The Newsletter of the Camelford and Week St. Mary Circuit 12/20 Bethel, Boscastle, Bossiney, Brockhill, Camelford, Delabole, Living Water, Maxworthy, Rehoboth, St. Breward, St. Teath, St. Tudy, Tintagel, Tremail, Tresparrett, Treveighan, Week St. Mary Happy new year everyone! I pray we are all up to the challenges that it will bring. I will face the challenge of being a supernumerary; you will have the challenge of a new minister, a new way of ‘being Circuit’ and the challenge of finding ways to be relevant in the twenty first century while standing firm on the basic tenets of the Christian faith. That, I think, is the key factor. We are not here just to serve the material needs of our communities (although we do aim to do that) but to challenge people spiritually and to be living witnesses to the power and the wonder and the love of God. The early Methodists challenged each other regularly with the question, ‘How is it with your soul?’’ I don’t think we ask that question even of ourselves anywhere near enough. How is it with your soul? Does your awareness of God’s call on your life increase with each passing day? Are you aware of what it really means to follow Jesus? Is being a Christian the most important thing in your life? Is it in mine? And if any of us answers, ‘No, not really!’ - then what are we going to do about it? This month we will hopefully all be attending Covenant Services and renewing our covenant relationships with God. I have always found the Covenant Prayer deeply challenging I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God,Father, Son and Holy Spirit,you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. This year why not think about it: pray about it: embrace it: live it – and together we can change the spiritual decline of our culture and bring about renewal and revival as we rededicate ourselves to the service of God. And may He be with us all, to inspire, to strengthen and to Guide. With love in Christ, Doreen On Sunday evening November 19th a few of us met at Camelford to learn about SWYM. This is an acronym for South West Youth Ministries which is based at Moorlands. We began the evening by watching an animated presentation of the parable of The Talents, which was part of the lectionary readings for the day then everyone spoke about what they had personally received from the morning service in their own chapels. Rev. Doreen then handed over to our speaker, Sophie Doyle who, with her daughter Lily outlined for us the work that SWYM undertakes. It began twenty years ago with the vision that every child, young person and adult should have a meaningful relationship with God. Training and support is offered to those wishing to work with young people in this endeavour and resources are provided to back up the work, including involvement from local churches. Twenty thousand children and young people had been reached by SWYM over the years by trainees who have undertaken a course named, ‘Be Transformed’ There are six national conferences a year in which thirty-two hours of youth work are embarked upon and eight hours of dedicated study. ‘Activate’ is a programme exploring faith through activity and twenty-five holiday camps are organised annually where football, baking, and beauty courses are offered to the youngsters. The workers do this work voluntarily but are supported by local churches and individuals who offer accommodation etc. Lily, Sophie’s daughter, explained a programme called ‘Rise Up’ which runs on the themes of Redeemed, Restored and Released and mentoring plays a large part in this course. Who would have thought that a film crew sponsored by the Chinese Government Department of Culture would come across the world to Camelford to to make a film about a Christian Missionary who was born in Camelford in 1864? That man was Samuel Pollard. Samuel Pollard and his friend Frank Dymond sailed off to southwest china to start missionary work when they were only 22 years old. After many hair raising experiences Sam Pollard arrived at his mission station which was so small he had to keep his horse in the kitchen! Sam travelled around dressed in Chinese clothes and wearing a pigtail, preaching and gathering a crown by banging a drum of blowing a trumpet. His reputation reached a poor and uneducated group of oppressed people called The Miao people who live in the mountains. They wanted to know more about Jesus and eventually several hundred came and refused to return without Sam Pollard. It is Pollard’s ministry to the Miao people that has gained him an amazing reputation in China. So much so that the previous President of China Hu Jimtao when he was governor of south west China told his officials to be like Sam Pollard and look after the poor. He also had Pollard’s grave reinstated after it was destroyed in the Cultural revolution. There is a large building at Nanjing University and an Educational Institute both named after Pollard. And back here in Cornwall there is a Pollard Hall in Padstow where Sam Pollard came to give a talk and raise funds for his work in China. People still remember that he came dressed in full Chinese costume complete with pigtail. To the Miao people Sam Pollard is a saint and anything special that happens is attributed to him even though he died in 1915 from Typhoid fever after nursing a child with Typhoid who survived. One of the reasons for Sam Pollard’s fame is that he developed a written script for the Miao people who had no written language and Pollard Script is still used in slightly modified form by several ethnic groups in the far east. It might seem strange that a Communist Government should want to make a film about a Cornishman born more than 150 years ago in Camelford. But he is revered by many in China and we should be proud of this brave and determined missionary from Camelford. Living Water held a Christmas Tree Festival on December 9th and 10th on the theme of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, which was well supported by chapel members, local villagers and members from other chapels in the Circuit. Trevor Shute and Mervyn Colwill had erected long benches which held ten of the trees and the other two were in the porch, transforming the interior of the building into an exciting grotto with twinkling lights and the most imaginative of decorations on each tree to illustrate the twelve gifts brought by the young man to his true love. Partridge in a Two turtle doves Eleven lords pear tree a- leaping The spiritual meanings of each gift were shown beside every tree with for example the partridge in the pear tree standing for Jesus, the only Son of God and the four calling birds representing the four gospels. Dorothy Bearns had lent us the beautiful wall hanging that she had made showing all of the twelve days of Christmas and this was hung in the porch to welcome our visitors. The full list was exhibitors was :- 1. Living Water Chapel Dorothy’s wall hanging 2. Rehoboth Chapel 3. Bethel Chapel ●●● 4. Canworthy Water Brownies 5.2nd Bude Scouts - Jacobstow 6. Mums and Tots 7. Friends of Warbstow School 8. Tresparrett Methodist Church 9. The Near Escapers 10. The Manic Mansers 11. Warbstow Parish Church 12. Young at Heart ●●● Thr oughout the two days refreshments were served in the Schoolroom by members of Living Water and £270 was raised for Chapel Funds from donations placed in the collecting boxes. Thank you to those who dressed the trees, to all who supported the effort and to those who worked hard to organise the event. Two Methodist Women in Britain events took place at the end of November and the beginning of December. The first was at Tintagel on November 29th when we were treated to a most interesting Power Point presentation by Sue Ede at the Advent Service. Various ladies from several chapels took parts pointing out the parts played by prophets in the foretelling of the coming of Jesus into the world at Christmas and we were urged to prepare ourselves for that amazing event. We were also told the significance of the Christingle Service and a group of ladies demonstrated how Christingles were made and used in worship. Perhaps the most moving part of the service came towards the end when Jill Smeeth from Camelford brought her beautiful baby grand-daughter Chloe, to represent the infant Jesus while she herself told the story of the part that Mary played in God’s plan to send His Son into the world. We sang familiar and much-loved carols and the morning concluded with tea or coffee and mince-pies topped with clotted cream that were served by the ladies of Tintagel. The second MWiB event took place on December 7th at Tresparrett when ladies from around the Circuit were invited to bring along favourite carols and readings and we were entertained by several sketches that were relevant to the story of the First Christmas.