Cleveland and Danby Methodist Circuit Website
Report to Spring Synod 2018
The 'Pathfinder' initiative was officially launched in September 2017. Through this process we prayerfully seek to discern where we are, asking God where we need to be in and through His strength. While there is so much more work to do we prayerfully seek God together.
The Circuit explores a rich tapestry of worship — from traditional to contemporary services offered in a number of places and ways including moorland, coastal, post-industrial and market town contexts. The diversity of worship reflecting the range of ages and ways of worshiping God. Power Praise, Encounter, Kidz Praise, Wesley Guild to name but a few examples.
Through evangelism, and in contextually appropriate ways we are involved with small group discipleship, expressions of 'Messy Church', Alpha, Emmaus, and 'Open the Book' in Schools (steadily growing); again just a few examples. During the year we have appointed our new lay worker involved with mission in the East Cleveland section of the circuit and Revd Helena Harbottle is offering sensitive oversight to this project.
The Circuit is to host a circuit evening at Guisborough with Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) and Fiona Hendley (Actress) when they will come and share their faith — an evening of gentle evangelism ... and then of course there are those multitude of ways in which people seek to share their faith by their presence in daily life and through the support and encouragement of the Church within their discipleship.
The Circuit continues to offer opportunities for learning and caring, through such things as Wesley Guild (Esk Valley), discipleship opportunities, Bible Study (great 50 days study group) and one day training opportunities such as 'Making Connections' with Rev Bev Hollings offering some training on evangelism; and a visit by Revd Paul Wilson (MET) helping us to think about 'The Gospel at Easter'. We offer a caring ministry through the work of MHA Hinton Court, food banks within different parts of the circuit and a number of lunch clubs.
We engage in service through the many acts of fund raising for organisations beyond the life of the Church in our own context; raising funds for Great North Air Ambulance, Zoe's Place (baby Hospice), Parkinson UK and Haiti among many other things. In two different parts of the circuit hospitality was offered for sporting events, during the past year: The East Cleveland Grand Prix (refreshments at Guisborough) and Redcar Triathlon (refreshments at Zetland Park).
John Henry
Superintendent