It hardly got a mention on the BBC news but on 2^nd April a severe earthquake, which measured 8.1 on the Richter scale, shook the Solomon Islands. This resulted in huge tidal waves as the tsunami wrought death and destruction on many islands in the western province. I was asked to visit the United Church of the Solomon Islands to stand alongside our brothers and sisters there in their time of trauma and need.

Continue reading Solomon Islands Tsunami

On Sunday, 8^th July Radio 4’s Sunday Worship will be broadcast live from North Shore Methodist Church, Blackpool. New President of the Conference, the Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, will preach, and the Revd Peter Whittaker, Chair of the West Yorkshire District, will lead the service.

For those of you listening at home, the service starts at 8:10 a.m. and runs until 8:50 on BBC Radio 4. Please spread the word and listen in— this is the first time in a while that Sunday Worship has come from Conference, and if we get a big audience they might do it again.

For those in Blackpool who want to attend: admission is on a first-come, first-seated basis. I am not sure what time North Shore will be open on the day, but the congregation needs to be in place no later than 7:45 a.m. Since this is for radio, you don’t need to dress up, but if you do come please be ready to sing heartily.

Fresh Voices is a Circuit initiative to encourage interest in leading worship and preaching. Within Methodism, worship in many of our churches depends on people from ordinary and diverse backgrounds who serve as Local Preachers or Worship Leaders.

You are warmly invited to a sharing evening, led by Rev. David Wood and a small group of Local Preachers and Worship Leaders, on Thursday, 10^th May at Ashton Methodist Church beginning at 7.30pm.

This will provide you with more information about the opportunities to lead worship and to preach as well as the support you will receive.

Read more about the programme by viewing the Fresh Voices slideshow or reading the Fresh Voices leaflet.

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Originally uploaded by longwayround.

He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

For longer than almost anyone can remember, Preston’s Methodists have gathered on top of Beacon Fell to worship as the sun rises on Easter morning. This year, for the first time since I started going in 1996, we actually had good enough weather to see it.

The Circuit has published a Lenten Prayer Guide which you can find at each of the Circuit’s churches, download as a PDF or follow week-by-week on the Fulwood Methodist Church website from Ash Wednesday onwards.

The PDF version contains suggestions on different ways to pray with hints and tips and things to try.

We want to encourage you to try different ways of praying this Lent and to read the Bible passage set for each week. We have set only one passage for each week to allow you to spend time with each passage or to read around the passage, or to continue with your usual daily readings as well.

During the 40 days of prayer, Circuit churches will be open for prayer at the times indicated on the cover of the Prayer Guide, which is a separate download.