February 07

Dear friends
There was a song, which had the line, ‘The times they are a changing.’ In September we will have a change of Minister at Otley and Pool. I will be moving on to the Shipley and Bingley Circuit and will have responsibility for Baildon Methodist Church. The Revd Julian Pursehouse will become the new Superintendent and Minister for Otley and Pool. Julian and his wife Jean live in Whittlesey where he is the Superintendent Minister of the Peterborough Circuit. In place of Revd Mark Godfrey will be the Revd Dawn Saunders, a Probationer Minister in Training.

Although the minister will change the ministry of the church continues. The church is not the prerogative of one person, the church is the body of Christ and we all have a ministry within that body. In the next few months we have many opportunities to share in the ministry of the church of Christ.

On Shrove Tuesday we have a Pancake Party in the Wesley Hall and on Ash Wednesday we will join our Anglican friends for worship. Through Lent we can share in the Lent Lunches and use the booklets ‘Love life, Live Lent’ mentioned elsewhere in Focus. During Holy Week we will have the opportunity to journey in faith and on Easter Sunday celebrate the resurrection at the foot of the Chevin Cross. In all these activities we will share the changeless Gospel of Jesus Christ with fellow Christians.

Times may change, people may change, our circumstances may change but the love of God remains the same. Jesus came to direct people to the Kingdom of God, to save them from sin and enable them to live a new life of faith.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ never changes, but that same Gospel can be life changing for those who embrace it. So in all that we do this year, I hope and pray, we will continue to love God and become the people he wants us to be.

Alistair