Sisters and Brothers,

We are well into the first quarter of another Connexional Year, one which is full of demands on our time as we conduct review and planning meetings and appoint leaders to serve for the year. We must complete these tasks, even while we prepare for usual observances such as Harvest Thanksgiving, Memorial Services, and Dedication of Leaders.

Sometimes routine takes it toll, especially if we complete assignments for completion’s sake and not because we see value in doing them. The question than we need to ask ourselves is whether we engage in these or other practices simply because we are expected to, or whether we approach them as avenues for the revitalisation of the ministry we seek to offer.

One notable development is the appointment of three new Class Leaders and two Assistant Leaders, three of these five being young adults. This shows that we are not stagnating as far as the appointment of Class Leaders is concerned. Maybe we need to do the same as we approach the other appointments that we need to make. Often, people are reluctant to serve, not just because they lack commitment, but because they lack confidence that they can offer the service required. Here I call on the officers who have served long enough to be able to do their duties well, to mentor new persons for these tasks. This does not mean giving up their offices or stepping back. Not at all. But just maybe, if new ones are appointed to serve alongside them, the newcomers will learn how to and be less afraid to step up to the plate in the future.

To those who are hesitant to serve, I encourage you to join the band of workers. Have confidence that God is well able to equip you for the ministry you feel called to give. And know that the persons who can help you to learn are also God’s gifts to us. Teaching you to serve well is one way in which they help to transmit their gifts and do the Lord’s work. Don’t shrink from the help that others can give you. This is the way it works in Christ’s Church.

If we are to do justice to theme proposed to guide us part of which reads “Repositioning the Church for Growth”, Then we need a stronger, larger core of ministry leaders to go forward. Mentoring someone might just be your role in this movement. We who are currently leaders, learned our tasks because we were taught. Most of the church’s ministry tasks are ‘caught on’ this way instead of being ‘taught first’ in a seminar. It is as members tackle their tasks that they really get to learn them.

Hence my invitation for each one to reach one by teaching one, so that together we all learn and do better what we have been doing to the glory of God.

With every blessing,
Yours in Christ.
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor

Sisters and Brothers,

Life presents us, ever so often, chances to review and to improve on the various approaches and practices that we engage in. The start of a Connexional Year is treasured by many as one such opportunity for a reset where that is needed. Notwithstanding, our obvious successes and achievements do indicate that some habits are good enough not to be wholly altered, but simply to be improved on, even though it might seem that they are already good enough.

However, as people of faith, we should know the wisdom of the old adage
Good, better, best. Never let it rest –Till our good is better, and our better best

We are reminded that God’s Grace is available to us to correct our mistakes and to improve on the good we have been doing, for we are, indeed, on our journey into God’s limitless possibility. We can always claim God’s enabling grace to do better, both in the way we value and conduct ourselves as persons made in the image of God, and in the way we treat others, including those whom we are called to serve.

One of the features that I invite us to embrace more fully this Connexional Year is the spirit of Connexionalism that characterises the MCCA at its various levels. At the Holland Circuit level, the circuit comprises two congregations, but we are NOT a Congregational Church. We are a Connexion. While each congregation may have its local flavour and character, neither the Amsterdam nor the Rotterdam Congregation exists on its own, for itself. There is that connectedness which requires us to share and celebrate each other’s successes, as we continue in mission together. Together, we are charged with addressing the challenges that plague either or both of the congregations. In a Connexional system such as ours, the stronger help the weaker.

Note that there is always only one Superintendent Minister, even though a circuit may, unlike Holland, have several Congregations. Two circuit stewards are appointed by the Circuit Council, not by or on behalf of their congregation. As administrators, the superintendent minister and circuit stewards consider the welfare of the congregations and circuit as the charge entrusted to them. It ought not to be that members ever regard the circuit officers as partial to their congregations, and neither should the circuit stewards themselves.

The circuit staff has been exploring the purchase of property to accommodate the Rotterdam Congregation. This was not publicised least year for the simple reason that opportunity presented itself rather suddenly. We were not well prepared to snatch the opportunity but are hoping that we will get a second chance. I invite our members, when another chance arises, to consider this as a move towards the growth and development of the Holland Circuit and not just of one congregation. Indeed, it cannot happen with Rotterdam acting in its own.

What should we take away from this? That there is no competition for supremacy between the congregations. Indeed, this desire does not belong in the Body of Christ of which we , together, are representatives. For the sake of Christ, I appeal to members of both congregations to embrace, this year, the Christlike spirit of cooperation, as never before.

Yours in Christ
Joan Delsol Meade
Pastor

Sisters and Brothers,

With Methodist Heritage Month behind us, we must continue to consider ways in which as a Methodist people, we continue to serve the present age in ways that are relevant and true to our roots as a people called to serve God in the changing situations we encounter.

Service within the context of the Church is service to God. So, as we go through the designated celebrations of June, such as Father’s Day and Children’s Lord’s Day, let us be careful to give thanks for and to support our men and children. The men of the congregations may be fewer in number than we desire, but they are undoubtedly hard working and very supportive of the church’s ministry. And one way to ensure that their work lives on, is to train and enlist our children in the service of the Lord. As we do, we obey the Lord’s admonition to let the children come to him; and we also invest in handing on the faith to successive generations. Just as the men and women received lasting value through their place in the church, so must our children and grandchildren.

In July, Missions is the centre of attention. As we focus on Missions during July, it is important to consider new ways in which we can serve God by doing service to God’s people, not only in the church but through outreach ventures. The Rotterdam Congregation embarked on a serving ministry (Ministry of Deed) through its feeding programme to parents staying over at the Ronald Mc Donald Huis as they accompany their children seeking medical attention. The congregation must be commended for the way in which it has supported this outreach through financial giving, prayer and prayerful support. The women who do the cooking, offering their time and talent, deserve our greatest appreciation.

Amsterdam has started an outreach programme which is evangelical in nature, where the truth of the Gospel is shared and persons are invited to know the Lord and to share in worship.  I invite more members to participate in this Word centred ministry (Ministry of Deed) to Amsterdam North. A church that exists only for itself is really no church at all., We have been called to go out into the world. In every age we serve God by obeying this commission given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.

Let us pursue our mission tasks willingly, then, that God may be pleased with our service.

I encourage you to do your best, even as I take my long leave this year, and seek physical and spiritual refreshment to return to you ain September.

Every blessing.

Yours in God’s service
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor

Sisters and Brothers,

This month, we enter the season of Lent, time for deliberate reflection on our spirituality.
Moved by the example of Jesus Christ who gave a life of love and service and subsequently died to ensure our full participation in the new life he offers, we journey with God.

If our desire is to follow Jesus closely, then we need to take a page from his book, so to speak. His guiding principle was to do God’s will. We may say that being the Son of God, he knew fully what God’s will was and that made it easy to follow. Not necessarily. Knowing makes clear what we must follow but it doesn’t necessarily make following easier. We know that there were times when obedience was Jesus’ challenge. If we review the events of his agony in Gethsemane, we recall him asking the Father to take away the cup of total self-sacrifice and suffering to completion and face ridicule, estrangement and death on the cross. It seemed, even to God’s sinless Son, a difficult role to accomplish. Yet, totally yielded, he prayed, “not my will but yours be done.”

On our journey with God, sacrifice has its place. The benefits that accrue are not just for our improvement, but as in the case of Jesus, they yield benefits for others. Let us remember his commandment to love others, even those who may not love us. When we do, the scope of the benefits we may claim might just become clearer. Who knows which lives we influence positively as we sacrifice our money and other material gifts’ or as we persist in prayer for others including those who do not belong to our inner circle? Or those whom we serve with our God given talents? The good that we do for God’s sake always extends beyond us and into God’s broader field.

Even something such as deeper study of God’s word, which may seem only to help us grow spiritually, yields benefits beyond ourselves. They help us to learn more of God’s will for our lives and we cooperate more fully with God’s Spirit who shapes us into more effective servants of God. Then we reach others better; we teach others better; we serve others better. We share God’s love more. In God, a better a life is not just about us. It is about all God’s people.

So, while I invite us to take the lent disciplines of Christian discipleship seriously, I cannot overemphasise this fact. When we as individuals draw closer to God and to doing God’s will for our lives, others benefit. We follow Jesus who was God’s great gift to us, and we in turn become God’s gift to others- channels of grace, the benefits of which we are not fully aware.

Let us, then, journey on with God- praying for ourselves and others, fasting and giving up senseless pleasures, reading, studying and teaching God’s word- the Bible. As we do, God who has journeyed with us thus far, will keep us growing, finishing the work of salvation in us.

O Lord our God, finish your new creation in us that we may be effective channels of your grace, for your glory’s sake. Amen.

Yours in God’s service
Joan Delsol Meade, Your Pastor

Sisters and Brothers,

Advent is here. Another liturgical year is starting and for the liturgical church, the cycle of our reflecting on what God has done in time, in human history, begins anew.

Beginnings are good. They provide opportunities for time-bound persons like us to start afresh. Of course, every new day affords new possibilities for a more deliberate attitude to our walk with God. But when Advent begins, we can do it together, so that it’s a community starting afresh.

What aspect of renewal can we emphasise together as we enter another season of Advent?

Let us remember that we are called to focus on the eschatological hope that is ours. In case the word seems unfamiliar, let me explain. Eschaton is Greek for the last, the end; but the focus is really on fulfilment. We look forward to the fulfilment of God’s kingdom (new word kin-dom). We need to remember though, that hope here is not wistful thinking, but it is grounded in the certainty of God. God is faithful. That we can attest to when we reflect on God’s past dealings with us and with humankind in general. So, we approach the future with that kind of hope, that what God has promised, God will fulfil.

Hence the Advent hope prompts us always to look backwards to what God has done in the past-, such as delivering on the promise of a Saviour who came to earth and shared our humanity. He lived and died to save us and has promised to come again in glory.

Advent proclamation, then, requires us to be grounded in the present, what God is doing in our time, while it calls is to look backwards in remembering, and forward to the realisation of Christ’s Kingdom.

Here I will use the twenty-first century word kin-dom which compels us to focus on relationships that reflect our common humanity as we journey towards our destination in Christ. Maybe that gives us something to think about in terms of the renewal needed. How determined have we been about winning kindred souls and getting new ones to also look forward to the coming Kingdom of Christ? Have we been taking soul winning sufficiently seriously? Has Operation Andrew been something that we prefer not to be involved in? Are we prepared to go forward in Christ without attracting others to participate in the new life?

Ley us not forget that Christ calls us to make disciples as we win others into this movement called the Church of Christ. Then we can travel together looking forward to God’s promise of fulfilment for all who await his coming again.

In this season of repentance (for Advent is also a time to emphasise repentance), maybe we need to seek renewal in a deepened desire to see new lives won for the Lord. And since this is in line with God’s will, we can anticipate that God will help us move forward together as we share the eschatological hope.

Sing we the King who is coming to reign. Glory to Jesus the Lamb that was slain!
Life and salvation his empire shall bring.  Joy to the nations when Jesus is King.

Yours in God’s service
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor

Sisters and Brothers,

As we start another Connexional Year, I invite us to give thanks for what God has enabled us to do in the past, and to launch out in faith into God’s possibility for now and the future.

This year marks the 35^th Anniversary of Methodist presence in this country. We give thanks for God’s faithfulness in preserving this branch of the Church. However, as we look back, do we sense that the Methodist witness has been sufficiently vibrant? Can we boast of faithful stewardship that has served towards the extension of God’s kingdom here, or has the life of the Methodist Church been confined to meeting the welfare of a declining membership?

As we look back in time and recall being part of a more vibrant faith community, may we be re-ignited with a passion for the things of God, and for sharing the faith we have inherited. As we launch into this thirty-fifth year, I invite us to be deliberate agents of revival, seeking a renewal of faith among us and others who have grown distant, as well as inspiring others to belong to the household of faith. If we are sufficiently passionate about this, the Lord will honour such holy desire and enable the Holland Circuit (Methodisten Kerk Nederland), to use all the means at its disposal, to extend. The extension will happen not just in numbers, but we will witness old and young ones being passionate about and striving to be equipped for doing God’s business.

As God’s agents in this time and place, let us be ready to use our gifts and resources for the work of ministry, for the extension of God’s community in the Netherlands. Through giving all that we can, we travel with travel with God into unexpected places, and experience the greatest surprises which help us to understand that, indeed, with God, all things are possible.

Speaking of giving, I am not speaking only about our Time and Talent, but also our Treasure. With reference to the last T, I am referring specifically to money. Many have been very generous in the past. A few have given sparingly, and some have given far less that they could have.

How about us correcting that this year? I invite every confirmed member of the circuit to give an Anniversary Gift of 35 euros. When we celebrated our thirtieth anniversary, some gave the anniversary gift of €30, but not everyone did. Let’s fix that. Let each one of us give €35 to the circuit between now and April 30, that is, at any time during the first three quarters. This way, by Aldersgate everyone will have given his/her Anniversary Love Gift to the circuit. And let’s not stop there. Let us focus on giving our all for the glory of God

Yours in God’s service
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor.

Sisters and Brothers,

As we enter the final month of the 2023-24 Connexional year, it is fitting that we look both backwards with gratitude for what we have, through grace, been able to accomplish, and look forward with hope towards God’s possibility for us in the future. To do this, we must both individually and collectively, assess our stewardship over the year in review.

At the start of the year, we made pledges concerning our determination to be God’s instruments in our time and place, acknowledging that we can achieve God’s purpose for us only as we rely on the Lord and invest ourselves in God’s purpose for our lives. We resolved, for example, to reach out to persons outside the church while at the same time seeking to inspire our non-active members of the Methodist family to become more involved in the church’s life and witness. We agreed to pay attention to our housebound members, with Classes organising visits to show them that they are valued family members. We agreed to improve on our stewardship of time, talent and treasure, making ourselves available for training to assist us in this regard.

How well have we followed up on these pledges? We have, no doubt, shown improvement in some areas. Some have been actively engaged in the study of God’s word, making us more aware of the power of God’s presence and of the enabling that God gives us to do the work; but the number of attendees in both English and Dutch sessions was less than we hoped for. Some have been more deliberate in organising visits, some more active in outreach work, some more generous in their stewardship; however, we can admit that there is a lot more to be done.

Generally, there remains a lack of resolve concerning faith sharing. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to overcome the timidity that is evident. We need to grow in confidence that God equips us for the tasks to which we are called. When we do, we more readily respond to God’s call and take up assignments that others are trying to fulfil simply because there is no one else to do them. We still need persons to offer their gifts in service, particularly as secretaries for our different meetings. Records are valuable as they document the thoughts and decisions we take. These, in turn, can give guidance to others serving after us. This does not mean that the church becomes static (unchanging), but rather, that we can review actions taken and see what changes are needed. We must be ever conscious that God is always doing a new thing. That will be the case as we step out in faith into the 2024-25 Connexional Year.

So, let us give all we’ve got for God as we enter September. Let us never forget the best reality in our changing situations. The best of all is God is with us. Travelling with God, we can be assured that the gifts and graces we need will be supplied by the Lord who calls and equips us. Let us move forward in hope into God’s limitless possibility, and know God is indeed, able to do far more than we can ever ask or imagine.

So let our constant prayer for 2024-25  be, “In our lives, Lord, be glorified. Men.”

Yours in Christ’s service
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor

Sisters and Brothers,

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who commissions us as his disciples to reach others for his sake.

We are once again into Missions Month- July. It cannot be overemphasised that the missional task is the reason for our being the church. Mission for Christ is the central, the focal purpose of Christian believers in community.

Maybe you’re thinking, ‘There she goes again with this Missions thing.’ Yes, there I go again because I really want us to understand that getting involved in mission is not an option for those who seek to serve Christ, as we claim to.

As we follow Jesus and get to know the Lord better, and become more like him, it is also important that we make Christ known in the many ways that the Holy Spirit enables us to.

As we mark what is called “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical calendar, we have the assurance that the Lord who promised to be with us always, sends us into ordinary situations to make a difference so that the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

As one hymnist put it, “The cup of water given for thee still holds the freshness of thy grace.” So, in the very actions that we perform, sometimes simple ones, we become instruments through which God’s blessing flows to others. The Rotterdam sisters who serve in the food kitchen at Ronald MacDonald Huis will tell you so. Their work is supported by others who donate the money needed to do this good work. The key when we engage in such ministries, is working with the intention of giving God the glory rather than claiming the praise for us. When we are obedient and keep this charge- to glorify God, the rest is up to the Omniscient, Omnipotent One who knows every heart and how to move it. True, not everyone who is served responds positively. That’s a fact of life. Out of the ten lepers Jesus healed, one remembered to give thanks. But focus on the truth that someone will respond to God’s grace; and that is encouragement enough to participate in actions support the church’s mission.

Our words too, can be as profitable as our actions.  If we are alert to the nudging of God’s Spirit who lives in us, then we become more aware of situations in which we can make a positive difference, for God’s sake. Everyday happenings such as conversations provide us opportunities to share faith. And mark you, sharing faith does not necessarily involve preaching a sermon. It is simply confidently and joyfully, making our boast in the Lord who does wondrous things. Through speaking, we can inspire others to faith.

We often make the mistake of thinking that people will not listen to us, forgetting that when directed by God’s Spirit we have the prophetic promise that the Lord’s word will not be empty of effect (Isaiah 55:11). If we are led by the Spirit of God, then our faith declarations, our boasting of the Lord will bear fruit. Be confident that it will accomplish God’s purpose.

This realisation will drive us into faith sharing, sometimes in simple ways such as inviting persons to church. If you are part of the Amsterdam Congregation, then welcome the opportunity to engage in visits that have been planned.

In our own way, each one of us can respond faithfully to the call to reach others for the Lord. We have the Lord’s command. We have the promise- of God’s presence and power available to us, and we know the difference that knowing God makes to us. Let us be loving and share the faith to the glory of God.

Yours in his service
Joan Delsol Meade

Sisters and Brothers,

We enter the last quarter of the 2023-24 Connexional Year and look back on thirty-five years of ministry of the Holland Circuit. Let us be thankful for the wonderful grace of God as we have experienced it.

What is there in our life together that signals the presence of God among us? This is a pertinent question since we are called be signs of God live in the world. The church of which we are part, is called to continue the mission of God in the world. So that must always be the guiding concern when we assess work done by any part of Christ’s Church.

We have, over the years enjoyed rich fellowship; and that continues. This is good, because when persons share together in Christian living and thereby build each other up, that is profitable, an important part of our mission.

We give thanks for those who, over the years have been part of the teaching and preaching ministry. This is vital if persons are to hear the message of the gospel and to become familiar with the Word of God. In addition to Bro Glasgow who has served as lay pastor, the circuit has recommended three persons to be local presbyters; but they are no longer resident here or active in this part of the church. Are we looking out for new persons to continue in these leadership roles?

We can give thanks, too, for the children who are growing up among us, and for the adults devoted to ministry among them; for the faith must be passed on. This brings me to the important question of whether we have been sufficiently diligent in our outreach to children and youth. Why are we not attracting more of them? We will not carry on another thirty-five years if we focus only on the older generations among us. As we look forward, let us be prepared to make the necessary adjustments so that the younger generations feel welcome and valued, and own their place inn Christ’s Church.

In that respect, we need to encourage more young adults to offer for leadership roles. It is still a challenge to get persons to serve as secretaries. Finding new secretaries will become easier when we encourage our bright young minds to serve in leadership roles as they will be more involved in decisions making meetings.

Are we sufficiently engaged in outreach work? There was a time when Methodist choirs visited homes and prisons. The circuit recognised that ministry beyond its walls is an important aspect of Christian mission. Service for Christ must extend to those on the outside. As they benefit from our loving encounters – through word and deed, we may just win them to the Lord’s side. We need to remember that God is already on theirs. We can help people discover that as we serve.

Oh, there are many other questions we could ask, but writing space is limited, so I say, let’s continue reflecting and then acting so that we effectively pursue the work of ministry in this land.

Yours in God’s service
Joan Delsol Meade

Sisters and Brothers,

It is the Season of the Resurrection of our Lord! The message this sends us is ever-renewing, full of reminders of God’s awesome power of God to give us victory in life’s testing circumstances.

Both literally and figuratively, the death and burial of Jesus was not the final event in God’s salvation plan. It was not the nail in the coffin! Of course, through his death, Jesus the Christ, the Lamb of God, offered himself as the means for our forgiveness. But beyond the grave comes the victory of his Resurrection. He did not only die for our sins, paying the price with his blood; but he rose for our justification. The abundant life that he came to bring is ours to claim today.

Remembering that God remains ever faithful to the divine promise of abundant life, we need never despair, even when difficulties arise, as they sometimes will. Let us be resolute that in times of sadness, struggle, and testing, we will hold on to God’s unchanging hand and claim the grace which is on offer.

Let us set our minds on fellowship with God so that when life’s storms assail, the peace that surpasses understanding will be ours. When we face difficult decisions, we will tackle them knowing that with Christ, we have the victory, even to accomplish what seems beyond us. Indeed, we can do it all through the One who gives us strength.

We may not be able to do it alone. In fact, it’s not in God’s plan for us to go it alone. The gifts with which we as individuals have been endowed, are meant for the whole people of God. God gives us one another and calls us to work together to effect change. We need to. All around us we see evidence that the world needs repair. Some persons live in such desperate situations that they long for death. But as people of the Resurrection, we must use our resources- head, hands, heart, feet, voices, gifts and abilities, skills, opportunities, and material resources – to challenge injustice and do our part to fight against hopelessness that makes the things of death seem victorious.

Let us always remember that our weaknesses are outmatched by God’s power at work in us if we have faith in the Risen Lord.  We don’t need tons of faith to begin with. “Mustard seed faith” makes for a good start. When we give our little bitty faith to God, it will grow. A growing faith is, in itself, a gift from God.

So, if you’re waiting on more faith so that you can share, so that you can participate in Operation Andrew, for example, start by investing  the little faith that you have. Pray for somebody. Befriend somebody. Invite someone to know the Lord. And there is no telling what God will do. Ours is the God who destroyed death and who today, talks away our guilty fear about what we cannot accomplish.

In the light of the Resurrection, you and I can. Yes. We can do what’s necessary through the victorious Risen Lord who gives us strength.

Yours in the service of our Lord.
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor