What a glorious day weather-wise.
What a wonderful gathering of folk for the Songs of Praise in the Minnie Pit Memorial Garden led by Rev'd Helen Hoe and with music by Tunstall Salvation Army Band.
With a challenging message from Rev'd Arthur Wakelin based on St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 4 verses 14 to 21 read by Ryan.
Arthur challenged us to think about the continuation of the ministry of Jesus. In Luke's Gospel Jesus tells the people gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth that he has come to fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah Chapter 61. This was the start of Jesus' ministry.
Arthur said that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas and his death and resurrection at Good Friday and Easter but seem to pass over the birth of the Church at Pentecost which is not celebrated as it should be. It is the time when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus and gave them power to continue the ministry which Jesus had started. Today's Christians need that same power to continue the work of Jesus today to bring hope to folk, many of whom have lost all hope in life.
We sang hymns that told of the change which comes when we let Jesus come into our life. One hymn echoed that theme with the words "What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart."
We thank all who took part in this special afternoon and we thank Ian Knight for his work with the sound system and Tom Dunn for his filming and photography. We also thank Raymond Dale, Brian Peers and Janet Dunn for the work they did in preparing the garden for our use.
Minister
joy.ventom@methodist.org.uk
Halmer End Methodist Church
High Street
Halmer End
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST7 8AD