Let’s go up on the roofImagine gathering on a rooftop looking across your local community and asking God to help you see it as He sees it.

Imagine receiving a fresh vision of God’s heart for the lost and then, with this new vision burning in your heart, engaging with lost people who know little or nothing about Jesus, and seeing them transformed.

Imagine joining in with the mission of Jesus – ‘To seek and to save what was lost’.

Our November Circuit event will be at Chandler’s Ford on Sunday, November 27 (4pm) with the founder and international pioneer for The Rooftop ministries, the Revd Dennis Pethers.

It will be a workshop last-ing just over an hour, fol-lowed by tea.

For more information see page 7

Being in at the beginning of something is always exciting.

It may be the start of a business or the first day at school for someone we know, but it’s always intriguing to see how it turns out.

Our new life together as the Win-chester, Eastleigh and Romsey Circuit is like that. We could look at it as sim-ply a bit of Methodist politics or an opportunity to grow something.

As even the worst gardeners among us know, anything that’s going to survive needs some good ground, a decent amount of feeding and lots of attention.

So as we begin our new life together we ask ourselves the question: “what are we cultivat-ing?”

Are we growing a bigger circuit just to have more churches on the preaching plan? Well, that doesn’t sound like a sensible strategy.

Are we growing a bigger circuit because we’re getting smaller in numbers - like circling the wag-ons train in a Western film? Well, that’s not a strategy for growing the Kingdom, is it?

Is it maybe because God has spoken to us and

called us to dream a bigger dream about a Kingdom that can reach our neighbours in ways we haven’t man-aged yet?

That sounds like a dream worth cultivating.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah reminded the children of Isra-el that God wanted much more than their occasional nod in his direction:

“if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.”

So what are we cultivating? It sounds like we need to be just, grace-filled communities who-shower God’s love on those living around us. That’s a pretty good job description for a new circuit.

No.1

CrosswaysAutumn 2016 Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey Methodist Circuit

Conference,coffeeandconfidence in evangelism ...

What are youcultivating?

Sharing HOPE in Eastleigh - how St Andrew’s took to the streets: p5

Crossways 2

Greetings to you all in the name of Christ Jesus,

I received a letter from the Methodist Conference, inform-ing me that I would be the Superintendent Minister of the Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey Circuit – a new circuit has been created!

The letter reminded me of the many conversations over the years; the hopes and visions; the fears and doubts; the many people who have worked behind the scenes to merge two cir-cuits into one. So, may I welcome you to this new circuit!

Names and boundaries change, but we are still God’s peo-ple – the body of Christ – baptised in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When a group sat down to write a mis-sion statement, they first opened the Bible and reflected on the es-sence of a circuit along-side the early church.

Drawing on Acts 2, our Mission Statement (see right) invites us to share fellowship and resources together, while encouraging and building each other up so that we might feel we belong to a ‘new’ creation; not just a circuit, but Jesus.

Critically, changes in structure are only of benefit if we ‘de-velop and unlock opportunities for mission’. The early church faced challenges; disciples forgot the founding ideals.

Our task is to remember our vision, and remain faithful to our new creation in Jesus.

So, who am I? I have been the minister of Chandler’s Ford and circuit Superintendent for 10 years and come from a Methodist family in Poole. Helen and I have just celebrated our silver wedding anniversary.

Our son, Dan, is beginning his third year studying Physics at the University of Leicester. I enjoy playing golf, walking in the countryside and playing the euphonium in the Boys’ Brigade Band.

I look forward to meeting you and pray that God will bless the journey of this new circuit.

Peter Cornick, Superintendent Minister

The Superintendent writes

Welcome to a new creation - and a real mission opportunity

Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey Methodist Circuit (Circuit No. 26/2)

VISION STATEMENT To enable us all to worship God and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

MISSION STATEMENT

All the believers were united and shared everything with one another. Acts 2:44 We will share fellowship and resources across the Circuit.

United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other’s homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts. Acts 2:46 We will develop a sense of belonging so that we can build each other up.

They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Acts 2:7a We will encourage churches to experience a wide range of wor-ship and preaching styles.

Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved. Acts 2:47b We will explore, develop and unlock opportunities for mission in each church so that the Good News of Jesus Christ can be proclaimed.

Wellow holds a fundraising event each month to support a local charity.

In May a Beetle Drive and Quiz Night with ploughman’s sup-per was held in aid of Leukae-mia Busters at Southampton General Hospital.

This charity is developing ground-breaking treatments to destroy leukaemia or lym-phoma cells in the patient’s body without the side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy.

A very good number turned up and it’s surprising what a noise adults can make when they are let loose with a dis-sected beetle, a cup and a dice!!

Supper was a rather more

orderly affair before the quiz. Wellow events are always very well supported by a group from Cadnam. A friendly rival-ry has sprung up between the two groups and when they get together the gloves are off!

On this occasion the evening ended with a draw, but with the threat from both sides to “get you next time”.

Whether that’s the Septem-ber skittles evening or a future quiz remains to be seen, but anyone is really welcome to come along to one of these fun evenings.

Getting the beetle bug

Crossways3

King’s Somborne may be a small church but it has a big heart for the village community which it serves.

The Epworth Hall, next to the chap-el, is home to a variety of well-attend-ed groups and activities, including our weekly Drop In Coffee morning, (jointly run with our Anglican friends), and our monthly lunch club.

For just £5, over 50s can enjoy a de-licious three-course lunch, and then read the papers, chat, enjoy board games or quizzes or spend some quiet time in the chapel.

Our most recent development has been the revival of our Women’s Fel-

Small church - big heart

lowship Group, back by popular de-mand after several years’ absence, to which all ages are welcome. The first meeting attracted a lot of interest and we eagerly await the new programme of activities and speakers.

King’s Somborne has a long history of working with children and families, and there are close links to the village school, and a thriving Messy Church.

As well as monthly Messy Church sessions, we organise a summer beach trip, and run outreach and fundraising stalls at village and school fetes.

We are part of Young Christians Together in Somborne, and as such we often work with other children’s groups in the village to organise several action-packed activity days and other events each year.

Our Messy Church family is growing fast, and to make sure we are able to meet their spir-itual needs we are currently working on plans for some family-friendly afternoon worship ses-sions - more details to follow!

We are looking forward to meeting new friends in the enlarged circuit, and particularly to sharing the joys and challenges of being a very small church with other similarly-sized chapels in the former Romsey Circuit.

Visitors are always welcome, especially to one of our legendary King’s Somborne teas!

• Top: The Messy Church outing to Boscombe. Lower photo: The Over-50s lunch club’s Christ-mas party.

Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey Methodist

Circuit

Circuit No. 26/2

Circuit OfficeChandler’s Ford

Methodist Church, Winchester Road, Chandler’s Ford

SO53 2GJ

023 8026 0128

Crossways 4

The United Church in Winchester is a City Centre Church and is busy every day wel-coming and serving the public in various ways.

Our Coffee Bar is open six days a week serving FairTrade hot drinks as well as cold drinks, cakes and snacks and providing a warm welcome and a safe space.

The volunteer staff include many who

are not church members but who we are extremely glad to have as part of this out-reach.

The Coffee Bar fronts on to one of Win-chester’s main streets and sees a range of visitors over the week including many regu-lars are always pleased to chat with.

On Thursday mornings the NHS Baby Clinic uses the Church Hall and an exten-

sion opens up for Coffee Bar Playtime - a safe play area for siblings as well as other young children who take the opportunity to come and play.

Mums, dads, grandparents and child minders can have a chat and a coffee while their children play happily and meet up with friends.

The City Centre Mums lay Chaplains who

Outreach in the city centre

United work closely with, are present so there is always someone on hand to welcome, listen and chat with anyone who comes.

Friendships are made and mums support each other. Eve-ryone is welcome.

On the first Thursday of each month United Messy Church meets in the hall for a crafts and activities, followed by lively worship. Then everyone shares in a meal together.

A number of young chil-dren attend with their mums or nannies, mainly because of conversations at the toddler group and Coffee Bar Playtime.

At Messy Church there is the opportunity to talk to every-one about God’s love and en-courage them really to consid-er what that means for them.

The Winchester Live at Home Scheme, helping 300 elderly citizens to continue in-dependent living in their own homes, is based at the Church and holds its activity clubs in the Church Hall.

Over the past few years, Alres-ford has started a number of initiatives to “open its doors” and invite members of the lo-cal community to join us.

Open The Book on the first Saturday of the month is a time for children to meet in the hall and enjoy a time of fun and craft relating to a bible story. They then go in to church for a dramatised reading of the story and we finish with brunch.

Kidz Café on Friday afternoons during term-time invites the children to bring a parent or grandparent with them. While the children play and have a story and sometimes do craft, the adults enjoy tea, cake and a natter.

Bacon Butties is on the first Saturday morning of the month in the morning and offers bacon butties, croissants, newspapers and the opportunity to chat. Donations are presently supporting a school in Zimbabwe.

• Top: Alresford folk at Bacon Butties. Left: Open the Book in full swing.

Opening the Book and opening up the doors

Sunday Lunches are held on the second Sunday of the month and are well attended by both church members and people from the local community who enjoy a roast dinner supplied by a local caterer.

Come in for Coffee is a small, but faithful, group which meets on Tuesday morning.

Lydia Group is a ladies group which meets once a month in members’ homes.

Men Who Lunch get together once a month in local restaurants.

Fundraising – our varied activities have included our Harvest Brown Bag Scheme

where carrier bags are given to businesses and individuals with a request to return them with gifts that the church then gives to Christian Kitchen, The Night Shelter and the Basics Bank.

The President and Vice-President Designate• The Methodist Conference, meeting in London, designated the Revd Loraine N Mellor (left) to be President and Jill Baker to be Vice-President of the Methodist Conference 2017/8.

Crossways5

HOPE is the banner under which churches in Eastleigh work together in sharing the love of Jesus through word and deed. St. An-drews Methodist Church in Eastleigh play an integral role.

Early July is a key week, when volunteers work alongside the Arc Charity for a week on social action projects to improve the lives of needy folk.

This can be anything from cleaning dishevelled homes to helping organise social service provision.

On the Friday afternoon there were free cream teas in a big tent at the Recreation

Partners in HOPEground and senior residents of Eastleigh were blessed with live music and a simple gospel presentation.

Saturday burst into life with a Family Fun day which had everything from bouncy cas-tles to craft events. There was

information and game tents, organised by groups like Boys Brigade and Street Pastors.

In the evening there was a comedy night which again in-cluded a gospel presentation.

On the Sunday morning the churches worshipped together at the Rec’s big tent, thanking God for his continued blessing, and then a picnic lunch.

This joint work builds rela-tionships, unity and a sense of common purpose and iden-tity. St Andrew’s and the other churches see God at work be-yond the walls of the church buildings, reminding us that our purpose is not buildings but people.

The majority of Eastleigh folk would never normally go to church so the aim is to go where they are. In partnership the Christians have a positive impact on Eastleigh far beyond their own imaginings.

Canada Common’s outreach is made visible by an Easter Garden inside the Chapel.

The garden draws visitors to come inside over two weekends to share re-freshments, enjoy the garden and un-derstand something of the true mean-ing of Easter.

More than 200 came during the 2016

Easter season and, as the Chapel over-looks the beautiful common, visitors can also have a good walk.

The church also reaches out to those who are elderly, ill or have lost a loved one, by making a visit and taking a flow-er arrangement.

Canada Common is a small church but the witness can have a great impact.

Easter garden is a witness

Crossways 66

This year sees the 60th Anniversary of the founding of a church plant into the new housing area of Weeke in the north of Winchester.

Nowadays this is very commonplace - large churches planting and financially supporting new initiatives - but it was very new then.

Immediately in 1956 there was a thriving Sunday school, and then an MAYC club of 100, all in a dual-purpose building. The housing area doubled in size in the 70s with two more new estates.

In recent years the youth work has thrived again and the outreach to parents and families is quite amazing.

There must be some 70 families which Wesley is involved with - Mini Marvels (toddler and parent club), Ecumenical Messy Church, Friday Fun Club (5-11) and the thriving Feel Good Friday (10 -16 ) and Sunday Fun.

Almost none of these families are church families. What a challenge, especially with the advent of 2,000 houses on Barton Farm in North Winchester.

For a church mainly of the older generation this is quite remarkable and shows that age is no barrier to touching the lives of people who do not know Jesus.

Some quite elderly people are very active in all these areas and have a good rapport with all ages including their parents.

What about Sunday worship? Well, the children and young people are meeting God where they are in the week, not in the traditional worship but in a way that is relevant to them.

Wesley’s monthly Café Church goes a long way to answering this and is a vital link which hopes to ‘bridge the gap’ with a generation who have not grown up with traditional worship.

This is a local church seeking to connect with the community around them and offering the presence of Christ in their lives.

Celebrating 60 years of a plant bearing fruit

The members at Colden Common turned a community event into a fresh take on Pen-tecost as they celebrated the birthday of the Church in fine style back in May.

Instead of inviting people to come and spend money, they set up a large marquee where everything was free and held a birthday party, especially aimed at children.

Common Have A Go was a community event on the village recreation ground and all village organisations were invited to take part. After giving a percentage of takings to the Community Association, groups could keep the rest.

Most set up stalls to advertise themselves and to get people to spend money.

The chapel hired the biggest marquee on the field with enough room to have a number of tables set up for craft work for the children, as well as where adults could rest from the hot sun and chat. There was also free cakes and drinks.

A banner across the front of the marquee declaring “Come & Celebrate the Birthday

of the Church” (inset picture), could be seen from the other side of the field!

To follow the Pentecost theme, children and families made things linked to the wind. More than 50 simple kites were made and flown around the field, 20 windmills, 15 bird feeders with a dove emblem on the front and 10 very smart bookmarks.

The tent was pretty full most of the time and the balloons and free refreshment created a good family party atmosphere.

The best thing was that church helpers, led by Richard Carter, Sam Barnes and

Chris Slatcher, used their Messy Church and FEST skills to get alongside the children and parents and talk about Pentecost.

There was a table with leaflets about the Messy Church and Fest groups as well as involvement in Open The Book at the village school.

There was an extra bonus as people from other churches and some from the village joined in to help.

A fresh take on Pentecost

Singing the Lord’s songThe spiritual needs and skills of the el-derly can too easily be forgotten. At Bishopstoke the mission is to the very elderly and led by the elderly!

Since April the Methodist Church has been providing a monthly Songs of Praise Service at one care home in Bishopstoke and one in Fair Oak - in both cases initiatives begun with a request from a Care Home Manager.

The discussions showed that a significant number of residents had dementia, yet of-ten remembered songs from years ago.

A “retired” local preacher enthusiastically caught the movement of the Spirit and be-gan planning services. A team soon devel-oped: three on a piano rota, including two from St Andrew’s, Eastleigh; two reserves, another local preacher, the minister and three church members.

Within the Church the initiative has been surrounded with prayer.

Residents joyfully join in the singing; some choose hymns; most join in The Lord’s Prayer and the Grace. They listen attentively to a short Bible reading and prayer. All enjoy the tea and mutually-enriching conversa-tions.

At Fair Oak the service has moved to a larger room to accommodate everyone: on the last occasion 23 residents plus two visitors, two staff and four from the church. The home has now asked for the service to be longer!

At the recently-opened Care Home in Bishopstoke, numbers increase with occu-pancy. But most of all, at both Care Homes there is a wonderful sense of the presence and the love of God.

Crossways7

Circuit Service - November 27, 2016

Imagine being part of the mission of Jesus ‘to seek and to save what was lost’.

Join Revd Dennis Pethers (right), founder and international Pioneer for The Rooftop ministries, at

Chandler’s Ford on Sunday, November 27 (4pm) for• A workshop lasting just over an hour

• Tea and fellowship together

This workshop will give you the background to behind the Rooftop process with examples and results from Methodist churches, wider denominations and across continents.

The afternoon will directly address the part of the Circuit mission statement:“We will explore, develop and unlock opportunities for mis-sion in each church so that the Good News of Jesus Christ can be proclaimed”

Dennis Pethers will be a key contributor helping us to reflect on how churches can reconnect with the gospel and their local culture.

Want to know more?Visit www.therooftop.org to see how the ministry works.

The Revd Dr Roger Walton and Rachel Lampard (above) were duly elected by a Standing Vote as President and Vice-President respectively. The theme for their year is holiness and justice. Their addresses to the Conference can be found on the Methodist web-site at http://bit.ly/spread-holiness and http://bit.ly/vp-address

Ethical investment

The Conference received a report from the Joint Advisory Com-mittee on the Ethics of Investment (JACEI), which explained that in addition to ensuring that the Church’s finances are invested ethi-cally, the Church is also able to influence the way companies be-have (such as paying the Living Wage, or being transparent about dealings with local communities.)

JACEI updated the Conference about its work on funeral poverty, climate change, Nestlé and breast milk substitutes, farm animal welfare and companies that operate in Israel and Palestine, human rights, water, mining and tax justice.

Faith and Order Committee

In addition to the committee’s general report the Faith and Or-der Committee presented an interim report to the Conference about the theology and ecclesiology underpinning the Diaconate. The report explored the changing role of the deacon (and dea-coness) and their relationship to the Methodist Church, the ways in which diaconal ministry has been expressed as the Church has sought to discern the will of God and to be faithful to its calling , and the nature and place of the Methodist Diaconal Order ( MDO) within the Methodist Church in Britain.

The Conference directed the Methodist Council, with the MDO and the Faith and Order Committee, to consider whether the reli-gious order should be opened to receive into membership lay peo-ple or presbyters. It also directed them to consider whether those ordained as deacons should continue to be required to become members of the religious order and report to the Conference of 2018.

Homophobia guide

The Conference welcomed the resource Homophobia: Defini-tion and Guidance that had been requested by the Conference of 2014. Prepared by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, in consultation with the Marriage and Relationships Task Group, it offers a definition of what is, and is not, homophobia. The re-source states that homophobic attitudes, words and behaviours are inconsistent with the nature of Christian conduct and a viola-tion of the worth and dignity of all people. The guide can be found at http://bit.ly/homophobia-guide

Highlights from the Methodist Conference 2016

Marriage and relationships

Following consultations with thousands of people across the connexion on the subject of marriage and relationships overseen by a Task Group the Conference directed that a new Statement of the judgement of the Conference on marriage and relationships should be prepared and that, as part of the process, the definition of marriage should be revisited. A new Task Group was appointed to oversee this work.

Past Cases Review

A year after the publication of Courage, Cost & Hope - the re-port on the Past Cases Review (PCR), the Conference received an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Review. These included: the establishing of a survivors’ reference group to ensure that all policies and guidelines and training mate-rials produced as part of the recommendations would be informed by the perspective of survivors and victims; significant progress on a system of structured supervision for ministers, including a pilot programme in two Districts; a draft code of conduct of ministerial practice, which will be presented to 2017 Conference.

All recommendations will be implemented in full, or with a clear process and timetable for completion, by the Conference of 2017.

Crossways 8

Your essential diary datesThe next Crossways will be published in January 2017. Items for that edition should be sent to Gareth Hill by December 1.

Please email photographs and stories to gareth.hill@methodist.org.uk. Photos must be high-quality .jpgs and sent as attachments not embedded in the stories. If you’re uncertain give Gareth a call.

OK, be honest, what’s your worst habit?

What drives your other half, your friends and family crazy? It often takes someone else to point out our habits for us but why do bad habits get all the publicity?

Romsey, this September, are launching a two-year pro-gramme entitled Holy Habits. Based on the book by Andrew Roberts, it challenge and en-courages the members to form 10 life-long and life-changing habits formed by the early church as described in Acts 2:42-47. These habits include Eating Together, Prayer, Wor-ship, Gladness and Generosity and Making More Disciples.

The Methodist Church is developing the book as a Con-

Getting in the Habits

nexional Resource and we are thrilled to be the test church – but it’s more than just an ex-periment.

Each section is intended to take about two months (enough time for it to become a habit!) and will incorporate the 4Ws of Welcome, Wonder, Worship and Wider.

Every group in the Church will see how they can include the current habit as part of their meetings maintain the ones they have already devel-oped.

Like any good habit, it takes time to nurture and grow but should become part of our character.

Bad habits are so easy to get into as we all know but good and holy habits can be just as easily developed and spotted by our family, friends and ac-quaintances.

Please pray that through the Holy Habits programme will encourage Romsey to find, just as the first disciples did, that they ‘enjoy favour with all of the people. And that the Lord will add to their number daily those who are being saved’. Acts 2:47.

Want to know more? Con-tact Nick (nicholas.carter1@ntlworld.com) and Marion Carter (marion.carter@ntl-world.com).

ADDITIONAL SERVICES THIS QUARTER

Alresford - Harvest Supper October 1, Christmas Fair November 26

Alresford - Open the Book, September 3, October 1, November 5

Chandlers Ford - CONNECT contemporary worship service at 8pm (7.30pm for drinks) on third Sunday of every month

Chandlers Ford - Shoppers Service every Friday 10.30-11.00am

Chandlers Ford - MESSY CHURCH September 10, October 8, November 12 (4pm-6pm)

Colden Common - FEST (for years 6-8) September 22, October 28, Novem-ber 25 (6.30pm)

Colden Common - MESSY CHURCH September 8, October 13, November 10 (3.30pm)

Kings Somborne - MESSY CHURCH September 18, October 16, November 20 ( 3.30-5.30pm)

Romsey - Worship on Wednesday (WOW) every Wednesday at 10.30am in term time.

St Andrew’s - WIGGLY WORSHIP September 25, October 23, November 27 (9.30-10.00am)

St Francis - MESSY CHURCH 251h Sept, 23rd Oct, 20th Nov (4pm-6pm)

Twyford - Services altered for a trial period: 1st Sunday Fellowship Ser-vice 3pm; First Wednesday, Coffee Morning (10.00-12.00); 2nd, 3rd, 4th, [5th] Wednesday, service 10.30am. When there is a Wednesday service, refreshments will be served afterwards.

Twyford - Harvest Festival Concert followed by refreshments on Wednes-day, September 28 (7.30pm)

United - have a 20min service every Friday (11am)

United - MESSY CHURCH September 1, October 6, November 3 (3.15-5.15pm)

Wesley - Ecumenical MESSY CHURCH September 15, October 20, Novem-ber 17 (3.15-5.00pm)

Wesley - Friday Fun Club every Friday in term time (5.00-6.30pm)

Wesley - Feel Good Friday (age 10 -16), 1st and 3rd Fridays in term time (7.00-9.00pm)

Wesley - 60th Church Anniversary services on October 23

CIRCUIT EVENTS

CLT Meeting - Wednesday, November 9 (7.30pm) at Alresford

Circuit Meeting - Wednesday, September 14 (7.30pm) at Romsey; Tues-day, November 29 (7.30pm) at Chandlers Ford

Circuit Celebration and Welcome Service - Sunday, September 11 (4pm), followed by tea, at Chandlers Ford

Circuit Service - Sunday, November 27 (4pm) at Chandlers Ford

Local Preachers and Worship Leaders Meeting - Tuesday, September 6 (7.30pm) at Wesley Weeke; Wednesday, November 30 (7.30pm) at Rom-sey

Contacting the circuit administrators

The Circuit has two Admin-istrators - Sarah Sprack and Marilyn Pack - both working from home.

Each is responsible for dif-ferent aspect of the work: for example, Sarah for the Preach-ing Plan; Marilyn for the Circuit Directory. Other things will be shared as appropriate.

When they work varies each week but both can contacted at any time by email or phone:

Sarahwemethodistcircuit@yahoo.co.uk023 8062 0574

Marilynmjpack@renpack.co.uk 01 794 512022