Contents: Click to go straight there (see colour coding at the bottom of the box!)

Building The Bridge As You Walk On It 

Prayer Cards

May events

Curious about Leadership

Admin Coffee

Chaplaincy and Discipleship

Creating church and community amongst families with additional needs

June Events and beyond

Asian Theologians International Conference

Theology Book Club

Advocating for Chaplaincy

Where are all the Volunteers?

Journeying with God:  Past, Present and Future

Contact details for the team  

CYF Faith Development Lay workers Wellbeing Pioneering/Faith sharing Contextual Ministry

Building The Bridge As You Walk On It

As I send out the May newsletter the Coronation of King Charles III is upon us, a TV series called ‘Succession’ is increasing in popularity and change is knocking (rather loudly at times) at the door of Methodism! At a synod recently, a young (ie under 40!) Minister expressed his firm desire that there will still be a Methodist Church to retire into in 20, 30 years’ time.  It is not the first time I have heard this concern from younger members of our church. How will there be succession? 

Change is something we know we need but don’t always embrace.  Often we leave it until it is forced upon us as the status quo is no longer viable, something the author Robert E Quinn refers to as ‘choosing a slow death’ rather than adapt.  In his book, ‘Deep Change’, he says this:

‘When we have a vision, it does not necessarily mean that we have a plan. We may know where we want to be, but we will seldom know the actual steps we must take to get there. We must trust in ourselves to learn the way, to build the bridge as we walk on it.'

This image resonates with the quotation and captures that anxiety of needing to move forward whilst not seeing the whole picture in front of us. Something called ‘faith’ perhaps?

God bless

Alison Ball (Coordinator, Learning Network, North West and Mann Region)

Prayer cards online

The Methodist prayer cards were created in NWMann region and piloted by many wonderful people here. They’re now available as a Connexional resource, offering 52 ideas for creative prayer, all linked with the Methodist Way of Life. The cards still available to buy as a pack, but they’re now also available to download as a PowerPoint or PDF version for easy use in digital meetings and church services. You can also buy a print pack from Methodist Publishing.

Curious about leadership

On May 11th, there will be leadership learning day for anyone who is curious to know a bit more about leadership in the Church and reflect with others. The event will be held onsite at Cliff College (£30 including lunch and refreshments) but you can join by zoom and engage with others online in breakout groups following the keynotes and panels (£15).

We hope that you will attend and encourage others in your staff teams, church, circuit and district leadership teams to engage and use the input to stimulate ongoing conversations.

All our speakers are working in a Methodist context and are lay and ordained practitioners from across the connexion.

If you are travelling a distance and wish to stay at Cliff College the night before there is an option to book accommodation on the same Eventbrite page.

Book here

Any questions please don't hesitate to contact either Christine Dutton  or Nigel Pimlott.

Admins Coffee Online

May 15^th, 11am, contact Kristie for the zoom link

Supporting Chaplains and Chaplaincy:  info here

See entry below also:  Advocating for Chaplaincy

Public God Talk: Asian Perspectives

Saturday 3rd June 2023

At the Mayflower Methodist Church, Leicester

The keynote speaker is Professor Sarojini Nadar.  Prof Sarojini Nadar is an internationally acclaimed scholar and holds the Desmond Tutu Chair of Religion and Social Justice at the University of Western Cape, South Africa.

Open to all, lay or ordained, interested in looking at the bible and theology from Asian perspectives.

Organised by the Learning Network, supported by MWiB

Book here

Further information is available from Revd Dr Jasmine Devadason

Theology Book Club:  

Catherine Keller's 'On the Mystery:  Discerning Divinity in Process

The next book we are going to read for our Theology Book Club is Catherine Keller’s On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process (Fortress Press, 2007).

We will meet to discuss the book on Tuesday 6th June, 19:00 - 20:30 and again on Thursday 6th July, 19:00 - 20:30 online.

Book here on eventbrite

Further information from Simon

"With immediate impact and deep creativity, Catherine Keller offers this brief and unconventional introduction to theological thinking, especially as recast by process thought. Keller takes up theology itself as a quest for religious authenticity.

Through a marvelous combination of brilliant writing, story, reflection, and unabashed questioning of old shibboleths, Keller redeems theology from its dry and predictable categories to reveal what has always been at the heart of the theological enterprise:a personal search for intellectually honest and credible ways of making sense of the loving mystery that encompasses even our confounding times."

Advocating for Chaplaincy

Advocacy for Chaplaincy Flyer

Save The Date: Thursday 8^th June 2-3pm OR 7-8pm

Calling all chaplains who are passionate about their calling to chaplaincy! Come and be a part of the conversation to explore how we might better advocate for chaplaincy in the church. There will be opportunity to meet others chaplains and hear about the plans we have for supporting chaplaincy in the region. We'll be discussing support needs, building community amongst chaplains and spaces to allow for theological reflections and wonderings... and much more.

​

Further information from Mel

Sign up for 2-3 pm slot here

Sign up for 7-8 pm slot here

Where are all the Volunteers?

Date:  Saturday 24^th June, 10.00-13.00 hrs

St John's United Reformed Church, Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington WA4 6QE

This day is a wonderful opportunity for all of those working with volunteers in churches to come along and find out some great principles to aid in recruiting and managing volunteers brilliantly. We will be thinking about how to recruit volunteers in a safe way, how to value volunteers, and how to ensure you manage them in a way that means they want to stay.

This is an ecumenical day run in partnership with the Methodist Church, Church of England and United Reformed Church.

The day will be led by youth and children’s advisers from across the denominations, so will naturally have these areas as a focus. However, it will be helpful for anyone who works with volunteers in churches.

Please bring a packed lunch as we will close the day by eating together.

To sign up or for more info see here

Further information from Mel  

Learning and Development from other providers:  Reflect 

Reflect is offering an online Quiet Morning,

'Journeying with God, past, present and future'

led by Rev Sam Funnell on June 3^rd or 12th (it is repeated)

All are welcome to join.

Further details here

The contact details of the team can be found here on our Learning Network web page (you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the page!)