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September 2007 |
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Lynne Newland, E-News Editor: newseditor@methodistchurch.org.uk
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Talking is, of course, a two-way experience and you are invited to visit the weblog and learn what Martyn and Vice President, Ruby Beech, are doing during their year in office. Hear about places they visit, the people they meet, the things that concern them, the issues they raise and, most importantly, join in discussion with them. As Ruby said 'John and Charles Wesley travelled thousands of miles on horseback to meet people...this weblog will allow us to discuss things with people all over the world, and to share our experiences'. |
When Martyn Atkins, President of the Methodist Conference, began his weblog following this year's Conference, he said that 'One of the most important tasks for the President and Vice President is to talk and listen to people'.
The Bible study follows the readings in the Methodist Prayer Handbook, All things in Christ, and there are links to the Prayer of the Day. Alison Pollard, web writer for A Word in Time, reminds us that though the Bible is central to Christianity, our often hectic 21st century lifestyles can make it easy to neglect this essential part of our faith. She adds that 'With this exciting new online feature, we are trying to encourage the reader to apply the Bible to their own life and the social and political context in which they live'. Why not include this online Bible study in your daily 'web life' by adding A Word in Time to your 'favourites' folder? |
New to the Methodist Church website is an online Bible study providing a daily reading with background to the text, reflections and questions to ponder. There is a weekly theme and, on Sundays, a blog is attached to the commentary, enabling users to post their own comments on the featured passage.
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Aimed at children aged 6-10 years, Friends and Heroes, an exciting animated action adventure series with accurate Bible stories, is being shown on BBC2 this autumn. The 13 half-hour episodes feature state-of-the-art animation to introduce the Bible in a fresh and memorable way, creating clear connections between religious themes and exciting adventure stories. The series aims to empower children to listen to their conscience and to make good decisions about respect, kindness, compassion, faith and tolerance. Being screened on BBC2 on Tuesdays at 10.45am, from now until 22 December, DVDs of the series, suitable for use in children's worship, are also available to buy and these include audio descriptions and subtitles for those without sight or hearing. There is an accompanying interactive website for children at www.friendsandheroes.tv More information from: |
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Problem gambling can cause great distress to individuals, families and their communities. Against the odds...? explains the new regulations, the concerns that surround gambling addiction and actions that Christians may wish to take. It offers advice on how individuals can support those with gambling addiction and how to increase public awareness about casino proposals in their area. You can freely download Against the odds...? at: |
Earlier this month, the Gambling Act 2005 was implemented. The Act allows for increased opportunities to gamble with fewer advertising restrictions for gambling operators. In response, the Methodist Church and the Salvation Army have produced a useful resource called Against the odds...?
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Involving churches working together and in partnership with Hope, in projects and events, in prayer, social justice, community action and evangelism, the initiative offers resources and training, support for local churches and ideas for encouraging collaboration. Here's one exciting idea for starters - Hope and sport. As Sarah Davis of Youth for Christ (YFC) says, 'Why not use sport to reach people with the love of Jesus where they're at? If you love sport you can join a team and play regularly with other people. As you chat to someone about Jesus, kicking a ball about can take some of the pressure and formality out of that kind of conversation'. Why not view the Hope 2008 website to find ways in which your church or circuit might become involved? |
The writer of this article on the interface reflects on the hopes of Christians in the US of a Christian led government when George W Bush was elected. Was his highly publicised faith and subsequent election to office an answer to prayer? In contrast, Tony Blair's faith was never an election issue, yet it is known that he prayed about key decisions. In Gordon Brown, we have another Christian Prime Minister; an acknowledged 'son-of-the-manse'. The writer asks what you consider Mr Brown's priorities should be, how he should tackle his role as PM and how a Christian political leader defines success? |
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