Hallelujah

Forget that last posting, I’ve now sussed it out

Help !!

Help, I need a teenager !  I’ve got a new mobile phone and I cannot find my way around it. And yet I get the feeling that if a teenager had it they would fully understand it within minutes, whereas, old fuddy-duddy that I obviously am, I cannot comprehend how to save a simple picture !

Today

Wonderful baptism today. Albie, son of Leah and Steven was baptised today. Leah and Steven are a deaf couple and they invited me to baptise their son. Leah’s mum signed the service for me as I didn’t trust myself to get all the signs right and besides I couldn’t fathom out how to sign the service AND hold the baby at the same time !

Albie was an absolute delight, but so were the family and friends of Leah and Steven; some were hearing people and some weren’t but they all took part and were keen to make it a special occasion. I felt really blessed by them all.

Today was back to Church Sunday and at 9.45 a.m. we had a Waingroves baptism with about 100 people, followed by the regular 10.45 a.m. with about 20 people. I then went onto Codnor for Albie’s baptism with another 70 people and concluded at Nether Heage with their Harvest Festival where another 50 had gathered.

Of these 240 I estimate that about 150 were not regular churchgoers. I hope and pray that I may have given them a taste of Jesus; that they may have been challenged to find out more and that they may be blessed by Him.

All in all its been a good day.

Why ?

Why is it that when others make mistakes or get things wrong I’m expected just to forgive and forget, yet when I make a genuine mistake I’m accused of all sorts; apparently I’m the spawn of the devil or at least thats how a couple of people have made me feel this evening. I’m someone who is so useless that I’m to be pitied or mistrusted. I know that it is only a couple of people who have spoken sharply tonight, and that there are many who would speak up for me, but at the moment it really, really hurts. My mind tells me that logically I should just dismiss it but my emotions are raw.

I know that we should heed the lifestyle of our Lord Jesus who was able to forgive people who did far worse to him, than anything thats been done for me, but to be brutally honest it is VERY hard. I spend all my life trying to understand when people make mistakes; I try to affirm them and find ways around their mistakes so that they won’t feel bad about them, yet others won’t allow me that same slack.

“Father, I’m sorry for the way I’m feeling right now. Please forgive me and help me to continue to treat others, even those who’ve hurt me, with love and respect.” 

     The new Chapel at Ripley is almost complete. This is the latest picture of the building as of this week. The builders are well ahead of schedule and they have done a fantastic job (Davlyns construction, if anyone wishes to employ them). A few of us were allowed on site yesterday to have a look at the inside of the Church; it looks very smart and its exciting to b e at this stage. If you get a chance have a look at the pictures from the Ripley Methodist Church website.

Better still, if you can donate several thousand pounds (joking)……………………………….

As Christians we’re always saying that the church is the people not the building; yes, thats true but the building gives us a focal point and when it has a cross on it, the building itself actually stands as a witness to the centrality of Jesus Christ in the community.

Please continue to pray for the Church members as they continue to fund raise and prepare for the return to the site.

I'm back again !!!!

Over a month since I last wrote anything on here; I know that some folk keep an eye on it to see what I’m up to and I apologise to them. It does genuinely astonish me that some folk care enough about me to read this drivel.

So what have I been up to for the last month ?

Well its been a very busy time. We’ve just begun an Alpha course at Swanwick Chapel; going great and already some lively exchanges of views. Although held at one of my churches its being supported by participants, catering and other jobs by people from right across the area. Very exciting.

Last Saturday (12th) we launched our Mission Shaped Ministry course at Huthwaite. MSM is a part of the whole Fresh Expressions (of Church) movement which is revolutionising Church all over the country. I attended the course in Lincoln in 2007 (see previous posts) and am now part of a planning team responsible for rolling out the course across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. We had 36 participants at the launch last week from a variety of backgrounds. Excellent teaching sessions, lot of fun and laughter. Its going to be as busy and tiring course but a good one.

On top of all this I have been somewhat embroiled in the reshaping for mission programme that the Methodist Church connexionally is following. This is encouraging churches/circuits to look at their life and make changes to place mission at the forefront. For the Ripley circuit this will have far reaching effects as we split the circuit next Sept 2010 to merge with other circuits and create two larger groupings. This has been a painful decision but for mission purposes I believe is right.

The upshot is that Alison and I will now move into one of the circuits and have to move house, again !

Alison is entering her final year of Ordination training and is now on the lookout for a parish (in our new area) in which to serve as a curate. Please pray for her.

The girls and Jamie have moved out over this last month and the house seems a lot quieter but they call in regularly to see us, eat our food, watch out tv and pinch the computer ! Still we wouldn’t have it any other way.

All in all, its been a very busy time; thanks again to those who support the Redshaws, it means an awful lot.