TWELVE MONTHS ON

Well actually it is now fifteen months since I came to Bedford South and Ampthill.

I have been asked to reflect on those first fifteen months. Within the Circuit we have seen comings and goings of Ministers, and facing of the future with the assistance of the Bible Society, and we have begun to look at the implications for the Church of the new housing estates that are planned over the next decade. At the Circuit meeting I raised points that it was thought were worth airing. Here is one topic - in themselves they only have significance when shared, - honestly, and prayerfully, perhaps in a home group. At a recent Kempston wedding we had a visiting American Methodist Minister. It was his contention that a church only grew with consistent pastoral care, and he felt that the American experience of being at one's own Church every week was important. He despaired (as would any American Minister), that the English Plan prevented this. He had suggested to the British Circuit he was stationed in that by a modest alteration of service times all the Circuit ministers could be at their own Churches every week. The suggestion went down like a lead balloon with the people called Methodist in that particular corner of Britain.

However there are a wealth of issues that arise apart from the stubbornness of people, but also issues about ministry and what worship is about. And we may ask of each other what is our range of Hymnbooks and Worship Songs saying about our diversity and appeal to contemporary people.

These thoughts are for sharing and reflection. As the old question paper posed a proposition the following forbidding sentence was simply -"discuss". These issues remind us that we need to be looking to the future long term. We need to develop rather than maintain. These are just some personal scenarios that have become evident to me - they are not core issues but they are symptomatic of our attempt not to do things right but to do the right thing. Now that is a challenge for the next year.

Alan Ponting

'Fighting poverty through trade'

'My name is Dhanji Desar and I am thirteen. I live in Kuran in Northern India and go to school in a nearby village. I know my parents want me to have a good eduction so I can get a good job when I am older.

I hope I will, but my brother Bheema has had to leave school and get a job. He's fifteen and now works as a labourer. He doesn't get much money but it helps us.

Not all my friends go to school - some of them have to work. Their families need the extra money. My parents want me to do well so I'll have more money and a better life than they have. When I get married and have children it won't be so hard. My little sister is only three and we all want her to have an education too but who knows what'll happen when she grows up.

But we do have hope now since mum has been working for a good organisation who help her to make the right sort of products to sell - and she gets more money now!!

(extract from Traidcraft News 2001)

Traidcraft aims to fight poverty through trade. It provides producers and craftsmen throughout the world with a fair deal and customers with good value for money. About half of India's population lives in poverty and some children as young as ten have to work to supplement the family income. There are an estimated 60 to 115 million children working in India - the highest in the world. But Traidcraft suppliers around the world report again and again that by getting a fair wage or fair price for their goods they are able to educate their children, rather than having to send them out to work. So family life is better now and there is hope for the future.

Please help maintain the trend, if you can, by purchasing goods that carry the Fairtade mark. There are also a number of churches in the circuit that run Traidcraft stalls. Ampthill Methodist Church's stall is after the morning service - generally every fortnight.

Barbara Griffiths

Pages compiled by Peter Fletcher

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