Update from Chair of “Headway Ireland” Methodist Evangelicals Together. May 2020
Web site: www.headwayireland.com
Secretary: Rev Ken Robinson
Dear Members and Friends of Headway (Ireland),
We greet you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christians are learning to lock arms, virtually, in the lock down. At the end of this letter I will recommend an on-line resource which you may find helpful. This letter is to give you an update on the re-planned events of Headway Ireland .
We trust that you and your loved ones are able to cope with the unusual constraints and confinement imposed by the current Coronavirus pandemic. It is a testing time for all as we follow the protocols, while engaging in prayer and practical support. We extend our sympathy to those who have been bereaved. The Easter gospel is teaching us that God meets us in the familiar and unusual.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, at the start of his public ministry submitted to isolation for forty days. For our Lord, it was a time of temptation and trust, of privation and re-positioning, of vulnerability and victory. The devil then left Jesus and angels came and ministered to Him. (See Matthew 4:1-11).
For us, we can surely believe that God knows about the virus, God is in the situation and God is with us. May the presence of the same Holy Spirit of God who led our Lord Jesus in his isolation, strengthen in us God’s good purposes for God’s glory.
You are aware that “Headway Ireland” has had to re-arrange its Spring, Summer and Autumn gatherings and I want to update you on the arrangements which remain somewhat fluid.
Spring celebration
This has been postponed until April 2021 (D.V.) in Seymour Street Methodist Church, Lisburn. We are grateful that Rev David Hull, who is Chair of “Share Jesus International” and Chair of Methodist Evangelicals Together in Britain, has agreed to re-schedule his Irish visit. He will speak about:
“Living Biblically in the Church and the World.”
Summer AGM and Conference Breakfast meeting
These have been postponed until October 2020. The annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland has been moved from June until October 7 – 11, 2020.
Mrs Hazel Loney the newly–installed Lay Leader of the Irish Methodist Conference will address the breakfast gathering. We will confirm dates and times later.
Autumn Celebration
Because of the postponed Conference event in October, we have not planned to have an Autumn Celebration this year.
Creative Bible Engagement is our vision for our Methodist denomination. It goes beyond our expressed desire for Biblical Literacy. Not only should we know the Scriptures but we should Search the Scriptures(John 5:39). Each week I am privileged to join with 50 others, virtually by Zoom, as our minister skilfully leads us through the book of Colossians and allows us time to join small group chatrooms. It is a stimulating creative bible engagement and we are blest from the recovered sense of fellowship. In many Circuits, God is using live-linked worship via Facebook and YouTube as our pastors and preachers learn to be tele-evangelists! We bless our members who are health professionals and carers in the NHS and in our nursing homes. We pray for our President of Conference, Rev Sam McGuffin and our Lay Leader, Ms Lynda Neilands, who are providing us with godly leadership at this unusual time. “Headway Ireland” continues to contend for traditional, biblical marriage as defined between one man and one woman. We are encouraged by the positive feedback, from our Irish Church. The story is sadly different within British Methodism.
Many people are finding a new devotional resource from 24/7 Prayer to be helpful. You can access this (hopefully) by the link below:
https://www.24-7prayer.com/dailydevotional
Feel free to share with us other resources which you are finding useful.
May God bless you.
Yours faithfully,
Rev Ken Todd
A picture which reveals an answer to prayer, is a big story behind the 40 foot container for Ghana, sent by our Methodist Container Ministry this week. The huge mobile crane is lifting the container onto an equally large lorry. The authorities did not agree that the presence of the crane on our roads was an essential work. We prayed and two weeks later, the Holy Spirit convicted the powers-that-be that the Wenchi Hospital in Ghana, in the midst of the Covid-19 response programme, was an essential work of charity. Praise God!