District News – 02 November 2021

This Week's News

The Walk – Little Amal reaches Sheffield

The Walk is a journey being made by Little Amal – a 3.5m puppet of a young Syrian refugee. Representing all displaced children, many separated from their families, she is travelling over 8,000km embodying the urgent message "Don't forget about us".
It was appropriate that when she reached Sheffield, she was made welcome by the Revd Inderjit Bhogal. Inderjit is a past-President of the Methodist Conference, and the founder of the City of Sanctuary movement.
You can hear his message to Amal here: https://youtu.be/rm21AqVG8ZY and read it here: Welcome Amal

Sad News

We were very sorry to learn of the death of the Revd John Peaden on 22nd October.John spent most of his ministry in the Sheffield District. He came as minister of Highfield Trinity (then Brunswick Trinity) and the then Sharrow St John's in 1966, subsequently moving on to pioneering work as a Sector Minister involved in community development.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.

COP26

As we approached COP26 Jenny Carpenter has voiced a @christian_aid prayer written by Bishop Geoff Davies, South Africa's "Green Bishop" Please share and hold the COP26 climate talks in your prayers.
https://youtu.be/gWq1h0bupUQ

University of Sheffield COP26 Campus Vigil

Hosted by the University's Chaplaincy Centre in conjunction with the Students' Union and student societies, this vigil is a place where people can join together, in solidarity and hope, to focus on a shared concern. The Campus Vigil is a Sheffield event, at the University of Sheffield's campus, on the concourse, outside the Students' Union building beneath the A57 flyover, so a vigil can be kept in all weathers.

12pm to 1.30pm Monday to Friday 1-12 November.
University of Sheffield--Students' Union concourse (S10 2TG).

Which magazine is best?

The search is on for Britain's best church magazine. Entries are now invited for the annual competition run by the Association for Church Editors (ACE), which is an independent rather than a commercial organisation. The competition has been running since ACE started over 20 years ago.
"Church magazines are often a forgotten but effective means of communication," says Sally Churchus, Chair of the national organisation, "so we are keen to encourage editors everywhere."
For the coming 2022 competition, which closes on 7th February, awards will be made for A5 magazines which include all or some colour printing. The Gold Award winner will receive the John King Trophy, to be held for one year, while Silver and Bronze Awards will receive an inscribed trophy to keep, together with a Certificate of Excellence for display.

A panel of judges assesses each magazine, giving points for various aspects including cover design, headlines and clarity of the Christian message. The prize-giving in the summer is open to everyone, and will include a lecture by a Keynote Speaker and talks on various ways to improve your magazine. The date and venue will be announced in due course.
www.churchmag.uk

Singing the Faith

Ten years ago this month, Singing the Faith was launched formally at Wesley's Chapel in London. The book itself still yields new discoveries to regular users – and there continue to be many who are getting to know the book, and the accompanying website, for the first time.
As part of marking this, there is a new publication "Praying with Hymns", a guide for those who want to use hymns as prayers. Developed as a downloadable A4 document and for sale as a printed A5 booklet, the resource is packed with easy-to-find suggestions grouped under themes familiar from Sunday worship, and includes suggestions of hymns written in the ten years since the hymn book was first published. The printed version is ideal for making available in your church vestry or having at hand for pastoral visits or small group gatherings.

The resource will be downloadable from mid-November on the Singing the Faith Plus website and printed editions can be pre-ordered now from Methodist Publishing at £3.50 each.

District Safeguarding Update

Safeguarding Adults Week

15th to the 21st of November is National Safeguarding Adults week. This is a good opportunity to focus and reflect in more detail on our safeguarding work with adults who may be vulnerable. The week is sponsored by the Ann Craft Trust whose website can be accessed here: Safeguarding Adults Week 2021 – Sign Up For Free Resources – Ann Craft Trust. The Trust offers information and free resources that you can access. The theme this year is 'Creating Safer Cultures', and each day there is a different topic that links with the overall theme. There are podcasts and e learning courses that you may well find useful and informative.

November 2021 is developing into a themed adult safeguarding month for the Church as the Connexional Safeguarding Team has also arranged two important webinars on 25th and 30th November that will be concerned with domestic abuse and dementia respectively.

Domestic Abuse Webinar: Thurs 25 November, 10am – 12 noon

Please join us for the Methodist Church's second domestic abuse webinar on Thursday 25 November. The Connexional Safeguarding Team have put together a packed programme to continue its objective to highlight and address the issue of domestic abuse. The webinar is timely as the date is also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Register in advance for this webinar:

'Making the Methodist Church more Dementia-Friendly' Webinar, Tues 30 November, 11am – 12:30pm

The Connexional Safeguarding Team will be hosting a Zoom webinar on the topic of Dementia-Friendly churches on Tuesday 30 November:

Areas covered will include:
Dementia awareness raising,

• The theology of personhood and spirituality in dementia,
• Safeguarding vulnerable adults with dementia (how the Church can sometimes be in pole position of keeping an eye on an isolated person with dementia),
• Practical tips on making our church buildings more dementia-friendly,
• Advice on understanding 'challenging' behaviours and
• Positive stories from Methodist churches who already are leading in this area.

Register in advance for this webinar:

As ever, if you have any questions or concerns please give me a call on 07483 362 735 or email me at safeguarding@sheffieldmethodist.org
Many thanks
Alison Hill
District Safeguarding Officer.

Events

An introduction to Church at the Margins

Monday 8th November from 7-8.30pm (via Zoom)

Poverty across the UK is rising with a devastating impact on the lives of individuals and communities. How should we respond? What is God's invitation to us? This webinar offers an introduction to the vision and values of Church at the economic margins with stories from local practitioners in urban and rural contexts.
Hosted: by Eunice Attwood, Church at the Margins Officer and Sarah Hulme, Rural Officer.
REGISTER NOW: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvf-GoqD0tHNNqHWQlv-N6LI5KTxiWJBoe

Job Vacancies

LITTLE FISHES SOFT PLAY CENTRE

Supported by The Methodist Church Barnsley North East and the Barnsley Methodist Circuit the Methodist Chapel in Hemsworth is to be refurbished with the upper area of the premises equipped to host a Soft Play Centre for children.
In an area of high deprivation with limited social facilities the centre will provide a safe place for play and social interaction alongside opportunities for outreach in the work of the church.
The centre is due to open in January 2022. They are currently seeking

CENTRE MANAGER

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with the right skills and passion to be in at the beginning of a project that will make a difference to the lives of many people in the local community.
The salary will be £18720 per annum for a part time position of 30 hours per week.
Additional hours may be agreed from time to time to deliver particular activities
Evening and weekend work will be required.

PROJECT COOK

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with the right skills and passion to be in at the beginning in the setting up and development of the project by providing healthy and appetising food in the centre.
The salary will be £15600per annum for a part time position of 30 hours per week.
Additional hours may be agreed from time to time to deliver particular activities
Evening and weekend work will be required

For further information or an application pack,please email: circuitoffice@btconnect.com
By telephone, please call the Circuit Administrator, Jayne Wragg on 01226 321522 and leave your contact details
Closing date for applications: 19th November 2021
Interview date: week commencing 22nd November 2021

Assistant Hospitality Manager

Cliff College provides accommodation for students, conferences and leisure customers and we are seeking to appoint an Assistant Manager to join our Hospitality Team. This is a new role that will be at the heart of the College's customer care and will work with other members of the hospitality and catering teams to provide a high-quality customer experience. The closing date is Monday 6 December – for more information and an application pack, see our website.

Church Community Worker

Firth Park Methodist Church

Firth Park Methodist Church is at an exciting moment in its development and is seeking to employ two enthusiastic people to join the team to operate its Soft Play facility.
The purpose of the facility is to provide an essential service to the local community and develop Fresh Expressions of church.
One person to be appointed to start November 2021 and one to start spring 2022.
The starting salary will be £9.50 an hour contracted to 40 hours per month (with pension
provision).
For applications packs please contact:
Firth Park Methodist Church, 8 Stubbin Lane, Sheffield, S5 6QL, tel. 0114 2490674,
email firthparkmethodistchurch@gmail.com
For further information contact: Rev Mark Goodhand 0114 2420076
Closing date is 8th November 2021