Hello everyone and welcome to the BUZZ.

THE BUZZ is a great resource that brings the whole Methodist Connexion together and allows us to share what's happening in our districts, circuits, churches and church groups. If you have any stories you would like to share, which illustrate how your church is working out the four aspects of Our Calling, then please get in touch.

You can advertise your church, circuit or district events and news on the Connexional Noticeboard on the Methodist Church website. Here's the link: www.methodist.org.uk

After you've held your event, do let me know how it went. Your ideas can encourage and inspire others to try something similar and I'm sure the latest stories below will do just that. The contacts will be pleased to give you more information. The contributors have given permission for their images to be used by Methodist churches and ask only that they are credited in any publication.

Lynne Newland

Credit: David Wotton

Last December, over three evenings, 831 passengers were able to sing Christmas Carols, enjoy hot mince pies and tea/coffee, whilst raising more than £4,500 for charity, as they travelled the South Devon Railway, all thanks to a joint initiative by Paignton (Palace Avenue) Methodist Church and South Devon Railway (SDRA).

Stations were beautifully decorated, as was the train, with SDRA volunteers at Buckfastleigh, Totnes and Staverton entering into the spirit of the occasion with passengers who got off the train to sing carols on the platforms. Salvation Army bands played for the carol singing on two evenings and Totnes Town Band played for the third. Plympton Clangers (handbell ringers) delighted everyone with their tuneful ringing at Buckfastleigh Station. BBC ‘Spotlight’ staff travelled on the train, filming and talking to passengers and volunteers, and the film was broadcast several times on television the following day.

This year Carols Down the Line will be sung on Tuesday 7 to Thursday 9 December when steam hauled trains will depart from Buckfastleigh Station at 7.30pm. Ticket cost is £8.50 per person, which includes refreshments, but must be booked in advance by contacting David whose contact information is below.

Credit: Christine Bate

"Ladies Night Out on 16 October was a great success, with 62 ladies watching a Travelling Trends fashion show (with clothes modelled by four of our own church members) and enjoying pamper treatments: manicures, Indian head massage and reflexology.  Ladies also had the chance to sample and purchase some delicious cakes, have a Mary Kay makeover, and buy some jewellery, designed and made by Zoe Hayes our Acting Girls' Brigade Captain. And we also raised over £350 for church funds", reports church family worker, Andrena Palmer.

The idea of the Ladies Night Out was to invite all the ladies from the Bromley Common area to come and have a good night out - no men, just pampering, fun and fashion!  We saw this as an opportunity to show people that church is not scary - that Christians are in fact quite 'normal' and give them a chance to see the church building in a different way - not many people have enjoyed an Indian head massage, reflexology or a manicure in front of a pulpit!  We had candles and soft lighting around, as well as soothing music, so it was a very tranquil space and it looked truly peaceful and beautiful. 

Postcard invitations were printed and widely distributed. As well as church members, we invited all the Churches Together in Bromley Common, parents/ carers at the church's Girls' and Boys' Brigade and Carer and Toddler Group. Flyers were sent to local schools to be put into each child's book bag. Posters were displayed in our church rooms inviting the community groups who use the building and, of course, personal friends and family were invited too. We set up an 'event' on Facebook and emailed as many people as possible, as well as inviting people during text and phone conversations. 

Ladies Night Out proved to be a fantastic fundraising opportunity and Andrena received a lot of positive feedback. As the resulting mix of those who attended the event was around 60% church members and 40% non church members, she also considers that this was great way to attract people who would not normally be in church.

Credit: Mark Green

On 19 September 2010, the Alderley Edge and Knutsford Circuit came together to celebrate the formation of The Welcome Methodist Church on the Longridge Estate in Knutsford, Cheshire. 

Over 50 people attended a rededication of the buildings for the use of The Welcome Church and Café.  After a walk of witness across the estate, they joined another 50 friends from around the circuit and beyond to celebrate together. The Revd Dr Keith Davies, Chair of the Manchester and Stockport District, formally dedicated the buildings.  Revd Ben Clowes, minister of The Welcome, led the circuit celebration in a ‘Welcome’ style, using a quiz and visual aids alongside prayers using peas, led by two members of the church!

The Welcome began in 1995 on the Longridge estate in Knutsford, an area of concentrated deprivation in the same electoral ward as some multi-million pound Cheshire-set houses.  This community of 2000+ residents has been served over the years by a number of lay staff, deacons and presbyters but The Welcome continuously maintained clear objectives for the future. 

The Welcome Café was formed in 2010 to run the business operations of the café whilst still adhering to the charitable objectives of serving the people of Longridge.  The café serves good value food and provides a space for craft clubs, toddler groups, educational workshops, computer clubs and youth cafés.  This work is done alongside the work of The Welcome Church through prayer and Bible study groups, ‘Little Stars’ (Sunday School on a Thursday after school) and the regular café-style interactive worship. 

On 5 September 2010, the church membership increased to 14 with the confirmation of two long-standing attendees of the Sunday worship, and members of the community have already booked the first baptism in the new church.  The church meets in the café on a Sunday afternoon either around a meal to celebrate communion or over tea and cakes. 

"Through this first-generation Fresh Expression we can see the desire for some to be recognised as truly church, even if their style of worshipping is different.  The people of Longridge named their church, and wanted it to be formally recognised.  Now a different phase of the life of The Welcome begins as the work continues", commented minister, Revd Ben Clowes.

Credit: Clive Basin

There was a variety of workshops to choose from including Godly Play, drumming, prayer and dramatised scripture.  The evening celebration rounded off the day with Cathy Burton and her band leading the worship and Dr Denis Alexander giving plenty of food for thought about faith and worship within the scientific context.

The event received sponsorship from a number of sources including ArtServe and the Northampton District.  We were also very pleased to receive funding from Leicester Diocese for the first time this year and this enabled us to keep the ticket prices down so that more people could take part. Due to the number of people attending, the conference was held in two venues - Trinity Methodist Church and Emmanuel Parish Church, situated close together in Loughborough.

One participant said that it was a “good combination of worship and exploring new ways of expressing our faith”, and another commented on the “warmth and hospitality, good organisation, but mostly a great passion for God and the worship experience”. 

The conference was organised and delivered by an executive group who are all part of the Loughborough Circuit, including Prof Mike Collins, district local preachers' tutor. This was the third successful approAch conference and a fourth is now being planned.