PLAN B        This term at different times, on different days in different places!

Plan B : We are a group of Christian students from Ghana, London, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe,
           China, Afghanistan, Singapore and Leicester. We meet to talk about faith and life.

Welcome back for the Spring.  We hope you have had a good break and that exams and other work have gone well.  We’re looking forward to seeing you again.

This term we are going to do more Bible Study together, to help us live our Christian lives as students.  The topics are topics you’ve asked for and sound like they’ll be very relevant. There will be Bibles available or bring your own along. 

For a whole range of reasons some of the sessions will not be on Sunday… some of our regular students have paid work on Sundays now.

We will also lead a service together.  This term that service will be on 5^th Feb. at 10.45, Education Sunday.  Please put it in your diary now and let Jill or Gill know if you’re happy to help in some way.

On a WEDS. lunchtime Jill will usually be around at the DMU Food Halls at Campus Centre, and she’s always happy to buy you a coffee >>> come and say hello if you’re around >>> or make a time to meet if you want to be sure of catching her.  Jill is often also around Uni of Leicester campus on Thurs. lunchtime.  Again >>>  text her to meet up.

Please get these dates into your diaries/mobiles/planners now!  See you soon. 

Thanks, Jill Marsh (07745 020597) and Gill George (07830 631913)

2/2/12 This is a THURS.	Watching the film,‘Ground Hog Day’ together… yes it’s Ground Hog Day!!   Meal included.      5 – 7 pm at 152, Victoria Park Road, LE2 1XD
5/2/12 SUN.	We’ll be leading this service together (10.45am) and then (at the UNUSUAL time of ‘straight after morning service’) we’ll treat you to lunch
22/2/12 ASH WEDS.	Bible Study : How can I care for my work/life balance? 6 – 8 pm  at 152, Victoria Park Road… ask if you want a lift there.  We can drop you back.  Meal included.
4/3/12 SUN.	Bible Study : How can I relate to students of other faiths? UNUSUAL time of 4 – 6 pm

For a useful general page on starting out as a Christian at University, have a look at the website of
UCCF: The Christian Unions
http://www.uccf.org.uk/freshers/

Here are some parting observations from students from the last couple of years:-

“Thanks to you all, I found a home at Bishop Street.  I could always count on someone from the Church to help me through with a word of encouragement, prayers and a call. May God richly bless you all.”

"Being welcomed into Bishop Street Methodist church is like being given a big spiritual hug. As a baptised Methodist I was looking for a Christian home so that my worship and Christian fellowship would not wane in this strange new city I was now living and studying in. What struck me most was how, despite the diverse cultures represented in the congregation, we all felt so at home and were treated equally, while still embracing those cultural differences and celebrating them. I have since moved from Leicester and can no longer regularly attend Bishop Street. But in a year of living in London I have yet to feel as at home and part of a community in another church as I have at Bishop Street"

“I have enjoyed coming to Bishop Street Methodist Church because I feel a sense of belonging and I have made a lot of friends with whom we share ideas and help each other in different ways. Being in church also reminds me to be thankful for everything I have.”

“I'm currently studying Architecture at De Montfort University, which I really enjoy, but at times it can be very overloading. Attending Bishop Street Methodist Church gives me the time to reflect about anything, from the week I just had to what I would like to gain in the forthcoming weeks. Also I get the chance to meet more people who are both friendly and welcoming, which has supported me towards settling into Leicester. It has made being away from home much easier and has definitely given me a balance in my busy University schedule.

“I've also been highly impressed by the way Bishop Street Methodist church attempts always to remain current and relevant, in a climate where spirituality is threatened by so many of the distractions of secular life. Whether it be prayer meetings in pizza parlours or ‘Open Church’ or discussions on Christianity's role in current affairs in city centre coffee shops, Bishop Street soldiers on while battling the challenges of finance and a quickly evolving congregation.”

“I have been attending Bishop Street for two years now and really enjoy the friendly and welcoming atmosphere that exists there. The Church is perfectly suitable for students, whether they've been a Methodist from a young age or have never stepped into a Church before. The teaching is both Bible grounded and relevant to everyday life.”