Autumn District Magazine

Dear Friends,
Welcome to this autumn edition of our District Magazine!

It is the first one I have the privilege of introducing as your new District Chair, and I cannot tell you how delighted I am. As I’ve read through the stories gathered here, I have found myself both inspired and encouraged. I hope that as you read, you too will sense the energy, creativity and faithfulness that run through the life of our district.

It can sometimes feel easy to believe the common narrative that the Church is becoming less relevant in our society. Of course, we know the
reality is mixed: some congregations are struggling and some church buildings are closing. Yet the pages of this magazine remind us that the story does not end there. Across our district, God is at work in fresh ways and people are living out the gospel in ways that are both deeply rooted and courageously reimagined.

At Dinnington, faithful worship has blossomed into a community of communities. In Bolsover, dads and children gather each month to build
connection and family life. In Edale, art and craft have brought new focus to a chapel at the heart of the village and in Barnsley, young people are discovering that church can happen anywhere, in a cinema, at a climbing wall, or in the midst of games and prayer together.

All of this connects beautifully with the theme of our District Gathering: “Rooted, Relevant and Reimagined – Church for Today's World". At the gathering, we will reflect together on how we can remain faithful to our heritage while also open to the Spirit’s leading into new forms of church and witness. Some stories remind us that endings, like at Whitwell, can be met with grace and open the door to fresh beginnings. Others, like Cantley’s Eco Church journey, or the voices of our young people at Hesley Wood, remind us that reimagining is not about novelty, but about living faithfully, responsibly, and with courage in today’s world. We are also blessed to welcome Trey Hall, who will help us explore what it means to be a reimagined church with adaptive leadership in today’s ever-changing landscape.

Alongside worship and shared conversations, the gathering will offer workshops: practical, engaging spaces where together we can discover how to be more deeply rooted in Christ while reimagining the ways we live out our calling in this generation.

In a society marked by loneliness, injustice, and uncertainty, the witness of the Methodist people has never been more needed. Our calling is clear: to be a people of grace and welcome, rooted in Christ, and bold enough to reimagine how we share God’s love in every town, village and
community.

In faith and friendship,
Vicky