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Friday, September 10, 2010

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT 2008/09

Another Award For Us!

Readers of the Birmingham Mail will already have read that Selly Oak Methodist Church was awarded another environmental award at a ceremony on May 21st.

The Birmingham Mail has a regular "Go Green" page , and as part of their "Think Global, Act Global" campaign they have made five environmental awards. Selly Oak Methodist Church was awarded the "Environmental Project 2008/09" award. David Edden picked up the award on behalf of the church and in the near future it will be on show in the church. The award is a tribute to everybody who helps in any way with keeping our church environmentally friendly.

Duncan Miller

News

The Circuit is now a "Fairtrade Circuit"

Pauls Boys' Home

Pauls Boys' Home, in Madurai, in the south of India, was started in 1998 in response to the needs of orphans or semi-orphans often picked up from the streets of Madurai with some from the remote rural areas.

The home now has 15 boys and provides shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, support with education and the loving care of two people who run it, Ester and her husband, Retnaraj, who are totally committed to their welfare.

It is financed by donations and by some local people giving their services free of charge. Ester works as a teacher to ensure a regular income.

The home used to be in rented accommodation but the basic construction of a new house has now been built with some earlier help from SOMC. It is one of the charities we are supporting in connection with our own building scheme.

And Pauls? An acronym:

People's

Action for the

Upliftment of the

Less privileged in

Society

More details via arulisrael@hotmail.com

Musings from the Manse

Musings From the Manse - September 2010

There's a lot of newness about at present. After a summer of seeing scaffolding and builders' mess when we come to worship, the results are emerging like a phoenix from ashes and we will have an improved set of premises to start the new Methodist year.

But it's no use renewing our premises just so that we look good and feel more comfortable . That's not the motivation behind all of this industry. We need to change any former attitudes which are not in tune with God's plan for us at Selly Oak. We need to brace up and think of what impression we could be making. Like our name on the outside of the buidling has been this summer, are we slipping and sliding away from uprightness into giving an impression of lack of care?

What does God call us to be and do? Why are we here? Surely following the gospel we are to love and care for all around; to spread God's message of mission and service. All of us need to play a part in welcoming people and ensuring they feel comfortable and happy with us; that they belong. Just one little unwelcoming word or glance can stop new people from feeling they want to come again. Being inward-looking and only responding to those who are part of our in-group easily makes other people feel shunned. How important it is to stay aware of the impression we might be making and ensure that the offer of sharing which we want to give is actually what our attitudes and behaviour convey.

So as the new Methodist year begins, let's make a New Year resolution to be aware of one another; to be sure that like the new spruced-up exterior of our building, we inside show behaviour which is fresh and welcoming. Let there be not just a newness about our premises but also a renewal of our efforts to respond to all those who come to be part of the community here in whatever way that might be.

Doreen C Hare

Superintendent's Letter

What might you choose to do on Sunday 5 September? Attend the 21st International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry in Brussels? Take part in the Southend Bikeathon in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma research? Listen to Somali-born rapper K'Naan in Hoxton, London? Mark the death of Mother Teresa seventeen years ago? The choice is yours.

I5 September is the 248th day of the year with 117 days remaining until the year end in the Gregorian calendar. The great Fire of London ended on this day in 1666. In 1882 you could have seen the first Labour Day Parade in New York city. It's the Saint's Day for Zechariah. It's a day with a pedigree!

But very importantly for Methodists, 5 September is also the first Sunday of the Methodist connexional year 2010-2011. It's a day to bring to mind our President, Rev Alison Tomlin, our Vice-President, Deacon Eunice Attwood and our Birmingham South-West Circuit service to be held that evening at Selly Oak.

2011 has been designated as the Year of the Bible. A new initiative has been launched called Biblefresh, a movement aiming to bring the bible back to being more central in our worship. An interesting quote from its advertising tells us the Bible is currently seen as "tedious and toxic rather than treasured and trusted"!

Our annual Methodist prayer handbook is available this month; its title is God's Open World. And the new Methodist hymnbook "Singing the Faith" has now gone through Conference and is currently being put together into its final shape, ready for sale and use towards the end of this connexional year.

Lots of changes, lots of new things are happening in Methodism. Let's celebrate the first day of this New Year in style!

Happy 5th September to us all and a satisfying new year focussed on faith, freshness with the Bible and fullness of gospel life as God's faithful people.

Doreen C Hare

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