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In Brief
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity runs from 18 January to 25 January.
This year's theme is 'Change' and Christian Aid has helped prepare the resources. They are available as a free download.
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Methodist Council papers now online
The Methodist Council meets on 23-24 January at Methodist Church House in London. The papers can be read online.
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Consultation on education
The Connexional Education Commission is asking young people to complete a short online survey on university tuition fees. If you know young people who may be interested in responding then please pass this link to them. The closing date is 20 January.
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Olympics and social justice podcast
This is the year the Olympics and Paralympics come to the UK. As well as many sporting and cultural opportunities, the Games will raise issues of social justice.
For the latest podcast, Karen Burke attended a debate organised by the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility on how the Olympics will bring the exploitation of vulnerable workers into focus. She spoke to Catherine Stephens, a GMB union member and activist, and Sasha Rakoff, CEO of Object UK, who both had different views about what the Games will mean for sex workers. Karen also interviewed Olympic and Paralympic coordinator, Ish Lennox, about the Methodist Church’s involvement in the 2012 Games.
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Rebuilding following riots in Nigeria
The World Mission Fund has agreed to send a grant of £10,000 to the Methodist Church in Nigeria following recent violence.
The money will be used to rebuild the destroyed manses, churches, clinics and schools in Kafanchan and Jos – two towns affected by inter-faith riots in Northern Nigeria. Through this reconstruction, the Church hopes to encourage people who lost properties, businesses, homes and lives in the riots. The reconstructed churches will serve as community centres, places of refuge, prayer and healing.
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Inter faith week 2011
Inter Faith Week in November was a busy time for the Inter Faith Relations Office. The window of Methodist Church House had a display of the different kinds of activities facilitated by the Office.
Christine Elliott, strategic leader for external relations,
and Joy Barrow, inter faith relations officer, attended a conversation of national faith leaders at which the speakers included the archbishop of Canterbury and the chief rabbi. The Methodist was also well represented at the launch of the Hindu Christian Forum at Lambeth Palace where one of the speakers was Baroness Kathleen Richardson. (The inter faith relations officer is a member of the forum's steering committee.)
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The praise bus
 As part of the Olympics celebration, Escalls Chapel is sending a half open top bus around the country, ahead of the Olympic flame, with local Christian bands/groups, playing in rotation, bringing praise to the nation.
Three different groups of musicians need to be on the bus, each morning, before the Olympic flame starts its journey. They will need to be on board at around 5.30am – 6.00am in order to set off before the police close the roads! There will be various stops but the musicians will remain with the bus, playing continuously, in rotation (one hour playing, two hours off) until it reaches its destination, ahead of the Olympic flame at about 6.00pm or 7.00pm.
Escalls Methodist Chapel in Penzance are leading on this initiative called ‘The Journey’ and describe it as one of the most exciting journeys ever undertaken in the UK. Can you or your church help with either bands, solo artists, choirs or groups to join the bus as it travels around the country, or by offering hospitality to those on board when they get to your part of the UK?
For more details check out their webpage.
The Big Read 2012  People and churches across the country are getting ready to take a fresh look at the Mark’s Gospel during Lent with the Big Read 2012.
The Big Read is part of the Big Bible project, an online digital community that promotes regular Bible reading and engagement with contemporary culture. It organised the successful Big Read 2011 which looked at Matthew’s Gospel.
Everyone will be using Tom Wright’s book, Lent for Everyone: Mark. House groups will be able to take advantage of free online study materials, including week-by-week group resources, videos and audio reflections. And the Big Bible website allows people to discuss the text with others all over the world.
The Big Read 2012 launches on Tuesday 21 February at 1.00pm with a 60 minute webinar (web seminar) with Professor Tom Wright.
For more details, including signing your church up to adopt the Big Read as your church’s lent programme, go to the Big Read 2012 website.
Belonging Together
 Belonging Together is a three-year project to celebrate and learn from the rich diversity found in modern British Methodism. It is a standing agenda item for the Equalities and Diversity Resource Group. At their autumn meeting, it explored the language of inclusion that best demonstrates unity, not just in policy but in practice. Their favourite words were captured in a wordle and the two most popular words were ‘unconditional love’.
The Belonging Together Ministers Group and Leytonstone Circuit’s leadership team are among other groups who have used this online tool to capture their thoughts on what it means to belong. To find out what their favourite or most common words are, ‘like’ our Belonging Together page on Facebook and click on the posted links.
Rebuilding Haiti  An American minister who survived 55 hours with no food and water in the 2010 Haiti earthquake is visiting the UK this week. The Revd James Gulley, from the United Methodist Church, is telling the story of how people are still rebuilding their lives in Haiti.
You can hear him on BBC iplayer as he was interviewed on Radio 4’s Sunday Programme. You can also check out these stunning images to get a feel for the work that is being done.
Easter Offering 2012: Entertaining angels
 The 2012 Easter Offering theme is Entertaining Angels: Transforming Encounters in Mission. As in previous years, it has been developed and organised in conjunction with Methodist Women in Britain (formerly Women’s Network).
Each year the Easter Offering raises between £300,000 and £400,000, thanks to the hard work of Methodist Women in Britain and the generosity of Methodists nationwide. All gifts raised by the Easter Offering support the World Mission Fund of the Methodist Church in Britain.
You can place an order for this year’s resources with Methodist Publishing on 01733 235962 or, for further details, click here.
A fair feast
 Over one billion people went to bed hungry last night, but millions more didn’t, thanks to fair trade and MRDF’s community projects. As Shrove Tuesday (23 February) and Fairtrade Fortnight (27 February – 11 March) approach, MRDF has resources to help you to promote Fairtrade and help end hunger. There are lots of great ideas for use in your church, school or workplace.
To find out more click here.
Time to retreat in 2012
 Is your schedule already filling up for 2012?
As you put more and more activity in your diary, why not also plan in some times to stop and reflect?
The Inspire Network is offering a number of opportunities to retreat, to reflect and to be renewed this year. There are day retreats exploring the means of grace in the East Midlands (11 February), the North West (26 May) and the South West (16 June), and three weekend retreats at Cliff College (in April and June). The first of these weekend retreats (30 March-1 April) is geared specifically for members of the Inspire Network who are already meeting in fellowship bands, and the second (20-22 April) is aimed at those serving in Christian leadership.
Each retreat will offer focused input to enable personal reflection and group interaction on the theme of personal discipleship. There will be worship, ministry and the chance to make new friends.
For more details, including a booking facility, go to the Inspire website
Creative Spirit
 Creative Spirit is an original new resource suitable for Lent discussions and study, based on the Methodist Church Collection of Modern Christian Art.
It’s a simple to use, interactive DVD with study guide, and a rich resource for group and individual exploration, based on works of art depicting the Christian story. It is designed to encourage people to respond imaginatively and creatively to the Bible, from a non-didactic approach.
Creative Spirit is ideal for house groups, local preachers and leaders of worship, retreat and quiet day leaders, school and youth groups (16+) and individuals wanting a fresh, art-based approach to personal devotion.
It consists of eight study sessions on disc with DVD and PowerPoint resources. A 48-page booklet includes leader's notes, colour reproductions, prayers, and bible readings related to the paintings. Forty works of art, by a range of international artists are featured, with eight works selected for special presentation.
Creative Spirit costs £9.99 and can be ordered from the Magnet website.
The Heart's Time
 Finally, here is news about a new Lent book aimed at the individual. The Heart's Time has a poem for each day, along with a short reflection and a couple of questions to consider. The book will hold an appeal to poetry lovers as well as those who want to start exploring how poems can be a resource for our spiritual lives, whether or not they are written with a consciously Christian intent.
Compiled by Janet Morley, she has created a fascinating themed sequence of both familiar and unexpected poems, from across the centuries. The poems become the basis for ‘slow reflection’ during Lent and through to Easter Sunday.
Janet used to work for the Methodist Church (including writing Called by Name, All This for You and Time to Talk of God) and is now a freelance writer and trainer.
You can order The Heart’s Time through the SPCK website.
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