13:15). By the power of His Spirit, I am prepared to be more liked Jesus.
To God be all glory and praise. Amen.
Blessings,
Hazel Yu
Spirit of God among us
Thank you for a glorious
celebration weekend. I mentioned, at the time, that to say ‘thank you’ does
not seem adequate for the generosity, hard work and commitment that has
brought us to this point. It was inspiring to see more than 400 people at
the
Service of Dedication on Saturday and, with the children and young
people on Sunday there were well over that number at the morning services.
People are still talking about the joyful, challenging and uplifting
weekend.
Appropriately, at Pentecost,
there was a powerful sense of God’s Spirit among us and recognition that,
although we had taken a major step forward in renewing the buildings, this
is a new beginning in the life of the church and not an end!
In the next few months we will
be seeking to appoint a Youth Pastor to develop our ministry among young
people and to invite them to follow Jesus.
In the next few years we aim to
build a Youth Hall to improve facilities for the excellent youth work.
But now, our immediate task is
to build up the church in loyalty, commitment, personal faith and in zeal to
bring others to share in the fellowship and to find faith in God.
You may be thinking that, if we
have many more weekends like Pentecost, we won’t know where to put any more
people! But it is our calling – gently, but clearly, to share what faith
and hope we have, and to invite other people to come nearer to God.
“You will be witnesses to me at
home, at work, and further away. And you will receive power when God’s
Spirit touches your heart. (Acts 1, verse 8)
Pentecost Question
The big problem for us is, “How
shall we do that?” I mentioned the Pentecost Question in the May edition of
this newsletter. You will find it in Acts 2 verse 37, ‘They asked,
“What shall we do?”’ We are asking the same question in an age of
scepticism, mistrust of religion, secular materialism and strong media
pressure to go with the flow! So what shall we do?
Well, nothing much will happen
without prayer, faithful regular worship, as far as you are able living a
true and open Christian life and having the Spirit of God amongst us.
At the Service of Dedication,
Tom Stuckey encouraged us to talk about God, to each other and in daily
life. Richard Dawkins and other atheists have put ‘God talk’ into the
public arena again, but with all kinds of negative misrepresentations of the
Christian faith. He seeks to have the last word by demanding tangible
proof. But in our own quiet positive way we can set the record straight
about what we know of God in our experience, without claiming that we know
everything! We can do it, as Tom said, ‘By telling our stories’. Life is
full of questions and doubts, but they do not obliterate the truth.
Opportunities for action
The programme of special events
in the next 18 months is not being planned simply for our own entertainment,
but to provide opportunities to engage with people in the community, of
different interests, and to invite them to come closer. Music, art, dance
and drama sometimes reach parts of human experience that traditional worship
cannot reach. They touch spiritual dimensions in believers and in those who
may claim no faith at all. They create platforms for relationship and self
expression and they appeal too many in the community. Therefore, a Flower
Festival, a Brass Band weekend, a multi-cultural celebration and a Jazz Nite
(which are among the first in our programme) provide opportunities for each
of us to bring friends to the public events and to the Sunday worship, when
we will continue in the same spirit.
Will you make it your aim to
bring as many as you can to these weekends and to ensure that you bring at
least one new person right into the fellowship of the church in the next 12
months?
Build your Church Lord!
At the Service of Dedication I mentioned that, during the building
development, the work of the stone masons seemed like an enacted parable to
me.
Slowly and patiently they reconstructed the windows and, although the stones
were of different sizes, they chose each one to fit carefully beside the
next, supported by the stones already in place, re-building the wall with
care and with a clear sense of purpose. That is the way in which God builds
the church. Our part in this will be our willingness to be his witnesses –
living faithfully, telling others and creating personal opportunities to
discover where they fit into God’s will and purpose. We must let people
know how the life and love of Jesus can be transforming, that the fellowship
of the church can be enriching and that the Spirit of God has truly come
among us!
“We will praise him for all that has passed and trust him for all that’s to
come”
As always, David Winwood
Something to Celebrate
The birth of the Church was at Pentecost. That’s why we have chosen
Pentecost weekend, 10th and 11th May 2008 for the
Dedication and Celebration of our church and its renewed building. We are
hoping and praying for the re-birth of the church to which we belong – new
life, new energy and new people.
As Luke records what happened at Pentecost, in Acts, chapter 2, verses 1-47,
he begins by telling us that, “All the believers were gathered together in
one place”. We are hoping that our new beginning will start in the same
way. We have written to all the members, and those in the directory of the
church, inviting them to share this new beginning. On Saturday 10th
May we expect to have guests from other churches, representatives from the
town, the choir of the Chinese congregation and a song from the Brazilian
fellowship, and on Sunday 11th the Scouts and the Guides will
also be present ….. so all the believers will be coming together in one
place (and we will make sure that as many seats as possible will be ready in
the church.) If the celebration follows the pattern of Acts Chapter 2, and
3,000 people are added to our numbers (verse 41), I don’t know what we shall
do!!!
Creative Change
There are bits and pieces of the building still to be completed, but they
are being tackled one by one. I have not heard many complaints, but perhaps
some things do not suit some people. The overwhelming reaction has been of
delight and gratitude for the simplicity and spacious feel of the new
worship area, and for the focus on the cross.
The policy of the church from the outset was to open up the church building,
to make worship more visible and more accessible, and that has been well
done. We are hoping that Coffee Cup will soon be underway at the rear of
the church and in the welcome area on Monday to Friday, together with
Rendezvous and possibly snack lunches, in time. The area beyond the arch
will be kept as a prayer space, except on very full Sundays, where you can
be quiet at any time, and especially after church – when we hope that there
will be someone available each Sunday to pray with you if you wish. The
sound system carries the service into the welcome area so that people with
young babies can sit there if the baby is distressed, but still see and hear
the worship.
All sorts of new possibilities are open to us, and we would like to hear
every creative contribution about the way forward. By June we will be
launching into a series of special weekends, one each month, with
opportunities for every member of the congregation to bring a guest. The
events will create natural occasions for mission. That is, times when we
can reach into community life and to bring new people into the fellowship of
the church.
Pentecost Question
I mentioned, above, the way in which this step forward opens up the
possibility of all sorts of new and creative ideas being thrown into the
pot. I believe that is the work of the Holy Spirit. Our concern is not
simply to do new things in new ways, but to share in spiritual renewal. The
danger is that groups can easily think only of themselves, and argue for
their own interests alone. Or some of us can get a bee in our bonnet about
what we think should happen and put forward ideas almost like demands! At
Pentecost the people were not seeking their own way, but God’s way. The
Pentecost question came from those who wanted to know the will of God. When
the people were stirred by the Spirit and by the gospel message they asked
Peter and the apostles, “What shall we do?”
We must share our ideas and seek the very best as we understand it, but
together we need to seek God’s guidance for the re-birth of his church among
us. We must open our hearts to ask Him, “Lord, what must we do?” Then with
renewed hope and firm resolution we must encourage one another to do it.
Thank you for all you’re your prayers, your generosity, your hard work and
your resilient hopes, which have brought us, by God’s grace, to this point
of renewal.
With my love, David Winwood
Zimbabwe Link
Please keep praying for the
people of Zimbabwe. It now begins to seem as though Robert Mugabwe, backed
up by other African leaders, is going to continue to claim the presidency
illegally, because he will not accept legitimate democratic defeat. As soon
as the supremacy of his party was thrown into doubt by the election,
brutality and violence was unleashed by his defenders. For this reason the
opposition will not accept a further contest at the voting booths, because
they know that Zanu PF will seek to gain victory by violent intimidation, as
it has done before. A week after the election, while the people were still
waiting to hear the outcome of the presidential vote, I received this
message from a member of Hillside Methodist Church, who is one of the people
working hard to feed the hungry, maintain a spirit of Christian caring in
the church and the community, and work for change in the nation.
“We are very weary, along with millions of our fellow countrymen and women.
Despite the long delays and rumour machine, which is fuelled by constant
press updates, we are hopeful. The hope is subdued, the whole process is so
long, the hurts and suffering so deep but the hope is still alive. What we
are witnessing, what we are part of, is a miracle – or perhaps not one but a
series of miracles. That finally the Zanu PF party no longer has a majority,
that there is an end in sight to the end of the rule by Mr Mugabwe, that
people have been so patient, life as far as possible continues, that our
prayers for a peaceful election were answered, that we live in a country
where the immediate answer to overthrow a dictator is NOT to put him up
against a wall and shoot him (and someone commented today that Mr Mugabwe
should thank God that he has ruled over a people who do not do that kind of
thing) and perhaps the greatest miracle of all is that there is still hope
after so much negativism.
We need to acknowledge, however, that our hope is in what the Lord has done
and is doing. Our thanks go to him; the credit for all that is happening
goes to him. We continue to pray, not only for the resolution of the
present crisis but for all those who are resuming leadership and power – how
easy it would be to repeat the same mistakes and knowingly walk the same
path which has ruined this beautiful country. Pray with us, do not be
deluded or overly influenced by what you see and hear – they are an
indication, but sometimes an inaccurate indication of the reality on the
ground. Pray for the fulfilling of the miracle, for it to continue. Pray
that what was impossible this time last week, will come to wholeness and
fruition.”
From a waiting Zimbabwe
Please support our Christian
brothers and sisters, as they wait with astonishing patience for the
fulfilment of their hopes and dreams.
David
THE RESURRECTION – A NEW BEGINNING!
We praise you O Lord, we shout for joy O Lord, it is real,
not a dream, for we came into a new worship area to witness your presence on
16th March 2008 symbolising Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, as we
all entered into the new building. This is a new beginning for us all. We
can see it, feel it, touch it, smell it and use it to rejoice and glorify
your Holy name.
How wonderful it is to trust you when things are in your
hands, nothing is impossible. Together we build up your church here at
EMC. We give thanks to all who worked very hard in praying, planning,
designing, financing, administrating, managing, challenging, operating, and
co-operating for such a marvellous project which is a great achievement at
EMC!
Trust and Faith
Someone said to David Winwood a few weeks ago, "The fact that
this building is now here is a vivid reminder to me of our need to have
faith. Who would have thought a couple of years ago that it would be done by
now? I think it's like proof of our need to have trust and faith in God."
Indeed we need to have trust and faith as a believer in Christ. The
apostolic faith of the Church is based on the reality of the resurrection of
Christ. Resurrection is a cornerstone to the faith that embraces our Risen
Lord. The resurrection of our Lord is not only an historical event but also
a sign of God’s power over all the forces which keep us from his love and
goodness. It is a victory not only for Christ himself but also for all
those united with him. It is a victory which marks the beginning of a new
era.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes
in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.” (John 11:25).
The resurrection matters to us. It makes all the difference because
it grasps onto the essence of a life which is eternal. It is not a body
that lives beyond the grave, but a spirit which will never die, and a
Saviour who has always been.
Christ
is risen – He is risen, indeed!
New Birth
I love the story of Lazarus’ death because it reminds me of a chain
of events to perceive an end and a new beginning. An old creation is
exchanged for a new way of life. An old man is replaced by a new birth.
Similarly, an old building of EMC, built over 90 years ago, is now
exchanged for a new building to begin a new way of worshipping life. We
are all very excited. A dead nature is reborn into a new way of doing and
thinking with new attitude, new outlook, a new beginning and a new life in
Christ. All of us can be made new, and in Him, that which is dead can be
transformed.
As children of God, we believe in an on going transformation in our
lives. Our belief in the resurrection has important consequences for our
day-to-day living. Knowing about the resurrection helps us to deal with the
difficulties and, sometimes, ridicule for believing in Christ when the world
around us does not. When our life and ministry runs into problems, we do
not just quit. For it is by God’s grace, we are here together at EMC.
Growth & Development
The resurrection allows our potentials and dimensions of life to develop
anew with spiritual, philosophical, ethical, social, political, ecological,
cultural and historical content. Our needs may be different but each of us
can grow. We all have potential, visions and a rich culture. Every person
at EMC is free to express and live out what he or she is or wants to be. I
believe we live in a community with a spirit of resurrection. If so, we
embark on a learning process involving constant intercultural exchange. By
the power of the Holy Spirit, we will enrich one another through tolerance
and attitudes of love to serve each other in Christ.
The message of resurrection opens up ways of life for us, starting from
where we are and what we are, using our way of reasoning and imagination to
devise alternatives which make the future possible…a new beginning.
At the heart of the Easter story, all Jesus could depend upon
when he took the way of the cross was His trust and faith in God and in
seeking to do His will. That is the same for us as we are set out from a new
beginning but His Resurrection is our assurance. Amen.
With every blessing,
Hazel Yu
& Yap Kok Kong
Triumphal Entry
“Praise God!” “Hosanna!”
“God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory to God!”
Cloaks were spread on the road
like a carpet. Palm branches were brandished like banners. It became like
a royal procession, a triumphal entry, as Jesus approached Jerusalem. The
people were full of praises and thanksgiving to God.
That is the very spirit we hope
to capture on Palm Sunday, as we make our triumphal entry into the renewed
church. We will gather in the hall at 10.15am to begin the worship there,
so that Jesus is the focal point as we enter the church full of praises and
thanksgiving to God, praying that He will bless all who come in the name of
the Lord.
It is our earnest hope that
all will come, so that we can make a new start together. May I say,
“Thank you” to the members of the 9am congregation who have kindly agreed
that we should have a combined service and enter the new worship area
together. If you are in touch with any folk who used to come to the church,
and do not now, please contact them and invite them to share this Palm
Sunday celebration. It will be a new beginning for everyone. No one will
have a favourite seat! It will be an easy time for anyone to slip back into
the crowd and join us as we all make a new start. (The car park should be
back in action by then).
Palm Sunday can be a major step
forward in our journey through Lent – not only a physical step into a
renewed church building, but a spiritual step nearer to the cross and the
resurrection: one step nearer to being the church God continues to call us
to be.
Youth Ministry Appeal
Members of the Church Council
share a strong conviction that we should take another step forward in the
ministry of our church. This has become increasingly necessary since Alan
Bradley moved away in 2005 and left a big gap in the church’s ministry to
young people. Young Probationer Ministers will no longer be available to
EMC so we must find a way to fill the gap. The suggestion is that we should
seek to appoint a Youth Pastor for the teenagers and young adults, to work
especially in the area of evangelism and Christian Discipleship. In Scouts
and Guides alone there are nearly 500 children and young people plus the
Junior Church, the teenage Performing Arts Group and all the young families
in the Nursery, Genesis and Little Monkeys. So God has given us a wonderful
opportunity and a very big challenge.
As EMC now receives 40% from my
colleague Minister, instead of 100% as in 2005, we are seeking some
financial support from the Circuit, but the bulk of the funding will need to
come from us. I have already received a firm offer from one couple in the
church, and one or two others have indicated that they believe this to be so
important that they will contribute too. Before we can advertise we need to
be sure that a Youth Worker can be sustained for three years, so I am
sounding you out to see if you may be able to make a contribution to this
fund. It would help to know if you are able to give a fixed amount per
month throughout the three year period, or you could decide to make a
one-off gift, or perhaps an annual gift. We need to know in advance before
action can be taken, but please do not worry about how small or large your
gift may be. If God is calling us to do this, then together we will do it.
If, after thought and prayer, you feel able to respond, please write a note
to me with your offer and seal it in an envelope marked ‘Confidential’.
Then we will soon know if, together, we can rise to this challenge.
Youth Hall
Much of our praise and joy on
Palm Sunday will be an expression of gratitude for the generosity of those
who have lovingly contributed, and those who have worked hard, raising funds
for the church development …. and gratitude for the grants and support we
have received from beyond EMC. From now on all our fundraising and giving
for the Development Fund will help the church to build a long awaited Youth
Hall. The Scout’s Fund Raising Group continues to organise Scout events for
the hall, and the church Finance Committee has established a group to
receive grants, apply for trusts, seek commercial support and build up the
development fund …. so that we can finish the project that we set out to
complete on 9 October 2004.
House of Prayer
Please do not regard this as a
begging message! We should not worry about the money! All eyes were on
Jesus at His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, and that’s where our eyes should
be now. Then our hearts may be filled with joy and praise and our first
thoughts will be in prayer. Jesus turned over the tables of those whose
hearts were focussed primarily on making money, and he threw them out of the
temple! “My house must be a place of prayer for all people,” he said. So
please make all these things a matter of thoughtful prayer …. and I hope
that you’ll have a happy and inspiring Easter.
With my love, David Winwood
Last month I mentioned the names
of people in Zimbabwe who would welcome correspondence from someone in our
congregation. Thank you to those who responded, but four people still
remain waiting for a pen friend, and there may be more. The Zimbabwe news
is so heavily censored that they feel quite isolated and the conditions are
now grossly dehumanising. Their Christian spirit and a little encouragement
and contact with Christians at EMC will give them more hope than you can
imagine. Please pray for them in Lent and perhaps be willing to write now
and then.
Thank you also to those who have
contributed to the Zimbabwe Victim’s Support Fund. Here is the latest
report from the voluntary organisers at Hillside Methodist Church in
Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe Victims’ Support Fund – Report latest for 2008
Imagine being woken in the middle of the night by the strident ringing of
the telephone. One’s
immediate reaction is,
“What’s
wrong now?”
This time it was not something wrong. It was the man who sources maize meal
for the feeding scheme ringing to say that he was at the church with a
consignment of food. Would we take delivery? The day ends early in
Zimbabwe, so 11.30 p.m. really is the middle of the night for most people.
Why on earth deliver food at that hour? Simply to escape the notice of the
“Task
Force”
(read
“Mugabe’s
thugs”)
who picket the millers and whose main task seems to be to prevent food
reaching anyone perceived to support the opposition, which, in Matabeleland,
means most people. We left it to our very long suffering caretaker, who
lives on the church property, to take delivery of that consignment, and also
a further delivery at 1 a.m. the following morning. On another occasion we
unloaded 3 tonnes of maize meal in 10 kg bags by the light of six flickering
candles due to a power cut. The atmosphere was tense as the workers hurried
to get done before the police appeared. Our source person commented,
“Things
are not all right in Zimbabwe.”
Too right, they’re
not.
These incidents highlight just one of the difficulties involved in feeding
the poor in Zimbabwe. Another is sourcing the local cash required to pay
the millers. No one will accept cheques and at the time of writing one 10 kg
bag of maize meal costs $2,5 million Zimbabwe dollars. The largest
denomination bank note is $200000, so a little calculation will show that a
rather large box is required to contain the cash needed for even one tonne
of food, let alone the 10 tonnes we really want. With inflation running at
anything between 8000% (officially) and 100000% (worst case estimates) per
annum, the printers simply cannot print money fast enough to keep up with
demand. It is impossible to cash a cheque at a bank for more than $5 million
at a time (Reserve Bank regulations), which further compounds the problem.
These figures change on a weekly, if not daily, basis so will be out of date
by the time this report is read, but they do give some idea of the headaches
involved in running the feeding scheme. Is it worth all the stress and
effort? Let’s
listen to a few comments from the recipients.
Speaking for themselves
“Madam,
please help me with food. I will not bother you next year. I am dying.”
(This is probably quite true as he obviously has an AIDS related illness.)
“Thank
you so much for the food. You help us a lot.”
(A man from Killarney squatter camp.)
“Someone
is doing a very good job around here.”
(A supplier to old age homes.)
“Very
many thanks for the wonderful donation of mealie meal... we are finding it
so difficult to feed our elderly residents and give them the balanced diet
they so badly need. It is therefore only with the support and kindness of
people like yourself that we are able to keep the home running.”
(Matron of an old age home.)
“We
acknowledge with deep gratitude your continued support in donating mealie
meal and soya. Thank you and God bless.”
(Director of a children’s
home.)
In spite of the difficulties touched on above (and the stories could be
multiplied) we have distributed 72 tonnes of maize meal and 4 tonnes of soya
chunks between 1st July and 31st December 2007. This has gone to
about 400 people who are given a small handout at Hillside Methodist Church
every Friday. We have also assisted old people’s
homes, children’s
homes, a refuge for the destitute, the Welfare Society who feed 200 needy
families, and various churches and other institutions who assist orphans,
widows, the unemployed and so on. We have instituted a
“Report
Form”
which asks those involved to supply us with full details of those to whom
they give food and requires everyone to be fully accountable for what they
receive.
Gratitude to God
It is due entirely to the generosity of donors in Britain that any of this
is possible. Without your help we would not be able to continue. At the time
of writing, one British pound will buy about 3,5 million Zimbabwe dollars.
This means that one 10 kg bag of maize meal at Z$2,5 million costs around
75p. This is enough to keep an average family fed for about a week, so even
a small donation goes a very long way. With over 80% unemployment and very
low wages for those who are working (a teacher in a government school earns
only about $15 million a month) the problems are not going to go away in a
hurry. Psalm 146: 7 tells us that
“He
(God) upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.”
However, God does not normally do this by dropping the food straight from
heaven into their laps. He does it through his faithful people who donate
the money, through the millers and those who source the maize and the money
to pay for it who risk prosecution, and through countless others who
distribute it. THANK YOU for your part in all this, however large or small
you may feel that is. Every pound counts!
Joan Stakesby Lewis, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. December 2007
Publishing this report on the
Web is not to persuade you to contribute, but to keep you informed for your
prayers and to make our partnership a reality. We know well that as help is
needed God’s spirit will touch the hearts of his generous people, as He has
done since this fund was established in 2000.
Thank you for your love and care
for God’s people in Zimbabwe. I hope and pray that peace and justice may
soon come and perhaps even provide opportunity for some of the folk to visit
us at EMC
David.
Hi All
It is 8 years since I left EMC
and much has changed since my last time with you. This is right and as it
should be for the church, as the world, is continually changing and
evolving. The church should not be afraid of change either as the Holy
Spirit is continually urging us to move, to act for God's purposes and to
offer Christ in ways which resonate with our community. So often the church
has missed God given opportunities because of its reluctance to change and
face the challenges of the times. God gave Christ Jesus to the world, not
that the world should stay the same, but that a revolution of hearts and
minds should take place so that the world would never be the same again. To
ignore Christ's call to dynamic discipleship would be a failure of obedience
and a lack of hope in the God we serve.
Since you welcomed me back to
EMC in September 2008 I have been away on sabbatical. According to Standing
Orders its purpose is to allow a minister or deacon to engage in "study,
research, work or experience", it is not simply a jolly for the clergy.
There is however, an element refreshment and recreation built-in to the
sabbatical and that is a good thing too. I shall probably bore you all with
stories from my sabbatical in the ensuing months and some of the stories
will grow larger with the telling!
Perhaps for me the most
important discovery on my sabbatical was a re-finding of precious things. I
spent some time in Yosemite National Park in California. The majesty of the
place was enough to take one's breath away. The giant redwood forests just
made one stand and stare in complete amazement. The wonder of God's creation
made me feels that there I was on holy ground and the best thing to do was
to remain silent and know God's creative genius. So too, the frightening
reality of Death Valley, the desert and mountains, the clarity of the night
sky and one's seeming insignificance in front of such an awesome spectacle.
Humbling and yet God so loves
you and me that through Jesus' saving grace, we have a personal relationship
with a God so far above our understanding.
I also spent a few weeks on my
own in a small cottage in North Devon. A time to reflect, to take an inner
journey. I am not quite sure what I expected to happen, other than I thought
being on my own might be utterly horrendous. For the first few days my fears
were realised, but then as I tuned-in to my environment and used a guide to
spiritual direction, the fog began to clear. I cannot say it was a
comfortable experience and I know that I have tried the patience of my
nearest and dearest. It was however, invaluable. We all need times in the
year when one can look at the world and say 'stop, I want to get off '. To
retreat is to find solitude rather than loneliness; to look despair in the
eye and find hope. To find Christ in the magnificent ordinariness of things.
A re-finding of self and the selflessness of Christ.
T. S. Eliot chimes with me when
he says in Little Gidding:-
"What we call the beginning is often the end and to make an
end is to make a beginning...We shall not cease from exploration and at the
end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we have started and know
the place for the first time...All shall be well and all manner of things
shall be well."
May
all go well with you.
Every blessing,
Simon Leigh
and
2008
It’s Christmas
We would like to send you our
love and warmest greetings for Christmas and the New Year.
This is a wonderful time for joy
and peace to be shared and celebrated, especially in your family and in your
church. The sheer delight of little children may open our eyes again, the
kind messages in Christmas cards may cheer out hearts again, goodwill and
generosity among ordinary people may restore our faith in humankind again
and celebrating the reality of ‘God with us’, in the birth of Jesus, may
lift our spirit. We hope so.
For you Christmas may be sad and
perhaps lonely, because a loved one is no longer with you, or because of
hard things you have come through during this year. Our prayer is for God’s
comfort, peace and blessing to carry you through.
We hope you will join us in
worship at Christmas – even if you haven’t been to church for a long time.
As we go into 2008 we will all be making a new start at EMC – with the
Covenant Service on January 6 and then as we return to our renewed church
around Easter. Everything will be new to all of us so, if you have not been
in worship for a while, it will be an ideal time for you to begin again. We
will all be doing the same, and we would love to have you with us.
For us ministers it is a joy to
share our work with a fine ministry team at EMC. That is a rare pleasure in
the Methodist Church nowadays. It is also a privilege for us to minister to
you, to the folk at EMC and to the wider community. Forgive us for our
shortcomings – I’m sure there are many. Share with us the vision and
commitment that we need in order to make this new start, to build up God’s
church, to serve the town and to bring others to find faith and meaning in
the love of Jesus Christ.
With our heartfelt prayers and
God’s blessing at Christmas.
David Winwood,
Yap Kok Kong, Hazel Yu, Simon Leigh and Michael
Whelton
EMC in
Partnership
It was a wonderful Christmas
present. It rained on Christmas day! We had not had any rain for over 2
years. Severe drought and famine had spread throughout southern Zimbabwe
and people were at the end of their tether. It was only a little rain, but
it was the beginning. We greeted it as a wonderful gift!
That was in 1992, but last week
we received an email from a couple in our church in Bulawayo, in which they
mention that there is no water in any tap in their house. They live in a
town and are usually served by a pretty reliable water system, but now there
is only one tap in the garden from which they can sometimes draw water,
which comes from a borehole. They collect it and save it in a tank. They
boil it for drinking and store it in bottles. They keep their used water to
flush the toilet, to prevent cholera and other diseases spreading if the
sewers should become blocked. In the poorer, crowded African suburbs around
Bulawayo, they have had no water for two months. Imagine the disease …. and
there’s no medicine available when people get sick.
Brutality
You may think that I’m always
going on about Zimbabwe because we lived there for a while, but I am shocked
when I hear that around 3,500 people are dying each week. That is more that
those who are dying in Darfur, Afghanistan and Iraq added together! People
are struggling to survive in the face of poverty and brutality. A 26 year
old student, now expelled from the University, wrote to say –
“In Zimbabwe a person cannot stand up for anything that he thinks or
believes. I can’t remember how many times I’ve been arrested simply for
speaking the truth, but I will always remember the gruesome experiences of
physical and mental torture that I have been subjected to. I have been
punched, kicked, shackled, blindfolded, hit by baton sticks and placed in
solitary confinement. At St Mary’s Police Station in Chitungwiza I was
thrown against an iron door and my head banged against it several times. I
have been handcuffed so tightly that I could not bear the pain and my
private parts have been kicked several times.
As a result of repeated beatings I have incurred permanent injuries, and
Mugabe’s regime has left me for dead, as my medical documents and the scars
on my body show.”
The young man finishes by saying
how he has grown strong through this experience. That’s the amazing thing.
Moral and spiritual strength and resilience is being sustained. Christian’s
are still strong and they persist in hoping and praying.
Closer Links
A request came to the last
meeting of our Church Council, from among the congregation, asking that we
might link up more closely with people in Zimbabwe. We are already in touch
with Hillside Methodist Church, Bulawayo, where I was minister, so I’ve sent
an email suggesting that this contact could be more widely shared. Asking
for guidance about ways in which we can be helpful, like prayer,
correspondence, and practical support. The electrical power is cut off for
many days at a time, so I’m not sure if the message has yet been received,
but I’ll let you know when we get a reply. There is no point in writing
letters as the post does not reach the people.
My successor at Hillside was Rev
Graham Shaw, who has now returned to the UK and is in Circuit in Cumbria.
He and I, together with John Lark from Surbiton Hill Methodist Church, are
trustees for the Zimbabwe Victim’s Support Fund. Through this fund
volunteers at Hillside Church organise feeding schemes and administer the
fund to respond to those in desperate need. Since 2000 life in Zimbabwe has
deteriorated beyond belief. White farmers were driven from their farms,
thousands of African workers had their homes burned, and between two and
three thousand commercial farms have been utterly destroyed. There is
therefore no food for the people and the economy has collapsed. Inflation
is running at six and a half thousand percent. Many have left the country
if they have the means of doing so, many thousands have crossed the borders
as refugees, and many are now are in severe poverty and sickness. Zimbabwe
has the lowest life expectancy in the world – 34 years for women and 37
years for men. Many are dying from aids and malnutrition.
Making a difference
The fund to which I referred is
supporting a nursing home for 75 elderly people who have been made stateless
and destitute by the government. Matron Jane Mgani says, “If it were not
for you these people would starve.” It is supporting the Bulawayo Shelter
for the destitute, and Island Hospice, which cares for people who are dying
and their family’s at home. A number of projects for orphans are receiving
some regular help from the fund. The United Nations says that Zimbabwe now
has the highest ratio of orphans to population in the world. The “Shelter
of Hope” is run by David Ndoda, a Salvation Army Officer with whom I worked
when we lived in Bulawayo. He is now running the shelter for street
children. He says, “If it were not for this food we would have to close.”
There are 30 organisations of this kind which receive some maize meal and
beans.
Graham Shaw returned to the UK
only about 18 months ago, and in the summer of this year he was back in
Zimbabwe for a few weeks. He said,
“Nothing could have prepared me
for the shock – empty shelves, unaffordable prices, queues, power cuts,
water cuts, my friends are thinner and more gaunt, and there is growing
despair on the faces of people in the street.”
He was disturbed by the
deterioration even in the last 18 months.
Graham went to the food
distribution at Hillside Church where they had to close the list after 400
people had received some help, but still there were queues of desperate
people. A man on his knees pleading, in tears, as he wanted food for his
starving children.
Trash?
In 2005 the government
instituted Operation Murambatsvina, which means “Clear out the trash”. The
authorities bulldozed the houses in the poor communities and, at gunpoint,
drove the families into the rural areas. More than 800,000 people were left
homeless and jobless. Killarney was one of the places where the homes were
destroyed. It’s now barren scrubland, but the people have come back to live
there, because they have nowhere to go. Graham went with the Pentecostal
Pastor to Killarney, so that the Zimbabwe Victim’s Support Fund could
provide some food. He described a grieving man whose wife had died two days
earlier and had to be buried with many others in a paupers grave. There was
a toddler in rags with his mother, they were both sick. There was a couple
with their five children who were as ‘thin as rakes’ but he described the
joy and thanksgiving they expressed for just a little maize meal. There was
a teenager with a tiny baby. She had been the victim of rape and cruelty.
Graham said he wondered how long they would live. When the Pastor gave out
the food he explained, “This is a gift from the followers of Jesus who,
themselves, owe everything to His undeserved grace.”
Risky Commitment
Those who distribute the food
take quite a risk. The government insists that it is responsible for food
distribution, although frequently food is not available and is distributed
only to government supporters! Sometimes the volunteers are stopped by the
police and some have been imprisoned. They say, however, “What can we do?
We are Christians and God’s children are in need?”
The couple who sent an email
about the lack of water, are white, professional people. They could leave
the country. People ask them, “Why do you stay?” They reply, “Year’s ago
we felt God’s call on our lives – on our marriage and our family. The Lord
has called us to be here and we believe we must stay and work for the good
of his people, praying for the nation until it is at peace again.”
Please add your prayers, David Winwood
Zimbabwe Victim’s
Support Fund - update
The congregation at
Hillside Methodist Church, Bulawayo, who operate the feeding scheme and are
supported by the Zimbabwe Victim’s Support Fund, have warmly welcomed our
approach to make a more personal link with them.
The folk at
Hillside would value our prayers, they already greatly value our support
through the Victim’s Support Fund and some would like to be in personal
touch with members and friends of the church.
More Disaster
Since my last
report a ‘task force’ has been unleashed by the government to pressurise
shop owners and businesses to cut their prices by 50%. An army of men in
camouflage clothes, police in uniform and large numbers of youth militia go
from shop to shop and simply pick on items they want reduced – “Slash that
price!” they say. Products are being sold for less than they were purchased
for. Shop owners who refuse to cut the prices are arrested and have their
goods seized. Some have been assaulted and others have had their premises
trashed and windows smashed. The result is that many goods and foods have
now become completely unavailable including flour, oil, sugar, salt and
maize meal. Shops are displaying signs saying that only one of each item may
be purchased, in order to share out the small stock, but gangs are moving
around in dozens and just cleaning everything out.
Many supermarkets
are now entirely empty of all their goods. It’s heart breaking to see
pensioners and desperately poor people looking for bargains but finding
nothing. Some groups of young men have been standing around waiting for the
task force to arrive, so that they could immediately buy up everything when
the prices were slashed. Even a young policeman, with a pick-up truck, was
seen loading his van with ‘slashed priced goods.’
Mugabe put violent
pressure on the farms and the outcome was that the agricultural industry has
been destroyed. Now the same thing is happening to the shops and the
businesses. A huge crisis seems to be just weeks away as the whole nation is
running out of food.
Supporting the Fund
Several people have
asked how they can contribute to the Zimbabwe Victim’s Support Fund.
You can send a
donation directly to the Fund’s Treasurer –
Mr John Lark, 48
Ellerton Road, Surbiton, Surrey
Remembrance versus Senior Moments!
One of the most embarrassing
moments for a Minister is when looking at a well known face; he can’t recall
the person’s name! ….. or when he greets someone boldly by another person’s
name and the one in front of him looks uncomfortably blank! That’s why
there’s often a few moments of bluff and banter while we surf the
internalised ministerial internet to ascertain the right webpage and find
your proper name!
It must feel dreadful to think
that you are forgotten, faded from memory, unknown! In biblical times to
know a person’s name was to know the person. To remember a name was not
simply to remember someone’s label but to recall their character and their
spirit. So one little ‘senior moment’ can too easily convey a careless,
neglectful attitude and could even cause offence.
“O Lord, bestow upon me
an ample abundance of your generous gift of bluff – to save me from wounding
a soul!”
November
The month of November jogs the
memory. Not only – “Remember, remember the 5th of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot –“, although I hope you will remember the Guy
Fawkes weekend and join the thousands who will enjoy the Scout’s fireworks
on Saturday 3 November 2007. This month is a time for remembrance. On
Sunday 11th, all over the land, crowds will stand at War
Memorials which are inscribed with thousands of names of those who have died
in the service of their country. In the minds and hearts of many, fresh
grief will be adding the names of those who have lost their lives in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and many other military exploits since 1945.
At the beginning of the month,
on the Sunday evening nearest to the 1st November, ‘All Saints
Day’, it is usual for our church to be full for a service of Remembrance and
Thanksgiving for those who have died through the year, and whose funeral
services have been conducted by one of the Ministers from EMC. Because our
church building is out of action we have decided to hold this over until
next November and include both years. The hall, in which we are now
worshipping, would not be large enough for the usual congregation and the
new worship area will be much more appropriate for the occasion.
Remembering in worship
When the current building
development is completed we hope to arrange a small Garden of Remembrance in
the corner, left of the bookshop, but our first task will be to create a new
focal point for worship in the redesigned church. We are planning to have a
large communion area surrounded by a communion rail and a step on all four
sides, so that we can kneel all round to receive bread and wine in response
to Christ’s invitation to, ‘Do this in remembrance of me’. It will be
possible to use this area as a concert stage for choir, orchestra, and drama
or even for another Jazz Night!
The
communion table will be cleaned and polished to stand inside the communion
area beneath the high central wooden cross.
From my
sketch you may be able to see that I have redesigned a smaller pulpit,
using some of the panels and
surrounds from the previous pulpit, to retain continuity with nearly a century
of worship in this building. Together with the communion table, the lectern
and the baptismal font stand, the pulpit will be cleaned to lighten the
wood, and polished.
The rich purple carpet of the
communion area will be in contrast to the blueberry carpeting of the whole
church. The Wesley Quilters are carefully exploring the possibility of
kneeling cushions to surround the communion rail and of creating new falls
for the pulpit and lectern, which will provide a splash of colour in front
of the light stone-coloured walls. The costs to create this new communion
area will be in the region of £25,000, which is not included in the
contractor’s estimates. It is essential for the church, but it will require
some additional effort on our part.
A Book of Remembrance
The chancel area, which was
previously the area for Holy Communion, will be kept as a prayer chapel and,
we are hoping, that the centrepiece will be a Book of Remembrance. If you
would like the communion area, which is central to worship, to be a visible
remembrance of someone dear to you, you may make a special contribution in
memory and his or her name may be entered in the book. If you have already
donated to the building fund in memory of someone the same can apply.
After the Dedication of the new building, on
10th May 2008,
other names may be added of course, but initially the Book will be opened
with names, in a distinctive colour, of those you wish to record in
connection with the renewed church.
The pages of the Remembrance
Book will be turned at the beginning of each month to reveal the names of
those who have died during the month of July or August or September etc.…..
It will be updated each year as requests are received.
If you would like to make a
special donation in memory please ask the office for a form so that
appropriate details can be returned to the Development Fund Treasurer,
Richard Chandra-Rajan with the gift. He will then pass on the details
required for the Book of
Remembrance.
Never forgotten
In New Testament times
followers of Jesus shared their faith with others so that vulnerable little
groups, which became the first Christian churches, were established across
Asia Minor (modern Turkey), but many were killed for their faith. Stephen
was the first. The Acts of the Apostles records how Saul, who became the
Apostle Paul, was systematically hunting them down. Christians lost their
lives because they would not give their first allegiance to Caesar, but only
to God.
Paul’s personal encounter with
Christ and his changed life led him to the assurance that those who had died
would never be forgotten.
“Their names will be recorded
in God’s book of life” (Philippians 4 verses 3).
Eventually Paul was among those
who were persecuted.
The suffering increased under
the fanatical emperor Domitian and many were killed. St John was exiled to a
quarry on the Isle of Patmos. That is where he compiled the Book of
Revelation in which he made it clear that those known to God are never
forgotten –
“Their names are in the lambs
book of life” (Revelation 21 verses 27).
That is in Christ’s eternal
book of life and therefore remembered for ever. St John is using picture
language, as he does throughout the Book of Revelation, to convey a
spiritual truth. Our tangible Book of Remembrance will convey only a pale
reflection of that truth, but it can have its place in our prayer chapel to
remind us that with God no one is forgotten. Each person is eternally known
and loved by God, so, thankfully, names are always remembered by the most
senior of all – He never has a senior moment!
With my warm greetings and prayers.
David Winwood
“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on
what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
I begin with my gratitude to all
those who prayed and supported us prior to our trip to Jersey and for their
continual prayers during and after our trip. Your prayers before we go gave
us confidence to go forward. Your prayers during our stay empowered us to
witness Christ. Your prayers after the trip encouraged others to follow.
We hope God’s great commission will be accomplished one day. So that people
from every race, of different nationalities and speak different languages
will stand before God, and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.
David and Barbara send their
greetings. They also send their kind regards to you all.
Let me briefly explain how this
Jersey trip comes about.
Back in January 2007, Revd David
Coote mentioned that a Chinese from Jersey, Mr Danny Doong, who would like
to form a Christian fellowship group among the Chinese in Jersey. David
asked if we could share our experiences with Danny and others like him in
Jersey, and to offer help.
Through prayers, Ernest and I
decided to make use of our holiday to visit Jersey in September. The idea
of visiting Jersey snowballed and more of Chinese friends wanted to join.
It was God’s call to the 23 people who took part for a short missionary trip
to Jersey. The group was from four different Churches and are Chinese from
Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. This trip was both holidaying and
missionary. Our main connection was with Revd David Coote, the Chair of The
Methodist Church, Channel Islands.
On the day of our arrival, we
were welcomed at a reception at St Aubin Methodist Church in the evening.
The Church Hall was filled with people. We rejoiced and sang together two
hymns: “Whispering Hope” and “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” in Chinese and
English. These hymns set the theme of our visit to Jersey.
We held our two-day workshops at
St Aubin Methodist Church to share Jesus’ stories. Life witness experiences
were shared by three members of the group. On our first day, some members
from a non-Christian family background were interviewed by Jersey Radio to
tell of their lives before they met Jesus.
“Who Holds the Future” is our
chosen theme because we all lead a different life and God has a plan for
each one of us. He provides everything and holds the future. Simply asking
people to read the Bible is not an easy way to evangelise because many
people may not accept the Bible (not until they begin to believe in God).
But they may listen to a personal story. People’s life testimonies are
stories of how Christ makes a difference in their lives. We are chosen by
God to speak out for him. Besides, the most important lesson is what God
has taught us and how He has shaped us.
A Chinese idiom says:
“人望高處,
水望低流”.
In English, the translation is
“Man naturally looks up, water
naturally runs down”.
It means that whether
we have good experiences or bad experiences, we hope to see and have a
brighter future. We naturally study and work hard, and try hard to provide
for our family and hope to have a better future for the next generation.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians
has given us great encouragement. Shift our thinking from the here and now
to an eternal perspective. What happens to us in this life, albeit always
looking up, the children of God have already received the assurance of
eternal life.
People use their energy on what
is seen. Thus drive themselves away from what Jesus wants from them. The
minute that a person accepts Christ, his or her future is at God’s hands.
Is God fully engaged in this
world? Why does God allow violence and brutality to happen to His people?
Again, Paul’s letter reminds us to look beyond the here and now. It is
easy to lose hearts when we face problems in our work or in our
relationships. We may be feeling at the end of hope, but, with God’s help,
we are never at the end of hope.
Trials, hardship and sacrifice
are the here and now situations which are temporary. Similarly, physical
body is subjected to weakness and suffering in this life only, but God’s
plan is eternal. Jesus has won the victory over his death, so we all have
eternal life. The secret is to focus our eyes on Jesus and do not allow
earthly things to distract us.
I believe life influences life.
We all have rich experiences in life. The power of the Holy Spirit is at
work as we bring others into God’s family. And every piece of our
experiences can be used by God to touch others.
Our faith journey can be
enriched by sharing Jesus’ stories in our lives. Therefore let go of our
old self, allow the resurrection power of our Lord Jesus Christ to live in
us. He is the one who holds our future. Amen.
Blessings,
Hazel Yu
Pilgrim People
I am packing the car with our
camping gear and filling every odd space with things which may be useful,
before we head off to the Sharente Maritime region on the west coast of
France for a couple of weeks in the sun!!!
To be truthful, I’m having
second thoughts as it looks as though their summer is about the same as
ours. So it may be more of a paddle than a pilgrimage.
I’ve stopped the packing, for a
few moments, to ensure that September Focus includes a word of warm welcome
to Simon Leigh, who is returning to our ministerial team at EMC from
September 1st. Good advice warns us ministers, “Never to return
to the scene of the crime”, so this is rather unusual! Simon started his
ministry at EMC and then, seven years ago, moved to Carshalton and Cheam
Methodist Churches within our Circuit. After careful discussion and prayer
we, and he, believe that this is the right way for God’s ministry at EMC,
for Simon and for the Circuit.
Moving on together
Since the announcement was made,
about Simon’s return to EMC, I have heard nothing but positive expressions
of joy. So I am sure that a new spirit of teamwork and shared ministry
throughout the church will develop. For my part, it will be a privilege to
work with Simon, Hazel, Michael and KK in our ministry team at EMC, so ably
supported by Sue in the office, in partnership with a host of volunteers who
serve God in a wide variety of ways in this
Christian community.
As Simon is a Minister moving
within the Circuit there will not be a formal Circuit Welcome, but we will
be greeting him at EMC on 5th September and we hope you will be
with us. I should warn you, however, that as soon as he has his foot in the
door he will be off ….. on three months well deserved sabbatical. It will,
therefore, not be until the New Year 2008, that Simon will be settling in.
Looking back and stepping forward
By the New Year 2008 the
Building Development Programme will be nearing its final stages and we will
be moving on towards a new era in the life and mission of our church. On
July 1st, the last Sunday in the church building, it was moving
to hear spontaneous testimonies from people who had found faith in Jesus
Christ since coming to the church, and of personal and family memories of
Baptisms, Marriages and Funeral services, as well as other times when
worship had been especially inspiring and challenging.
There’s a good spirit in worship
in the hall and many have said they like the arrangement – ‘it brings us
closer’, they say, and the completed parts of the development have been
welcomed with pleasure and delight.
This period of the project will
be the hardest for the continuing life of the whole church and all the
regular groups. Space is limited, rooms need constant rearrangement and we
can easily get in each others way. Bags of patience and thoughtfulness will
be needed. But like pilgrim people we are moving on and we’ll soon be
entering the Promised Land ….. promised new building! Also like pilgrim
people, who were lost and confused in the vast wilderness, so we easily
become lost and confused trying to find our way around a rather smaller and
constantly changing building site! Please let’s help one another and keep
God’s spirit of warmth and fellowship alive in EMC.
Thanks and Please
May I say thank you to all who
filled our garden with that warmth and fellowship on the 14th
July. It was a lovely day in every way – sunshine, a constant bustle of
people buying bric a brac, garden plants, home baking, cream teas and
burgers, as well as relaxing to music and visiting our neighbourly goats!
We were raising funds for the development project, but the main benefit was
in the pleasure found by members of the community simply enjoying being
together.
Despite the hardships, the
wilderness experience brought the Hebrew people into closer fellowship and
into clearer vision. It was a time of preparation for the challenges God
had in store. I am sure that God has the same purpose for us – to prepare
us now for the mission ahead. The renewal of the building must be
accompanied by a renewal in our mission and purpose – in reaching out in
service and witness, and building up God’s people. So please find sensitive
ways to ‘embrace’ friends and strangers within the Christian care, witness
and worship that God has entrusted to us.
Blessings, As always
David Winwood
Something to Celebrate
In the gospels Jesus tells a
story in which he suggests that the Kingdom of God is like a wedding
banquet. The people who were supposed to be the invited guests did not
bother to come, so guests were invited from the streets and the alleyways –
and they all had a wonderful time. Street people had never been to a
banquet before, so they celebrated joyfully, amazed and grateful that they
had been included in this wonderful party.
This is a story of God’s grace
overflowing upon travellers and tramps. It is recorded in three of the
gospels although the details vary in each. I am delighted to have
discovered a new version now being set down for the first time – as I share
it with you.
A living parable
Fiona is new to the church and
says that she is not yet a Christian, although she comes to the 3pm service
when she can. Fiona was present when I was preaching in early June. That’s
when she told me how thankful she was for the care and support she had
received from Hazel, at a time when she really needed it. Fiona was so
thankful that she wanted to do something to express her gratitude. She told
me that her Silver Wedding Anniversary was coming soon. Fiona, and her
husband Kwok, would like to hold a celebration meal in their Chinese
restaurant. Their son had just qualified as a Medical Doctor, so they would
have a combined celebration and lay on a meal for all their customers, as
well as for their friends and family.
Kwok and Fiona sent invitations
in which they asked their guests not to bring gifts for this occasion but,
if they wanted to bring a gift they were asked to ‘please make a donation
towards the EMC redevelopment project’. I was invited to receive the gifts
and to explain what we are doing at EMC and the reasons why. I was asked to
speak to the couple on behalf of the guests. That was a privilege, and it
gave me an opportunity to ask the guests to join me in praying for Fiona and
Kwok, and for their son, Dr Kelvin. The people gladly joined me.
£888 was donated to the
development fund, out of the generosity of the guests, and equally from the
abundance of joy and goodwill which was given to the guests out of the
generosity of the hosts. In all this, overflowing gratitude was expressed
to God, because of the patience and care of a Christian Minister towards a
person in need.
Grace and generosity
This is a parable of a Kingdom
of God, it is a story of grace and generosity, and it is an expression of
love and thanksgiving. In the stories of Jesus the official guests, who one
would have expected to respond, did not come to the banquet. They missed
out on the joy and the inspiration of the occasion. Many Christian people
at EMC have expressed their gratitude to God and their joy in the gifts they
have given to enable the development project to get underway but, sadly, I
know of a few Christian people today whose preoccupation with their own
priorities, whose hardened hearts, and lack of a spirit of flexibility,
would keep them outside the sphere of joy and celebration ….. in which the
Kingdom of God may be found! Please make sure that you are not among them!
With warmest greetings and
wishing you a relaxing summer break.
As always, David Winwood
John 15:8 – “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
What motivates our lives? Why do we do the things we do? What
criteria determine our choices? What is our raison
d’être? Is to be successful? To be popular? To be
respected? To do good? To just get by from day to day?
In John 15, Jesus uses the analogy of a vine and its branches to
illustrate how the life of a Christian is meant to be. We are to remain ‘in’
Christ so that we can receive all we need in order to carry out our real
purpose in life – to bear fruit that will point others to the living God and
will give glory to him.
In John 17:4, Jesus prays to the Father “I have brought you glory on
earth by completing the work you gave me to do” and he goes on t
