Bradford North Circuit

I know that Good Friday perhaps seem a while ago now and in Baildon, as many places, we looked at how we could mark Good Friday in a way that was meaningful, yet kept ourselves and the public safe.  In "normal" times, whatever they were, we would gather round a large cross in the centre of Baildon with members of the other Churches to hold a short reflective service of prayer and readings together with a couple of appropriate hymns. There might have been thirty people there on a good day. I have had the privilege of leading this service for the past few years and I have been surprised how comfortable I felt making a public act of witness. What effect this has had on the general public is very hard to determine and I have always felt that this reluctant little group did not reflect the extent of the work and activities provided by four denominations of Christian people.  This was in normal times, but this year had to be different: no close contact, no singing, no groups gather...

The eco-built Fold at Baildon Methodist Church was on show on Saturdays in February. 51 visitors from throughout Yorkshire were given tours by skilled guides. There was delight in the warm, quiet experience in this, the first building on church premises in Britain to be built to standards similar to those of a Passivhaus. The Fold has never been heated: yet everyone felt warm. There is no thermostat; the air is completely changed when the CO2 monitor reaches 1000 parts per million. Energetic Scouts can bounce on the floor of the Upper Fold: the floor insulation is so thick that those underneath can meditate in silence. Baildon Preschool now meets daily in the Lower Fold. From March, the Home Farm Trust will meet on each weekday in the Upper Fold. The Fold showing the car charging points  The tours were much appreciated. They began with a presentation showing how Baildon Church, a triple-certificated Eco-Congregation, erected this bu...

The snippets below are taken from Baildon Methodist Church report to the Charity Commissioners for the year ending August 2017. Church membership increased to 187 by the end of the year. As a further development of the Jesus Shaped People programme, which we found so inspiring, (https://www.jesusshapedpeople.net/) a five-week teaching programme entitled ‘Parables For Baildon’ again took place in the New Year, studying the relevance of the Parables in relation to living today. A ‘Family Focus’ leaflet, updated seasonally, was produced listing all activities and events available at Baildon Methodist Church for children and young families. Events during the year included a harvest supper and entertainment, a Gilbert & Sullivan evening, a comedy night, a Church Anniversary social, Action For Children Christmas Fayre and concerts by Village Voices, Aire Valley Male Voice choir and Woodhouse Grove School. In the autumn, the Church hosted a visit by a group of young Palestinian dan...

The West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) has added a section on climate change to its “Risk” chapter. This reflects the growing calls over the last three years from the financial sector and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) that funds must assess and deal with the financial risks that climate change poses. The new section 5.3 states: “The fund recognises the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, and will seek to measure carbon exposure within the equity portfolio and reduce that exposure over time. The fund will continue to increase investment in low carbon technology and renewable energy in order to encourage and facilitate further progression toward a cleaner economy.” Thank you for those of you who wrote to the WYPF and supported our Memorials to the Methodist Conference advocating this vital change as part of our campaign to reduce the global warming threatening the integrity of God’s creation. John A, Baildon

I do not believe that an Eco-congregation can exist in green quietude, within the safe walls of a building. It must reach out, if we are to have any real impact on society’s response to global warming. Baildon Eco-congregation founded Baildon Friends of the Earth (FoE). The latter has now, in turn, set up the Glenaire Primary School ‘Run on Sun Fun(d) Charitable Trust’  which aims to inspire and energise the pupils of the school about solar power, renewable energy and the need to combat global warming. Pupils are enthusiastic: the school council has suggested many ways of solar development for their institution, which has Eco-school status. Moreover, they aim to raise £5,500 to install photovoltaic (PV) electricity-generating panels on the roof of their school, which has 222 pupils, including above average numbers on free school meals and 28.25% on the Special Educational Needs Register. Their interest is augmented by the fact that some of the properties near the school w...

Tong Park Viaduct by Roy Lorrain-Smith Tong Park Viaduct carries the Guiseley to Baildon railway line, and is visible from the lower end of Hollins Hill behind the Tong Park industrial estate (though this view is from the other side). The line opened in 1876. Peter Kerr (husband of the Ruth) has just written a booklet on the line to mark the launch of Friends of Baildon Station in collaboration with John Anderson. As Peter notes, engineering experts came from all over the world to see this remarkable engineering achievement, with its cuttings, tunnels and viaducts.

People in various churches say to me how they feel isolated, if they wish their church to act to reduce the damage that climate change is doing to God’s creation. Here is how we dealt with such feelings at Baildon. In 2006, I drew up a job description for a church Eco-officer and asked for applications. No one applied. So I applied and, amazingly, was appointed! That gave me a platform to measure all our usage of utilities, and set up a Green Fund whereby folk paid a certain sum for their flights, car journeys and domestic gas usage to compensate for their CO2 emissions. With this money we built, on Wesley’s café, a porch which materially reduced the draughts. By getting grants, we were able to insulate some ceilings and all the doors – which were sometimes ornate Victorian draft generators - halve the wattage of some lights, and install weather compensation equipment on the gas boilers.  We were thus able to save in five years one third of the church's consumption of g...

This group began 3 years ago and has involved more than 40 people either knitting 6” blanket squares, sewing together, crocheting edges or transporting 200 patchwork blankets.  These blankets are for babies safely delivered by one of the new midwives trained by the Hamlin College of Midwifery in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The college was set up in 2007 to offer a 4-year professional training to successful Ethiopian school leavers, in order to begin to prevent pregnant women being injured in child birth, suffering obstetric fistulae and giving birth to dead babies. The blankets are our way of celebrating the joy of uninjured Ethiopian mothers with their new live babies and the success of the young midwives practising their newly acquired skills. We meet twice a month for 2 hours of busy needle work, lively chatter and a cup of tea from Wesley’s Café. Ruth A, Baildon   

To my dismay, Baildon is still the only Eco-congregation in the Bradford North Circuit.  The global temperature rise of more than .75 degrees C in the last forty years, and the increasing violence of storms and floods are due to the rise in carbon-dioxide (CO2) which we humans cause to be emitted.  They are leading to suffering and death to God’s children and God’s creatures. Christians need to act immediately to reduce our own and our country’s CO2 emissions. And help is at hand. A new scheme has been launched called ‘Eco Church’.  St Paul’s Cathedral London has joined; York Minster is about to do so. Go to Ecochurch.arocha.org.uk to see the details. I hope we may soon be an ‘Eco circuit’, a cluster of Eco churches, to show our deep concern for God’s creation. And to act. John A , Baildon

As is common with all churches in the circuit, Baildon Methodist Church supports a number of external charities each year.  In 2012, the Managing Trustees decided to make this giving more transparent, by arranging a focus on a different appeal each month. Under the tag-name ‘GIFO’ (Giving to Funds for Others) we invite folk to make a contribution if they feel moved and are able to do so.  Since 2012, we have raised over £30,000 in this way for good causes. Each month, information is provided in the church weekly magazine ‘Pews News’ about the “GIFO Appeal” for the month.  Special donation envelopes are made available and these are placed in the collection plate during the offering.  Each month's focus charity is nominated by a chosen group of people from the church community. ...

A ‘big 0’ birthday demands a celebration, and on April 5 th at Baildon, we reached a 40 th anniversary. Since 1976 we’ve had a weekly prayer meeting, running continuously, and we want to thank and praise the Lord for keeping us going. Initially, we met every eight days, to give everyone with other commitments a chance to come, but that didn’t suit the regulars, so we soon fixed on Mondays.  A format developed: share concerns; look at a Bible text; and then free prayer.  Meetings last just one hour, and we don’t stop early if a silence develops (silence can be full and deep).  During this time, we have worked through the Bible, considering every mention of prayer we could find, including requests made to Jesus while on earth.  We now have a little booklet listing all those Bible references.  Numbers started quite well but then dropped off, for many reasons, and eventually we got down to three.  But we resolved to continue however few and persevered,...

Everyone who’s ever dined at Wesley’s knows what a "snip" it is, but the snip went a stage further in June when the Gents Quarter Barbershop took over cosy Room 2, while their Baildon Westgate shop was being refurbished. A few from Baildon MC have been regular customers since they opened and a couple of months ago, whilst in one of their three chairs, they said they’d be having to close for three weeks to do up their shop.  We said "why don’t you open a pop-up barbershop in the Methodist Church...? " To cut it short, they came and looked and they liked.  We talked to Lindsay (Lettings) Sykes, who managed a tweak of the room rota.  One of the Cell Groups was a bit disconcerted that they had to move from their usual room, but they now prefer Room 3's intimacy. We pointed out to the folk in Wesley’s that any males they didn’t recognise were likely to be customers of GQ; and we encouraged Wesley’s staff to engage with them.  When the oldies in Wesley’s k...

Our Anniversary weekend, celebrating 125 years of worship in our current church premises in Baildon, had a crazy start on Friday 8th May. The evening opened with Crazy Bag Beetle, a new slant on an old family game. The MC was, I believe, Mervyn Flecknoe well disguised as a flamboyant clown. The game was progressive, noisy and lots of fun, giving us all a chance to meet other families. We came away with a bag of prizes and ready for the BBQ, ably cooked by Ashley and crew. For afters, we had a delightful Anniversary cake, baked and donated by Val Gilman. It was a perfect family evening. Saturday found us in more reflective mood. The morning was led by Rev Brian Brown who guided us through the Moral Maze asking ,"Who is our guide, in considering Christian Ethics?" Jesus is our guide and we are followers of "The Way". After the introduction, we considered 6 questions, moving freely round the tables contributing, in some cases, to animated discussions. Sunday ser...

“The Spirit-filled Church” has been a ten-week challenge to our church to examine the adventures of the Early Church; the success that they had in becoming Jesus-shaped people and the mistakes that they made and corrected, in their successful attempts to bring the message of Jesus worldwide.    A preparation session in November ensured that all preachers and group leaders understood their roles. After each of the five themes, we held a conversation in church after the morning service, attended by an average of 35 people and led by someone who had not previously taken such a prominent role.  These conversations, together with the deliberations of the existing cell groups and the two new groups set up for the duration of Spiritfilled Church, have ensured that the lessons we have taken from the Early Church are better understood by a wide range of our membership and community roll.    One new group - Jesus-shaped Parenting - allowed parents of toddlers and youn...

Come and join us for special events to celebrate 125 years in our premises. Saturday 25 April 2015 7.30 pm Steeton Male Voice ChoirConcert Tickets £9.00 email baildon@bradfordnorth.org.uk Special Weekend of Celebrations Friday 8 May 2015 6.30 - 8.30 pm BBQ Beetle & Birthday Bash Food and fun for all ages Tickets limited: £7 adults; £5 school-age children Saturday 9 May 2015 10.00 am - 12.00 noon Christians in the Moral Maze A morning for inspiration, reflection and discussion on social and moral issues of today led by Rev Brian Brown Sunday 10 May 2015 All age 10 o'clock Worship with special musical contributions and led by Rev Brian Brown 6.00 pm Communion led by Rev Brian Brown and Rev Phil Drake another chance to hear Brian's inspirational preaching Launch of our "125 things to do in 125 days booklet" on sale at the Anniversary Weekend for £1.25 only 125 copies available so get one quick!

Baildon MethodistChurch’s Fundraising Strategy Group found that the Church had been making donations to a variety of bodies from collections without telling anyone!  They decided that people should know precisely what funds and charities they give to, so two years ago, the system changed and a new system of monthly ‘Good Causes’ replaced it.  The new system is called Gi ving F or O thers, or GiFO for short.  The logo is a “Thumbs up” sign made from about 20 images and logos used elsewhere in the Church.  Each year regular causes are set aside certain months:  Mission in Britain;  MRDF, now known as ”All We Can”;  Action for Children; and other charities compete for a space in the calendar.  February 2015’s charity was Toilet Twinning. The Blenheim Project, BEACON and the Bradford Soup Run have all had their turn.              ...