Chorley and Leyland Methodists

Dear friends,

This month’s newsletter is all about conversations. How do we start conversations with people we don’t know? How do we make friends in places we love to hang out? How do we get real with each other and with God? Check out the stories and resources below – and then take part in the larger conversation right now. There’s a prompt at the bottom for how to join in!

Peace,

Trey Hall

Director of Evangelism & Growth

This month’s story of hope

This month’s story is a short video testimony about a new Christian community starting – in a hair salon of all places! Click to hear what Darren Middleton is up to in the Plymouth & Devonport Circuit following his service as a military chaplain in the army (where he also got his green beret).

01

Pioneer.

If you watched Darren’s testimony above, you’ll have heard about Darren’s vision from God, his calling to go where the people actually are in order to build friendship and spiritual community. If you were to go where God is sending you to start a New Place for New People, it most likely isn’t a hair salon or barber’s shop. And that’s perfectly okay! You're being called – to adapt Frederick Buechner’s quotation – to a place where your passions meet the hopes of the community. Where is that for you?

If you’re sensing a call to pioneer or a curiosity about starting a new Christian community, find out how the Methodist Church will support you here. Or for more inspiring New Places for New People stories and information for how to begin one yourself click here.

02

Watch.

Curious about what the Methodist Church got up to at the Greenbelt Festival this year? Watch this short video to hear about the kinds of encounters and conversations we had and why it mattered. The Hope and Anchor is a space for real conversation.  That means gritty, vulnerable and meaningful – the kinds of conversations that connect people more deeply than simple small talk.  We believe that real conversations are at the heart of discipleship and mission; you know as well as we do that people are hungry for connection. At Greenbelt this year one punter asked: "where can I find a church like this, where people are encouraged to talk to one another openly and vulnerably without judgement about the things in their lives that matter?". So, what now? Can you think of simple ways your church or circuit could make more time for conversation that gets beyond small talk, with each other and with your community. What might they be? Check out the website for more ideas.

03

Listen.

Hope & Anchor is a new podcast hosted by the Methodist Church, but it’s not your average “religious insider” podcast. It’s about inclusive conversations that change things – conversations with people who may see the world differently but are all looking for the spirituality running through life. In each episode, we start with the news stories of the week, but we dive right into spirituality – with people of faith and no faith and everyone in between. Think of it as a table of friends who love exploring together, who are open to uncomfortable subjects, and who always want to welcome more people to the conversation. We’re searching for honesty and grit and hopefully loads of laughter along the way. And we’re open to God, even though we may understand God in really diverse ways.

Listen to Hope & Anchor here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Join the conversation on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In Autumn 2022, a new episode drops every Tuesday.

04

Read.

What does it mean for social justice and evangelism to be partners during a cost-of-living crisis? Love is at the intersection of social justice and evangelism. In the cost-of-living crisis we need to remember God’s love for everyone. People are deeply anxious and afraid, and we know more people will experience poverty, and destitution as a result of the crisis. God’s deepest desire is for all people to flourish, because poverty contradicts God’s will. The vision for Church at the Margins is to nurture new Christian communities amongst people who are economically marginalised people. Responding to people experiencing poverty is not an optional extra for Christians who are enthusiastic, it is part of every Christians discipleship, because it is the heart of the good news of the gospel of Christ.

Read more about the cost of living crisis here.

05

Share.

Are you wondering how to step in, or lead your circuit or church in, to evangelism? Don’t forget we have an excellent suite of evangelism resources, courses and gatherings available to join in with. The Evangelism for Leaders course is running again online in 2023 with updated materials. The Everyone an Evangelist course is available for you to deliver yourselves, seeking to equip local groups for evangelism. One Circuit Superintendent said: “This course has been a springboard from theory into practical action”. There is also the Community of Evangelists, a small, mutually supportive community of practitioners that meet for coaching, prayer, fellowship and teaching. Find out more about all these opportunities here. 

06

Journey.

Walking Together: Diverse Generations

10 November | 19:45-20:30 (online workshop/webinar)

What does it mean to be a church of different Methodist Generations? Join us in conversation to explore the gifts of people of all generations in our churches and communities, so that children, youth and adults of all ages and stages journey on an exciting adventure of learning and discovery together. We will think about which generations are part of our churches, and how to engage with the other generations in our local communities. Claim your place.

07

Participate.

We’d love to feature your comments and stories on our new Hope & Anchor podcasts. Seriously, we mean it! Hope & Anchor is about creating a community of friends, and we want to hear from you.

Here’s how to join in: Click here to find us at @HopeAnchorMedia on Facebook. There you’ll find a big blue button that connects you to our Whatsapp. Click on the microphone, send us a private voice message, and your comment could make it on the next show!

This week’s questions:

• If you were to describe yourself as a weather forecast, what would it be?

• Do you struggle with impostor syndrome? If so, what advice do you have for others who struggle? How can we adjust to a more spiritually-centered place?

The Methodist Church  |   Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR 020 7486 5502 (Reception) www.methodist.org.uk

Registered charity no. 1132208