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Showing posts from September, 2012

Worship Leader Training

The dates for the worship leaders course are as follows.  Every session will be held at EccleshillMethodist Church from 7.30 to 9.30pm 1 st October 22 nd October 12 th November 26 th November 10 th December For further information about this please contact a Minister on 0845 6060820 Further information from the Methodist Church about being a Worship Leader .

Prayer Column: October 2012

Dear Lord, ... I can’t send you a letter, nor email; I can’t phone you or text you. But we can still get through to one another. This prayer thing: I do praise you for devising it in the first place, and teaching us all down the generations how to use it. It grows on you (and with you). So simple: Dear Lord, ... No machinery to go wrong or forget how to use, no one needing paid, no fear of power cuts. Does it work? people ask. Depends what you mean, I suppose. I can get through to you: I know you’re there. A lot of the time I can feel you, and even hear you whispering, or feel you prompting and teaching through your word (is that your texting after all?). And even without the electric charge of your presence, I have your promise – you are there. But then requests: does praying for things work? Again it depends. If I imagined you a Christmas tree, with presents all around just for the asking, I doubt if that would do. But when I see Christmas as part of you (not the other way r

Tax Justice Bus Tour - 11 October

Greetings from Christian Aid in Yorkshire! Hopefully you will have picked up through various ways that Christian Aid and Church Action on Poverty are bringing their Tax Justice Bus Tour to Saltaire United Reformed Church on Thursday 11 th October . The bus will be outside Saltaire URC between 2.30 – 3.30pm and will be open for everyone to come and hear how tax dodging is harming the poor. We hope to be joined by: ·          You ·          Rev Roger Walton (Chair of West Yorkshire Methodist District) ·          Rev Kevin Watson (United Reformed Church Moderator of Yorkshire Synod) ·          Dr Dereje Alemayehu (Chair of the Tax Justice Network Africa) ·          Your MP ·          And the local press According to Church Action on Poverty ‘tax avoidance of all kinds…steals £35 billion from the UK every year’. Meanwhile Christian Aid estimates that tax dodging costs developing countries $160 billion dollars every year; that’s more than one and a half t

MWiB "Gifts of Promise" Quiet Day 28 November

METHODIST WOMEN IN BRITAIN WEST YORKSHIRE DISTRICT QUIET DAY FOR ADVENT "GIFTS OF PROMISE" Leaders: Rev Peter and Mrs Jean Bedford, of Skipton Wednesday 28 November 2012 10.00am – 3.30pm at The Briery Retreat Centre 38 Victoria Avenue  ILKLEY LS29 9BW The Briery is set in spacious grounds on the outskirts of Ilkley, and is described as ‘a place of spiritual renewal where those who come can find God in an atmosphere of love, prayer, healing and peace.’ Travel to Ilkley is by bus from Bradford, Keighley and Skipton and by train from Bradford. A taxi rank is close by the station. Cars following the A65 take the turning up Victoria Avenue (the Skipton side of the town centre) to the Briery. Cost for the day is £24 including morning coffee, full lunch and afternoon tea.  We do not want anyone to feel excluded because of the cost, and there will be financial assistance available.  

Out of the starting blocks - All Together

Out of the starting blocks The first All Together event took place at Northcliffe on the afternoon of Sunday 1 July.  All Together is aimed at bringing together people with learning disabilities, their families and carers in a service to which everyone is invited. The planning team was made up of individuals from different churches from the Bradford North Circuit and the Shipley Christians Together. The service was conducted with the forthcoming Olympic Games in mind.  A real Olympic torch bearer - with torch, of course - made a surprise appearance, and we focussed on Paul's words in Philippians about running straight for the finishing line.  Games, craft activities and singing with signing were all offered as activity workshops and the afternoon finished with a shared tea. About sixty people were present to enjoy the event.  The next afternoon is being planned for Sunday 30 September on a harvest theme.

Holiday at Home - Holiday Fun

Holiday at home - holiday fun Holiday at Home is organised by Linda, the Circuit's Pastoral Visitor.  It offers a week of activities for the elderly who are unable to holiday away. Our annual Holiday at Home event is over once again, but I am sure that everyone involved will agree that it was a great success and we all enyoyed ourselves tremendously. This year an invitation was extended to the whole of the circuit and we welcomed a number of new guests and helpers who very quickly felt at ease and made new friends.  Over the week we had lots of fun, lots of companionship and lots of scrumptious food! The week didn't, however, pass without a few hiccups, especially on our trips out.  We managed to lose one of our ladies in Embsay as she decided that she liked the ride on the steam train so much that she thought she would have another trip!  This resulted in a quick detour back to Bolton Abbey to rescue her. Then over lunch we discovered that the coach we had b

A Week of Telling Tales

Wilsden Methodist & United Reformed Church - A Week of Telling Tales You've probably all been there, you're planning an event to showcase your church to the wider community; you know more or less what you want, but what on earth do you call it?  Thankfully Sharon, our circuit children's worker, came up with 'Telling Tales - come and help us tell our story'.   We decided to start our week off with a 'Family Party Day'.  We wanted it to be for everyone, completely free with proper party food and a bouncy castle.  We chose games for outside (hook-a-duck anyone?) and made plans for inclement weather.  Sharon provided 'children in the bible' themed crafts and we borrowed a badge-making machine from school. Alongside this we planned an exhibition in our church, 'past-present-future' which would run all week.  Arms were twisted for stewarding duties, refreshment provision and general help.  We sent out flyers through school and the u

Daily Rules from God

Daily Rules from God Wake up! Decide to have a good day.  'Today is the day the Lord has made:  let us rejoice and be glad in it' Psalms 118:24 Dress up! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.  A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.  'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at outward appearance:  but the Lord looks at the heart' 1 Samuel 16:7 Shut up! Say nice things and learn to listen.  God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.  'He who guards his lips guards his soul' Proverbs 13:3 Stand up! For what you believe in.  Stand for something or you will fall for anything.  'Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good ...' Galatians 6: 9-10 Look up! To the Lord.  'I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me' Phili

Scripture Union Sticky Faith Tour

Everyone who works with children and young people in a Christian context prays and longs that they will develop an enduring faith that will stick through their teenage and young adult years and into maturity. However, it is the experience of many of our churches that a significant number drift away. This autumn we will explore the latest research from Fuller Institute into what factors help children and young people form a faith that lasts and ask how we can apply these principles in our own church context. Baildon Methodist Church have managed to secure one of these evenings. Where: Baildon Methodist Church When: Tuesday 27th November 2012 Time: 7:00 to 9:45pm Cost: £8 (£4 unwaged) Event Programme 7.00pm Registration, refreshments and time to browse resources. 7.30pm Welcome and introductions 7.40pm Sticky Faith 9.45pm Finish Full details .

Scarecrow Festival 6/7 October

Scarecrow Festival -  Thackley Methodist Church Saturday 6 October Church open for viewing community group scarecrows:  10 am to 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm Donations welcomed for church funds and WaterAid. Refreshments available at nominal cost. Sunday 7 October 10.30 am Harvest Festival service led by Rev Sarah Jemison - everyone welcome 2.00 pm Concert by the Glen Singers, an 80 strong mixed voice choir.  Tickets £4 adults, children free with a paying adult, otherwise £2.00 (includes refreshments). We are grateful to  Martin S Lonsdale  estate agents and Northern Lights hair studio for contributing prizes for the raffle - look out for a scarecrow in the village!  If anyone else wants to create and display a scarecrow during the weekend let us know.

Table Top Sale - 29 September 2012

Table top sale Saturday 29 September 2012 10.00 am to 12.00 noon Refreshments available including bacon butties Thackley Methodist Church Our table top sales are one way of us supporting the local community.  Tables are offered free of charge to those in the local area and so far we've had a wide variety of talents on display with jewellery, crafts, crystals, bric-a-brac, baking etc. We hold the sales in church as the community hall is often being used by one of our groups.  Many have commented about the calm and friendly environment that this provides; it also provides a first look inside for those who have passed by on the outside many times.  We have been particularly delighted that our open doors have drawn in couples who were married or worshipped here many years ago. The sales are usually on the 4th Saturday in the month; however, you'll have noticed that this is not the case this month.  This is because our church family weekend away at Abbot Hall

FaithWatch

The Bradford North Methodist Circuit has joined in partnership with FaithWatch in the Bradford Area, which is run by the West Yorkshire Police [WYP].  WYP recognise the importance of supporting members of the faith community in creating secure environments.  Faith Watch is a partnership where the faith communities come together to help prevent crime in and around faith buildings.  Within the last 6 months there were 103 offences of metal theft taken from religious buildings in West Yorkshire.  This initiative continues the work recently undertaken to our Church buildings by the introduction of Smartwater last year on all our properties. What will FaithWatch do: It assists in reducing the opportunity for crime to occur Develops an awareness of preventative measures that may prevent crime in and around their faith buildings and additionally their own home Become part of a wider faith community network receiving and relaying pertinent related information Improve und

New - monthly reflection and prayers

Prayer is an important part of Christian living as it helps us to build our relationship with God; however, it is not always easy to pray, and sometimes God may answer our prayers in unexpected ways. If you want us to pray for you or those you know, please  contact us . Prayer was at the heart of all our deliberations as we considered forming our new circuit; and it continues to be so as we move forward in faith. We are grateful to Roy Lorrain-Smith for developing a Circuit prayer network and for providing a short reflection and weekly prayers for the month. Reflection and prayers for this month  (pdf) Reflections/prayers for future months will be available from the Prayer  page on our web site.

A Celebration - 70 Years of Hall Royd Bands

A celebration of 70 years of Hall Royd Bands (and music from the Hall Royd Music Makers) Saturday 13 October 2012 2.30 pm Northcliffe LEP Tickets £5 Including light refreshments (accompanied children free)

Acceptable Worship (Studies in Hebrews 12 and 13)

Centre on Gracious Street Knaresborough HG5 8AN A Day of Bible Teaching led by The Rev Leo Osborn (Ex-President of the Methodist Conference) Saturday 24 November 2012 ‘ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP’ (Studies in Hebrews 12 and 13) Programme Please feel free to come to any or all of the sessions 10.00am  Arrivals and coffee  (in The Bridge Coffee Bar) 10.30am  Opening worship (in the church) 10.45am   Session 1:  ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP:  Directed towards God 11.45am   Short break 12.00pm   Session 2:  ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP:  Touches eternity   1.00pm   Lunch (see note opposite)   2.00pm   Session 3:  ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP:  The fruit of consistent living    3.00pm Closing worship  (Drinks available in The Bridge) Travel information The Methodist Church Centre on Gracious Street is situated  the centre of Knaresborough just behind the bus station  where buses stop from York , Harrogate , Wetherby,  Boroughbridge and Ripon. It is about

West Yorkshire Destitution Event

Saturday 22 September, 7-9.45 pm at St George's, Leeds, LS1 3BR. There'll be two performances by Ice and Fire Theatre Co , real life testimonie and a Q&A session with a panel of people from local organisations suporting destitute asylum seekers. Organised by WYDAN (West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Seeker Network).  Free entry and refreshments.