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Park
Avenue Methodist Church, Park Avenue North, Northampton, NN3 2HT
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01604 720624
Administrator - Alan Brett ::
Senior Stewards - Denise Turner, Liz Hale
office@parkavenue.org.uk | webmaster@parkavenue.org.uk |
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What is it really all for?
05 Apr 2010 by Rev Martin Swan
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 For me one of the benefits of being asked to write a newsletter is that it allows me, as I consider what to write, to have a time of reflection as well.
Recently, there have been many discussions, and many meetings, to consider both the future and the shape and style of the church. And so as I write, I also reflect upon what it means to be part of the Christian community called the Methodist Church and what does it mean to be part of a Circuit of churches which seek to work alongside our ecumenical partners?
What is it really all for? Well, of course in my pondering it did not take me long to come to the obvious conclusion that all that we ever have been, all that we are and all that we do is about bringing glory to our Lord Jesus and bringing honour to His name. And of course we are to help others to come to a knowledge of a living faith in Him too.
However, this is not the complete answer. For we must never forget that the Christian church is also about people. God’s people. The Bible does not often talk in terms of ‘Church’. However, it does describe a revolutionary community designed for any society, in any age.
The Bible offers a blueprint for worshipping God, and also a blueprint where God’s people of all ages are loved, nurtured and protected. In this community our different gifts are to be used. We are called to explore our differences, so that they can become a positive rather than a negative.
And so in our different meetings as we continue to discuss the future of our Methodist community, we are challenged to always keep in the forefront of our talks the understanding that all are to be included of every generation.
When God’s people are wounded and hurting, and worried for the future, the community of faith must have a pastoral caring heart for them.
God calls us to have unconditional love for his people and also uncompromising accountability to Him for our care of each other.
The church in every generation should have an understanding of the world which we seek to reach. However, we must be careful that in our deliberations and decision making about our circuit shape, we do not lose sight of our foundation stone and our reason for being.
We must keep a firm hold on the foundation of the Christian faith. The church (the people) is called to be a bridge between the culture of today, and the timeless Biblical truths of God’s Word.
Of course we all realise that our places of worship must be relevant for our generation. However, they must also be places of warm welcome, never-ending joy, celebration and worship.
Thankfully, there is considerable liberty for our Circuit to plan and develop ways of being church.
There are, however, some guiding principles and priorities that we neglect at our peril.
The care of our older brothers and sisters who have travelled the road of faith for many years mean that they too must feel part of our new journey. Young people, families, the single person, the marginalised must all be included and be part of our thinking. Otherwise in our desire to discuss buildings, we lose sight of what it means to be Christian.
I marvel again that God our Father invites you and me to enter into relationship with Him as his children.
My dear late father was not overly blessed with a great intellect. However, the one gift he had in abundance was common sense.
I think most of you reading this newsletter do truly understand that we are in some difficulties in the church. The financial situation and the need to reconsider the make up of the circuit mean that we need to be approaching this with a good dose of common sense.
I fully believe that with God’s Grace and people’s generosity we shall come through this together. And that must be the over-riding principle ‘together’
The one thing I have learnt as I have travelled this circuit is that we have many people with the God given gift of common sense.
Some of our younger members bring thoughts and ideas garnered with the enthusiasm of youth. Many older members bring common sense proposals nurtured by years of steady walking with the Lord. May we hear God’s guiding voice through all of these as we travel this exciting road together?
God Bless you all in your ponderings 
Rev. Martin Swan |
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