Cornwall Methodist District N

Our Mission Statement The foundation of all the work in this Church is grounded in the belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour and that all people need to come to a personal faith in Him and experience the reality of His presence in their lives. Outreach is our priority.

Rev. Martyn Smith

Tel: 01579 383274

Fax: 01579 383274

Welcome to Callington Methodist Church

Reverend Martyn Smith

We are the largest church in the compact Callington & Gunnislake Circuit. The other churches are at St Dominic, Stoke Climsland and Albaston (this one is known as Tamar Valley Methodist Church and has a new building which was opened in 2001).

The buildings at Callington date back to 1845, and the years have seen many changes, particularly to the chapel itself. Around 1970, most of the gallery was removed, and cinema-style 'tip-up' seats installed on the

ground floor. These were replaced early in 2004 with upholstered chairs, giving increased comfort, flexibility in the use of the chapel, and a more attractive and inviting appearance to the chapel.The ancillary premises are well used - both by church groups and by outside organisations (go to News Page to see the complete list of groups using the premises). There is a regular Friday Coffee Morning (doors open from 10.15 am to 11.15 am) in the Guild Room. This is not a 'money-raising' occasion - just an opportunity for a cup of coffee (or tea) and a chat.Prayer Groups There is a meeting for prayer in the ‘Parlour’ each Sunday morning and each Friday morning at 10.00 am. On the first Friday of each month, the meeting includes Holy Communion.

Being Wise to 'Foolishness'

Before the arrival of computers, play stations and i-pods, you may recall that stamp collecting was a very popular pastime for youngsters. I remember comics sometimes including adverts promising 'Free Stamps' with the accompanying 'approval stamps' information subtly set out in smaller print! We might think that with increasing years comes a depth of wisdom in adulthood to replace the innocence and gullibility of youth. Not entirely however! I recently heard of an advert suggesting that pounds of weight could be lost simply with the application of a fat-reducing gel rubbed daily underneath the feet. If that sounds too good to be true, you'd be totally correct! But it evidently did not prevent hundreds of people from sending off considerable sums of money to receive this 'miracle weight-reducing gel!' If it's important to be 'wise to foolishness' in daily life, it's surely equally vital for our spiritual well-being.

In both Old and New Testaments, we read about the contrasting experiences of the wise and the foolish. At the end of the 'prologue' in Proverbs for example, the writer asserts that, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and discipline' (1:7). Fools are often portrayed as being disobedient [eg 1 Samuel 13:11-14], dishonest [eg Jeremiah 17:11], proud [eg Ephesians 5:17] and constantly doubting [Psalms 94: 7-8].

Godly wisdom is seen as the exact opposite to foolishness, as James emphasises in his Letter: 'The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of good fruit, impartial and sincere' [3:17]. Such wisdom is also recommended by Paul to all who would live a godly life: 'Be very careful how you live - not as unwise but as wise' [Ephesians 5:15]. The Bible suggests that wisdom is imparted by God's Spirit [Ephesians 1:17], given in response to prayer [James 1:5] and received by the humble [Proverbs 15:33] as the Scriptures are read [Colossians 3:16].

Jesus' teaching often draws contrasts between foolish and wise responses in situations. Matthew's Gospel Chapter 25 for example, features his stories about wise and foolish girls with their oil lamps [1-13]; wise and foolish servants with their talents [14-27]; the wise 'sheep' who had lived godly lives and the foolish 'goats' who had lived far more selfishly [31-45]. Jesus depicts the wise as people who keep watch for the Lord's coming [24-42] in contrast to those who foolishly ignore such signs [24:48-50]!

So let's avoid the shifting sands of home-spun DIY spiritualities and philosophies on which fools choose to build their lives [Matthew 7: 26-27]. Rather, let's be wise to foolishness by building our lives on the rock-like principles that Jesus outlines for godly living [Matthew 7:24-25]!

May God bless you in the weeks to come - Your minister and friend, Martyn.

Our links

Guild

Table tennis

Youth Clubs

Choir

Useful links

Cornwall Methodist District

National Children's Home

Methodist Recorder

Scripture Union

Christian Aid