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Thy Kingdom Come: have you taken the #Pledge2Pray?
Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement in which Christians pray for people to come to know Jesus. Taking place between Ascension and Pentecost, this year it falls between 10-20 May. The Methodist Church is a major partner of Thy Kingdom Come.
The Secretary of the Methodist Conference, the Revd Canon Gareth J Powell, said: “From the very first gatherings of Methodists in Oxford, Methodism has always been suffused with prayer. Prayer is the foundation on which the Methodist Church is built and from which it seeks to fulfil its calling to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.”
During Thy Kingdom Come:
- People commit to pray with God’s worldwide family – as a church, individually or as a family.
- Churches will hold prayer events, such as 24-7 prayer, prayer stations and prayer walks, across the UK and in other parts of the world.
- A number of Beacon events will take part across the Connexion.
- People will be transformed through prayer by the Holy Spirit, finding new confidence to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.
The invitation is simply for people to pray in whatever way they want, with whoever they want and wherever they can, that others might know Jesus Christ.
To take part, you can pledge to pray on the Thy Kingdom Come website – www.thykingdomcome.global.
You can download the new Resources for Prayer and Worship here and the Waiting in Wonder book of reflections here. Many districts also have Thy Kingdom Come champions who should also have copies of the resources.
There are also short videos, and suggestions to support and aid prayer for individuals, families, groups and churches.
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In Brief
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Responding to acts of violence in London
The Chairs of the London District have called on the Mayor of London, the government, civic bodies, churches and the Metropolitan Police to unite in condemning all acts of violence and to work together on finding ways to tackle “this murderous scourge that is threatening the peace and economic stability of our great city”.
The Revds Nigel Cowgill, Michaela Youngson and Dr Jongi Zihle also offered this prayer:
O Lord of health and life,
come now in your grace and cover us with your love and protection;
Speak calmness into our fears and heal us from the scourge of pain and death.
Visit your kindness upon all affected by the murders in London and comfort them in their time of need; this we pray and ask,
in the healing name of our risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Tickets for the 2018 Methodist Conference
The Conference is the governing body of the Methodist Church. It meets annually to discuss matters affecting the life of the Church, the nation and the world. This year it meets in Nottingham between Thursday 28 June and Thursday 5 July.
Tickets for the Opening of the Representative Session including the induction of the President and Vice-President, on Saturday 30 June, and for the Reception into Full Connexion and Conference Worship on Sunday 1 July, are available from the Conference website. You can also order tickets for the Ordination Services on 1 July here.
During the event you will be able to watch many of the discussions and voting via the live stream. Check out the programme here.
If sharing anything from the Conference on social media, please include #MethodistConf.
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Praying for Syria
In response to the recent events in Syria the President and Vice-President of the Conference, the Revd Loraine N Mellor and Jill Baker, have offered this prayer.
Compassionate God,
who cares for every created being, having even numbered the hairs on our heads,
we pray now for each person in Syria.
In these dark days, may decisions be made that honour the sanctity of life created by you;
may wise and far-sighted counsel prevail that seeks the well-being of all humanity.
Prince of Peace,
we open our hearts to you and confess our willingness to seek easy responses that require others to pay a hard price;
we open our reason to you and pledge our commitment to hear your words of compassion and peace.
Lover of Concord,
let your love shine through those who bring aid and solace in the land of Syria,
those who choose between violence and peace,
those who influence opinions in words and tweets.
Creator God, hear our cry and help us work together to seek peace and pursue it. Amen.
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Church Action for Tax Justice (CAT)
Christian leaders united in the House of Lords on 17 April to challenge government inactivity on tax justice reforms and to demand immediate tough action. Together they launched Church Action for Tax Justice (CAT).
Speaking at the event the President-Designate of the Conference, the Revd Michaela A Youngson, expressed the hope to “shift the narrative around tax away from it being a dirty word, or a necessary evil, but rather a blessing and a means of all citizens having a stake in a generous society that cares for all”.
Ending financial secrecy in UK tax havens like the British Virgin Islands is one of the reforms CAT will pursue, along with changes to the way large multinational companies are taxed. In addition, the campaign calls on Churches to make more vigorous and vocal use of their power as investors in major companies.
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Have your say on the best programming about faith, belief and ethics
The Sandford St Martin Awards celebrate the best TV and radio about faith, belief and ethics. The Radio Times Readers Award 2018 is your opportunity to vote for your favourite.
This year the nominations include the slow TV of The Monastery, a trip along The Ganges with Sue Perkins, Anita Rani exploring her personal connection in My Family, Partition and Me, Channel 5’s reality TV experiment Bad Habits in which five very modern young women were sent to live in a convent, Jimmy McGovern’s primetime drama Broken, and the Radio 4 ‘Thought for the Day’ slot.
To vote, visit www.radiotimes.com/sandford by 21 May. The winners will be announced at the Sandford St Martin Awards ceremony at Lambeth Palace, London, on 7 June.
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the connexion
the connexion is a free magazine about the life and work of the Methodist Church, bringing together inspirational stories from Methodist people who are passionate about sharing God’s love to change lives.
In the latest issue people across the Connexion tell honestly and openly of how they are transformed by their experiences of Jesus.
Read this issue and you’ll be encouraged to tell your own story.
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Leaderful Church? 13 June 2018
The Susannah Wesley Foundation annual conference at Southlands College, University of Roehampton is for anyone concerned with the practice of leadership, how and what it might contribute to the future of our churches. The day will explore what leading means and enables, and whom it involves.
David Sims, Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Cass Business School and author of Leading by Story: rethinking church leadership will be speaking. There will also be an interview with Bala Gnanapragasam, Vice-President Designate of the Methodist Conference, short presentations, panel discussions and conversations in small groups.
Register for your free place here.
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Worship planning online – complete the survey
The Connexional Team is researching how best to support Methodist worship through the Singing the Faith website and a proposed worship planning smartphone app.
It would be hugely grateful for your input. The survey includes just ten short questions and should take no more than five minutes to complete. Please click here to take part.
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Important dates in May
10 Ascension Day
13 Christian Aid Week begins
20 Pentecost/Aldersgate Sunday
24 Wesley Day
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Worship photos needed
We are looking for photos of acts of worship from your local church or community for our window at Methodist Church House. Help us show those who walk and drive past our offices what worship looks like.
Please email your photos to Sanya Strachan. Remember to ask permission from those included in anything you send in.
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Book now for MHA’s 75th anniversary service
The MHA’s special service of thanksgiving takes place at Derby Cathedral on Saturday 13 October 2018, starting at 3.00pm. It will include an act of remembrance for MHA’s former residents and staff, a special hymn to mark the 75th anniversary and will feature music from MHA’s own music therapists.
Free tickets can be booked online or by calling 01332 221922.
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The Big Church Day Out
This is the UK’s largest annual gathering of the wider Church that creates a space for all denominations and ages to gather for worship and celebration.
The events take place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May in West Sussex and Friday 1 and Saturday 2 June in Cheshire.
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Peace and Justice Forum
The Joint Public Issues Team is seeking ambassadors aged 18-25 to take part in the forum and attend the launch at Parliament on Thursday 12 July. To find out more and to apply, click here.
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The legacy of Charles Wesley – a Methodist history podcast
In the first of a series of podcasts celebrating Methodist history, the Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler, Assistant Secretary of the Methodist Conference, offers his reflections on the legacy of Charles Wesley.
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3Generate tickets now on sale
You can now buy your 2018 3Generate tickets here. There are no price increases and more tickets available than last year.
3Generate is the Methodist Church’s Children and Youth Assembly. It takes place at Pontins, Southport between 23-25 November 2018. During the weekend 8-23 year olds can engage with, speak out about and respond to issues that concern them. The Methodist Church can hear and respond to what our children and young people are saying.
Watch the promo video for this year’s event!
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Action for Children
Sir Tony Hawkhead stepped down as Chief Executive of Action for Children in February 2018. The charity has announced that Julie Bentley will be joining as their new Chief Executive from 1 August.
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Mental Health Awareness Week: 14-20 May 2018
In partnership with Young Minds, the Methodist Church has developed educational mental health cards for children and young people. They give tips on how to stay mentally healthy and information on where to get help. You can obtain copies from Methodist Publishing.
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Making the world a better place
Cliff College has launched a Certificate in Social Activism. The week-long course takes place from 12 to 16 November and explores what social activism is and how to do it.
Find out more here.
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Benefits driving foodbank demand
The Trussell Trust has released a report revealing that the roll out of Universal Credit is driving more families to use food banks.
Read the Joint Public Issues Team press release on the report here.
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