Dear Friends,
At the start of the new connexional year, it is great to welcome our new superintendent Rev Dr Joanne Cox-Darling, our new administrator who has been in post and who you will have already heard from, Miriam Moules and Rev Felix Fenui who will be based at Fallowfield & Crumpsall for the coming year. It is great to have them join the staff team for Manchester Methodist Circuit.
September is full of new beginnings for so many reasons – the start of the new connexional year, full of welcome services and introductions to new ministers and members of staff. It is the start of the academic year where our children all start new classes, perhaps new schools, colleges and move away to Universities or start new jobs. We especially remember all our young children and young people beginning a new phase in their life. You will know that as a family we have moved house to Worsthorne (Burnley) and I look forward to seeing what the year brings and how living in the countryside will impact life. I have already spoken to church stewards about plan B if I get snowed in as the locals have already been warning us.
The beginning of a new year gives us opportunity for us to think about the things we hope to do, to achieve, to explore and for us to deepen our faith personally and corporately. Our Vice-President of Conference, Matthew Forsythe called on us to reflect on the question, ‘Why are we here? What does our part to play look like? He reminded us that our song is not stuck in the past. It is a song that needs us to sing now. It is written by the Spirit who makes all things new. Matthew reminded us that ‘our song does not begin in our greatness, but in God’s grace meeting us in our humanness.’
May this month bring us fresh energy and vision as we begin this new connexional year, may we be attune to the Spirit’s prompting in our lives, in our churches and as a circuit. And may we be excited for all that is to come this year as we share our story, sing our song and follow where God leads.
Love and prayers, Sharon