ON New Year’s Day Rev Jeanette Richardson led Café Church at Crediton Methodist Church.

Jeanette asked who had celebrated Christmas with family and friends and pointed out that Mary and Joseph were alone and far from their own village. Did they feel God’s presence with them?

The angel who had appeared to Joseph had told him to name the baby Jesus – which means “the Lord saves”.

The angel then said it would fulfil the prophesy that a virgin should conceive and the baby would be known as Emmanuel – meaning “God with us”. 

After His resurrection and just before His ascension Jesus said that He had been given all authority in heaven and earth and instructed the disciples to make disciples of all people, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

We spent time writing down names of our close family and friends and other people and groups with whom we make contact with on the front line during the week.

Jeanette said our faith is not just our personal relationship with God but how that relationship changes us and the communities in which we live. Shortly all Methodist people will be renewing their covenant with God. Some of the words of the Covenant Service say that as servants and witnesses we pray for the church and the world.  Let us now think of our community in Crediton.

Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to fulfil the Romans’ requirements to complete a census. The release of the 2021 census revealed that the percentage of people identifying themselves as Christians dropped from 60 per cent to just over 46 per cent.

In Crediton 47 per cent list their religion as Christian with 51 per cent saying they had no religion.

However, just because they identify themselves as Christians does not mean they regularly attend churches. About five per cent of the population of Crediton (shown on the census as 8,304) actually attends church regularly.

Jeanette asked how do we reach out to those people when there is such a small number of us gathering in the different churches in Crediton?

When St Paul wrote letters to various churches he was writing to people who had been dispersed because there was much persecution.

He encouraged them by saying they had been chosen and destined by God the Father, sanctified by the Spirit and obedient to Jesus Christ.

The numbers of Christians in those times and in those places were far smaller than nowadays but they transformed their communities and are one of the reasons we are here today.

We watched a short video which said that wherever you are, whoever you are and whatever you do you can make a difference in the world and your communities. On Sundays we strengthen and empower each other to be sent out for life on the front line. 

Over the next few months at Café Church we will be looking at how we can bring God’s message onto the front line to people we meet. Jeanette gave a couple of examples of how she had had the opportunity to share her faith before she was ordained a Methodist minister. 

In the call to worship we had heard that Jesus is the light of the world.

Today, along with other Christians in the community, we are the body of Christ and we shine with His light showing God’s love, justice, forgiveness and peace to the people where we live and work.

Jeanette prayed for help to see fresh possibilities in our everyday lives and to leave traces of God’s grace wherever we are and whatever we do.

Bronwyn Nott

The Methodist Church will be offering tea and coffee and a warm space on Fridays between 10am and 12 noon. Entrance will be down the steps to the left of the church – NOT via the entrance from the car park. On Saturdays coffee in the Church runs from 10am to 11.30am.  You are welcome to come for a coffee and chat in the warm.