This year marks a significant milestone in my ministry.
I have now been stationed as a Methodist Minister for 10 years. In that time I have served in three different circuits (Keswick and Cockermouth, Leeds North East and Bradford South), I have had some responsibility for at least 19 different churches and I’ve also managed to get get married and have two children.
Such a lot has happened. There have been incredible highs and crushing lows as I’ve been invited to be a part of peoples lives. I feel incredibly privileged (most of the time!) to occupy the role which I do.
This year the Methodist church has given me a gift. When a minister reaches 10 years ‘of travel’ we are granted a three month Sabbatical. This is time set aside to step out of the regular work of the appointment you are serving in and take a different focus. For me that means a chance to write some children’s stories, something i’ve hoped to do for quite a while but I never seem to have been able to find the time.
It does mean that I will be taking a break from running St Arnold’s from June-August so there’ll be no #TheVicarsInn or #BeerandHymns over the summer (although I will still be about enjoying Bradford and it’s events such as The Drunken Film Festival)
After that break i will very much be back to working with St Arnold’s. Actually i’ll be spending far more time within the City centre as the Circuit (group of Methodist Churches) I’m stationed in have decided that from September my role will change. Instead of St Arnold’s being something that I do around all my other Circuit responsibilities I am, with support from the wider Methodist church, The West Yorkshire Methodist District and our neighbouring circuit in Bradford North, being released to work ‘half-time’ as a City Centre Chaplain. This means i’ll have lots more time to come up with crazy ideas for #BeerandHymn events, more time to support local businesses and most importantly more time to talk with people about the things in their lives which matter to them.
I can’t wait!
It’s a brilliantly exciting project to be part of and a real stepping out in faith for the church.
Hopefully i’ll see lots of you before I begin my Sabbatical, remember it’s #BeerandHymns Songs From The Terraces on Sunday 1st May at the new “Made of Bradford’ bar on Ivegate. #TheVicarsInn will also still be happening every Monday night through the rest of April and May.
If i don’t get to see you, have a wonderful summer and I’ll see you in September!
Minister Me 