News from the district

BIBLE MONTH We are excited to announce Bible Month 2022– an opportunity for you and your churches and circuits to join with many others across the Connexion and celebrate scripture by feasting on one particular book of the Bible together. If your new to Bible Month you can read more about it on the Methodist Church website. This year’s Bible Month book is the Book of Isaiah Isaiah is a highly significant book that sits right at the centre of the Bible – not only in terms of where it appears, but in terms of its theological significance. It encapsulates the core strands of the Old Testament, summarising the story and struggles of Israel, and proclaiming God’s plans and promises for its people. It is also referenced again and again by the New Testament writers who are eager to demonstrate that Jesus and the early Church can be seen as the fulfilment of those plans and promises. In short, it is one of the best texts for helping us to trace a story-arc through the whole Bible; hear God’s heart for God’s people, appreciate what the writers of the New Testament are saying, and reflect on who Jesus is and who we are called to be as the Church today. This year’s Learning & Development Opportunities We’re offering a full menu of carefully curated resources, training and learning opportunities to help encourage individuals, churches and circuits to taste and see the goodness of this amazing book.

• 30 Days Study Guide: As in all previous years, the main resource for Bible Month is the 30 Day with Isaiah study guide. These can be previewed and purchased from PreachWeb.org.

• Local Preachers and Worship Leaders Training Day: This year we’re running our Bible Month training for Local Preachers and Worship Leaders on Saturday 19thMarch. This is going to be a hybrid event which means you can attend in person, or join in remotely. We want everyone to feel included and to make this a day of learning and fellowship that anyone can access so we are encouraging circuits to host a local hub for this event where LPs, WLs and other interested parties can watch the live stream together and take advantage of the various opportunities that will be on offer throughout the day to reflect, discuss and imagine what engaging with Bible Month in your context might look. For those interested in hosting this kind of day we’ve put together a helpful information pack which is also attached to this email.

• Resource Pack: New to this year, we’ve produced a handy resource pack for churches and circuits which includes branding materials (such as fonts, logos, and illustrations from the 30 Days Booklet, as well as videos, PowerPoint templates and more. You can download this pack from the Bible Month pages on the Methodist Church Website.

Questions: If you have any particular thoughts, questions or concerns about Bible Month please contact a member of your Regional Learning Network Team and they will help you out or point you in the right direction. Spread the Word: Please spread the word about Bible Month 2022 so that everyone knows that they’re invited to the feast! Forward this email around to Local Preachers Secretaries, Local Preachers, Worship Leaders, Administrators, Lay Workers and any other parties you think may be interested.