Walsall Circuit (28/4) |
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Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District |
The Methodist Church |
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Welcome to the web
site for the
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Walsall Circuit (28/4) |
|
|
Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District |
The Methodist Church |
|
Welcome to the web
site for the
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For more information on Methodist Churches in the Walsall Circuit, click on a name in the picture below or on a link above.
Moxley is celebrating 25 years in the 'new' church building with a celebration evening on April 23rd at 7pm.
KOMERA, DISTRICT PROJECT
I am delighted to be able to tell you that your efforts have
raised sufficient money to enable the isolation unit at Kibagora Hospital to be
built in its entirety. I extend very grateful thanks to everybody who has
contributed to the fundraising efforts which have really exceeded my
expectations. To mark this milestone we held a service of celebration at Dawley
Christian Centre on Friday, 11 January 2008. We are hoping that the enthusiasm
shown across the District for the project so far will continue with the efforts
to raise the money to build a centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Kigali -
the capital of Rwanda. Part of the service included an act of dedication for the
next stage of the project -- our support of this peace and reconciliation work
at PHARP.
With best wishes
John Howard
WELL DONE RACHEL !! - Sponsored Swim by Rachel for the Komera Project
Congratulations to SARAH for completing her walk
DISTRICT PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND (May 2008)
MINISTER'S LETTERS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Youth Worker's Report, February 2007
Snapshots from a recent traveller
3 December 2007
A word in your ear…
A Word in Time,
the online Bible study for daily life, was launched at the beginning of
September and has been hugely successful, with around 300 visitors to the site
every day (www.methodist.org.uk/bible).
But now the team have
decided to make the studies even more accessible. An audio file of each day’s
Bible study, and a bigger file with all of the studies for each week can easily
be downloaded onto a computer or mp3 player, so that users can listen at a time
convenient to them.
Alison Pollard, Web Writer
and Researcher and the new voice of A Word in Time says; ‘People find
it increasingly difficult to make time to read and reflect on the Bible in
today’s busy world. A Word in Time made it easier by giving people
access to a Bible study on the internet. Now we’ve taken it to the next level
and you can catch up with your daily Bible study at a time most convenient to
you – whether you’re cooking dinner, doing your weekly shop or on the daily
commute to work.’
A Word in Time features a daily Bible reading, background and an
explanation of the text, reflections and questions to ponder from that week’s
contributor. It follows the readings in the Methodist Prayer Handbook bringing
the 40,000 readers of the handbook together with online disciples in their
search for daily spirituality.
Each audio file is
available in two formats – a high quality version for those using broadband
internet connections and a lower-quality file for those using a dial-up
connection. The audio files for past Bible studies are available online in the Word
in Time archives.
The audio Bible studies are
also ideal for sharing with those who otherwise might not have access to daily
Bible notes, perhaps because of a disability or simply not having access to the
internet.
Rachel Williams (aged 12) from Bentley swum her swim at Darlaston Baths. Her aim was to swim 100 lengths of a 25 metre pool in 100 minutes.
In fact she swam it in 59 minutes 45 secs. She has raised about £125 for the Komera Project. See her picture in Express & Star on Tuesday. The money raised will go towards two projects in Komera - an isolation unit at the hospital and 'The Centre for Peace and Reconciliation'.
Sarah Timms from Shropshire set herself a personal challenge recently and in the process hopes to make a difference in Rwanda.
Sarah, aged 20, currently in a gap year before entering university, decided that she would attempt to walk from Lands End to John O’Groats – giving herself ten weeks to complete the challenge! She decided that she should use this opportunity in a positive way and at the same time attempt to raise money for a worthwhile cause. The Komera Project has been adopted by Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District and once Sarah found out about the specific need for an isolation ward at the Kibogora hospital in Rwanda she committed her energies to this.
Setting out on the 11 May, Sarah faced the ravages of an English summer, leaving Lands End in torrential rain and wind. The onslaught continued well into the second week, when Sarah reached a low point in her morale. Walking on her own and carrying her supplies and tent, she found the camp site she was planning to stay would not let her pitch there as it was too wet. The wonderful Methodist Church came to her rescue. The bush telegraph was set up with mother contacting minister and minister contacting the church in Cornwall. On several occasions
Sarah was offered food and shelter by Methodist friends. This friendship, company and nourishment
sustained her, enabling her to keep moving forward.
She successfully completed her walk on 27th August!
As Sarah says: ‘As you can imagine the experience has been very mixed,. I
could be feeling very lonely one minute, singing happily to myself the next or getting worried about being lost. The best thing though
was meeting and talking to all the interesting people along the way whom I most probably would never have met if I hadn’t taken on the
challenge. What makes the Komera project special is that we have spoken to the people of Rwanda so that we can do what they want …not do what we think they want. There is a huge difference.’
Sarah is not a hardened walker, just a young person trying to achieve something for herself and others.
As you can imagine they are very proud of her at Admaston Methodist Church.
You can get more from the Admaston Methodist Church
website
www.admastonmethodist.org.uk/sarahswalk.htm
Is there anyone with office experience who could offer an afternoon a week to keep the circuit admin up to date. John Davies has been doing this very willingly since he came into the Circuit, but is now faced with looking after four churches instead of three and would welcome some assistance.
Please contact us at
circuit@walsallfriend.org.uk
or ring John Davies
John Wilcox and his wife Carole have undertaken extensive travel in the last two years since his retirement. Their experiences in the Americas have been particularly interesting and John shares some of his notes with us. The contrast between prosperity and poverty is very great
and John makes the point that these are all Christian countries, but with different histories. They have already made bookings for further travels and have a list stretching well into the future.
Canada - smart, sprawling, clear roads, good tourist spots now becoming over-commercialised
(e.g. Niagara), rail is freight-orientated, housing standards generally high, abundant flags.
Alaska (USA) - few people but concentrated in the towns (often only reached by sea-plane), employment seems high, pavements very dodgy to the unwary - H & S seems to be lacking ! Railways efficient,
e.g. Anchorage and Skagway areas.
New England (USA) - Maine / Massachusetts / Vermont / New Hampshire / Rhode Island - generally clean except for areas of large cities / towns where graffiti and rubbish abound, clear roads, good tourist sites but becoming over-commercialised, parks and memorials (even to victories over the hated British in 1766 and 1812) very well manicured. Trying to build up a 'history', with flags everywhere, even in cemeteries.
Caribbean - each island has its own character, and flags are conspicuous - I like St.Kitts / Nevis. with its railway; Carole likes Tobago with its scenery; Grenada still seems to be suffering from the Cuban invasion and being ignored by UK at the time, and recently by the hurricane where UK has chipped-in to help; Antigua is good if you appreciate Nelsonic-naval history; Barbados is vibrant; Dominica is lush;
St. Lucian children in their school uniforms are very smart; the Virgin Islands (USA) are over-commercialised but drive as in UK and V.I.(UK) are very pretty but steep. However, all are spoilt by dumped rubbish such as refrigerators / cars / old building materials / graffiti, and litter, with 'palaces' (probably belonging to those who have emigrated, invested, and returned) cheek-by-jowl with shanties, and churches often being adjacent to a liquor-store - both offering spiritual salvation however, the police are conspicuous. Curacao (Dutch) - has no natural water-supply and so depends on
desalination, but again is pretty and well-organised; Aruba (Dutch) is generally very prosperous with its oil-led economy; and
St. Maarten (50% Dutch and 50% French) is well -organised with good housing and employment though with its separate communities. good housing, and employment.
Mexico (Acapulco) - much unemployment with shanties adjacent to skyscraper hotels and offices on a wide curving beach, over-commercialised but too-vibrant with noise and traffic-congestion.
Nicaragua - now for a shock ! Its recent disruption and dictatorship has left it with few 'palaces' but even its churches look run-down, though well-used. Unemployment is rife, and whole families are begging, with babies and grannies all standing with their hands out or trying to sell trinkets. The 50-mile drive to Granada was abounded by rubbish, litter, and shanties. Public transport was run-down and almost non-existent. The retail premises are gloomy and cramped, and in need of 'modern' touches. A startling contrast to our comparative-affluence and well-being.
Puerto Rica - much more affluent than its neighbouring Nicaragua . The tourist industry is emphasised so that tidiness and facilities are much more evident. Little graffiti or litter / rubbish and, with no Armed Services and a stable administration, the police are not common.
Panama - the Canal is a money-spinner, as long as it remains frequently dredged (deforestation has brought on difficulties with lower rainfall causing maintenance problems) and widened and deepened.. A general air of affluence and employment.
These are all Christian countries with non-Christian places of worship often being conspicuous by their absence.
R. John Wilcox, August 2006
I have just returned from visiting S. Norway / Denmark / Sweden, inc. Gotland, Latvia / Estonia / Russia (St.P.burg.) (East) Germany, to-and-from Southampton.
The excursion guides, whilst chatting, have each reported the current ethos of their nation.
General attitudes were :
All current and former royal palaces were o.o.t. cf. UK, and no wonder that Russians overthrew Tsarist regime which had oppressed them into greater
poverty by contrast, and Latvia / Estonia were now republics.
Sweden / Denmark / Norway very proud of their Monarchy.
Most countries reluctantly accepted the Euro (they preferred their own, except (E.) Germany) rather than $ or £ - but the ship was in £.
Global warming will sink these countries and certainly their capitals if the sea-level rises.
EU has routed their fishing fleets, their military defences.
EU has imposed immigration upon them and they, therefore, insist on fluency in language and history before entry and acceptance. Few `foreigners` were
evident.
The Russian Police force is recognised as corrupt, and walking around in St.P is
intimidating, though the buildings are enormous.
Islam etc. has no place because, in e.g. Visby (Gotland), the state gives 2% of GNP towards looking after their Churches - which were beautifully kept -
though o.o.t. in splendour with gilt and stained windows everywhere, even if 12 or 13 Century. There were no temples visible anywhere.
The EU has helped East Germany / Latvia / Estonia tremendously to restore municipal buildings.
Naval power was evident at sea and in Copenhagen / St.Petersburg / Warnemunde, but the only UK RN ship was in Southampton awaiting scrapping.
The Baltic is polluted and bathing is not recommended.
Education is free, and minimal HE costs (eg. £60 per term for transport).
Health care is usually paid to the GP on each entry but any consequences (eg. Visby by helicopter to Stockholm) are included, inc. prescriptions.
The North Sea was generally empty, except for Oil Rigs, but the Baltic and ports were busy.
Each country had an individual history which was very mixed with Denmark / Finland / Russia / Hanseatic League / Sweden having had periods of
`colonial` power.
Gotland has no defence, and is wary of being vulnerable to terrorist attack, esp. if the Russia-EU gas pipeline runs nearby.
John.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
APRIL
10th Circuit Finance & GP Meeting - Caldmore - 7.30 pm
19th Representative Synod - Ellesmere - from 10.00 am (Venue to be advised)
27th United Service at Central Hall at 6.30 pm to mark 50 years of preaching by
Gilbert Rowley, and 60 years by Fran Harper
MAY
1st Joint Walsall Circuits Preachers' Meeting - Brownhills - 7.30 pm
12th Circuit Easter Offering Dedication Service - Central Hall - 2.30 pm -
Speaker Mrs M Gessey
We launched the website with ambitions to make it easy to find out what is happening within Walsall Methodism and by links to other sites, to stay well informed about others. We hope that the links already provided are interesting, and will be pleased to follow up any new suggestions. We have plenty of site capacity, and would like to build up a collection of archive photos, and of memories of times past. Anyone with stories to tell or photos should contact David Phillips who will gladly add them to the site. Watch the site for new developments.
You can e-mail us at walsallcircuit@walsallfriend.org.uk
Site design by David Phillips :- david.phillips@virgin.net
