Ministers Message: Church Gazette February 2019

Dear Friends,

I wonder if any of you have ever watched ˜Who do you think you are”? As celebrities explore their ancestry, there are often new and interesting discoveries about ancestors history.

Our history, our past, plays a significant part in our identity. Our past can shape us and affect the sort of people we are, and seek to be. So if I was to ask that question of Bognor Regis Methodist Church, how would you answer? “Who do you, Bognor Regis Methodist Church, think you are?”

Identity is important to us. As individuals it defines us, shapes us and impacts the choices we make in life. As a church, our identity is equally important.

On March 3^rd, as part of our Sunday morning worship, we’re going to spend some time reflecting together as a community on our identity and vision. We won’t be making an decisions on the day, but in conversation with each other, we will seek to celebrate what has been and look to what could be, all the while seeking God’s will and way for us as Christian community in Bognor Regis.

We’ll begin by thinking about our past:

What has God been doing among us in our history?
What brought you to BRMC?
What is our church’s story?
Where have we come from? How have we got here?

We’ll then think about the present:

What is God doing among us now?
Who are we?
What do we value about BRMC?
What is our present identity?

And finally, we’ll look to the future:

Where is God leading us?
What are your hopes and dreams for BRMC?
What can each of us offer to the life and ministry of the church?
What opportunities are there for deepening, developing and growing the mission and ministry of BRMC?

We hope many of you will be able to be there to share in our reflecting and sharing together. If for any reason you can’t be there, please do take opportunity, if you can, to share some of your thoughts with us. You can write them down and email or post them to me, or we could arrange to meet.

Do begin thinking about those questions and perhaps even talk about it to each other now, in readiness for the time we’ll spend together on 3^rd March. More details about how the day will happen will come in the next few weeks. I hope and pray you’ll be able to join us.

In Christ, Rev Dan