Minister's letter for Sunday 19 January

Dear Friends,

I hope that you are settling into 2025 as smoothly and gently as possible!

I always perceive January to be a very long month. I know that it has 31 days, just like many other months of the year, but January somehow manages to make it feel like 131 days! Well at least for me anyway. I... Read more

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all. A January letter from our Minister will be available soon.... Read more

A Christmas message from Rev Karen

Peace and Joy to you all!

We have now entered into the Christmas advert season, and I've been fascinated by the themes or styles of the adverts. Many are 'fairytale-esque' in their approach – magical creatures bringing together a wonderful spread and cheer or rescuing the Christmas spirit.... Read more

Minister's letter, Sunday 1 December

Dear Friends,

We are in the season of Advent. (Yes it has come around very quickly, I am sure it was June last week!) The word advent means arrival or beginning, such as the arrival of a person or the beginning of an event – which, rather neatly for Christians, encapsulates the arrival of Jesus on... Read more

Minister's letter for November

Dear Friends,

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.(a) 30. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'(b) 31. The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'(c) There is no commandment... Read more

Minister's letter, Sunday 6 October

Dear Friends,

This Sunday marks the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack and Israel's retaliation into Gaza. The fighting is spreading across the Middle East. There are also so many places across the globe, where conflicts are occurring bringing instability and fear to so many. Even... Read more

Minister's letter, 29 September

Dear Friends,

It is one of my favourite times of the year...the Great British Bake Off is back. I can look forward to ten weeks of different styles of bakes; from cakes to pastries to bagels and everything in between. I have even been known to attempt some of the challenges from time to time. Interestingly,... Read more

Minister's letter, 15 September

Dear Friends,

A belated "Happy Connexional New Year"!

We have been very pleased to welcome Reverend Sarah Knebel and her family, Rob, Keira and Clara, to the circuit and look forward to getting to know them better as they settle in to new roles and schools.

September seems to usually have... Read more

Minister's letter for August

Dear Friends,

How many of you watched the opening of the Olympic Games? The theme of journeying was very present with the movement around the main sights of Paris, and it encapsulated the arts and culture through the ages effectively and provocatively, and at times was almost hypnotic in its deliberately... Read more

Minister's letter for 21 & 28 July

Dear Friends,

Since our last audio worship we have had a general election, a change of government and the King's Speech. These are a lot of changes to become adjusted to in such a short space of time. Some of us will be looking forward to the new, others of us may well be dreading it, and there... Read more

Minister's letter for 7 July

Dear Friends,

Deacon Suzie and I have just returned from this year's conference held in Leeds. There is so much to process and to share but that may need longer than the, less than 24 hours, I have been back in Dorset at this moment. The theme chosen by the President and Vice-President this year... Read more

Minister's letter for 30 June

Dear Friends,

This week our circuit worship will only be available via the printed sheet, whilst Michelle has a well deserved break. We hope to be back to the usual format in couple of weeks.

I will be attending the Methodist Conference this year as a Southampton District Rep. There are three volumes... Read more

Minister's letter for 16 June

Dear Friends,

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life'.....He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet... Read more

Minister's letter for 2 June

Dear Friends,

(1 Samuel 3:10 "Speak, for your servant is listening")

What is it like to hear God's voice?

I wonder how many of us have had a similar experience to Samuel, hearing our names called? Perhaps it was more subtle through the words of others or through experiencing creation... Read more

Minister's letter for 19 May

Dear Friends,

I imagine that across the circuit churches will be celebrating Pentecost, the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the disciples that enabled them to go out and continue with the mission that Jesus had begun. It is a passage with it all – a good soundtrack (rushing wind), visual effects (tongues)... Read more

Minister's letter for 5 May

Dear Friends,

"I have called you friends" (John 15:b)

What does it mean for us to be called friend by Jesus?

What does it mean to be someone's friend?

I wonder how being church would be impacted if we considered church as one great friendship group rather than as a 'family'?

Lots... Read more

Minister's letter for 21 April

Dear Friends,

Just something to ponder over: in the Bible study group at Upton we talked about John 10:11-18 – "I am the Good Shepherd". God being described and referred to as shepherd is a consistent one throughout scripture. The qualities of protector, leading to the best sources of food... Read more

Minister's letter for Easter

Dear Friends

One of the pictures in the Methodist Modern Art Collection is by Richard Bavin, The Empty Tomb. It uses simple shapes and contrasting colours to define the space... Read more

Minister's letter for 17 & 24 March

Dear Friends,

Just a very short note today!

John 12:20-22

"Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, " Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip... Read more

Minister's letter for 3 March

Dear Friends,

Our journey through Lent continues and for the next few weeks the story is followed in John's gospel. With the telling of Jesus' overturning of the tables in the Temple is the focus for this Sunday, alongside the Decalogue or Ten words (Ten commandments) at the beginning of Exodus... Read more

Minister's letter for 18 February

Dear Friends,

We are entering into the season of Lent. I wonder how you will mark this time? Will you be giving up something or perhaps you will be adding something into your daily routine – more intentional time to pray, be with God, give thanks. Perhaps you will be attending a Lent study group or... Read more

Minister's letter for 4 & 11 February

Dear Friends,

In the Covenant services that I have been privileged to lead through January and into February, I have used a song from Singing the Faith called "Beyond these walls of worship" by Ian Worsfold and Paul Wood (STF 547). It is based on Romans 12:1-2, one of the texts for the Covenant... Read more

Minister's letter for 21 January

Dear Friends,

"Forty days more, and Ninevah shall be overthrown! And the people of Ninevah believed God;" (Jonah 3:4b)

One of the shortest and most effective sermons in the Bible and it came from someone who up until very recently had done their very best to get away from what God had asked... Read more

Minister's letter for 7 January

Dear Friends,

Peace and Joy in this new year!

Technically we are still in the season of Christmas, the wise men (however many of them there were and whoever they were), are still travelling along, following a star that they believe will lead them to the child who has been born king. I have lost count... Read more

Christmas message

Dear Friends,

I wonder if you have a favourite Christmas film. One of my favourites is 'Arthur Christmas' – the story of Father Christmas' clumsy, youngest son's attempt to deliver a lost present to a child. One of Arthur's most endearing qualities is his absolute certainty of the... Read more

Minister's letter for 3 & 10 December

Dear Friends,

It is the first Sunday in Advent this week. The word Advent derives from the Latin 'adventus' meaning arrival or coming. It is a time for preparing, but more than what the shops and other adverts would have us do. Yes, we want and need to get ready to celebrate with presents, visits,... Read more

Minister's letter for 19 November

Dear Friends,

The gospel reading in this week's lectionary is one of my favourite parables: The parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The reason is because for years, I never understood it – I found it one of the most unfair stories in the New Testament. The person given the one talent kept... Read more

Minister's letter for 22 & 29 October

Dear Friends,

I remember at the beginning of last year coming across a poem by Ann Weems called 'I no longer pray for peace'. The opening and closing lines were, "I no longer pray for peace. I pray for miracles."

The escalation of violence between Hamas, who have a base in Gaza, and... Read more

Minister's letter & prayer requests for 8 October

Dear Friends,

Over recent days one event has caused huge outrage over the social media channels – the senseless felling of the tree in the Sycamore Gap. There have been heartfelt tributes and memories shared of this feature amidst the expression of shock and loss. There have also been a number of mentions... Read more

Minister's letter for 17 & 24 September

Dear Friends,

It is always good to give thanks as well as intercede for others in our prayer. So we give thanks and celebrate that 'The Welcome Inn' Café (Bournemouth MC at Victoria Park) has been announced as café of the year in a competition run by a local newspaper. Congratulations... Read more

Minister's letter for 3 & 10 September

Dear Friends,

September is a strange month. It feels odd to experience 'new beginnings' at the same time as we see endings in nature. When the still sunny (ish) and warm days are marked by chillier mornings and evenings. As children and young people return to their classrooms, so those who are... Read more