Within this next week we will mark the beginning of a New Methodist Year. The date when ministers who have moved start new ministries, the date when we ourselves will mark changes within our circuit staff and churches. So a happy New Year.

These last few months I have been involved in conversations with a number of churches about the future. To close, to join with others and forming a new church, to start a new project. I recognise how difficult it has been for many faithful people, and we do indeed give thanks for the work that has been done in the past, the present and into the future.

This week, we held a messy church session at Kibblesworth. This session was based on the story of the lost sheep. Lots of sheep themed crafts and we even had a sheep trail around the village. Families were encouraged to collect a sheet and then go and find the several hidden sheep which had been ‘lost’ around the village. Many of the local businesses had found one, some of the church members who lived in the village had managed to find a sheep and then display them in their window for the families to find.

Every few months I meet with a Spiritual Accompanist whose role is to help me to reflect upon my own spiritual journey. Three weeks ago, I was reflecting with her on Mark 6:31,

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He (Jesus) said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

I just about managed to survive a day at Chester-le-Street Riverside cricket ground yesterday on the hottest day ever recorded in the UK. It was probably the first time ever in this country that queues at the water stations were longer than those for the bar! Fortunately I wasn’t sitting in the full sun until after 4pm – I’m not sure how those who had been exposed to the sun since before 1pm managed to cope. As for the players running around out on the pitch, no wonder the drinks breaks seemed to happen every few overs; I especially felt sorry for Jonny Bairstow, who spent much of the hottest part of the day when England were fielding running from one side of the ground to the other every time the South African batsmen scored a single. And he still managed to score 60 when he came on to bat – which was a lot better than most of the England batsmen.

In May I joined a small group of women from all over the country on an MWiB Pilgrimage. Like many things it has been deferred three times due to the pandemic, sadly one early volunteer died earlier in the year and another was too ill to join us but spaces were filled and thirteen of us set off under the guidance of Jill Baker and Gillian Womersley.  For many of us St Mungo and St Ninian were merely names but we learnt a little bit about them as we travelled.  The pilgrimage began in Glasgow where, in the 6th century, St Mungo served the community.  Our journey then took us to Ayr where we picked up the trail of St Ninian walking up the coast to St Ninian’s Cove and Whithorn.