The Future of our Circuit
27^th March

(see latest weekly letter below)
 

On 27th March, members of all circuit churches were invited to attend a day-long Circuit Meeting to review the future of our circuit and its churches. The Circuit Leadership Team have met since that meeting and wish to express their appreciation at the response by the Circuit to that important event. The attendance of over 100 representing all our Churches was attentive to the presentation and much positive discussion ensued.

At the next Circuit Meeting, to be held on June 24th, the Leadership Team will be proposing that, with effect from September 2011, we reduce the number of Ministers in the Circuit from four to three.  Too many Church Councils have reported serious financial concerns and the reality is that while we would like to have four we simply cannot afford it.

Inevitably this will have all kinds of knock-on effects. We cannot run everything the way we have in the past. And why should we? This is going to be an interesting time as we think and pray through where we think God is leading us. There is no blueprint to be imposed from on high, but there is an onus on all of us to listen carefully to the promptings of the Spirit.   

> Does your church have good congregations?
   This is no time to rest on your laurels.

> Do you have money in the bank?
   Remember, it is for the work of God’s kingdom.

> Do you have fine buildings?
   They will be of limited use unless we actively engage in mission.

We have encouraged some churches who are geographically close to each other to think things through together. But there is no church in the Circuit that is exempt. We will all have major adjustments to make.   

Circuit Review Meeting
24^th June

A number of important decisions were made at the Circuit Meeting. We agreed that:

* As Biddulph Park (sadly) seek a transfer to the Burslem Mission Circuit, that they would go with our blessing.

*  From September 2011 the complement of Ministers in the Circuit as it stands today would be reduced from four to three. This is largely as a result of financial pressures that have emerged as significant in the last year.

*  Revd John Fisher would be invited to remain in the Circuit for a period of up to another three years from September 2011.  

*  Congleton Edge would close with a final service on October 17.

*  Avril Waghorn should be appointed Mission Area Project Co-ordinator.

*  We would make a warm response to the request of the Middlewich Circuit (of one minister and four churches) to join us. We anticipate this would be from September 2011 and a fuller proposal will be made to both Circuit Meetings in September.  

*  Pastoral Oversight for the year beginning September 2010 would be:

Philip Berry – Trinity, Congleton Edge, Davenport, Brookhouse Green, Biddulph Park

Pam Butler – Wellspring, Lower Withington, Cloud, Key Green, Rood Lane

John Fisher – Biddulph, New Road, Hill Top, Lask Edge, Brown Lees

Jane Harris – Harriseahead, Bosley, Mow Cop, Special Project
 

Some will think: ‘they’ are just interested in closing some places down. Some will close; others will survive, they say. That is the wrong way to look at it. The reality is that we want the mission of Christ amongst the Methodist people of this Circuit to continue and thrive. And we have to find the best ways to make that happen. 

And to do that we are going to need prayer – lots of it. We need everyone on board, too, not just a few. If we lose anyone in this process we shall be diminished and impoverished. Some people will say ‘they are too stubborn; they will never change’. Maybe God will spring more than a few surprises.

The latest in a series of weekly letters from Rev. Philip Berry follows:

 

July 25^th

Letters to a Living Church
N^o. 13

Dear Friends,

I have enjoyed reading Prepare for Exile by Patrick Whitworth. He tells about Monty Roberts who wrote a book called The Man Who Listens to Horses. What Roberts discovered was that when mustangs become separated from the herd, in the wild, they become sick and even die.

He decided to apply this to breaking in these horses. In the ring he decided not to make eye contact with them or even approach them. He reckoned they craved relationships even with their enemy, rather than be ignored and left alone. Instead of spending hours trying to break the horses’ wills it became possible to get them saddled and with a rider on their back after an hour.

As we proclaim our faith it does not have to be confrontational, heavy handed, or confrontational. Sometimes the good news can be whispered through the experience of a loving community, faithful prayers and gentle interest in the lives of others. As Patrick Whitworth puts it, we need to whisper to people’s souls. Enough perhaps to make people wonder just what it is that makes a Christian tick.

With every blessing,

From the Old Testament                                                            1 Kings 19:11-12
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a gentle whisper.   

A Prayer (Hymn 673)
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire
O still small voice of calm.