SUMMER NEWS LETTER

Dear All

I hope you are still enjoying the sunshine that is shining on my keyboard at present?

Here is an update on various matters relating to Local Preachers & Worship Leaders in our Southampton District.

General communication

The new District Website is due to go live at the beginning of July and I will try to ensure that our pages are kept as up to date as possible.  If you have any comments about our pages please let me know.  Also please keep an eye on the District Diary pages so that we try to avoid clashes of dates when planning events.

The address of the new website will be http://www.southamptonmethodistdistrict.org.uk/

You already know our plans to be able to contact all LPs & WLs direct via E Mail

Worship Leaders

We are confident that we have found the ideal person to become the new District Worship Leader Enabler.  They are currently busy with other things and we are hoping they will be able to taken on the role from the spring of 2011.

A Worship Leader Conference is planned for March 12^th 2011 – details will follow in the Autumn.

District LP Learning Days

Just to remind us all about the two learning days planned for October

I am really pleased to tell you that I have managed to get Rev Martin Turner (Methodist Central Hall Westminster) to be our leader for both days and his subject will be  “Expository Preaching”

• Saturday October 2^nd 2010 at the United Church Dorchester
• Saturday October 9^th 2010 at Drayton Methodist Church Portsmouth

The timings are the same for both days and you are very welcome to attend either or both events. 

Everyone is welcome – you do not have to be an LP!

Please let me know nearer the time how many of your Preachers, Worship Leaders and others you expect to attend  so that we can plan accordingly.

15.30 – Departures

• 10.00 - Church open for Tea/Coffee
• 10.30 - Welcome  & opening worship
• 10.45 - 12.45 Presentation by Rev Martin Turner
• Tea & Coffee will be available as you go to your group sessions
• 12.45 - Lunch Time.  We will provide soup and a roll as well as tea & coffee
• 1.30 – Presentation by Rev Martin Turner
• 15.15 – Closing Worship

Ecumenical Activities

We are still trying to work through the local RTP to see if there is any mileage in a joint training scheme for LPs and Anglican Lay Readers.

Things have ground to a halt at present while we await news from Connexion about plans to rewrite Faith & Worship.  We expect to hear about this in the Autumn.

Meeting of District LP Enablers at Connexion

This meeting took place in London on June 5^th.

Much discussion took place on many subjects!  Here are the key issues

·         Response to the recent questionnaire about preaching has produced the best response ever!   A detailed report on “Ministries, Learning & Development Issues” has gone to Conference, we can expect more news in August.  A further report will go to Conference in 2011 for actions to be approved.

·         It seems that plagiarism is on the increase in respect of Faith & Worship assignments.  Assessors are trying to be fair & flexible

·         Connexion are happy to look at training courses other than Faith & Worship provided that F&W outcomes are met and F&W assignments are submitted for assessment

·         Connexion currently spends £6.5M on training

·         Another “person” is to be employed at Church house to help with LP & WL issues

·         Doug Swanney agreed that LPs are not well represented on some committees at Church House!   A new “Ministries Committee” is being formed which will help this situation.

·         Any new F&W course must offer joined up thinking with lay (LP & WL) and ordained being part of the same programme

·         A national Worship leader Database is planned, currently Connexion has no idea how many WLs we have and who they are!

·         We need to try and raise the profile of WLs

The Rekindle Material

I hope that you have been able to keep up to speed with the material our District Training Officer is producing for us.

Here is a reminder of the dates and topics.  Please invite your “preachers” to make use of this material where appropriate

The bookmark/postcards are being mailed direct to your “Supers” for onward distribution to the churches

As you will be aware Andrew Wood’s preaching notes are available on our new Website.

The Pink Form

I am expecting to get these from Connexion very soon now.  I will simply post them to you without wasting more paper on a covering letter!  Please return them to me as soon as you are able

…and finally!

Can you please pass all this information to your preachers and worship leaders as soon as possible, please do not wait for your next quarterly meeting.  

Many thanks and a big thank you for all the work you are doing to support our Preachers and Worship Leaders

Yours sincerely

Tom Belshaw

District LP Enabler