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Last Login: 31 December 2008 13:24
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....and might be changing churches .... again .... for my next book, "Churches I have known" .... followed by "Hip! Hip! Hoooray!", of course
...strange thing is, since my previous church disbanded its choir, my "Have Hymnbook, will travel" quest has taken me to many different churches but none feel "home" ... from "More papist Than The Pope" Anglo-catholic (Monstrance, incense and kissing altar type stuff) to "We Have No Candles On God's Table" evangelical puritanism, they are all singing from the same hymnsheet ... only the words differ
cf. "We are Going to see" v "We're gonna see"
Quatenus in hebdomades quattuor et dies duos ire possumus?
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Last Login: 27 November 2008 20:28
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Funnily enough, I might be changing churches, too.  Today our purchaser exchanged contracts with us and paid for our plot, which means we can follow up the purchase of the bungalow we want, and we should complete that purchase on 10th September.  We are already five miles from the church where our membership is held and will be another four or five miles from it - along country roads with low speed limits. Should we do a round trip of 20 miles just to go to church to worship or for a meeting, passing several little chapels on the way? That is the question.  But today`s news has brought us much joy. My husband had very nearly given up on the idea as our purchaser had promised to complete weeks ago and kept promising, "Next Thursday" - week after week. I persuaded my husband not to pull the plug yesterday. "Give him another day at least." And here we are. Ecstatic. I tried to do what Lesley does and leave it in God`s hands. Thy will be done, etc. But it is hard when you want something badly and for what you think are the right reasons. I wonder if Lesley has any news of her house sale? Blessings,
Sheila
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Glad to hear your house move is progressing now.
It is a difficult question about the churches.I know you are a Methodist - so are the little chapels in the same circuit? If they are, and you attend one of them fairly regularly in the future, you could be a link between your new congregation and your old one, which I assume is much larger. That could be very valuable in the present climate of circuit changes,
Just a thought - Ann
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Yes, all the little chapels are in the same Circuit. Our circuit was a very large one with nearly fifty churches. Now we are down to twenty-nine due to the closure of so many who were struggling. `My` church is in town and celebrates its 180th anniversary this year. Its membership is elderly and rapidly declining. Less than seventy now. I think we were quite brave to stage a six week exhibition of the Methodist Church`s collection of Modern Christian Art this summer. It cost us £2,500 but was never a money-making venture. Through generous legacies this church was the wealthiest in the circuit. However, the roof needs renewing and the church refurbishment; the cost is astronomical and we are trying to promote the building as a valuable community asset. I am fortunate in alaready having links with all the churches in the circuit through preaching, etc. We will just have to pray and see what happens. (Although not indispensable  my husband and I are church stewards and members of various groups and committees within the church. We have just been appointed a young probationery minister and she and the other members probably need all the support they can get.) An interesting time lies ahead . . .
Sheila
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fifty  Twenty nine chapels sounds a lot. We are just this weekend becoming a circuit of six, and our super will now have a colleague (as well as all his lovely supernumaries and ministers in other appointments)
Yesterday we had a visit to one of our new sister churches - a 'getting to know you' with walks,tea (of course) and quiz. This evening it is followed by a unification service led by our Chair at our church, which at about 180 members is by far the largest. It's good to find there are some very active lively people among our new friends.
It does sound as if you have some challenges ahead where your buildings are concerned. I believe some grants are available when the church is shown to be a community asset. I'm interested to know how things progress.
Lesley, I hope you don't mind this little aside in your thread
Ann
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| Dear all, In answer to Maya's question - no, not at all. Changing churches - or indeed having churches changed is difficult and can be challenging for whatever reason no matter how positive. It offers all of us an opportunity to pray for one another as we all seem to be facing these upheavals together... I've been preaching today at St. Lukes on my longstanding committment to them - and next week I will be preaching at one of my "new" churches - the six month rule having been bent somewhat to three months (owing to the new vicar not being able to get anyone else, I think - or possibly because I told him I'm going back to my old place to preach on October 5th and he wants to get in first...or am I being cynical?) In any event, I'm really looking forward to it! It should be fun - and I get to talk about the church as well (even better). So, who cares? God will get the glory!! We've just got back off holiday - which was lovely, but very, well "grey". It didn't rain in Wales, but I didn't see the top of a mountain the whole week I was there! It was nice just to be a family for a while without all the pressure and hassle of work and hospitals and things like that.... Someone has introduced me to "Friends reunited" - so I've been very busy this afternoon tracking down old friends I'd lost touch with. I do hope some of them remember me and get in touch. I know one of them will because I had a message from her last year (via my brother who had met her at some occasion or other) but had no way of replying. I sort of introduced her to her husband nearly thirty years ago... I've just got to be patient until she looks at the site or something. Oh dear, I'm not a terribly patient person, I find! God bless With love as ever, Lesley xx
Just for today, dear Lord, let me realise that there is nothing that we cannot handle together - and may I pray the same prayer tomorrow.....
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Last Login: 20 November 2008 10:41
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| The trouble with Friend's Reunited is that many people register, but don't bother to check the site regularly, if at all, which can be a bit frustrating.
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