District News – 13 December 2022

This Week's News

Sad News

We were extremely sorry to learn of the sudden death last week of Griff Wynne (Trinity Circuit). Griff was a valued member of the District Leading Team and our thoughts are with his family at this time.
A Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the life of Griff Wynne.
After a private burial in Hannah Park, we will come together to celebrate a life well spent and to thank God for that life at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday 20th December at The Crossing Church in Worksop. There will be a chance to chat over a cuppa afterwards.
Deacon Emily Hoe-Crook will be taking the sevice, but Revd Julie Coates will be saying a few words about his involvement with Church/Circuit/District – so if you have any memories or comments that I could include please let her know.

Lay Employees Retreat

5-7 June 2023 at Wydale Hall

Lost, Found, Reclaimed
Over time things change – but is that always for good?
Lost, Found, Reclaimed takes as its starting point "The Lost Words" book, written as a response to the removal of everyday nature words – among them "acorn", "bluebell", "kingfisher" and "wren" – from a widely used children's dictionary, because those words were not being used enough by children to merit inclusion.
In this retreat we will be exploring some of the things that have been lost; what might we want to reclaim or rediscover; but also what new things have we found that aid our work.
Accommodation:
Wydale Hall has two types of rooms available:

• En-suite – single occupancy or double (twin beds)
• Dormitory – basic with shared bath room (not en-suite)

The number of places available is based on people being willing to share an en-suite room if necessary. If numbers allow, all those attending will be placed in a room on their own, but this cannot be guaranteed. There is a £30 supplement to the cost which will be added to those who request their own (non-sharing) room.
Cost:

• En-suite room – £220 (£30 non-sharing supplement)
• Dormitory accommodation (not ensuite)- £190
• Day visit – £80

Districts will subsidise the cost of this by half (excluding the non-sharing supplement), for those who have not already taken part in a Regional Retreat this year.
A £50 deposit is required at the time of booking (invoices will be sent out). Requests for refunds in the event of a cancellation will be on a case by case basis.
Registration deadline: 3 April (places are limited)

A 48 hour retreat open to all Lay Employees within the Methodist Church in the Yorkshire Plus and North East Learning Regions (Sheffield, Yorkshire West, Yorkshire North & East, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Darlington Districts)

Warm Welcome

The Churches response to the energy price rises has been coordinated by www.warmwelcome.uk and currently across the UK over 2,700 spaces are open and a further 2000 have registered but are not open yet. This has to be the first and last winter we need warm spaces in the UK, we cannot allow them to become normalized in UK culture the way that food banks have. To this end an Advent Candle campaign has been launched to encourage people to contact their MP with this message. We suggest sending an Advent Candle along with an invite to attend a Warm Welcome in their constituency so that they can listen to those who are using them. Resources can be found at Write to your MP about Warm Welcome -jpit.uk ).

Cliff Festival – Eden Restored

26-29 May 2023

A weekend of worship, teaching and encounter for people of all ages. Come for the day or camp for the weekend.Free entry for under 18s.
Find out more at cliffcollege.ac.uk/festival

On the Situation of the Palestinians

The situation of Palestinians in the Israeli-governed Holy Land is significantly worse today than it was a decade ago, according to an international delegation of Methodist leaders who recently (October) completed a five-day visit marking the 10th anniversary of the Jerusalem-based Methodist Liaison Office (MLO).
Their joint statement said:
"During our visit we have been shocked by the violence we have witnessed, the growth in the number of illegal settlements, and the number of young Palestinians who are being forced to leave their homes. We are distressed to hear the number of our sisters and brothers in the area has significantly decreased which is devastating for a Christian presence in the Holy Land.
You can read the full statement here:

Events

Carols by Candlelight

Sunday 18 December – 6:30pm

St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church are holding a service including nine lessons, a reflection, carols and songs by the choir.
The service takes place inside the church this year, and we will all join forces to make the sanctuary look wonderful with candlelight!

Positively Rural – Opportunities of Rural Chaplaincy

Tuesday 17 January from 7:30pm

A webinar exploring different models of rural chaplaincy and the support offered in rural communities.
At the webinar we will have 2 speakers who have diverse experiences of Rural Chaplaincy. We will explore about what is involved in chaplaincy and our role in supporting it and playing our part in it.
Speakers: Rev Maggy Ellison a chaplain at York Auction Mart and Deacon Maggie Patchett who has been involved in various rural chaplaincies

Link to register: https://PositivelyRural230117.eventbrite.co.uk

Positively Rural is an online community hosted by the Yorkshire Plus Learning Network, but open to anyone of any denomination involved in rural ministry, including volunteers, lay workers and clergy.

Lay Employees Community of Practice

19 January 2023

The next online gathering will be held on 19 January from 10am with the theme "What does Good Employment Look Like?". It will be facilitate by Izzy Milburn, the Darlington District Lay Employment Advisor.
You can register to join here: https://230119-LayEmployeeCOP.eventbrite.co.uk
There is a place on the registration form if you have any specific questions around employment that you would like to be looked at.

Everyday Missional Discipleship

16-20 January 2023 – Cliff College

This ten-session course (5 mornings) will explore missional discipleship in a small group setting. Join us to unpack teaching and ideas from the Bible and apply them to everyday life in a way that develops a sustainable model for discipleship, with mission at its very heart. Watch out: this week of practical teaching could transform your life! Ideal for small group leaders and those wanting to explore a way to develop discipleship in their churches.
The course leader is Revd Matt Wright is a Baptist minister and former Cliff student who leads our Everyday Missional Discipleship course. Matt and his wife Rachel are passionate about Jesus and they long for renewal in the UK church. They work as consultants in missional discipleship and live in Chesterfield with their two daughters.
Click this link for a course overview and to book your place: https://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/courses/onsite-short/everyday-missional-discipleship

Job Vacancies

Cleaning Staff required

Greenhill Methodist Church are recruiting 2 cleaners to maintain and develop the existing standards of cleaning and presentation within the church and ancillary buildings.
Job 1: 10 hours/week; permanent to be worked Monday; Wednesday; Friday
Job 2: 5 hours/week; Term time only to be worked Tuesday and Thursday
Rate of pay: £10.90/hour

For an application pack, please email bookingsgmc@gmail.com
Closing date: Wednesday 21 December

Other Methodist news

Global Mission Fellows

This is a great opportunity to serve in another country, to live out your faith and develop as a leader committed to justice and peace. The 2-year programme is open to graduate-level (or equivalent) young adults from Britain, Ireland and around the world. It is a 12th January application deadline for programme start in Sept 2023. Global Mission Fellows (methodist.org.uk)

Methodist Liaison Office Coordinator

We are looking for a Coordinator for the Methodist Liaison Office in Jerusalem. Based in Jerusalem with accommodation provided in the West Bank, this role will engage in deep listening and chaplaincy to those living and working in the region. They will enable the communication of the reality on the ground, and in particular the lived experience of Palestinian Christians, to Methodist churches to enable them to undertake informed advocacy.

The successful applicant will provide input into the policy and advocacy work of Methodist Church in Britain and have the necessary skills to respond to requests from our media teams. They will also organise high-level visits, co-ordinate volunteer engagement and be resilient enough to handle any associated challenges with the role and context.

Full details here: https://bit.ly/MLO-Coordinator

Closing Date: 18 January 2023
Interview Date: 30 January 2023
Pre-visit to the region: 24-28 February 2023

Methodists for Ukraine

As war in Ukraine heads into the winter, Ukrainians face cold days and nights without power, heating, and running water, and many are still looking to leave the country. If you have spare rooms in your property, we can find you a match and give you support to host Ukrainian refugees.
See the website for more information.

Theme for the Methodist Prayer Handbook 2023/2024

Hidden Treasures

The next Prayer Handbook's theme is 'Hidden Treasures', based on Isaiah 45:3, with further inspiration from Romans 8:22-29 and Psalm 139.

We talk easily about 'the light of Christ', yet truly God is at work in the darkness, and in the most difficult of times. It can feel challenging to follow God when the way ahead seems less clear. But we believe that God's hidden treasures are present, often in the most unexpected places and unexpected people. While the prevailing narrative is decline, there is hidden potential for new growth in the Church and continuing to see God at work, even in the most marginalised of communities.
From your experiences and examples, please submit prayers that recognise the challenges of following God when the path is unclear; when patience is needed. Also prayers that celebrate the potential and breadth of the riches found where God is working – the gestation of God's hidden work coming to birth.

Please email your prayer by 9 January 2023 to prayerhandbook@methodistchurch.org.uk giving your name, postal address and how you would like to be described, as well as your district or circuit if relevant to your prayer