Dear siblings in Christ,
The art of storytelling is a captivating gift, whether we are listening to a story unfold or creatively writing a story to share. The stories of our lives have many twists and turns, so many of them unexpected.
At a recent church team meeting, I asked everyone present to create a curve, beginning with when they first joined the church and then sharing what brought them into the life of the church. As you can imagine, the answers were varied and spanned many years. Two themes clearly emerged: personal invitation and the warmth of the welcome received. Whether it was through Girls’ or Boys’ Brigade, a youth group, or a Sunday service, it was relationship and welcome that drew people in.
Take a moment to reflect — what brought you to the worshipping community or church that you are part of today? These two themes of personal invitation and welcome often come together in one meaningful personal encounter that draws someone nearer to Christ.
During May 2026, we are invited to join Christians across more than 170 countries and over 85 denominations worldwide in the global prayer movement Thy Kingdom Come, taking place from 14–24 May 2026. This movement invites us to walk alongside the disciples of Jesus who, after the Ascension (forty days after Easter) and before Pentecost (fifty days after Easter), “all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). The nine days between Ascension and Pentecost, known as the Novena, are dedicated to prayer. During this time, Thy Kingdom Come invites us to pray for five people to encounter Christ, with the aid of daily reflections and video’s accessed online and in their app. https://www.thykingdomcome.global/about-us
This year’s theme is “God with Us”, inviting us to reflect on how the Holy Spirit is at work in the world. As part of this journey, can you think of five people whom you could pray for during these nine days—people who do not yet follow Christ? The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, calls us to reflect on how the Apostles prayed to be transformed and equipped by the Holy Spirit, so that they could then go out and share the Good News. Prayer, she reminds us, is not about God doing all the work alone, but about prayer reshaping the one who prays. https://www.thykingdomcome.global/sites/default/files/2026-03/TKC%20Novena%202026%20DIGITAL_0.pdf
Last year, while visiting South India, I was introduced to the art of pottery. However, I quickly discovered it is far harder than it looks. I needed the guidance of the potter to create a pot. Holding my hands rigidly or trying to control the wheel or the clay simply did not work. Instead, I had to feel the clay and allow my hands to be guided by the potter. Sarah Mullally reflects on how God reshapes us through prayer, drawing on Jeremiah 18:6: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.”
This year, we are invited into a nine-day journey of praying for five people to encounter God through us. This happens when we open ourselves to be shaped by the Holy Spirit in prayer—allowing ourselves to be transformed, trusting that God is with us in every encounter.
The question before us is this: are we willing to be courageous, as the early Apostles were?
Grace and peace to you all.
Revd Dr Samantha Gillard
Minister, Northampton Methodist Church & Circuit.
