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Link May 2004

Connexional Link Resources - May 2004

A Message from the General Secretary

Dear friends

Are we ready for change?

1. The Christian Gospel is about change - a change of heart. God's grace empowers us to make large steps or small steps towards a Christ-like life. The process of change is familiar. It is a mixture of the positive and the negative. On the positive side: a vision of what might be; and leadership which inspires and encourages us. And on the negative side: facing our failures and mistakes; and grieving what has to be left behind if we are to move in a new direction.
   
   The energy for change of heart comes from Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Christ models what it might be like to be fully alive, in tune with God's will; and Christ leads us from where we are to where God longs for us to go. And Christ it is who enables us to repent: he bears for us our regret about how we have lived, and the pain of accepting responsibility for what has been and must now be put behind us.
   
   Christian discipleship is a life-long journey of inner change. It leads us outwards towards others, in love and service & witness.
   
2. The Church is ready for change - or is it? Some churches want to be left alone, simply surviving, unchanged and unchanging. Overall, however, I believe the Methodist Church is ready for change. We want to engage constructively with the world around us. We want to make a difference to other people's lives. We want to connect with the ups and downs of everyday life and with the big questions people ask in contemporary Britain. We want to worship God in more rounded and engaging ways.
   
   The coming Methodist Conference will be invited to endorse a small number of key priorities for the whole Church, which will help us all to pull together in effecting change.
   
3. Expect constant change . I recently visited the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas. I preached on a Sunday morning to a French-speaking Methodist Church plant in Guadeloupe. The lay leader of the congregation said to me: ‘Every month we must take a step forward.’ A challenging mind set. It turns vision into practice!

	Good News for Children News and resources for Children's Workers. View this resource (PDF 207K)
	Methodism and Money News and resources for the Church Council Secretary/Treasurer View this resource (PDF 210K)
	Inter Faith Issues News and resources about Inter Faith relations View this resource (PDF 174K)
	Just Living News & resources for World Development & Social Responsibility enthusiasts View this resource (PDF 443K)
	Mission Matters News and resources for Mission Enthusiasts and Church Councils View this resource (PDF 232K)
	Women's Network - Heading for the Future Information for every woman in your church View this resource (PDF 78K)
	Share Link's regular source of news and resources for youth workers and groups prepared by the Methodist Youth section (MAYC). View this resource (PDF 584K)
	Wesley Guild - One Heart, One Way News and resources for the Guild/Fellowship Secretary or Senior Steward View this resource (PDF 161K)
	Sharing News Link's regular news sheet. View this resource - (PDF 45K)

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