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

Sienna, who works for JPIT and is an intern within the Houses of Parliament describes the way she sees how Jesus engaged with people. Radical is perhaps a word you haven't thought of, but her explanation will get you thinking. We're so pleased to have Sienna as a guest - it was one of our listeners who read her blog on Emily Davison the suffragette - she'll also tell you more about thi...

It promises to be a very special weekend. The 4th and 5th May is the 145 year anniversary of Queensgrove Methodist Church in Northampton and there are wonderful events planned. Steward and Trustee Charmaine Voyce shows us around the church, talks about her lifelong links to it and explains how Zimbabwean vibrancy will play its part in their wonderful celebrations. You'll also be able to hear t...

It happens every three months and helps to reinvigorate, refresh and revitalise. ReNew is put on by the Northampton District and during Holy Week, one of these regular gatherings was laid on at St Andrew's Church in Duston. Methodist Church Head of Mission Jude Levermore was there to talk about her role and participate in a podcast first - "One Voice Live"! You can hear the first par...

Naomi Ensor is the new Digital Enabler for the District and has invigorating torrents of thought for how churches can get the most from their online social presence. If you've questions around social media, Facebook groups and how to create artwork that leaves a mark, Naomi is more than able and happy to help. Hear all about Naomi and this brilliant role. This episode is also a chance to catch...

Can you even begin to conceive what homelessness is like? To have no safety, warmth, routine or humanity. The Hope Centre is in its 50th year and over the course of this winter, Queensgrove Methodist Church has become a temporary night shelter for those who seek the support of this wonderful organisation. It's fascinating to hear how Louise and her colleagues break the cycle of despair and cri...

He's never been afraid to identify the unedifying presence of antisemitism. A return to circuit ministry means Rev'd Bruce Thompson has the opportunity to examine some of the more unsavoury views he has encountered over his time with the church. The forthcoming District Study Day is being led by Bruce and is titled " Preaching with Sensitivity in Lent and Easter " - Being aware o...

Three Christmas stories from where you are. Conversation, opinion and experiences of Methodism are in abundance, as you hear about the following : Our man out there in the District, Matt Forsyth spends some time with Nigel Pimlott at the recent ReNew event. Find out how Nigel reflects on his role and what he thinks will embolden Methodist churches in the future. Catherine Jones and Pam Kirkland of...

Wherever you were, I'm sure you fell silent. You may well have attended a service of Remembrance. The village of Harpole in Northamptonshire was one of many places that felt the loss so deeply, so keenly. 47 never returned from World War One. It was event that changed so much and society's change was the church's change. Could a village chapel ever recover from this epoch making confli...

Cafe Emm in the Weston Favell centre in Northampton is a truly philanthropic place. With a direct link to Emmanuel Church, it feels like an extended family to its customers. Their latest project is a weekly event called " Singing for the Soul " and happens every Tuesday. Anna and Scott tell the story. One of the great pleasures of this podcast is to return to previous guests when they ha...

We started out as a podcast for the Northampton Methodist Church and now our wings have spread! Thanks to the Methodist Church Northampton District, we're now reaching out to another 18 circuits. With the help of District Mission Enabler Matt Forsyth, we're going to be telling so many more stories, relaying events and reflecting the places you worship in. In this first episode of the new f...

It's been 3 years since we started One Voice. Back in 2020, the podcast set out an intention to tell all kinds of stories from all types of voices and now is the time to capitalise on that. Northampton Methodist District is joining us from September and bringing with it a further 19 circuits. Think of all the fascinating and listenable stories that means; our aim is to capture those insights a...

Rev'd Francis is on the verge of taking up his next role as Minister in North London and here he gives his reflections and recollections to the podcast. Which British cuisine has always been a challenge for him and his family and what message does he leave for the circuit? Lois has held a couple of Christian Aid fundraisers in the last month and what a success they've been! Coffee, tea, ca...

The Rev'd Helen Cameron takes you behind the scenes of the King's coronation. In her role as Moderator of the Free Churches Group, Helen was part of the blessing ceremony and also attended rehearsals beforehand. The podcast is in the privileged position of hearing her account of the day and what it meant to be part of this once in a lifetime event. It's a remarkable and unique insight....

What if there were places were you could get away from it all, be quietly contemplative and deepen your relationship with God? The Retreat Association is just such a place and harks right back to the Desert Fathers, where silence and stillness is at the heart of ones existence. Their Executive Director, Alison MacTier is one of our guests this month. Pam Kirkland dips into the realms of Coffee Tim...

David Heatherington is the co founder and emeritus curator of the Weardale Museum, an attraction closely tied to High House Chapel. The chapel was visited 13 times by John Wesley and when it needed urgent restoration work, David had the brilliant idea of depicting methodist stories and history in a unique new tapestry. Spend some time with David, who retells this delightful story of innovation, cr...

Reverend Graham Thompson and Anthony Boateng are the President and Vice President of the Methodist Conference and have just been spending some time in Northamptonshire. Find out what it's shown them, how it has affected them and hear their responses to some of your questions. We cover scripture, church buildings, President and Vice President rapport and how they've picked up each other&#39...

Paul Northup is Festival Director for Greenbelt, which is about to mark its 50th birthday and we're really pleased get Paul to share his story with the podcast. You'll hear his account of his first ever festival, what it did to him and how he and his team build on the success of 49 previous years! Pam Kirkland ( amongst many other things ) curates Coffee Time Chat, the regular church newsletter an...

Holly Adams on why the British GP Weekend at Silverstone is the perfect event to spread the word of God. Pam Kirkland takes us through the life cycle of Coffee Time Chat and the creativity behind it. And There's something lively going on at Kingsthorpe Baptist Church on a Monday - Carol Baldwin tells the story.

A walk through the There Is Room conference held on 7th December 2022 at Thornborough chapel and the way the church engages with its lay workers. Speakers included Helen Cameron, Steve Mann, Matt Forsyth and Melvina Brown. Have you expanded your tent? How do you bear God? Expect some big questions and invigorating thought.

There is Room. That's the name of the conference for Northampton District Lay Workers and we're fortunate enough to have Mission Enabler Matt Forsyth give out the essential details of this event on the podcast. Secure your place here .  Community Outreach doesn't get more vital than the warm space being run by Alan, Hilary and colleagues at Park Avenue. John spent some time with them to get a...

Local preachers are at the very heart of the Methodist Church.  The unordained are highly prized and woven into the very fabric of what John and Charles Wesley stood for. Socially important and helping to drive spiritual revival, we've two perspectives from two very accomplished local preachers on the podcast. Jenny Brooks is based in Northamptonshire and here she relays her personal experien...

You take up a new stationing and then within a short space of time are invited to become Acting Superintendent. This has been the case for the Rev David Spiers, so we thought it would be interesting to hear how he approaches the role, what it is teaching him and the various sources of guidance and support he is blessed with. With so much change in the air, how does the church remain a constant, ye...

Northamptonshire is quite rightly seen as the saviour of The Greenbelt Festival. It's a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown out of an evangelical Christian music festival, with an audience of 1,500 young people into its current form, a more inclusive festival attended at its peak around 2010 by around 20,000, including Christians and those f...

Where do you stand on Facebook? Love it or loathe it, the network has become a way in which faith can be discussed, spread, questioned and celebrated. Mark Stennett is one of the team behind the group Methodists Online. It's a really popular group, with 6,000 members. There are serious debates on there, virtual coffee mornings and a regular dash of humour. Have a listen to him talking about the wa...

Rev'd Romeo Pedro has been such a force for good; change, comfort and to so many, he has been a friend. This September (2022) it's time for him to seek new challenges and a new home in Sheffield. This is the episode for an outpouring of the difference he's made, the big questions that so frequently are unanswerable and how feels about the reality of not being able to lay down long term roots. We'r...