Our Vision

Is to Aspire … to Inspire… a Desire… in JESUS!

The Newsletter of the Bolsover and Staveley Circuit

March 2006 No 55

This month sees David Slater write of the history and the current situation within the Sunday School within Mount Tabor. Please remember our brothers and sisters in your prayers within our smaller churches, their commitment and shear determination to bring the message that Christ has entrusted to us within their local situations.

MOUNT TABOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
This year our Mount Tabor Church celebrates its 125th anniversary. It is almost certain that the Sunday School was meeting even before the Church was opened, probably in one of the Cinder-built cottages above the Chapel. These were the earliest houses to be built, soon to be followed by “Gentleman’s Row” for Staveley Works foremen, and terraced cottages opposite for the labourers. Again we have no proof, but it does seem that basic education was taught by the early Church leaders. It was not until the middle eighties that state education came to Brimington. The Sunday School extension to the chapel was added in 1904.

Over the years countless children have found Mount Tabor a part of their lives. Sometimes only later do they realise what an important part it is, as messages to our web-site www.mounttabor.btinternet.co.uk have testified. The hey-day for attendances was in the sixties with no fewer than 150 children on the register, and 24 teachers and helpers.

So we come to today and the concern we have about numbers – we have eight on the register – Why isn’t the value of sound Bible teaching, with the opportunity to meet friends, sing new songs, learn to pray, hear about Jesus, make things, play games held in great esteem? We are fortunate. We have a few caring parents who do realise the value of Christian Education, and it gives hope for the children’s future. There’s no magic formula, it is no good pretending that we live in a society that is God-centred, but we keep on keeping on – frequent leaflet drops, last September saw an open evening, all trying to say “Look we’re here”. With the children taking part, our Christmas service attracted 80 folk of all ages – so we do get encouragement. Please pray for us, as Sunday by Sunday we meet to share the Good News.

THE CIRCUIT
The last plan has shown how reliant the Methodist Church is on those who are called and volunteer to lead worship from our pulpits. The Church places great responsibility on these people who, not only give time on the Sunday in question, but much time in prayer, study and the crafting of their services. We have a smaller core of people who are able to participate in the leading of our acts of worship and it is within this framework that we have to look at the larger question of how we are going to fulfil appointments on the plan. In the March to May plan we have each church fulfilling several own local arrangements, whether this be through a local invitation of a preacher, an act of worship bringing together the talents of that congregation or maybe the congregation visiting on that particular Sunday another church within the Circuit.

How many of you know of your brothers and sisters within the wider family of our Circuit? Those of us who are privileged to lead worship, who are able to mix freely within our different congregations often take for granted the Circuit family in who we are placed. It is however within this family that encouragement and strength to carry on within our local situations can come. As I have edited Vision over the last few months and ‘pressed’ people for their good news stories of what God is doing within our churches, then these have been shared and there are some wonderful happenings. We so often do not see these, we concentrate so much on the negative, but if Jesus is working and we can see that He is, then there is and can only be positive.

We are not on own! The rich diversity of which our churches and on a larger scale the Circuit is made up is something to celebrate and cherish. The larger picture of what God is doing can be seen in our celebrating together, of our building up and encouraging each other. The March to May Plan sees two Circuit services. These are not a Sunday off, this is a time to celebrate and be together within our larger family, to get to know one another. The first one takes place at Staveley on 19th March and all are invited including the children; there will be something for them. Let us come together and celebrate what God has done and is doing, anticipating where both as individual congregations and the larger Circuit congregation He is going to lead us.

OUR VISION
Each month the Circuit newsletter is published under the name of Our Vision. Many of you will remember a number of years ago we had a day at Staveley called Vision 2010, looking at where we were going as a Circuit. Members of the Circuit look to the leadership for their vision, but if as individuals we do not own that vision, then it will not happen. We are all members of the body of Christ within our churches and Circuit and if we do not play the part that God has called us to, then the whole body is lacking in part of its ministry. Please do not say that I am too old or too young, too busy or have nothing to offer, because we all can make excuses, but each of us is unique created in the image of God for His Glory. If we decry ourselves as individuals then we are decrying God’s creation within us.

The year 2010 is fast approaching, where is that Vision now? Have we forgotten it? What is our vision for 2020?

Our long term vision does matter; it affects the here and now as well as the future. It needs to be shaped by God, with us all having listening ears and open hearts and minds. The Circuit Prayer Meeting arose out of Vision 2010. Here we have a faithful core of people who meet once a month to prayer for all of us as a Circuit. Even though the core is few in number, they have faithfully carried on for us what they have been called to. As individuals within our respective churches and the Circuit, each of us has a part to play. The challenge is whether we are taking part enriching the whole body of Christ in which we belong or whether we are acting as sleeping parties?

If you wish to comment and add to our vision then please contact me at the Circuit Office. As far as possible I will try and publish your views.

CHANGES TO BE NOTED
The Teaching Seminar on Evangelism is to be held at Brimington Common on Monday 13th March.

The Brimington Procession of Witness on Good Friday meets at midday on the Green, not at 2:00pm as shown in the plan.

Circuit DIARY

Meetings and Other Church Events for the forthcoming months.

March 2006

8        Local Preachers’ Meeting             7.30 pm                         Bolsover
13      Teaching on Evangelism               7.30 pm         Brimington Common
15      General Purposes Committee       7.30 pm                         Bolsover
18      Men’s Fellowship Breakfast          8.30 am                          Staveley
19      Circuit Service                           10:30 am                          Staveley
22      Circuit Meeting                            7.30 pm                          Staveley
28      Deadline for material for April’s Vision.

April 2006

Circuit Prayer Meeting 7.30 pm
15 Men’s Fellowship Breakfast 8:30 am Staveley

For Easter Services please see the plan.