February / March 2015

Issue 5 85

Bricknell Avenue Methodist Church: Bricknell Avenue, Hull, HU5 4TJ Tel: 01482 843331 Website: www.bricknellmeth.org.uk Minister: Rev. Martin Batstone, 136 Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RY Tel: 01482 343055 Email: [email protected] Editor: Mr Geoff Drewery, 78 Murrayfield Road, Hull, HU5 4DW Tel: 01482 348174

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From our Minister New possibilities As I write this I can't believe that we are nearly through the first month of the year already. I wonder how many have managed to hold onto any New Year resolutions. Personally I have given up making them, that way I don't have to feel guilty for having failed so soon. Nevertheless a New Year can bring a sense of new possibilities and new optimism. We are delighted to welcome our new Family Worker, Stephanie Cunningham who will be supporting our existing activities and helping to develop new ways of working. You can read a little about her in her own words later in the Link. Her appointment certainly brings a new sense of excitement and opportunity and I am sure you will join me in extending a warm welcome to her. As a church we make no apologies in wanting to enable more people to feel a part of our worshipping and learning community. We value our experience of God working in our lives and we naturally want to share our story. We increasingly recognise that traditional Sunday worship may not always be the best or most accessible environment for people and so we are always looking for new ways of helping people feel a part of our church life. Messy Church is one such initiative which has proved incredibly popular for families. We hope that the families who join us will have the opportunity not only to have fun (and that is important to us) but also to experience something of God's blessings for themselves. The Bible speaks of the offer of a new relationship with God through Jesus. In all our activities we hope to extend that invitation as a new opportunity to explore.

3 We also recognise that none of us has all the answers, we are learning together. Whether you are young or old we seek to offer a community where you can ask the big questions of life and faith. Over the coming months, Stephanie and I will be looking to offer specific programmes that allow people to explore the idea of faith and to find out who Jesus really is and what is Church all about? If you are interested in finding out more, then please speak to one of us. Finally if in the course of your life you find that you have drifted away from Church, don't be afraid to pop back in either on a Sunday or at one of our other activities. You are always welcome to reconnect and people will love to see you. Some things will have changed, others will be the same but we believe in a God who is faithful and sure and loves us, all of us without exception. May you know God's blessing in this year 2015. Martin WORSHIP: Services at Bricknell

February 1st Mrs. Liz Jackson th 8 Rev. Martin Batstone . Church Family Service th 15 Mrs. Sarah Umpleby. 22 nd (1 st Sunday in Lent) Rev. Keith J. Parr. (Holy Communion)