A new online space invites visitors to join a pilgrimage of discovery, freeing the mind from clutter, calming the spirit and strengthening awareness of and openness to God.

Based on an ancient design, www.lostinwonder.org.uk is an online labyrinth that invites visitors on a spiritual journey of encounter and challenge. A labyrinth is an ancient spiritual resource and a metaphor for the spiritual journey into death and out again into life. Working with David Webster, the Methodist Church’s Website Manager, the Pastoral Care and Spirituality Team have developed it to be available to people across and beyond Methodism.

Lost in Wonder has ten interactive ‘stations’ that can be visited in any order, each with images, a Bible text, a prayer and a guiding voice leading the guest into the theme of that place. Some of the stations reflect on the priorities of the Methodist Church - worship, learning and caring, service and evangelism - while others consider different aspects and expressions of spirituality.

The Revd Michaela Youngson, Methodist Secretary for Pastoral Care and Spirituality said; “A labyrinth is an ancient way to journey deeper into God’s presence and then to travel out again into God’s world. This is a place of change and challenge as well as rest and contemplation. We hope that people will find in it a freedom that helps them to connect with others who want to learn about God’s love”.

One station, exploring the theme of God’s presence and action in the world, gives the visitor the opportunity to draw a picture of their own experience of God’s presence. This is then added to an online gallery so that people can enjoy and be inspired by the artwork of other guests. Those who wish to respond to what they have experienced within the Labyrinth will find suggestions, links and resources at the end of their journey.

ENDS

Notes

1. Lost in Wonder was inspired by a prayer labyrinth set up by the Newcastle Methodist District in response to Pray Without Ceasing, the Methodist year of continuous prayer.

Following last year's success, MRDF's new advent calendar is now available to order. Follow the Christmas story in beautiful pictures and Bible quotations, and learn about the work that MRDF partners are doing among Dalit women in India:
http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/christmas.php

With the gap between rich and poor now bigger than ever, the Bible has plenty to say today about poverty - and about wealth. But are we listening? This six week Bible study course will help groups and individuals learn, discuss and take action.
Order study packs for your Lent group, small group or house group:
http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/order_form.php

Have you ever dreamt of running the London marathon? Perhaps next year could be the time to turn those dreams of glory into reality. MRDF has one place still available for 22 April 2007. If you fancy the cheering crowds, sense of achievement and, of course, the opportunity to raise hundreds of pounds for MRDF - please get in touch to find out more:
http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/enquiry_form.php

Instead of getting ready for retirement, Bochong Mah David, like many elderly people in rural Cameroon, is hard at work. Elderly people are the ones who farm and who care for the children in his village. The young have gone: many have found work in the towns or have died of HIV/AIDS, leaving children with elderly grandparents.

Find out how MRDF partners are helping prevent poverty and isolation for elderly people:
http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/never_too_old.php

Thank you to everyone who supported MRDF this Harvest time. We'd love to hear what you got up to and what you thought of the Harvest Pack.

Find out how 'small miracles' made a big difference with the congregation at Hanworth Methodist Church:
http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/harvest_feedback.php

To look at Aklima you would never guess that she sleeps on streets. Yet, like many women in the slums of Kolkata in north India, she lives and works on the pavement, selling goods in the market during the week and returning to her village only at weekends.

Find out how Aklima is helping improve opportunities for women and children in the slums: http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/support_in_the_slums.php

Whether it's joining a rally, sending an e-mail, wearing a white band or helping break a world record, please do whatever you can this month in standing up against poverty.

Interview with Dudley Coates, Vice President of the Methodist Conference, who encountered a few surprises on a recent visit to MRDF partners in Cameroon. http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/vp_in_cameroon.php

Making the final preparations for your MRDF Harvest service? Don't forget to check that you have enough Harvest gift aid envelopes for the whole congregation. These not only include gift aid and standing order forms, but also a prayer that is used as part of the service.

Order more gift aid envelopes (available in packs of 25): http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/order_form.php

P.S. MRDF's UK partners, including Labour Behind the Label and the Fairtrade Foundation, are running events this autumn for all keen campaigners. Find out about these events and more: http://www.mrdf.org.uk/pages/coming_up.php

From the beginning of September, the Methodist Church in the South East is taking on a new shape, helping it to work more effectively to enrich and serve communities. A new Methodist London district will come into existence serving the whole of the region of Greater London, and as a result two other new districts are being formed in the South East of England covering the areas around London.

Currently, there are four London Districts, each with separate patterns of working, but the Church hopes to be better able to contribute to the wellbeing of the city as a whole by focusing responsibility for London within a single district. It will also mean that the other new districts - the South-East District and the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District - will be able to focus more clearly on the unique demands of the areas they serve.

The Revd Ken Howcroft, Methodist Secretary for Conference and Communication, commented that; “We’ve redrawn district lines so that they simply make more sense. This presents us with exciting new opportunities to serve our church communities and the communities of wider society in more suitable, flexible ways. It will not only be London that benefits from this move, but the whole of the South East of England. This change helps us to take better advantage of the resources we have and use them more effectively. Planning for the new districts has already led to an explosion of creative vision and energy amongst the people in the churches involved. It’s important for all our districts to be able to review their patterns of work in this way.”

The Revd John Hellyer, together with three assistant chairs, will lead the new South-East District, which covers the southern areas surrounding London. The Revd Anne Brown will be Chair of the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District; she is currently Chair of the London North-West District, which will cease to exist when the new London District comes into being. Because of its size and diversity, the London District will be led by three chairs working cooperatively; the Revd Ermal Kirby as the lead Chair, and the Revds Jenny Impey and Dr Stuart Jordan as co-Chairs.

The Revd Ermal Kirby commented, “There is a unique opportunity for the Church, working in partnership with a wide range of other agencies, to further an understanding of what it means to be an inclusive community. Both as Methodists and as members of the wider Christian family, we have a contribution to make to that urgent dialogue.”

Each new District will celebrate its creation with a special service, starting with the launch of the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District in Chelmsford Cathedral on 31 August. The London District will be launched in Westminster Central Hall on 2 September, and the South-East District on 3 September at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells.

“From communities in poverty to the corridors of power ”, Methodists in London will catch a glimpse of the different ways in which they contribute to the life of London when they meet next weekend at the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster.

Social care and justice will be high on the Agenda as representatives of the 43,000-strong London Methodist-related community gather as part of a single unit for the first time in more than 125 years. The gathering will also celebrate the significant growth in membership that the Church has seen over the past 10 years. In London there are now more than 22,000 Methodist members in some 260 congregations and almost 60% of London Methodists are also part of Black and Minority Ethnic communities. Some Methodist congregations have people from between 20 and 30 different nations worshipping together each Sunday.

Because of the size and complexity of the new London District, for the first time in the history of the British Methodist Church, there will be a team of three Senior Ministers (Chairs of District) to help lead and co-ordinate the work in London. The Revd Ermal Kirby will be the Lead Chair and the Revd Jenny Impey and the Revd Dr Stuart Jordan the two Co-Chairs.

“A wonderful woven tapestry, with colour and texture, light and shade, energy and stillness all brought together in a stunning display to which every member contributes” is how these Leaders have described the Methodist Church in London. “As a Church, we seek to be good news in this Global City.”

But there is also recognition that the scale and diversity of London’s population brings its own challenges. The Revd Ermal Kirby commented, “There is a unique opportunity for the Church, working in partnership with a wide range of other agencies, to further an understanding of what it means to be an inclusive community. Both as Methodists and as members of the wider Christian family, we have a contribution to make to that urgent dialogue.”

The newly appointed Chairs all have significant links with other parts of the world, but they have discovered to their delight that they also have a Leicestershire connection in common. (There is even speculation that Stuart and Ermal might have played Rugby against each other at some - much earlier - point!).

From the beginning of September, the Methodist Church in the South East is taking on a new shape, helping it to work more effectively to enrich and serve communities. A new Methodist London district will come into existence serving the whole of the region of Greater London, and as a result two other new districts are being formed in the South East of England covering the areas around London.

Currently, there are four London Districts, each with separate patterns of working, but the Church hopes to be better able to contribute to the wellbeing of the city as a whole by focusing responsibility for London within a single district. It will also mean that the other new districts - the South-East District and the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District - will be able to focus more clearly on the unique demands of the areas they serve.

The Revd Anne Brown will be Chair of the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District. She is currently Chair of the London North-West District, which will cease to exist when the new London District comes into being. Speaking of the new challenges to be faced, Anne said; “It’s not just London that will benefit - this change simply makes more sense for everyone. It presents us with the opportunity to engage with our communities in more suitable, creative and flexible ways. In particular we want to relate to areas where there are planned new housing developments; continue to build on the existing good ecumenical work and focus more on rural communities.

“We are looking forward to working more closely with the East Anglia District as together we cover almost the whole of the East of England government region. With the help of our new Training and Development Officer, Richard Armiger and the Church and Community Development Officer, the Revd Dr Tony Barker the district policy committee is looking forward to leading the district in new and creative ways. We’ve got a great team who are enthusiastic and committed to the mission opportunities of this new district.”

It is estimated that the District will have over 11, 000 members, with 210 churches across the region. Each new District will celebrate its creation with a special service, starting with the launch of the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District in Chelmsford Cathedral on 31 August.

MEMBERS of Methodist churches in Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey and parts of Berkshire and Hampshire - plus Methodist churches in Malta and Gibraltar - come together from September in a new District of the British Methodist Church.

The new South-East District, which will have 16,000 members from 240 churches, is being created as part of reorganisation of the structure of the church in and around London. Chair of the new district is the Rev John Hellyer, married with three children, who comes to the South-East from Birmingham.

He will be supported by three assistant chairs - the Rev Peter Neatham, from Herne Bay, in the eastern section of the district, the Rev Sheila Foreman, from Eastbourne, in the central section, and the Rev Dr Emmanuel Jacob, of Slough, in the west. With John Hellyer, they will form a district leadership team heading the mission and outreach activities of churches in both urban and rural areas.

Already, however, activities by individual churches include an ambitious project to turn one into a centre for the community, response to urban developments, a church flower arranger appointed to be one of the team responsible for flowers at Windsor castle and a project which aims to contact and to support young people. Ministers in the district include chaplains to prisons, the police and ambulance services, and to a centre for immigrants.

John Hellyer says: “The Methodist people practice the Christianity of the warmed heart, the caring hand and a longing for justice in the world. This is an exciting time, when the we are reshaping the way we work in London and the South-East so we can respond to the challenges that come with the way the whole region is developing in the 21st Century”.

The new district comes into being on Sunday, 3 September, at an inauguration service at Tunbridge Wells, attended by representatives of churches throughout the district and by local authority, ecumenical and other faith guests. It will be led by the president of the Methodist Conference, the Rev R. Graham Carter, and addressed by a former president, the Rev Dr Christina leMoignan.