Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends
A happy new Methodist year to you all.
A new year, a new beginning. For some a new school, new teachers, university, may be a new job.
We focused on New Beginnings in our prayers this week and looked at Jeremiah 29 v11, `For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’ What do these words say to us in our own lives, our church life, our circuit, our world?
We all need hope. We all need to know that it will be ok in the end. Hope isn’t though about wishful thinking. The hope God gives us is a confidence in the future based upon our present experience of his love. We need to pay attention to the present and to know God at work in our lives. We do this individually but also as community.
In our circuit we will be continuing conversations with each church about the future as we continue the circuit review. This year we continue to seek God and to see where God is inviting us to share in his mission. We continue to ask how can we share our resources? But as we ask these questions we need to pay attention to our relationship with Him. To know his love, his peace, his hope.
In all of this are the questions about how, what has changed over lockdown. How do we use technology in our work, service and worship of God? What have we learned?
All these questions may seem overwhelming at times.
But as we rise each morning, we begin a new day and perhaps we need to offer each day to God and to seek his face, and in this to know his love, his hope, his peace in all we do.
One new service we are inviting the circuit to share in will be on 22nd September at 7.00pm on Zoom. This will be a celebration of Matt’s Ordination and to welcome Paul Worsnop and Judith Oldroyd officially as they take up circuit ministry for a year. We know not everyone has access to Zoom but we hope we can encourage those who have it to invite someone who doesn’t to your home. You can then celebrate and share in this together. Log in details will be circulated at a later date.
Also weekly bible studies will start again on Thursday September 23rd at 7.00pm on Zoom.
Wednesday prayers at 10am continue as well on Zoom.
We have hope. The promises of God will not fade away. Though everything around us may change – the love of God, the presence of God with us remains the same.
`For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’
With good wishes and prayers
Revd Jane Carter on behalf of the Bede Circuit staff team