The Way Ahead - Here we go!!

This morning, the leaders of the different "Time to talk" groups that make up this part of our 'Way Ahead' met to pray, and to talk through what we would be doing this week. In the discussions that we shared, and in looking at the online material that has been produced, we felt that before sharing this weeks material, we wanted to share something from the introduction to the material - it is a description of the priorities of the Methodist Church as laid out in "Our Calling". We used this material when we were looking at our Vision for the church that we called "Which Way", and the famous post-it note that was produced contained its content broken down into "Our Callings" four parts. So just before we begin, listen to what the material has to say . . .

"Our Calling set out the reasons why the Church exists, namely to encourage worship, learning and caring, service, and evangelism, and the ticket of membership applies these to individual members in their continuing discipleship. This includes the calling to 'grow in faith and support others in their discipleship'.

Priorities for the Methodist Church, adopted in 2004, does not mention the term 'discipleship explicitly, but throughout the document there is an implicit vision of imaginative, empowered, confident Christians who are aware of God's presence, with prayer and worship at the heart of their lives, active for justice in the community, and confident in speaking of the things of God to those within and outside the Church. These disciples are to be made and nurtured in a flexible and innovative church culture, which is creating fresh ways of being Church together, and is focused on the growth of people rather than the maintenance of buildings and institutional structures. Clearly, we have agreed to try to create a culture where we intend to be and to nurture such disciples."

Now read on . . . .