Welcome to The Bread Church website.

As of Tuesday, 17th March the Trustees of The Bread Church suspended all bread making until further notice. As of 11th June, 2020, Methodist Churches In the Liverpool District remain closed. Please read the statement from the Chair of the Liverpool District which explains why. We look forward to welcoming you to The Bread Church when we are able.

During this time of closure, we have added pages about on-line worship, prayer, help in Liverpool and activities to do at home to keep us all connected.

Look at our Action for Children charity section for help with your children during the coronavirus (Covid 19 ) pandemic.

Do scroll through the other pages; to see how we normally work. We look forward to welcoming you to Somewhere Else in the future.

If you need to contact SWE, then email info@somewhere-else.org.uk as the administrator continues to work from home.

You can also stay connected to our community through our facebook page, which is organised by this year's One Programme Participant - Chris.

Back Baking on Zoom

On Tuesday, the 22nd of September, five members of the Somewhere Else community held a trial baking session on Zoom. It was great to be back baking and sharing stories together. Read more ….

Image by Marcel Gaelle - Unsplash

Farewell to our minister, the Rev'd. Ian Hu

REV IAN J K HU

After 11 years offering “outrageous hospitality” at Somewhere Else we have bid a sad farewell to Ian. His pastoral journey continues as he moves to be the full time Superintendent Minister at Liverpool North Central Circuit, looking after many of our “Bread Church” friends at Kensington, Oakfield, County & West Derby churches.

When Ian joined us in 2009 we welcomed him into our amazing church with 4 gifts:

a loaf – that he might become an ingredient in the community of bread
an apron – a servant for the community
keys – a shepherd to the community
and a bible – a preacher of the Word to and with the community

Ian’s remarkable ministry made him a key ingredient within our special and fragile community – where he has indeed been a servant, shepherd & preacher. Through Ian we have been Bible focussed, instigated and taken the Word of God out on Team Preaches to the District and beyond and have nurtured our ever changing community through good times and bad.

As we bid farewell we look back with fondness on the special soups, Creative Loafing on Friday evenings (and their amazing suppers), his prayerful and thought provoking “Reflections” in the Cloud Room and his leadership through our own struggles with the direction that God is calling us to take. Through it all he has had to deal with his own family difficulties at a distance in California and has even found time to increase his PB’s in the gym!!!!!

In the last 6 months his unique Covid ministry has kept many of our vulnerable friends connected through bread. He has walked alongside them (literally and spiritually) in lockdown, putting the needs of others above his own.

We have been blessed by his presence, thank him for his ministry amongst us and wish him well “up the road” as he fulfils the next stage of his calling.

Welcome to Reverend Dr. Sheryl Anderson

The community of Somewhere Else would like to welcome the Chair of the Liverpool District of Methodist Churches - the Reverend Doctor Sheryl Anderson - to the team here at Bold Street at the start of this new Connexional Year in Methodism.

Welcome to our new OPP - Chris

Hi, my name is Chris and I am delighted to have been appointed as the One Programme Participant for this year at Bread Church. I look forward to meeting everyone in this community and bringing something to contribute to its work.

Turn to .... our OPP page to find out more.

We're an inclusive community

The Bread Church (also known as Somewhere Else) is an inclusive community that meets around the making and sharing of bread. We offer a warm welcome, hospitality and friendship to those of all faiths and none.

We are open twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10.30 - 2.00 to make bread by hand, with individuals and community groups of all ages and abilities. The sessions include time for:

all the elements of making bread,
conversation and refreshments,
shared reflection and prayers, and
a simple meal together, prepared by volunteers and those who come to make bread.

Anyone wishing to make bread is asked to arrive by 11a.m. To share in other parts of the fellowship - coffee, conversation, Reflections and lunch - people arrive at any time from mid-morning onwards.

The activity is usually led by our resident Minister, the Revd Ian Hu, and facilitated by a team of volunteers who help with hospitality, and guide visitors through the steps in bread-making.

We also hold meetings for worship and contemplation at other times. Scroll down this page to read about our Quiet space on Tuesday sessions last year.

Check this website or our facebook page to keep up to date.

Who Are We?

The Bread Church - Liverpool City Centre Methodist Church

Prayers for September 2020

Be thou my vision,

O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me

Save that thou art

Thou my best thought

By day or by night

Waking or sleeping,

Thy presence my light.

OLD IRISH

During September, please follow this link for the daily prayer. Thank you for joining our community in prayer since lockdown.

Lorraine

At the moment, the community of SWE is separated from each other, but joined through their love of God, prayers, and especially when we think of each other as we bake bread and knit or crochet our squares for our blankets at home. Last week, I heard this new song on the Radio 4 Morning Service – adapted from the original by John Bell (a leader of the Iona Communty), which was originally written by his Norwegian friend Hans-Olav Moerk. May it give you peace.

Click on the image to play the video.

We will meet; when the danger is over,

We will meet when the sad days are done;

We will meet sitting closely together and be glad our tomorrow has come.

Struggling to stay focused when you pray? Read about Finger Prayer Labyrinths on our separate page.

Also follow a link to the same page to watch a short video about Contemplation by Rev'd Rachel Parkinson.

Tetchy - a #prayer by Jude Levermore, Head of Mission at the Methodist Church in Britain.

Sometimes, we just feel like this and need to ask the following question of God through our prayers: 'Could you help me find my rest in you today?'

https://www.facebook.com/MethodistChurchinBritain/videos/2716349435265276/

Pause on the Positive Thoughts Page

Take time out to pause and take inspiration from our Positive Thoughts page.

Listen to a song, read a poem, psalm or passage from the Bible.

If you have any inspirational passages or songs that you think others would enjoy, then please send them to info@somewhere-else.org.uk

Andrew 'sleepout' for charity

Andrew, our Treasurer and Senior Steward at Somewhere Else, 'slept out' for Action for Children on the 21st of August, 2020.

Here you can see him trying to decide where to sleep. Find out where he eventually did and the magnificent sum of money he raised by clicking here.

Farewell to Laura, our One Programme Participant 2019-2020

On Thursday, 13th of August, the Trustees of Somewhere Else, thanked Laura, our OPP, for all her work over the last year, both in person, online and also on Facebook and Whatsapp. She received a card with messages from the SWE community, a gift and finally, her facilitator certificate!

We wish her all the very best for her new role as Methodist Lay Chaplain for the Liverpool Universities and hope that she will not be a stranger to the community.

Congratulations to Sarah, a former facilitator

A past facilitator, Sarah, was ordained as a Minister in the United Reformed Church on Saturday, the 18th of July. She will be a Minister in the Huddersfield and Halifax area. Her Ordination took place via Zoom for most of the congregation. Lorraine, our administrator, was invited to attend, so was able to take this screenshot to share with you.

Sarah came to SWE as part of her training at Luther King House in Manchester. We wish her many blessings.

Farewell to Risma, our Vincentian Volunteer- a picnic in the park

Four of the SWE Community met with Risma, our Vincentian Volunteer for 2019-2020, yesterday (2.07.2020) for a farewell picnic in the park near to where she has been living. It was very moving.

Risma returns to her home in Indonesia this week and we wanted to share 'outrageous hospitality'; present her with a certificate and a gift, as a reminder of her time with us - all at a 'social distance'.

Risma presented the community with 25 squares and 5 twiddle muffs, which she has been busy creating whilst in lockdown, as part of our Clicking and Connecting initiative.

New President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference elected and inducted online - 27th June, 2020

The Revd Richard Teal has been elected and inducted as the new President of the Methodist Conference, taking over from the Revd Dr Barbara Glasson. The induction took place on Saturday 27 June at Cliff College in Derbyshire, as part of the Methodist Conference which is, for the first time, taking place online. The Vice-President, Carolyn Lawrence, was also elected and inducted.

During his lifetime John Wesley chaired the Methodist Conference but after his death the Conference determined to elect a President annually.

Read about our new President and Vice-President on the Methodist Website.

UN Sustainability Goals

Find out more about this global initiative and how you can make a difference

on ....

Clicking and Connecting

Our Clicking and Connecting project to keep us connected has really taken off! If you have sent squares that you have knitted or crocheted; please let us know, so that we can give you a great big thank you!

If you have not already started, then search out your knitting and crochet needles.

Methodist Website Prayer Wall & Prayers during the coronavirus pandemic

Here at Somewhere Else, we have a wish wall in the main room. When we are waiting for the kettle to boil or our bread to prove, then people may physically write their wishes for local and national issues on a post-it and glue it to the wall. If you log on to the Methodist Website https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/prayer/prayer-wall/ you will find a prayer wall, where you can add your concerns.

Do take time to have a look, as it is another way for us to feel connected.

The Methodist Church Website has also added prayers connected with the pandemic not only from the UK, but from our brothers and sisters around the world. https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/coronavirus/prayers-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Follow this link for A prayer for Home https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Z9KRMAFgk7o&feature=emb_logo

A prayer for all people during lockdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LoWxlpLfDA

Members of the SWE community say a prayer together, which is posted to our Facebook page, every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8 pm.

Live-streamed services each Sunday

Each Sunday morning, you can join in worship from Central Hall Westminster at 11 am by following this link.www.youtube.com/mchwevents

You can also join in worship led by the Minister of Wesley's Chapel London at 11 am https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA

Sthie ('At home')

This is a different form of worship experience from the Isle of Man. Join in live on Sundays by joining a Facebook group. For details see https://andyfishburne.com/2020/03/15/sthie-at-home-online-worship/

You can watch previous live-streamed videos at https://www.youtube.com/andyfishburne

Find out more about Sthie by turning to....

We trust that these will help you to feel connected to the wider Christian community.