October: Thoughts from Huw

Dear Friends

We held another meeting at Wesley recently on `Church Growth` and discussed the ways we communicate what we do as a church through the Wesley News magazine, church website and notice sheet. As well, we looked at our Thursday morning services and times of fellowship and friendship, with the hope of building on them in the future. It was a valuable conversation and will continue on Tuesday 30th October at 7.30pm in church when we will discuss the subject of ` how can we communicate the Gospel?’. Please come if you can and share your views and ideas.

We discussed how times have changed and it is true that many challenges are before us with declining membership figures and smaller numbers of people at worship. However, we are living in times when the Church of God needs to stand firm and hold its nerve, for there are many forces at work against us; St. Paul would tell us it was always so.

Light will always have to fight darkness. Love will always have to fight hate. Truth will always have to fight falsehood. These are the things we proclaim when we, by word and deed, share with others the message that Jesus is Lord.

The human needs in our world today are indescribable, innumerable and sometimes unbearable. You and I cannot do everything, but we can do something, and that something is summed up in the words of

St. Francis;

Make me a channel of your peace

Where there is hatred, let me bring your love

Where there is injury your pardon Lord

Where there is doubt, true faith in you.

With good wishes, Huw