Going for Growth | |
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Dear Friends “Going for Growth or Accepting Decline”. The Circuit Meeting in September decided that we have a choice – and you are part of that choice. The Methodist Church in Birmingham, and indeed throughout the country, has been shrinking fairly fast. Now we have to decide whether we are prepared to just let that carry on happening within our part of Birmingham or if we want to try and reverse the trend here. To Go for Growth – changing structures, extending our outreach and growing spiritually - will be a challenging and demanding course of action. The Circuit Meeting said YES - lets go for it! So the Circuit Meeting is saying to you – do you want to be a part of this? You can opt out – your church can opt out. At the moment all Church Councils are being asked what they want to do. Going for Growth – means resources and support from the Circuit for that to happen; Accepting Decline – means minimal input until the inevitable happens. Going for Growth will involve getting out of our comfort zone, it will need more sacrificial giving, it will ask you to get involved – it will, we believe, be about the work of God’s Kingdom. Where will we be in three years time? We don’t know what we will look like? Which churches will be open or what will be happening, within them and because of them. We want to be able to say that we followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and we gave our all. Mary said ‘yes’. Jesus came into the world. Celebrate his birth and know that He is in the world and we are part of His presence. May you be blessed this Christmas Helen Jobling |