THE GREEN SOCK NEWS FROM THE SHROPSHIRE AND MARCHES CIRCUIT GUEST WRITER ISSUE 19 AUG - SEPT 2016 In the Acts reading for FOLLOW Pentecost Sunday, Peter ME CIRCUIT NEWS quotes some words spoken by Revd. John Howard the prophet Joel: Moves On pg. 7 28 “Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on Wesley Morris everyone: Accredited As Local your sons and daughters will proclaim my Preacher pg. 5 message; Revd. Andrew your old people will have dreams, Champley Retires and your young people will see visions. pg. 4 Joel 2:28 (GNT). Les Miserables Study I believe that God uses many ways to speak to Weekend At Church us. Sometimes he even uses our dreams. In the Stretton pg. 6 Bible there are many occasions when God used Her Majesty The the dreams of people to reveal something that Queen Thanks he wanted them to know, the most (Cont. pg. 2) Leominster Youth Group pg. 8 Former MWiB President Jill Baker Talks Pilgrimage pg. 18 METHODIST CHURCH IN BRITAIN NEWS Methodist Conference Calls For Post Referendum Action pg. 3 President And Wesley Morris Accredited As Local Preacher pg. 5 Vice President Introduced pg. 20 well-known of these in the Old Testament is Joseph’s story. Not only were his dreams prophetic, but he also had the gift to interpret his and others’ dreams. In the New Testament too we see God using dreams to speak to Joseph the father of Jesus to help him understand the situation of Jesus’ birth. About five years ago, God used a dream to speak to me, it was during a time of uncertainty in my life, I was questioning if I was being called to Ordained Ministry at the time. My role of the past three years working for the Church would soon be ending, so what were God’s plans for my future? I dreamt that I was in the woods close to home, and I could see no way out. There were trees everywhere I looked, and no path. A voice spoke and said to me, “Follow the way of the cross.” As I looked up a cross appeared on the tree directly in front of me. I walked to it and the cross disappeared, only to reappear on another tree, which I walked to. As I got to the tree the same happened again, and so it continued until I was out of the woods. As I stood on the top of the common looking out to the rising landscape in the distance, it became transformed into a radiance that I had never seen before. It was beyond words of description. I remember thinking this is wonderful, I must get my father to come and see this. With that the dream faded. When I awoke the following morning, my dream fresh in my mind, I then began to wonder if God was saying something to me. After several discussions with different people I spoke about it to a wise colleague at the Hospital where I am Chaplain. As we discussed it he started to unpack the dream. Follow the way of the Cross? Follow Jesus. Well I was already doing that. The glorious scene at the end? A glimpse of the glory of God, and the need to share that with others. The location of this dream? On my own doorstep. What was God saying to me? My mission field for you at this moment in time, is here. God speaks to us in many ways and we should, always be open to His prompting as we seek to serve Him. As we talk with God during our prayer time, may we be open to listen for His guidance, with our whole being. The Guest Writer for this issue is Chaplain Ruth Downes. The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and not necessarily representative of the Methodist Church. 2 AFTER THE REFERENDUM: NATIONAL LIFE The United Kingdom, as a result of the referendum on 23 June 2016, has voted to leave the European Union. In this time of very significant change and uncertainty there is a need for leadership which seeks the common good and encourages people to work together, to respect one another and to uphold the dignity of all. The Methodist Conference believe that the British Isles are enriched by diversity and celebrates the contribution made by those who have come from other parts of the world. The Christian tradition calls for respect, tolerance, love of neighbour and hospitality to the stranger. All bear the responsibility of speaking and acting for healing, reconciliation, and mutual respect. The Methodist Conference abhors and deeply regrets those actions and words which incite hatred and lead to the victimisation of groups within society and notes with concern that such actions and words have been normalised in recent public discourse. Believing that racism is a denial of the gospel and that to stay silent when others are abused is to collude with those who seek to promote hatred and division, the Conference calls: On the Methodist people to challenge racism and discrimination. For a political debate which neither demonises any nor leaves the vulnerable (the foreigner, the immigrant and refugee) in danger of victimisation. On political leaders to work together for the good of the whole community putting the needs of the nation before party politics. On all those in positions of power and authority to hear the voices of those who have been marginalised and alienated and to respond to them in ways which offer real hope for the future. The Conference encourages the Methodist people to join the campaign to wear an empty safety pin as a badge symbolising solidarity against racism. RESOLUTIONS: 58/1. The Conference adopts the Report. 58/2. The Conference directs that this statement be sent to the Prime Minister and to national media and that it be read in all Methodist Churches as soon as possible with it then being made available for members of the Church to send to their own constituency MPs. For further information please contact Leigh Maydew, PA to the District Chair at: [email protected] 3 REVD. ANDREW CHAMPLEY RETIRES The retirement of Revd. Champley was marked by two services at the end of July. His final service, at Minsterley Chapel, preceded a Farewell Service at Bayston Hill. Revd. Champley’s retirement comes at the end of six years’ service in the Shropshire and Marches Circuit. His arrival in 2010 coincided with the amalgamation of several Circuits to establish the current Circuit where he has worked primarily in the Minsterley and Bishop’s Castle Clusters. More recently his role included working within the Ecumenical Partnership in Harlescott. Revd. Champley told the Green Sock of some of the positive changes and growth he has seen while serving the Circuit. He recollected some “very good times” at Pontesbury Chapel, where in addition to his ministry he and his wife Ruth have hosted several successful musical evenings. “The membership has increased and there has developed a strong connection with the community and that’s been very good.” he said. They will be moving to Revd. Champley’s home town of Morecambe. He remarked on changes at Kinnerton Chapel, which had faced potential closure saying, “Kinnerton has had some sort of mini revival where the people have come forward and taken an active role in it, which has been very encouraging.” Revd. Champley also praised the Vron Gate Singers who have contributed greatly to worship in the two Clusters. Revd. Champley set up and led regular Bible Among their many farewell gifts the couple Studies at Bishop’s Castle and Minsterley received are paintings of two Shropshire views they particularly love; one from the Manse. Chapels. “I always felt that was something I could do, lead Bible study. Minsterley had a very loyal group with a quite mixture of churches there. I had quite a good response to that as well as the Prayer Meetings at Plealey, Asterley, Pontesbury and Minsterley,” he said, adding that he would miss leading the groups as well as assisting in the Holiday Club activities at Bishop’s Castle which he and Ruth did annually. In his final sermon Revd. Andrew drawing from the apostle Paul’s words to the Colossians (3:2), told the congregation gathered at Minsterley to question attitudes to worldly things. He said, “As Christians we need to view things in the way Christ sees them. As Christians we are called to reflect God’s values and not the world’s values.” 4 WESLEY MORRIS ACCREDITED AS LOCAL PREACHER Among those who had advised Superintendent Minister Revd. Richard Hall on what constitutes a good sermon, were his mother, herself a Local Preacher and the Supernumerary Minister who had overseen his training. From his mother he learnt to Revd. Richard Hall and Wesley Morris “Stand up, speak up the shut up”, while the Supernumerary advised, “When you prepare a sermon, you should prepare it to preach to yourself because that way you know you’ve always got an attentive congregation.” Recalling such wise counsel during the Accreditation Service of Wesley Morris at Minsterley Chapel in July, Revd. Hall affirmed the significance of both sermon length and structure, he lent upon the old adage: “You tell them what you’re going to tell them, then you tell them, then you tell them what you told them,” but then for the truest, most sound advice he could offer, he fixed upon the words from Isaiah with which, in Luke 4, Jesus initiates his ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.