Ping Bradford at Clayton Methodist Church

I was contacted by Ping Bradford, in the summer of 2017, to be part of the national launch for Table Tennis. They would provide us with free table tennis tables and all the equipment we needed.
This has been a good opportunity to draw people into the church building to strengthen and encourage people in the life of the community. There are people in the community who feel isolated and lonely and providing the space to help people to know that the church cares would be a good thing.

We have been really blessed in having about twenty people who belong to the table tennis group, which started in September 2017. The group is going so well, that we have had to request another table, which Sport England readily provided. We now have three tables, which are in use all the time from 10.00 am to 12.00 Noon.

Because of the success of this venture, we are now in a position to extend the times when we meet, so that we can accommodate more people and extend the hand of pastoral care to people who seem to appreciate, not just the exercise in playing table tennis, but the fellowship and the networking which it stimulates. We have people from different churches and none, who attend the group.

We have recently started to meet from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm, and will be providing a light lunch on the last Monday in each month. Please tell your friends to come and meet new and interesting people.

For further information, please get in touch with me.

Rev Albert G

Comments

Christmas Day Worship 2021

Today is the day - Christmas! The central candle is lit. The waiting is over. The child is born. As we celebrate the Feast and Holy-Day of Christmas, with the Psalmist (Ps. 98:4-6) we proclaim: Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Prayer Let us pray: Generous God, even as we praise you for the good news of today, and seek to shout for joy at the coming of the Christ-child, we acknowledge Mary’s mix of pain and joy, both today and in the days to come. As we do so, we face our own emotions on this difficult and delightful day, and ask your help to live it well. Amen. Carol You might like to sing, or reflect on the words of Geoffrey Ainger’s hymn at StF 193/H&P 95, Born in the night, Mary’s child, a long way from your home; coming in need, Mary’s child, born in a borro...

Prayer Column - January 2022

The turn of the year As a new year approaches we tend to wonder what lies ahead, hoping always to shake off the past’s bad record and for something better to come, as if hoping could make it so. We wonder about next year because of course we don’t know what lies around the corner (however great the store of human knowledge, and however thorough our Googling). Search as we may, and it’s a royal honour to do so (Prov 25:2), some things are known only to God: times and seasons fixed by his authority are not for us to know (Acts 1:7), for the future is his. This is a time to remind ourselves of God’s omniscience: he does know (Rom 11:33). He knows the plans he has for us – plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11). And it’s time to remember also that God is not far-off and aloof, but a loving, heavenly Father who wants a close living relationship with each of us, day by day and breath by breath – he sent Jesus to bring us back to him. So ...

Pastoral Letter - 9 December 2021

Dear friends We have been through a lot together over this last 18 months since the pandemic first started, as households, as communities and as the people of the church. At times we have struggled, but we have also recognised the support we can offer one another in times of adversity. When things have been far from normal, we have adapted in new ways to continue the life and mission of the church. In the face of great hurt and great need, we have found the value of faith and hope. Since the summer we have seen signs of hope in the re-opening of buildings and the re-starting of some of our church and community groups. However, recent news of a new variant of the virus has once again raised the level of concern. Clearly, the pandemic is not yet over. Consequently, as I am sure you are already aware, the government has decided that there is a need for greater restrictions to be in place once again - see detailed guidance dated 8th December. In the light of this, the Methodist Church...

Bradford North Circuit

Search This Blog