EQUIPPING OURSELVES TO MOVE FORWARD
I have been very pleased indeed to be your minister for the past two years and grateful to those who have offered their support to the Sunday services (especially Sunday evenings), Bible studies and other things that I have tried to introduce, including the special events, as well as those who support the more established groups and events. There is no point pretending that our work has not become numerically small but what I have been trying to do is to make sure that, building on the foundations of the authority of the Bible and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we do things of the very best quality so that we can have a small but strong base from which to move forward.

I am pleased to say that in the 25 years that I have been a Methodist minister I have had some congregations (even small ones) that have grown but I have also been minister of churches that have closed, one while I was minister and several in the years since I have moved on. In a church community like ours it is relatively easy to become discouraged and accept small congregations and numerical decline. I am not prepared to accept either but I must say that I need the unstinting support of everyone in our church community if things are going to be different.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE MADE WHOLE?
In the Gospel stories, on more than one occasion, we find Jesus asking people in need whether they really want to know the power of his saving ministry. The answer might appear to be obvious but the reality is so often different. We must allow Jesus to ask us similarly challenging questions, as individual Christians and as a church community. As individual Christians it is important that our personal life of faith is growing.

Growing Christians are disciplined about reading their Bibles, praying, serving and witnessing – these are things that members rarely ask me about but they supporting you in these should be a significant part of my ministry. It is important to allow the Lordship of Jesus Christ to touch every dimension of our life and not just some parts. Then, as a local church, we need to develop a fellowship and loyalty to Jesus Christ and to one another that will inspire other people that the Christian community based on the Methodist Church is really worth joining.

IT'S ONLY FOOTBALL!
Many of you know that I am a Plymouth Argyle fan but what you might not know is that, being a season ticket holder, as far as possible, I arrange my diary around the home fixtures. I don't go on holiday in August once the football season has started, I don't take half-term breaks if we have a home game on the Tuesday, or if I do, we do what we did last year and go all the way to Downderry, in order to be able to whiz back to Plymouth for the football. You might say, "It's only football!" I agree but I am a true follower of the team and I don’t want not to be there.

A few years ago I went to a football club dinner at Home Park. There was a lot of discussion but I said to one of the young men on the table with me, "The only thing I hope is that we don't have regular Sunday games at Argyle." The trap laid, he asked me why not. "Because," I said, "following Argyle is important to me but following Jesus Christ is more important and I would go to church on Sunday in preference to going to football." We have had some wonderful Sunday services at Millbrook Methodist Church in the last two years but as a solid base we must have congregations of 20 or more. We have enough people within our wider church community to achieve that at every service but not everyone yet shares that vision. In the church year that begins on 1 September, I hope that you will share that vision with me and if you could extend that to the Bible studies that I lead on Thursday evenings (fortnightly) then that would be brilliant and such an encouragement not only to me but also to our whole community.

EQUIPPING THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR SERVICE
I recently received a pack from the Open Bible Institute and my attention was particularly drawn to Short Courses in Practical Ministry (Administration, Mission and Ministry, Pastoral Care, Preaching, Youth and Children'S Work) which might interest people who feel prompted in that direction and I would welcome conversations with members about how God might be calling them to prepare for new avenues of service or to serve more effectively.

MINISTER'S BIBLE STUDY
Our groups start again on Thursday 11 September (7.30-9.00 pm) in the school-room (come in by the back door in Newport Street). We continue to look at some of the great sermons in Acts. Everyone is welcome and no prior knowledge is expected or required. We sing some songs, pray and look at the Bible passages. I always distribute printed notes so that you can review our study in your own time at home. We finish with tea or coffee and superior biscuits.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW OFFICE AND MINISTER'S SECRETARY
We continue to share the office facilities with my Ridgeway Church. We had a surprisingly high number of applicants for our job vacancy and after interviewing three candidates decided to offer the position to Mrs Jane Spry. Jane starts her work with us on Tuesday 2 September. It will take a while for her to settle in but I am sure that everyone will make Jane welcome. We are grateful to Catherine Stead for standing in for seven weeks.

PASTORAL VISITING
If I have yet to visit you in your own home or you would like me to call on you, or on someone you know, please leave a message with Jane in the office. Although I am willing to call on people from the wider village community, either at home or in hospital, it is normally important to gain the consent of the person on whom you are asking me to call. I look forward to another year working with you and hope it will be a year in which we are blessed and encouraged.

God bless,