Wesleyan Reform Union: Home Missions & YPD – News & Prayer Letter

Excited about Mission! June 2013

Please don't hesitate to contact me regarding anything in this letter. I would love to hear from you, especially if you want ideas or help with outreach in your area! Andy Wilcock - [email protected] (Home Missions - Development and Outreach Consultant) Martin Ludbrook – [email protected] (YPD Youth Worker)

Please check out Martin’s YPD Blog - http://wru-ypd.blogspot.com/

Contact Plus Sian Edwards who is the pastor at our Ashington Church wrote a wonderful set of articles for the latest Contact magazine. Unfortunately we did not have the space to print all of them, so I have attached them in full for you to read. They are full of interesting ideas for outreach using food.

Rushden Mission Church David Rooksby writes: We will be holding a series of outreach events from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th July with support from the students of Ministry Equipping School of World Mandate Ministries.

On Thursday 4th July the team will be visiting homes in the Melloway area of Rushden and in the evening there will be a Men’s Curry Club Special with a meal at a local pub and a guest speaker. On Friday the women will get their own back with a Pamper Session with a Crèche for children. On Friday evening there will be an Evening Family Meal at church, again with a speaker.

On Saturday we celebrate our Church Birthday with an open day called “Church Inside Out”. The church will be open from 10am to 4pm with exhibitions by our Church Groups, BBQ, Tea & Coffee, Ice Cream, Children’s Craft and Face Painting. There will also be the opportunity for prayer and ministry. This event will form part of the “Get to Know Rushden” week of events, co-ordinated by Rushden Town Council. Details of all “GTKR” events will be distributed to every house in Rushden.

On Sunday we hope to hold our 10:45am Service in the Church Car Park - no we are not planning to park the cars in the church. The long weekend will conclude with a Celebration Service in Church at 6pm.

Please pray for these events, for the Church and team members and for the local community as they respond to invitations made.

Griffydam Church Cliff Darby writes: we are organizing a 'Secret Agents Holiday Club'. It will run for two days, Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th July. There will be games, craft, song, drama and Bible input.

Worsbrough – Barnsley Christian Resource Centre Emma Wilcock writes: We are quite excited at Worsbrough as we prepare to launch the Barnsley Christian Resource Centre Unfortunately we haven't yet fixed the date but we are progressing quickly towards it. Please ask people to pray for the launch. I will be sending out invitations (I hope by the end of the week) and pray that many people will come. There will be goody bags and refreshments. New Oxford Road – Mexborough Lisa Taylor writes: Mexborough Gala We will be taking part in the community Mexborough Gala on Saturday 10th August

Treasure Seekers Summer Camp For 2013, our Summer Club will be taking place the week commencing 12th August

Please continue to prayer for the Blue Chair Café youth work on Sunday evenings. Thank you

Richmond (Sheffield) – Report back Real Lives with Roger Carswell at Richmond Church Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th May 2013

Wendy Hudson writes: The weekend’s events commenced on Friday afternoon with a Yorkshire Afternoon Tea. There were an assortment of buns and cakes – all made in Yorkshire naturally! - and Roger gave the first talk of the weekend. As well as being challenged to follow Christ in Roger’s talk, there was also his excellent bookstall, which was available each day with plenty of bargains for both Christians and seekers.

On Friday evening Roger spoke to the young people at our Friday Night Download, launched earlier this year during our week of outreach with a team from Cornhill, so this was a great follow- up. Later the same evening was the first of our “Real Lives” events and featured Tamar Pollard, who was interviewed by Roger about her experience when her father was murdered in Hungary during a humanitarian aid mission and her mother was badly beaten up. The theme was forgiveness as we heard how both Tamar and her mother had come to terms with what had happened and been able to forgive the perpetrators as Christ had forgiven them. It was a very moving story.

Saturday evening we had Tony Ford with us and another remarkable story. This time one of healing and God’s calling. Tony was a thalidomide baby, who was born with badly deformed feet. After a series of operations, and other corrective measures he recovered proper use of his feet to such an extent that he was able to play football and recruited to an under-16 team playing for Manchester United. He went on to play professional football in Canada and Australia, before he had a career change to playing professional rugby. In the midst of this, God was calling him, and eventually both Tony and his wife accepted Christ as Saviour. In another change of career, Tony became first of all a full time children’s worker in his church and then responded to a call to the ministry, first in a curacy and now as vicar of a church in Oldham.

Roger powerfully preached the gospel after each of these interviews and also at a men’s breakfast, a Sunday morning Family Service and at a Sunday evening Café Service. I was particularly struck with a message based on Psalm 23, reminding us of the satisfaction, security and serenity that are ours in Christ . We were greatly blessed hearing the gospel so clearly presented and in such an engaging way, and were encouraged that some of the folk who are on the fringes of our fellowship came along during the weekend, and at least one person who was passing decided to come in to a meeting and heard the gospel. Jim, our , was unfortunately ill over the weekend, but we were further encouraged as some of our young people stepped into the breach in leading the Sunday morning service. Thank you for your prayers for this outreach and please thank God for his answers to those prayers.

Stonedge Chapel (Bakewell Circuit) Saturday 29/6 & Sunday 30/6 - Uppertown Social Centre has been hired for week-end. On the Saturday, Christian singer John Pickering will be with us and (hopefully) food will be provided. On Sunday there will be a gospel out-reach service at 2.30pm. Please pray for these events .

Praise in the Peak 2013 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPGKEaKGcYQ Saturday 10th August 2013 from 7.30 pm at Bakewell Show ground on the weekend following the Bakewell Show. Praise in the Peak is a contemporary Christian event for teens and twenties in the Derbyshire area.

The evening is supported by an informal network of evangelical churches, including Anglican, FIEC, Baptist, Methodist and Wesleyan Reform Churches within Derbyshire.

An evening of contemporary worship, music and singing, with a band provided by one of the supporting churches. A speaker will deliver a challenging and youth focused Gospel message. There is availability to camp for the evening with your group of friends.

Addingham (Bradford Circuit) Addingham Gala In July, we will be represented at Addingham Gala. We will take a stall there selling cakes, jams, books, cards etc. We sold out completely last year. We have plenty of Christian literature available, and last year we gave out over 400 Christian newspapers. We did balloons with texts on, and sweets for the kids. There were around six people moving around the event ground speaking to people, and giving out tracts. We are hoping for a similar success this year. Please pray that those who accept the literature may be reached with the Gospel message, and that it will encourage people to come to church. We are hosting other events too; a choir, a brass band concert, and a Jewish Dance Troupe from the Messianic church. There is plenty going on. More details nearer the time.

Bozeat (Wellingborough Circuit) On 8th and 9th June we have our Family weekend. On the Saturday we have a trip to Liverpool, and on the Sunday we have a Family Service led by William and Sharon Partridge-Underwood and then tea. On the 21st June we have our annual Songs of Praise evening.

Dorrington Chapel (Sleaford area) Hugh Kinnard writes: Dorrington Festival and Open Gardens Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July 2013 We have has been invited to join local residents in the Dorrington Festival and Open Gardens. It is planned to extend the traditional Open Gardens format by providing plant and craft stalls, cream teas, music and dance troupes, art displays and exhibitions along with RAF Heritage and local village history displays. Mask making competitions will provided for the children to get involved in and a Dry Boat Race for the whole family to participate in. A barbeque and Hog Roast are also being provided. The Chapel is opening its doors to residents and visitors wishing to view the historical displays on show. Teas will also be served. The Chapel believes this weekend is an opportunity not to be missed, a chance to share Christ's presence. It is closing the weekend with a Sunday evening Songs of Praise service.

Moira Moira Canal Festival Our puppetry group once again attended the Moira Canal Festival in May and had a great time. As the only church exhibiting at the festival we could be forgiven for feeling somewhat isolated but nothing of the sort! Each year the organisers contact us and encourage us to attend. As soon as the children pick up their puppets they draw a crowd of people interested in our ministry. As a result of our attendance at the festival other bookings have come in to take part in the Heart of the Forest Festival at Measham in June and the Coalville Methodist Circuit Garden Fete - also in June. The group are also excited to have received a grant from the Hedley Foundation of £1000 to purchase some black light resources and puppets. All we need now are some dark nights!

We are having a service on August 18th at 10.30 am as part of the Moira Folk Festival that weekend. Musicians and singers from around the country have asked if they can have a service in our church and we will be delighted to welcome them. They have offered to provide the music (including songs/hymns with traditional folk tunes) as well as lead times of worship, prayer and praise. They have also offered some Morris Dancing! Having looked up some of the history of Morris Dancing I can see that much of that history is founded in the church rather than just of Pagan origin - so perhaps we can reclaim that for our .

Countess of Huntingdon Mortimer West End Church Brian Baldwin writes: In our church this weekend we are having a poems, puddings and music evening - an idea I pinched from my sister’s church in Northampton. People share an item of poetry, word or music - serious or fun and in between we enjoy a variety of puddings!

We have a busy time here near Reading at the moment and we would value prayer for various initiatives. I hope they might stimulate some of your folk, too! School Pastors have started to operate at our local Secondary School. The commissioning events went very well. Café B is well patronised at a local Methodist hall. Mortimer Fun Day is well into the planning (6th July). We have a marquee and will have a 'proper' coffee franchise, and in the tent a running programme of events, including musicians, Steve Legg (magician) and Steve Thomson (juggler) and an African Gospel Choir. Independently there will be a Prayer Stop gazebo within the field.

INTER GENERATIONAL WORKSHOPS (2013) Led by Sharon Prior (part time tutor at Cliff College)

Saturday, 13th July - 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Worsbrough Community Church, High Street, Barnsley, S70 4SG

Freewill offering at each event to cover speaker’s expenses

Local Preachers Annual Retreat – Saturday 19th October 10am – 3:40pm At Jump Church, Barnsley. Speaker :- Rev. Derek Cleave. Theme :- “What’s in a Name?”