Family Circle Page 7

The Magazine of the Methodist Church

in Ampthill, Flitwick & Clophill

E-NEWS

Extracts from the latest email news from the Methodist Church.

E-News Editor: Dave Webster,

mailto:webeditor@methodistchurch.org.

ANGLICAN-METHODIST COVENANT ONLINE

The Church of England and The Methodist Church have launched a website detailing the work of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant. The historic agreement, committing both churches to explore ways of working together, was signed in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 1 November 2003.

The website - http://www.anglican-methodist.org.uk - tells the story of how the Covenant came to be signed, and also contains a wealth of resources for churches and individuals, including practical advice on sharing buildings and material for joint acts of worship.

It also provides quick links to compare the positions of the two churches on key topics such as marriage and alcohol, as well as a diary section for upcoming Covenant-related events. A key feature of the website is the opportunity it provides for Dioceses and Districts, Deaneries and Circuits and individual Methodists and Anglicans to share success stories of work being done in mutual co-operation.

LIVING GOD'S COVENANT

The Church of England and The Methodist Church will also hold a series of workshops across England in the first half of 2006 to promote local work based on the Anglican-Methodist Covenant.

The workshops, dubbed "Living God's Covenant" are designed to both highlight the range of joint work already undertaken by both churches, and to encourage Christians of both denominations to try new ways of working together. The cost is £12.50, which includes lunch and a CD of resources.

See http://www.anglican-methodist.org.uk/events.htm

for details and booking forms.

THE MAGIC OF NARNIA PROVIDES INSPIRATION FOR CHRISTMAS SERVICES

The new 'Chronicles of Narnia' film, to be released 9th December, will set the scene for Christmas worship across the country.

The connection between CS Lewis' Narnia stories and the Christian Gospel is well known and they beautifully illustrate the Christian story. Because of this, the organisation MethodistChildren has written a service for use by churches throughout Britain focusing on the theme of gift giving and receiving that is central to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Churches are encouraged to explore this theme by engaging with the journey of Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan as through the wardrobe they enter a world of ice and snow where it is always winter, but never Christmas. Congregations are asked to consider what the world would be like if Christmas never came and are reminded of the importance of the gift we are given at Christmas, past, present and future.

Doug Swanney, Children's Work Development Officer, comments that 'Christmas is a time associated with presents and giving and this service aims to highlight Jesus as the great gift of God for our salvation. But it's not just for Christmas' it's ideal for inclusive worship at any time of the year and the format is so flexible that it can easily be adapted to suit different congregations and styles of worship."

The service can be found in the children's workers section of the Methodist Children's website at

http://www.methodistchildren.org.uk/adults/service.htm While visiting the website, those involved in children's work can also take the opportunity to fill in an online survey.

Continuing the Narnia theme, the Children's section of the site has a competition for children to win pairs of tickets to see the film in December.

http://www.methodistchildren.org.uk/children/narnia.htm

WORKING TOWARDS TRADE JUSTICE

Thousands of people crowded into Westminster for the Mass Lobby for Trade Justice on 2 November. They came to meet their MPs and demand trade justice. The lobby was timed to take place before the major World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong on 10 December.

President of Conference, the Revd Tom Stuckey who interrupted a brief holiday to attend the lobby, said that "We are still talking about charity rather than fair trade. When there is a natural disaster we put our hands in our pockets, but ultimately it is the structural issues that are going to change the world." He compared global free trade to Manchester United taking on a village football team, and said that change must come so that poorer countries could find "their true destiny within the world."

TAKE ACTION

You can e-mail your views to Alan Johnson, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, before he heads off for Hong Kong through the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY website:

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/comingup/index.shtml

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY as a single campaign will finish at the end of this year. It has been successful especially in helping to get promises of more aid, and raising the issue of farm subsidies. A big thank you is due to all those who have taken part.

But importantly MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY has also raised a widespread awareness of the injustices inherent in global free trade. The Methodist Church and MRDF are committed to building on this, and to campaigning and mobilising support for the goals of Trade Justice, Debt Relief and More and Better Aid over the months and years to come.

Listen to Tom Stuckey talking about Trade Justice

on the November Podcast at

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.webradio

CHRISTIANITY AND EDUCATION - AN EVENT

Christians in Science and the Stapleford Centre with the Association of Christian Teachers are organising a one-day conference:

Towards A Christian Framework for Education

Saturday 29 April 2006, 10.00 - 16.00

Christ Church, Herne Bay, Kent

Speakers will include:

Ann Holt - Bible Society http://www.biblesociety.org.uk

Nick Spencer - The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC) http://www.licc.org.uk

Martin Rogers - The Science and Religion in Schools Project http://www.srsp.net