Bradford North Circuit

For what and for whom? What should I be praying for? Well, I suppose whatever’s going on round me, what I care about – what God has laid on my heart. Pray for my part in it, and for a good outcome, that which would please God (that’s what ‘good’ is) even if I don’t yet see what that should be. Pray that God will find a way through obstacles and brick walls,. And I mustn’t forget to thank him for good things already seen, nor neglect to praise him for those answers he hasn’t yet revealed. That would show proper faith. And then who: for whom should I be praying? There’s those I have some responsibility for: my family of course; and friends, especially any who’re sick, or struggling, or who’ve asked me to pray for them; and then those I just meet and mix with through work or hobbies or wherever, and feel concerned about; not to mention ‘kings [or queens] and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life’ (1 Tim 2:2). And... But hang on! That’s getting ...

Whither? And with whom? I sometimes worry that I do more writing about prayer than actually praying! I heard a talk recently by Edna Gibson, who’d been a Christian believer from the age of nine and had risen successfully in the ranks of her chosen profession to managerial level, when at 40 she felt the desire to know God more. Not more about him, but to know him better as God, as Heavenly Father, as Lord and Leader – drawing closer, and that meant prayer. She went on to describe her journey then, with God calling her to do things for which she felt quite inadequate, unsuited, and ill-equipped – indeed impossible. But how at every protest God would challenge her to trust him. And he had led her to become a missionary teaching English as a second language to young people in many parts of the world, so they could mission better too: the fruits of her prayer. A second prompt to me, of much longer standing, arises from our closing churches, shrinking congregations and vanishing youth...

Circuit Prayer Letters For the last seven years I have been preparing and distributing by email a weekly prayer letter for those who wish to pray for Bradford North Circuit. The letters offer brief thoughts on prayer, a short prayer, and a list of prayer points: a rota of ministers, office holders and churches; and Circuit events. Some congregations are well represented on my mailing list, but most have very few and one has no intercessors at all. So, to mark the seventh anniversary I’m having another go at publicising the letters in an attempt to strengthen our joint prayer efforts for the Circuit. I think prayer matters. I think God wants us to pray. Indeed I think we actually need to engage with him in prayer if we are ever to reach our full maturity as Christians. Prayer is one of our main means of relating person-to-person with God as our Heavenly Father: in praise and thanks, as well as saying sorry for our slips, trips and flips – and of course asking him for things. Odd...

Whither next? I was sitting enjoying the sunshine and breeze of a summer afternoon, and the view on the edge of rolling countryside, when a couple out on a walk stopped nearby and the man stared at his mobile phone on which he apparently had a map. Eventually, they inclined hesitantly towards a choice of direction, and then they spotted me. “We’re looking for the station,” he said. I was on home ground and certainly knew the way, several, in fact, but it would have been well-nigh impossible to give clear enough directions by any of them, so, as it was on my route home anyway, I said, “I’ll show you.” And I walked with them there, taking them by interesting footpaths they would never have found on their own, leaving them gratefully on the platform studying timetables. There’s an awful lot of us staring at maps in one form or another at the moment, wondering about the way forward. This is true for all the Churches in the Circuit, pondering plans for growth or decline and how to ...

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...

Pancakes and Poems, what a great evening we had on 13th February (Shrove Tuesday), in aid of 2nd Mile Project. People were invited to come along for tea/supper and enjoy a variety of pancakes both savoury and sweet. The selection was most tempting with fillings such as chilli. chicken and avocado, mushroom or cheese and onion. The sweet fillings were too many to mention, but my favourite was fresh fruits with ice cream – yum, yum. Throughout the evening, many people had brought poems to read to everyone. The genre of this was amazing with funny, romantic, knowledgeable and even a little bit naughty. It was good to be together with laughter and smiles all round. A special thank you to everyone who came and all who helped. Elaine B, Thornton

Ladies of the Bradford North Circuit, welcome to an introduction to MWiB! Methodist Women in Britain is a movement within the Methodist Church, which seeks to resource individual women and women's groups in a variety of ways. It came into being in July 2011, formed through the coming together of Women's Network and other women's meetings within Methodism. MWiB is more than a meeting. Many women may feel that it is not for them, because they do not already attend a women's meeting. The movement is there for ALL women in Methodism. There are opportunities for meetings within circuits, and at District and Connexional levels, which are all held on a regular basis. MWiB seeks to offer a broader menu for women today. There are many opportunities to meet locally, nationally and internationally. Resources are available for individuals to use at home, at work or within their families. MWiB is very active nationally; details of events can be found in the Methodist R...