District News – 1 November 2022

This Week's News

Sam's Space Soft Play Centre

Firth Park Methodist Church wanted to open up their space to the local community for more than just worship on a Sunday. After more than a year and Covid delays, Sam's Space Soft Play centre is a safe and welcoming environment for children, their parents, grandparents and care givers. The centre is growing and adapting to the needs of the community and is described as a "lifesaver" by one regular grandparent visitor.
https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/p/news/news-stories/sams-space-soft-play.html

Warm Spaces at Gleadless Valley Methodist Church – BBC Radio Sheffield

Revd. Lisa Quarmby and Deacon Annabel Terry appeared on BBC Radio Sheffield on Sunday morning talking about the warm space being offered at Gleadless Valley Methodist Church. They are open twice a week to support the local community with games, crafts, lunch, take away soup. They are also trying to collect quilts, blankets, sleeping bags and warm socks to offer to people for when they get home. You can listen again, fast forward to 2:14:00
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0d4p810

Foodbank manager interview

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0d4p8hx – fast forward to 2:39:00 to hear from John Stevenson "Jock" the Food Bank Manager at Gleadless Valley Methodist Church. He talks about how the cost of living crisis is making the food bank busier and busier and how we are going to need food banks for many years to come.

Climate Justice Coalition

There is a regional rally and march in Sheffield as part of the Climate Justice Coalition nationally. This is on Saturday 12 November, gathering at Barkers Pool outside the City Hall at 12 noon. Romeo Pedro, Sheffield Superintendent will be one of the speakers.
Jenny Carpenter has written a prayer to mark this event which can be heard here: https://youtu.be/lOcPxcJj0oc
Robert Spooner has put new words to the tune "Come and join the celebration" which churches are invited to use as part of their notices. You can download the words here: COP27 Song

Lament – a reflective exhibition

10-14 November – Highfield Trinity

This brings together the needlework and quilting of Louise Carr (a past minister at Highfield Trinity), the glass work of Rachel Parkinson (a Methodist minister), and the voices of the Steel City Choristers. Louise invites visitors to bring their own uncertainties and anxieties to any or all of the seven stations of lament that she identifies – weeping, chaos/confusion, protest, comfort, truth telling, desolation, emerging hope. Rachel's glasswork focuses on Covid, and the multitude of emotions, ideas, judgments, that have arisen out of people's experience of the pandemic, lockdown, the loss of the 'normal', the search for a 'new normal'. The Choristers present sacred music and its powerful evocation of lament.

Stations of Lament is at Highfield Trinity Church, Highfield Place, S2 4UR on Thursday November 10, Friday November 11, and Monday November 14: on all three days it is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On Saturday November 12 it is open from 11 a.m., to 2.00 p.m., followed by a concert from 4.00 to 5.30 p.m. Entrance is free, but any donations will go to a COVID charity and the Steel City Choristers.

Methodist Women in Britain – Sheffield District

The Sheffield District MWiB are having an Advent Quiet Day at Totley Rise Methodist Church on Wednesday November 30th 10am -3.15 pm. There will be time for wreath making, prayer stations and worship.
They need to know how many to expect, so contact pammeek48@gmail.com or carol.wignell@btinternet.com by November 14th if you wish to attend.

Take This Moment – prayers before worship

"Take This Moment" is a new book of prayers published by the Yorkshire West District for use before worship. It is particularly useful for Church Stewards but others may appreciate it too. It contains prayers for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, Transfiguration, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, Pentecost and Trinity as well as special Sundays and ordinary Sundays.

The book costs £2 including postage and packing and is available from their District Office: admin@ywmethodist.org.uk

District Officers' News

Statistics for Mission 2022

The data entry site https://online.methodist.org.uk is now open for the 2022 statistics collection. All churches need to log in to record the number of members as at 1 November. They also need to record the average attendance (all ages) at the main worship service.
It is also a good time to check the details of the office holders and make any necessary changes. This will help ensure that the connexional database is correct.
Circuits can also check the data held on their office holders, including Local Preachers and Worship Leaders.
If you have any problems with this, please contact Katrin in the District Office (katrin@sheffieldmethodist.org)

District Advent Calendar

We are creating a digital Advent Calendar which will be available on social media each day based on the connexional material There is room ( https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/there-is-room-advent-and-christmas-2022-resources/ ) These videos are being recorded by each Circuit and will also feature District staff and officers and will be available for the whole District to use.

Please watch out for when it begins and share the good news of Advent far and wide.
Sam Roberts – comms@sheffieldmethodist.org

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

The Data Protection section of the District Website has been updated with regard to data breaches. There are some examples of breaches that have been reported in the past, and a form to download to keep a record when a breach occurs. Remember that all data breaches need to be recorded although not all will need to be reported to the Data Controllers.
https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/resources/data-protection/data-breaches.html

Events

Walking Together Webinars

10 November

What does it mean to be a church of Methodist Generations? Join us on 10th November for the second of three forty-five minute sessions, where we will be thinking about how we can explore the gifts of people of all generations in our churches and communities, so that children, youth and adults of all ages and stages journey on an exciting adventure of learning and discovery together. We will think about which generations are part of our churches, and how to engage with the other generations in our local communities. Claim your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/walking-together-tickets-444552196587
Missed session 1?
Not a problem! Catch up on the Well Learning Hub YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNpFeuUWxJU

Urban Theology Union

Annual General Meeting – Saturday 12 November from 2-4:30pm

Guest speaker: Revd Dr Rob Hoch speaking on Shock Trauma: Contextual Readings of Scripture for Preaching
Join on Zoom or in person at Victoria Hall, Sheffield.
Email office@utusheffield.org.uk for more details.

Sheffield Multi-cultural Gospel Festival

Saturday 19 November from 3pm

A partnership of churches/ministries from different backgrounds and expressions coming together in Sheffield to celebrate God in their languages and tongues and sharing food and friendship. Featuring the OUTCRY OF SHEFFIELD and other churches from many ethnic groups.
Finally, we can concentrate on what unites us -- God's Love!
If you want your group to present any songs/traditional piece please get in touch with our convener on henryohakah@gmail.com and you will be included.

Whirlow Spirituality Centre – Advent Quiet Days

1st & 3rd December 10-3pm

The theme of these Quiet Days will be the Advent promises of Joy and Hope...promises that can be experienced now as well as in the future. Joy Adams, Chaplain of Whirlow Spirituality Centre, will facilitate the day using scripture, poetry, music, and silence. Please note that the content for both days will be the same.
For more details and to book, visit the Whirlow events page.

Other News

Action for Children

Thank you for supporting our work!

Our thanks to everyone who raised funds in the last couple of months to support the vital work we do. You're amazing! Those who took part in Boycott Your Bed in October will be pleased to know that we've raised over £450,000 so far.

'Warm welcome' Christmas worship is ready to download

Christmas is just around the corner! And we've created a worship outline for churches that wish to hold special services to support and pray for our work. The prayers, poems and stories are based on the theme, 'Warm welcome'. It's times like these when those of us who can need to reach out with warmth and welcome to support the most vulnerable in our society, and make Christmas about hope, love and peace. Visit actionforchildren.uk/worship to download a copy (you will need to scroll down through the page).
If you're a church, district or circuit contact who hasn't been receiving our newsletter and the worship outline by post, please email ask.us@actionforchildren.org.uk with your details and we will add you to our mailing list.

Be a Secret Santa

Christmas, for children, is magical. Decorating the tree. Delicious food. Presents! But there are children all over the UK who will wake up on Christmas morning to nothing but a cold house. No toys, no treats, no Christmas dinner – maybe no dinner at all. Your gift could help change this. You could help put the magic back into Christmas. Be a Secret Santa for a vulnerable child. To find out more and sign up, visit iamsanta.org.uk/afcupdate

And finally ...

A prayer for COP27 (see above for the video link)

Loving God, creator and sustainer of this earth,
we pray for the representatives of national governments
as they come together in EGYPT at COP 27
to commit to vital steps
to safeguard the future of this planet.

We give thanks for all the voices young and old from Greta Thunberg to David Attenborough that continue to challenge our inadequate collective response.

May all involved recognise the urgency of tackling climate change – time is not on our side
May climate justice be at the heart of all decision making.
May ecology and economics be bedfellows.
May those from the Global North recognise our historic and ongoing responsibility for the bulk of the carbon emissions that contribute to dangerous global warming.
May this translate into a commitment to setting up a Loss and Damage Fund to compensate the nations of the Global South who are suffering most from extreme weather events
May all make a firmer commitment to moving rapidly from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
May the rich take steps to live more simply that the poor may simply live and thrive.

Lord, in your love and mercy, hear our prayer and help us to be part of the answer to it.
Amen.
(Jenny Carpenter, past Vice President of the Methodist Conference)