To whom can the holy God be compared?
    Is there anyone else like him?
Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
    The one who leads them out like an army                           
    he knows how many there are
    and calls each one by name!
His power is so great—
    not one of them is ever missing!

Isaiah 40: 25-26

A few weeks ago I stayed for a couple of nights in a Shepherd’s Hut not far from Rhadyr.

Even leaving Cardiff after having lunch with Over 50s so as to get there before dark, I still managed to miss the turning off the main road and it took a while to negotiate the narrow, stony track down to the site. The farmhouse might have been within a stone’s throw, but the whole place had the feeling of being in the back of beyond. Nevertheless the chair was comfy and the pile of books on the little table inviting. Bliss!

A couple of hours later I looked up for long enough to realise it was getting late and about time to finalise plans for tomorrow with friends. My phone was nowhere to be seen – in the hurry to get settled in I’d left it in the car. Not a problem. I got up, grabbed the car key, opened the door and stepped outside. Pitch blackness was everywhere.

Living in the city, light pollution from cars, houses, and streetlights means we rarely experience true darkness. There’s usually some spec of light to focus our eyes. Berating myself for not bringing a torch (apart from the one on my phone) I waited for my eyes to adjust. Nope. No can do. Oh well, better be careful.

I’m ashamed to say that it was only when the silly thing was retrieved that I remembered to look up at the stars. The clear night twinkled back at me, almost in amusement at my antics. Utterly beautiful. And I’d nearly missed it – too busy focusing on other things.

You probably already know this, but stars are a key part of Conway Road’s Christmas plans this year. The Creativi-TEA group and the Over 50s are currently knitting, crocheting and otherwise creating small stars so that a group of us can go around the local community offering them as gifts to our neighbours together with an invitation to the many services planned for the Christmas period (more about this on the next page.) But we need your help! The more stars we have, the more we can deliver. Pick up a knitting or crochet pattern from the New Room or create your own from any material you like and bring them to church on or berofre Sunday 3^rd December!

These stars will help the people receiving them to pause for a moment to think about the true Light of the World and the meaning of Christmas. Who knows what else God will do through them?

Every blessing,

Laura

Storytelling is, and has always been, a major part of our culture. Anyone who has ever stayed up until the early hours with a book they ‘just can’t put down’, or read (or told) a particularly gripping story to a small child, can attest to that. I remember listening to my Nan – who had a real knack for storytelling – talk about her own childhood in such a way that I could imagine the actions and behaviours of people I’d never met but felt I knew even if they died decades before I was born. Many of us will know of a friend or relative with a special gift for weaving a tale; someone able to bring a story to life. Maybe you are one of those people yourself!

Most of the best stories are at least based on reality. In 2018 3Generate – the young people’s yearly national Conference – challenged adult members throughout the Connexion to share stories of how God had touched their lives and how they had seen God at work in the world. By the time 3Generate met the following year more than1200 letters had been received. The Methodist Conference, following the example set by the young people, declared that the year 2019 – 2020 be ‘A Year of Testimony’ with the President and Vice President taking the theme ‘What’s your story?’ for their year in office.

This year, once again at the insistence of our young people, the Methodist church has made a commitment to becoming a ‘net zero’ organisation. We could do more to protect this world God has loaned us.

Such is the power of 3Generate.

And we’re going!!!! On 6^th October 23 young people from the Cardiff Circuit, including four from Conway Road, are getting on a bus and journeying to the NEC just outside Birmingham for a weekend adventure alongside over one thousand others from across the Connexion. The programme is exceptional – have a look on the Methodist Church website to find out more about what we’ll be doing!

I have no doubt that those of us who are going will be telling stories about our experiences for a long time. Perhaps you have your own stories of past youth gatherings too. I’d encourage you to share them with our young people, not just because they’re funny or poignant, but because in doing so we all remember that we’re part of the same story and we are all children of God.

Now, I’d better get back to reading the 3Generate programme!

Laura