Accreditation and Candidating

On Sunday evening it was my accreditation service as a Local Preacher in the Methodist Church. The service was really good, and the sermon quite personal to me. It was good to have family and friends there to share the occassion with me. I was presented with a Youth Bible and a letter from the President of Conference. It was quite thought provoking and really made me think about what it means to be a Local Preacher. It's quite a responsibility to be folowing in the footsteps of so many wonderful preachers. (And some not so wonderful ones, to be honest!) And no matter wha happens on Saturday, I will still be a local preacher.
And as for Saturday - District Candidating Committee - the next step towards becoming a minister in the Methodist church. It's 3 interviews - 2 with small groups and one with all 12 people- and then they have a chat and a vote, then let me know before lunch if I've got through or not. If I do, then the next stage is in April, and if I don't, well, I don't know what the next stage is. Not sure what I'll do if it's a 'no'. But my support group will be on hand with tissues, chocolate and white wine to help me out!

surviving an earthquake and ofsted!

What a week! On Monday we got 'the call' at work to say that Ofsted were on their way at the end of the week, so it's been really stressful and busy, but now it's over, thankgoodness. The school came out well, which is nice because it's our last inspection as an Infant school if the merger with the juniors goes ahead to create a primary school in September.

The earthquake was interesting. Never been woken before because the whole house is shaking, the bed was wobbling, and the wardrobe doors were banging. So it was quite reasurring the next morning to hear the news say that it was an earthquake as my initial thought was that there had been an explosion or something at the airport. It must have been quite frightening in Lincolnshire when it happened. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to live in an area where they are much stronger.

A month later....

Oh, well. I didn't get off to a good start with a regular blog this year. I did finish the essay in time and am now thinking about starting the Old Teastament essay, due in next month I think. But before then I've got District Candidating committee (is that too many double letters?) so the essay is not a priority right now.
School is school as usual, and I've got a new boy in my class - a highly mobile traveller who hasn't done much school before. He's a sweet kid and I'm sure he'll settle down if they stay in the town long enough.
It's my accreditation service as a Methodist Local Preacher in 2 weeks, which I'm really looking forward too.
And best of all, we break up for Easter in 4 weeks 2 days, and we've only just had 1/2 term, which was a lovely break. Sue and I went to the ballet at MK on Friday to see Matthew Bournes Nutcracker, eating at Strada before the show. Then on Saturday we went for a meal at the Jitlada Thai, where we had our celebration last October. And we've booked our summer hols - a week in Portugal at the start of the 6 week break - a good way to unwind.
And the chickens should be here soon...

Not backposting

Happy new Year! Can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged - almost a month. But then, I did get my essay finished and handed in on time, fill in all my candidating paperwork and get that in too. And have Christmas and New Year in the middle of it all. But still, it's really slack of me not to post anything for this long - especially as it's one of my targets on my training agreement thingy. So I will try to be more regular this year. And I won't back post all the weeks I've missed, it'd be too boring, and I can't remember that much anyway.
So now I'm trying to decide on the next essay title to hand in by Feb 4th. I really ought to have started it by now, but I'm torn between two that sound interesting. Must make a decision today though, so I can get books out of the library tonight. I think it will be Arianism..or maybe not.

Beaker folk

Drove through Husborn Crawley on the way home from the Woburn farmers market on Sunday but didn't see any Beaker Folk wandering around. Are they nocturnal? Or do they hibernate in the winter? Or are they just too small to see, like Santa's gnomes that are currently hanging around my classroom watching the kids to make sure they're being good?
Is it safe having gnomes in the classroom if they come from Lapland? Or Legoland?
It's nearly Christmas..................

Local preachers meeting...

...was last night. I had to answer questions on 2 of Wesleys sermons and talk about my call to preach. Then I left the room while those present had a vote about whether or not to accept me on full plan as an accredited local preacher. The result was unanimous - a yes - and will be taken to the Circuit meeting on Saturday. If they agree with it, I will be accredited at a service on March 2nd in my own church. This is really great, and I can't believe I've finally made it to the end of Faith & Worship, well, apart from the ongoing training project which I have to deliver to the June meeting.
I quite enjoyed the sermons from Wesleys 44 sermons. The one talked of the 'savages and barbarians' in foreign parts like Lapland!! Not quite how I thought of Laplanders, but then I've never been there. But then I don't think Wesley had either. But I will be wary of them in future - you can't be too careful around the demon possessed!

Letter from God to man

Just heard this track on the radio when I was driving home. Need to listen a bit closer to the lyrics or search them out on the web, but it's an interesting idea. What would I write to the world now if I was God? Probably nothing like God would write.

Christingle went OK yesterday at school, in that nobody set fire to anyone else. However, one of the other teachers said watching my face was more fun than watching the kids, as it turned from pleasure to complete dismay as the assembly gradually deteriorated. But the parents loved it, so that's always a good thing.

Check out the video on you-tube for 'Jesus blood never failed me yet' - a piece of minimalist music based on the singing of a homeless man. Bry showed me, they'd done it at school. (We did Bach and Handel)

And it's only 21 sleeps till Christmas!!