A PASTORAL LETTER from the President of the Methodist Conference, issued following his address to the Synod of the Church of England, is HERE


THE EARTHQUAKE in HAITI

 Haiti's Methodist Church has 12,000 members, the largest number in the districts in the British-linked Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas. They have lost many churches and schools, as well as lives of members.
The Methodist Church in Britain is appealing to people to make their response through the World Mission Fund while international relief agencies and governments work to bring relief to Haitians.

THE COST OF THE EARTHQUAKE
has mainly been to the poor people in Haiti itself whose lives have been devastated. It has also devastated some of our fellow-Methodists who had gone to help the people of Haiti: a friend in the USA has recorded that he "learned that two friends, Sam Dixon (head of UMCOR -the United Methodist Committee on Relief) and Clint Rabb (head of mission volunteers at GBGM -the American Church's General Board of Global Mission) both died as a result of injuries they sustained from the earthquake.  They were in Port-au-Prince representing the United Methodist church making plans for better medical care in Haiti.  Their deaths are a major blow to the United Methodist Church and the church's disaster and relief and mission work done all over the world, and of course to their families and friends."


Revd Tom Quenet, who preached at Staple Hill (left) on 7th September, has attended their funeral in the USA and now is in Haiti to discuss how your help can be most effectively directed.

You can get more information, and access to the complete texts of items marked with #, through the Circuit e-ZINE

#The latest E-letter from the Bristol Methodist District joint public issues team (Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed) contains useful information about the General Election, Credit Unions, Renewable Energy suppliers and the District Mission Portfolio Environmental Report for Synod April 2010

#FAITHNETSOUTHWEST NEWS AND EVENTS of 26th January covers not only 'local'initiatives, but the whole of the Southwest region

* MIDLAND ROAD
METHODIST CENTRE


read the latest Newsletter
by clicking HERE

 
 

Our area includes several properties owned and run by Methodist Homes (MHA), esteemed and recognised as leaders in care (by all but Methodists themselves, it seems sometimes).

The latest District Newsletter which you can print out, from Mrs Margaret Naish, our Circuit MHA contact person, can be read by clicking HERE
(Hint: when you open the Print menu, in the Page Scaling box choose "Fit to Printable Area", and check "Autorotate and center")

We understand that The Methodist International House in its present premises in Clifton will close next year: it has been a brilliant example of what many of us thought the Church is called to do, and our prayers and good wishes are with those who need to Plan for the next stage.

It is hard to believe that there is not still an opportunity to continue in some way.

Read the staff's latest NEWSLETTER (text) here




'SABBATICALS'
are an opportunity for ministers to do something special each seven years:
they appreciate it very much.
 If you click on the picture of David Hardy on the left
you can read one Minister's fascinating study during his time of study leave

IMPORTANT: CPD
If you need to know the rules by which the Church tries to be properly Methodical, you can find and download the complete text -or any bit you need - of the official "Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church" ('CPD')
HERE


WEBSITES FOR PREACHERS

at the Local Preachers' Meeting on 16th March
Revd Peter Grimwood provided a list of suggested websites which are worth consulting.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST 

and HERE to see a second list -from the Meeting on 9th June -of his recent reads

There is also some valuable information about
Continuing Preacher Development
on a Website from Leeds -HERE

also
The Methodist Church Website has useful suggestions of resources for worship on a SPECIAL PAGE
which is maintained by The Revd Adrian Burdon of the Worship and Liturgy Resources Group. If you have found other sites with useful resources please E-mail Adrian at methodistworship@btinternet.com