Next Sunday is Methodist Homes Sunday. However, due to the fact that it is also Pentecost, it will be celebrated later in the year.
Paper copies of the June, July and August Preaching Plan are now available.
Kingswood Foodbank needs are tins of tomatoes, potatoes, fish, meat, fruit & vegetables, crisps, pot noodles, curry & pasta sauces, rice pudding, custard, tins of vegetarian meals, jam, coffee, cleaning materials and dry & wet cat food. Thank you all very much. Recently our parent organisation, the Trussell Trust, published its latest set of statistics with this as the headline news: "New figures released today reveal that 2.9 million emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship across the UK between April 2024 and March 2025, with more than a million of these provided for children. This is equivalent to one parcel every 11 seconds and a 51% increase compared to five years ago." The Kingswood Foodbank is one of around 1200 Trussell Foodbanks nationwide and during that period we served around 1400 clients, feeding approximately 1900 adults and 1200 children. The proportion of single people we feed is far greater than the national average.
Music returns to Kingswood Park with live performances every other Sunday afternoon, starting today (1st).
Also returning is Social Sundays in Kings Chase. What's expected is local makers and artisan stalls, family friendly free activities, food vendors and live music. It runs from 10:30 to 2:30 so you can fit both church and this event if you want.
In the Methodist News: “Poverty contradicts the will of God. That’s why the Methodist Church is prioritising creating new Christian communities amongst and led by people who are struggling financially.”
Lectionary 1st to 7th June. Acts 16.16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22.12-14,16-17,20-21; John 17.20-26. Freeing captives. Paul and Silas are in Philippi going to prayer, and meet a girl being exploited as a fortune-teller. They bring freedom to her but end up in prison themselves. Singing in their chains, an earthquake opens the prison doors, but instead of escaping Paul and Silas bring the gospel to the jailer and his family. How do we react when our freedom or that of others is compromised? Can good things come from bad experiences? And how can we act to free captives?
The Annual Church Meeting will take place on Saturday 14th June. It being the 2nd Saturday of the month it should have been a coffee morning. Consequently, the next Saturday Coffee Morning will be on 12th July. That is if we have a volunteer or volunteers to host it which we currently do not have.
Would you like to help Turnaround win £1,000? Please visit this link https://movementforgood.com/ and vote for them.
In the news: More than 20 senior faith leaders from across the UK’s Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities have united to sign an open letter, urging the Prime Minister to rethink the Government’s recent rhetoric around migration. The letter, which was signed by leaders from the Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed Churches and the Church of Scotland, follows the publication of the White Paper on immigration on Monday 12th May.
On Saturday 31st May, at Holy Trinity Church, Sing Out and Sing Along with the South Gloucestershire goodafternoon choir and the Grassy Knoll Ukulele Ensemble. Tickets are £10 on the door which opens at 7pm.
The Methodist Church in conjunction with the faith organisation In Hope have launched the web site ‘Try Pilgrimage’. “Try Pilgrimage encourages Christians and non-Christians to embark on a unique journey to discover people, make new experiences and engage with their community. The website shares existing pilgrimage routes but also enables members of the public to step out of their comfort zone, create their own pilgrimages and share them on the website.” https://www.methodist.org.uk/about/news/the-methodist-church-and-hope-together-launch-try-pilgrimage. Peter can provide more info for those not on the internet.
The Methodist Church in Britain is issuing a formal apology to anyone who has been hurt or abused in any of the Mother and Baby Homes that it was responsible for in the past. Peter can provide more details if you would like them.
The purpose of Kingswood Methodist Church is to respond to God's Love in Christ and to live out that love in God's world.