Dear Friends,

Greetings in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

September has been a heavy month for many of us. It has mainly been a time of mourning and grieving for the death of Her Majesty, the Queen, Elizabeth II. Consequently, there are many people who might have been struggling because the Queen’s passing re-opened personal losses. However, if you are reading this, you have been resilient and courageous. God has sustained you and is still with us all. His Grace has been and will continue to be sufficient for us all together.

After listening to Reverend Dr Andrew Lunn’s message during the Welcome service, a church member came to me and said: “indeed we are loved, we are called in Christ, we are equipped by the Holy Spirit. I truly felt encouraged and energised to go out there and start again, revival starts with us.” Our conversation greatly inspired and reinvigorated me. Instantly, I was keen to go out there and meet with more people in the church and in the community to start again. Where do I start from?

On the 6th of September 2022, I was contacted by our Syke Community Base manager, asking whether anyone from the church could contact a family that needs support for their ten-year son’s faith. The family wondered how and where their son, Jacques, could access any spiritual guidance. I responded and arranged to meet with Jacques and his mother. In 20 years of living in the United Kingdom, I can confidently say that this was my first encounter of this nature with a ten-year old. This young boy astonished me as he clearly articulated his beliefs and journey in faith according to the Scripture. He said that after learning about different religions in school, he had made up his mind that Christianity is the best religion for him, therefore he needed a church to belong to.

Although he didn’t mention the exact book of the Bible, the words in Isaiah 42:1-6 were expressed throughout our conversation. He continued by saying that he really believes he has been called by God. I promised Jacques and his mother that the Methodist Church welcomes everyone with open hearts and arms. All people regardless of their age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, profession, status etc. All are treated equally, fairly, and justly within the Methodist Church. As a Church, we will be happy and honoured to journey with Jacques and be there for him and his family as he continues to learn more about Jesus. Our meeting warmed my heart and soul, it also reminded me that Jesus himself encouraged the welcoming of all into His Kingdom, particularly Children. In the spirit of revival, we start by paying attention, attentively listening, and responding patiently to this type of request and enquiry. We start by looking and seeing where God is at work, and we join in. Wherever God places us becomes our local mission zone.

The Ministry Teams at Moorhouse, Syke and Smithy Bridge Methodist Churches offer to have the conversation that I have had with Jacques to anyone who wants to talk about their relationship with God, to better understand the Bible and its meaning in the modern world, or just needs a listening ear, please, get in touch with us. Thank you. God bless you all.

Yours in His service,

Probationer Deacon Marcianne Uwimana.