13/10 Bishop Auckland & Shildon

Report to Spring Synod 2018
Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, from 26th March until 15th April, will be hosting Temenos. A collaboration between artist Ric Scott and poet Ian Adams. The Circuit is pleased to be working with the District to host this exhibition that explores the "idea of threshold space".
An ecumenical initiative, under the title: Re:generate, continues to encourage Christians to get together for worship, prayer and fellowship. Following on from last year's prayer walks, the Valley Methodist Church will host the first get together this year, for worship and testimony.

On Pentecost, Revs Andy Bryer and John Purdy will be walking from Newton Aycliffe to Cockfield. Starting with Holy Communion we will move onto Shildon for morning worship before setting off to get to Etherley for afternoon prayer and then concluding with an evening celebration at Cockfield. In previous years the two ministers have walked with church members, visiting all the churches in the Circuit and covering about 27 miles in the process. This year the aim is make the walk more manageable and to celebrate through times of worship, with other members of Circuit. As this day is also Aldersgate Sunday, there had been a staff suggestion of it being done on horseback, to reflect Mr Wesley's usual mode of transport, but the Superintendent (concerned for his dignity?) felt walking was quite enough!

Andy Bryer
Superintendent