Throughout 2011 the Methodist Church, (and lots of other organisations coming together under the title "Biblefresh"), is encouraging churches and individuals to deepen their discipleship by focusing on the Bible. This particular year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. which brought the Scripture to people in their own language.

What better opportunity then to celebrate Scripture as a gift from God and take up the challenge of encouraging people to read the Bible; engaging with it in fresh, life-changing ways to become effective disciples of Jesus Christ in the 21st century. We want to be people who live Bible lives with confidence and compassion in our relationships, workplaces and communities, and we want to invite others to join us in this way of living.

The West Yorkshire Methodist District is asking circuits to take responsibility for celebrating Biblefresh for particular months through 2011, and the Calderdale Circuit will focus on June. We're planning towards a Biblefresh Festival in Bradford on 11th June - the Saturday before Pentecost. Concentrating on one month doesn't mean we can't do other Bible things throughout the year!

A special West Yorkshire response to Biblefresh is called "Written by hand, taken to heart", a project to hand-write the bible across the district and through the year. Please give thought to how your church might take part, especially where you might take "Written by hand..." outside the church.

And in all this planning, don't forget that the Bible is not just a book whose translation 400 years ago we celebrate, or something we're planning to focus on next year, but a gift of God to us here and now, today. If you haven't opened yours today, then when you put down this magazine, how about taking up your bible? Go to The New Testament - maybe page 10, or 100, or 200? What does God want to say to you today?


We may gain encouragement from what others have been doing: -

Judith, from the Birstall & Spen Circuit, tells what happened when she took the idea of Written by hand, taken to heart into the school in which she works.

"I was full of enthusiasm after our first Circuit Biblefresh meeting.  Ideas and laughter had flowed!

What a great idea to try to get people to engage with the bible by getting them to copy a verse or two. The following day I was less assured - schools are busy places - we were working on a tight timescale - would staff go along with it and how much extra work would it be?

What followed in the next week was certainly not a result of me and my efforts.  God was there before me, paving the way. The Head of Humanities was up for taking a group of about 30 to a nearby Church to do their writing and to see the exhibition, (despite the fact that I don't think I explained it all well, and that she had 3 more trips to sort that week!). The Head teacher was instantly very enthusiastic and helped me think through the logistics. Now just the rest of the staff and the whole school to get on board!  In the next briefing I managed to explain briefly to staff the significance of this year to Christians and to tell them about the handwritten bible. For me, taking assemblies is about on a par with Ofsted, but it seemed right and PowerPoint didn't let me down.  The kids listened too - stunned possibly, as I heard myself explain why Christians such as myself were celebrating the bible this year and that we were praying that the word of God would touch, affect, and inspire people who perhaps didn't often read it.

And I know that prayer is working already - a few kids coming up to me and telling me they go to Church or that they are Christians; others delighted they were chosen by their tutors to go on the visit to a local church; a teacher getting enthusiastic about pupils doing work in Art for the handwritten bible; one teacher telling me he is ready with his calligraphy pen(!); another offering to let kids to their bit in R.E. lessons and another teacher asking what stories there are in Luke's gospel so she can ask the kids to draw appropriate symbols or pictures.

So Biblefresh - "Written by hand, taken to heart" - what a brill idea! Having seen God's hand in all of this, I approach the actual writing bit with confidence, not in myself but in the Lord we serve."

 

 

Biblefresh@Pentecost in Low Moor

Planning our local activity in our months (May & June) with our local schools in Low Moor we found real interest and suggestions. A Pentecost community worship event with balloon release (prayers tied to balloons) from the pub car park - too many trees elsewhere! When the two dog-collared women asked, the landlord offered a barbeque - for free.

 

Together Anglican and Methodist Churches planned the weekend, complimenting the Festival, Biblical scarecrows, assemblies, a school Bible Festival, bible-based, and the event.

The church was full of children and families, and a few church members. Singing, practised in school - a joint schools' choir - a first. A box of symbols of the gifts God gives to the church and us.  Then - in pouring rain - out from church to pub car park to release several hundred balloons, messages written in school attached. I'd imagined it as the wind of the spirit, but the depth of colour against grey skies reminded vividly of the flames, and the countdown was all noise! Fellowship over food in pouring rain - it was June after all!

Biblefresh - celebrating Scripture, engaging with the word, bearing the word - each element in one day, but particularly 'bearing', to families, of different faiths and none. Those attaching prayers were moved by the children's words and faith, the balloons bearing that out beyond our community - if you find one, send it back and let the child know you've prayed for them.

And then... on Monday morning at 8.15am, the thanks of a Headteacher and the invitation to do more!

Louise Carr

 

 

Coffee Fresh

 

Who'd have thought that agreeing to read the Bible daily would lead to such enthusiasm and interest? Well it certainly has done with the people l meet.

The Bible in One Year, prepared for the Methodist Conference was designed so that we read the whole Bible in one year. Not beginning at Genesis and ending at Revelations, but reading from Old, New and a Psalm/Proverb each day.

Clayton has held two Coffeefresh afternoons, meeting over, yes, coffee and talking about what we've read. We laugh, ask questions and learn, all of us.

It's not the freshness of the coffee but the words that we are reading. The more we read the more we want to know, we have even agreed to read Job again with "new eyes". Now that says a lot.

It's not too late to start reading. The list of readings is available. Why not start now and read for a year - even start your own Coffee fresh!

Dorothy Pipe

PRAYER (June 2011)

Biblefresh and the Way Ahead

Prayer is more than just asking God for things. It's listening too. I’ve been learning that anew through Biblefresh.  I was asked to help with this June 11 Festival, organising its art. The challenge to artists was to help people engage with the Bible through art. They were slow to bite, and I was in a dilemma: what were they going to show so we knew where to book?  But what sort of room have you booked for us to fill? Each waiting for the other.  And me?  I was praying by listening, and God was saying, ‘I have this in hand. Hold your nerve. Just wait. It will all come together.'

 

And it did, miraculously.  Saltaire was eager to have it and the room was free. Eventually 18 artists came up with 60 pictures which they all delivered on time. It seemed too many to lit the room, but it wasn't - we got them all up with no gaps, aware of a pattern not of our making. And 400+ people on the Saltaire Arts Trail saw how the artists had seen the Bible speaking through their art - besides what it did for Biblefresh on Saturday June 11"‘.

 

Some came on the Biblefresh morning WORDshop to see how pictures can speak Bible words, and I put on a slide show for those who came to the evening celebration.   There was a final chance to see the exhibition at Saltaire on Sunday 12th, before the artists took them all away again. I'm sharing with you that I needed to listen to find God's way ahead.

Roy Lorrain-Smith

 

For more local information about Biblefresh and Written by hand, taken to heart contact Nick Blundell, email: nickcblund@aol.com

There is also the central Biblefresh website, (go to www.biblefresh.com.), and to see a Methodist take on it try www.deepeningdiscipleship.org.uk .