The Synod Chair, Rev’d Dr Stephen Wigley, is giving the Weekend Word this Friday, 19th June at 7:25 am on BBC Radio Wales.

Coronavirus – guidance from the Methodist Church

We recognise the challenge which the whole country is facing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Helpful guidance for our life as a church (which is regularly updated) can be found on the Methodist Church website at:

https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/latest-news/all-news/the-methodist-church-coronavirus-guidance-and-resources/

Dear  Friends

I want to share a vision and a challenge.

As our 15 months of prayer across Wales draws to a close in unpredicted and unpredictable circumstances, I note that May 24^th falls on  a Sunday, with Pentecost falling on 31^st May, the last day of our schedule.

So the vision: Will you join me in encouraging 100 people across our synods and churches in Wales to join in a Zoom prayer meeting for renewal of the church and saving the world from the virus between 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm on those two Sunday evenings? The choice of time is so that our hearts might be strangely warmed at a quarter before nine. Each evening could include arriving for coffee from say 7.30, some worship, scripture and lots of prayer.

NB People will be able to join by computer or ordinary landline telephone.

If you share the vision please email back a brief message of encouragement.

I will then give it more thought and a loose outline structure and circulate the Zoom link for you to forward to your network.

I look forward to hearing from you – please do get in touch to offer support and encouragement.

God bless

Stay safe!

Paul (Donnison)

This Sunday’s BBC Radio Wales Celebration will be led by Rev Cathy Gale.

The programme start at 7:30 and will repeated on BBC Wales at 18:30.

The service will also be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast.

A Pastoral message for Wesley Day, 24^th May 2020

Dear Friends,

it’s my pleasure to send greetings to you across the Wales Synod, as we celebrate Wesley Day this weekend.

Wesley Day, or Aldersgate Sunday as we sometimes call it, commemorates that occasion in May 1738 when John Wesley, following the experience of his brother Charles a few days earlier, felt his heart ‘strangely warmed’ while attending a fellowship group in Aldersgate Street in London, where someone was reading Luther’s Preface to the Romans.

We remember it primarily for that ‘heart-warming’ experience in which Wesley was given an assurance of faith and felt his sins forgiven. But what was equally important is what happened afterwards, how John Wesley felt called to do what others like George Whitfield around him had started to do, namely himself to begin the practice of ‘field preaching’.

This aimed to take the Gospel message out to the thousands of people who had moved in response to the Industrial Revolution living in new communities far from any parish church, but who now heard John Wesley and other travelling preachers bringing the Gospel message to them, preaching in the highways and market places of the newly emerging Industrial society. It was this decision which was to lead to the Methodist societies, the travelling preachers and circuits, and eventually to the churches and Conference of our own Methodist Church today.

Now it may seem a little odd to be celebrating just when we’re in lock-down and unable to travel to worship together. But there was something in the experience of John Wesley about responding to changing times by doing things differently – and maybe amidst all our commemorations that’s where we still have something to learn, about responding to the gospel call in new ways and with different people.

I have a sense that this is something starting across churches in our own times, as we explore new forms of technology and learn to share fellowship in new ways – for example in the prayer initiative ‘If my people…’ taking place across Wales over these next two weekends. And maybe that’s not a bad way for us all to celebrate Wesley Day, not just this weekend, but looking into the future.

With every blessing.

Stephen

Rev. Dr. Stephen Wigley,

Chair of the Wales Synod of the Methodist Church

Coronavirus – guidance from the Methodist Church

We recognise the challenge which the whole country is facing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Helpful guidance for our life as a church (which is regularly updated) can be found on the Methodist Church website at:

https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/latest-news/all-news/the-methodist-church-coronavirus-guidance-and-resources/

Dear  Friends

Excuse me if you get this multiple times or if you have already replied.

I want to share a vision and a challenge.

As our 15 months of prayer across Wales draws to a close in unpredicted and unpredictable circumstances, I note that May 24^th falls on  a Sunday, with Pentecost falling on 31^st May, the last day of our schedule.

So the vision: Will you join me in encouraging 100 people across our synods and churches in Wales to join in a Zoom prayer meeting for renewal of the church and saving the world from the virus between 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm on those two Sunday evenings? The choice of time is so that our hearts might be strangely warmed at a quarter before nine. Each evening could include arriving for coffee from say 7.30, some worship, scripture and lots of prayer.

NB People will be able to join by computer or ordinary landline telephone.

If you share the vision please email back a brief message of encouragement.

I will then give it more thought and a loose outline structure and circulate the Zoom link for you to forward to your network.

I look forward to hearing from you – please do get in touch to offer support and encouragement.

God bless

Stay safe!

Paul (Donnison)

Randall Peers,one of the Congregation at Northop Hall Methodist Church, was voted the regional winner in the Methodist Insurance Community Volunteer Awards. The voting is now on to find a national winner.

The voting continues until July. The link is below.

https://www.methodistinsurance.co.uk/volunteerawards/

Thank you for your support.