On Sunday, 22nd January 2012, the Christian community in Birstall joined the women of the Cameroon Christian Women Fellowship (CWF) at the Birstall Methodist Church at a gala to celebrate the golden jubilee of the CWF Movement.

Last September I attended my first class for becoming a member of the Methodist Church.  I had been considering making this decision for a few months, and now felt it was the right thing to do.  I thoroughly enjoyed the classes which started at the Creation and continued with discussions on several subjects, making us eventually think about the significance of the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, the resurrection and what it really meant to us.   How did it affect us all?  Or rather, how did it affect me?  I found these questions very interesting and challenging.

George MacLeod, founder of the Iona Community, used the following illustration:

“A boy threw a stone at the stained glass window of the Incarnation.  It nicked out the”E” in the text “Glory to God in the Highest”.  Thus, till unfortunately it was mended, it read, “Glory to God in the High St”.  Such is the genius, and the offence, of Christian revelation.  Holiness, salvation, glory are all come down to earth in Jesus Christ our Lord. …. I simply argue that the Cross be raised again at the centre of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church.”

This Advent, Birstall Methodist had the opportunity to take the Christmas stories on to Birstall “high st” when we were given permission to use the windows of an empty shop on the Sibson Road for display.  Jules Richards, who has generously done so much design work for the Circuit recently, helped us to produce posters suggesting which local people might play the various parts in the story of Jesus’ birth if it was taking place today.  Thus, Martin Bolton, a local postman, featured as the Angel Gabriel on account of their both delivering news; Meg Young, crossing patrol guide at Riverside Primary School was portrayed as the guiding star and the staff of Birstall Tandoori Takeaway stood in as Magi from the East.   Dawn, landlady of the Earl of Stamford who featured as the Innkeeper said, “I was really pleased to be asked to take part.  The posters attracted a lot of comment from customers at the bar”.

Meg Young as the Guiding Star

Apples wanted - Community Harvest Festival

On Saturday 1st October, from 4pm until 6.30pm, we will be hosting a Community Harvest Festival.  Please put the date in your diary now. We are organising it with the other churches and with Birstall Transition Group, a new group looking at practical ways to promote sustainable lifestyles.  We have hired an apple press for the festival itself and to take into both Primary Schools.  We will need lots of apples - both eaters and cookers - to make into juice and apple crumble. You're invited to bring any apples surplus to your own requirements into the Coffee Shop when it's open (or to church on Sundays) and we will store them on the premises.  If you need help harvesting your apples let Rachel know, and she will arrange for someone to collect them from your home.