Sidmouth’s crowds have gradually swelled over recent weeks with visitors all wanting to get a slice of this beautiful part of the south coast of Devon. We have been blessed with the most wonderful spring and early summer and the town, promenade, beach and sea have all been festooned with the colourful throng. Of course the numbers of visitors are nothing compared to the beginning of August when we will be enjoying another folk festival. We will have no roaming sofa this year but I hope that we can all partake in some way during the festival. The choir that I am involved in with the Sidmouth Collective have a session at our church on the Wednesday afternoon, so please come along if you want to see what we are all about, all free of charge.

The summer festival may be a climax of the season for Sidmouth, but the summer is a time of endings and beginnings within the Methodist Church. Traditionally we have always had September as the start of our year, with ministers moving during the month of August. This year is no exception with two of my colleagues moving on. We will be having a leaving service for Revd Ben Haslam on 20th July, and one for Revd Paul Collings on 31st August. Whilst we may not have seen much of Ben, many of you will know Paul and his involvement from time to time in Sidmouth. Ben is going to pastures new, but Paul remains in the area, relinquishing his responsibility for Topsham, but continuing in the role of Safeguarding Lead within the circuit.

Normally when one door closes another one opens, but there is no one immediately to replace Ben and Paul as we were unsuccessful in the stationing round at the end of last year. This will have inevitable consequences for the staff that remain, and I ask for your patience when I am not quite as visible as I would like. The circuit is looking at employing additional lay staff to fulfil some of the roles, and we are currently involved in updating the profile in order that a new minister can join us in September 2026.

Please do not see the above as a negative alone though, as we have signs of positivity and hope. I continue to be encouraged by the opportunities we have within our own congregation as we continue to explore the Our Calling document and what impact that has for us. Seeing the broader picture I was recently encouraged by a large piece of research commissioned by the Bible Society and carried out by YouGov. It realigned our understanding on the trends within society in relation to religion. More and more young people are coming back to the church, and unusually it is men that are returning more than women! Some within the Methodist Church are talking about a mini revival. I personally wouldn’t use those terms, but I do think we are close to the bottom of the curve in relation to decline.

So coming back to my starting point, please enjoy the remainder of the summer, with the opportunity for further relaxation. Then when the new events and activities begin in September I hope and pray that you will feel refreshed and ready to be disciples of the Jesus way in all that we do individually and collectively as a church .