Gloucestershire Circuit of the Methodist Church

Prayers

We ask you to remember in your prayers this week the worship, work and witness of the congregation at Cheltenham, Bethesda.

Superintendent’s Lunch

This week’s lunch club will be held on Thursday 4 February 2010 at Fromebridge Mill, Whitminster and next week on Thursday 11 February 2010 at The Moon Under the Water, Bath Road, Cheltenham.

Charity Registration

The Circuit is required to register as a Charity with the Charity Commission. We need to ask all members of the Circuit Assembly to complete a form as Circuit Trustees. These forms are being distributed via ministers and all those currently appointed to the Circuit Assembly are asked to complete them and return them either to their Minister or the Circuit office as soon as possible.

A useful leaflet about Trustee Liability Indemnity, which the Circuit holds, is available on request from the Circuit office. If anyone wishes to ask any questions or express any difficulties in completing the form, please contact the Superintendent.

This administrative exercise is necessary in order to comply with the law. Our representatives in Methodist Church House have been in discussions with the Charity Commission to try to ascertain a less cumbersome way of dealing with this, but at the present time this has not been possible.

St Mark's Methodist Church, Cheltenham

Mission weekend

This year St Mark's welcomes John & Janet Patrick to lead our Mission weekend. They have spent 17 years in Africa and other developing countries, through John’s work as a medical teacher and researcher, and Janet’s as a school teacher. They have worked in Nigeria, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, and Pakistan.

Join us at 7 pm on Saturday 13th February for a meal and to hear them speak on "David Livingstone: a model for mission in Africa today?". They will also be leading our services on Sunday 14th February at 10.30 am and 6.30 pm.

If you're coming on the Saturday, it would be helpful if we could know in advance, so that we have numbers for the meal. Please contact Barbara on 01242 583613.

There will be retiring collections for the work of Mission in Britain and the Fund for World Mission.

Church address: St Mark's Methodist Church, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham GL51

8PX or see for directions.

Reverend Carrie Seaton

Some of you may have heard Rev Carrie Seaton interviewed by Richard Atkins, on Radio Gloucestershire on the 24th January.

Her folk album Misadventure, begun during last year's Sabbatical, has finally been completed. On the CD (available directly from her - see below), she sings a wide range of British traditional songs and ballads. The musical arrangements are by Oxford based guitarist and composer John Whitworth. On some of the tracks, including the two instrumental interludes, John's guitar is augmented by flute, violin, harp and keyboards (supplied by Oli and Layla Whitworth).

To listen to sound samples of several of the tracks, visit:

ww.oliwhitworth.wordpress.com/audiocredits

To order a copy of the CD, or for more information, email: carrie.seaton@btopenworld.com

Hucclecote Methodist Church Haiti Disaster Fund

We have a BRING and BUY Book, DVD, CD, Puzzles, Games, Cakes and unwanted Christmas Gifts Sale on Sunday Feb 7th from 12 noon until 5pm at Huccleccote Methodist Church Hall, Carrisbrook Road, located just off Hucclecote Road, near the traffic lights.

We need Books, DVDs, Cds, games, puzzles, cakes and unwanted Christmas gifts to sell on the day.

ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE HATII FUND and that is why we need to ask for items to sell.

For further information please contact Sue Stafford on 01452 615143.

A Talk by Prof Ilan Pappe called "Israel - the New Apartheid"

This talk is to be given on Tues 9th Feb at 7.30pm in Cheltenham at St Matthew's Church, Clarence St. (opposite the Central library). Admission free. Organised by Chelt & Glos PSC Group. Ilan Pappe is a historian, now exiled from Israel, who draws parallels between the situation in Palestine and the earlier one in S. Africa, and discusses the issue of 'boycott'. Come and listen and make up your own mind

Connecting Disciples Conference

There are still a few places left for the Connecting Disciples Conference, which is being held at High Leigh Conference Centre in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire 8th - 11th March 2010. It is important that you book a place as soon as possible as there are only a few places left and

booking closes at noon on 19th February 2010.

The theme will be Connecting Disciples and will continue throughout the four days.

Day 1 - Connecting with Each Other

Day 2 - Connecting with God

Day 3 - Connecting with the World

Day 4 - Connecting with Church and Community

The aim of this conference is to provide you with the tools to help you in your every day work and to help you establish contacts with people within your District who may be able to help and support you.

Please follow the link to book a place on line -

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoyou.content&cmid=

2882

Haiti: More Than £270,000 Raised by Methodist Appeals

Donations to both MRDF and to the Church's World Mission Fund are supporting the emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation work being carried out by the Methodist Church in Haiti. MRDF is also channelling funds to Action by Churches Together. As well as funding food, blankets, tents and latrines, donations to MRDF have helped to provide a water purification system in the Belair neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince. This is providing 10,000 homeless Haitians with crystal clear drinking water - the first clean water they have had since the earthquake struck.

People can continue to donate via the Methodist Church by visiting www.justgiving.com/Methodist-Church-Haiti-Appeal, or sending a cheque payable to the World Mission Fund to Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should be labelled 'Haiti Appeal'. For further information visit www.methodist.org.uk or contact Revd Tom Quenet on 020 7467 5160.

To donate via MRDF, visit www.mrdf.org.uk or call 020 7224 4814 to give by debit or credit card, or send a cheque made payable 'MRDF (Haiti emergency)' and to MRDF, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR.

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The Methodist Circuit of Gloucestershire

Circuit Office Address: Northgate Hall, St. John’s Lane, Gloucester, GL1 2AT

Telephone: 01452 415769 Email: gloscircuit1@btconnect.com