One Voice - in partnership with Northampton Methodist Church & Methodist Church Northampton District

There won't be another one for 64 years. August's solar eclipse can be a real marker for wonder and reflection and so we're very pleased to be joined by Rev'd Dr Stephen Skuce, who is the Superintendent for Growing Churches ofThe Methodist Church in Ireland. Stephen gives us a sense of how Methodism can use the eclipse as a springboard for deepening our faith and asking questions a...

We've occasionally spoken about pioneering, but never like this. Methodists have long been known for being at the vanguard of all sorts of issues and projects and you're going to learn about a service that certainly makes new ground. Kingsthorpe Community Church are asking members of the congregation and the wider community to bring their pets on July 4th to be blessed. It can be any kind...

Jay's story is a remarkable one. A year ago, he had the unwelcome diagnosis of cancer. A trainee lay preacher, Jay looked to his faith and regular, devoted prayer. What he found there was miraculous. Hear his story in full. " We read to know we're not alone " is how books are spoken about in the film Shadowlands. It's also the outlook of St Andrews Christian Literature Festiv...

How blessed we are to have chats with Rev'd Andrew, Rev'd Sue and Emma Lowe. Andrew has just come back from a trip to Trichy in Southern India. He describes it as " an assault of the senses " and explains how it takes him back to early Ministry and just how vibrant it is at Bishop Heber College where he and other members of the party stayed. Find out why he went and what he learn...

Caroline has just returned from the ChurchWorks Summit, where one of the subjects was supporting young people. This is very dear to her heart, as Caroline works in  Cornerstone Methodist Church  , Kettering Methodist Church and Burton Latimer Methodist Church as a Church & Community Chaplain. She is spearheading the Here4U hub at the Cornerstone on Wednesdays. Caroline is involved in children&...

The podcast is blessed with so many wonderful guests and so many key themes. Our Chair, Rev'd Dr Sonia Hicks is back with us, to chat about her time in post so far. It's the first part of a two part conversation and in this part, you'll find out : - her leadership style - how strong Jamaican role models have guided her - why she's a cheerleader for Methodists You may remember heari...

It's an episode bursting with it. Joy that is! Adam Noble from Witney Community Meal is with us to talk about their weekly meal with those in the community who come from all walks of life and benefit from this touching gesture. Adam was recently at No 10 Downing Street at a special reception; he reflects on that and how much of Jesus' social action was centred around food. Joy has certainl...

It was only last month at St Andrew's church in Northampton that the ReNew event set itself the task of " rediscovering hope ", so it seemed a great idea to further explore hope in the context of the podcast. Someone who led a very powerful session at ReNew was Olive Ruvimbo Ruzvidzo and she is one of our guests. Olive brings a wealth of professional and faith-based experience to her...

As Anna puts it " Coming here (Steeds Farm in Faringdon) is like stepping into a parable....it's a meditative experience." Having just marked its 5th birthday, Exploring Faith in Nature is a delightfully unique gathering amidst the picture postcard setting of a farm in Faringdon, Oxon. Tracey and Anna came up with the idea and they're on the podcast to tell you their story and th...

Three compelling conversations, three subjects underpinned by faith and Methodism. Rev'd Kim is with us to give you a great overview of Gifted and how it fits into your church once we start to approach Christmas. Her explanation will be really helpful and there's always the District website, where you can read more and download all the relevant documents. Please do remember there are some...

He's been known as " The Maestro " for a long time and he tinkles the ivories for us right at the top of this episode. Lincoln Noel will be entertaining Methodists at the forthcoming 100th anniversary celebrations - it promises to be a glorious occasion! Rev'd David Speirs is on hand to put some more detail on this set of celebrations, the importance of its pioneering history and...

The FEAST creative mindfulness group meets every month in Wellingborough Methodist Church. A project introduced by Rev'd Kim Shorley and supported by people like Wendy ( who leads the group ), they use Bible passages as the inspiration and catalyst for some stunning artwork. Wendy and Melissa tell the story of the group, their experiences and the kinds of outcomes and friendships that have bee...

One person thankful for their new role and a group of people being thanked for their part in community cohesion. Matt Forsyth is now Vice President of the Methodist Conference and in this episode tells us about his view of the role, how he aims to fulfil what it requires and where the hope and optimism lie. It's a two part conversation and sat right in the middle are a collection of wonderful...

Trinity Methodist Church, Oadby was the place where Spring Synod converged in May and it asked " Where is the love? " One of the key talking points and illustrations of lived experiences centred around being single in the church. How are those without a spouse or partner treated and in what ways can we make them feel more included, more welcome? You can sample a little of the presentatio...

It was 4 years ago that the Methodist Conference adopted the Strategy for Justice, Dignity and Solidarity. It's an initiative that affirms our commitment to the rich diversity of people within the Methodist Church and ( amongst other things )  a profound change in the culture, practices and attitudes of the Methodist Church so that all Methodists are able to be full participants in the Church&...

Every single story, every conversation signals a new start. Kingsthorpe Methodist and Kingsthorpe Baptist Church are now formally and inextricably linked. Their LEP is fully up and running and they marked it with a memorable and joyous celebration service in the middle of March. The podcast aims to bring you some of the views and experiences from that service. We talk about characters, tradition,...

It's a moment that not so long ago seemed far off. Kingsthorpe Methodist and Baptist Churches are about to celebrate their local ecumenical partnership ( LEP ). Rev'd David Speirs talks to the podcast about the impending celebration service and what the path to this point has been like. Spectrum are a really interesting organisation and Rob Hufton belongs to it and is behind a conference t...

The Hope Centre in Northampton has just held their annual sleep out and thanks to Kyra Williams, the first hand accounts of those who took part are featured in this episode. Queensgrove Methodist Church was a past host for their winter night shelter, so it's great to hear more about Hope's ongoing work and how it supports those without a home. Meanwhile in Overstone, a new wave of disciple...

Leading the Northampton District with her energy and wisdom is the ( relatively ) new Chair, Rev'd Sonia Hicks. Steeped in Methodisim, which has taken her around the globe, Sonia is such an open and effusive person. She has a huge amount of experience, which includes being a past President of Conference. Here she talks about her story, what she's learned and how she views her tenure as Chair of th...

Helen Stephens is from A Rocha UK, the organisation behind Eco Church. She's here to set out their christian conservation work, what drew her to be such a champion of the environment and how YOUR church can support and cherish the planet. Hear too from Ann Atkin over in Astcote in Northamptonshire - the chapel she attends recently reached it's 150th birthday and Ann is keen to tell its story and h...

It was a weekday in unassuming Whittlesey in Peterborough. At the Leaders Lunch in the local Methodist church, one American gentleman spoke words of defiance and implacability. " I didn't sign on to watch the KIngdom of God wither away ", was the first thing Paul Nixon said to this podcast . He's an author and ordained Minister and was there to talk about the ideas and actions in his book " I refu...

....and so much more! The District's Mission Team Leader, Matt Forsyth takes the road to Oxford and shines a light on the wonderful work of the Rose Hill Community Cupboard. Matt's the person to get in touch with about grants - his email is matt.forsyth@northamptonmethodistdistrict.org.uk Sue Padington gives a lovely account of her worship and crafting at King Richard Court in Northampton and what...

Holy Habits is described thus: "....a way of life for those exploring or already actively living out the call of Jesus to ‘follow me’. It is a way of life for all ages and cultures; a way of life based on Luke’s portrait of the community of followers of Jesus that we see in Acts 2:42–47; a way of life that nurtures whole-life, missional discipleship; a way of life that, when lived faithfully...

Naomi is part of the Mission Team as the Digital Enabler and we're really glad to hear that she'll be coming on the podcast now and again to let you know about the positive outcomes, ideas and plans for the district. Dine and Divine is an ongoing success in Northampton and we're joined by Penny Clark to tell the story of how it runs and the buzz they're creating in a local pub! One...

Mission Team Leader Matt Forsyth summarises conference so far and reports from Leeds. Also attending is Holly Adams and she's speaking at the next ReNew event in Northamptonshire on 23rd July. She has an amazing approach to the kinds of conversations that the church needs to be having. You'll also be astonished at the breadth of national events attended by the Methodist Church. There's...