District News – 15 October 2024

This Week's News

Chaplaincy Recruitment

Are you motivated to support others, or know someone who is?

South Yorkshire Chaplaincy and Listening Service (SYCLS) are currently recruiting School Staff Chaplains and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Chaplains.
If you are available on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis and willing to undertake chaplaincy training, please get in touch with SYCLS.
For further information, email roxy@sycls.co.uk or call 07903 899751

Fancy a night of fun?

Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC) have two fundraising events coming up.
A Murder Mystery evening on 9 November at Glide House, Sheffield and an evening of music and song on 15 November. See the posters for details.

Start the new year with an online Foundations unit from Cliff College

2025 will be here before we know it – what might God want to teach you in the coming year? Cliff College's 15-week Foundations units can equip you for mission and ministry in church and community contexts and can be taken online from anywhere in the world. This January, choose from Exploring Church History and Pastoral Practice and start your new year with a new challenge. Read more and sign up now on the Cliff College website.

Reflect Quiet Morning

Friday 8 November / Saturday 9 November

Offering Hospitality – openness to others and to God
Zoom link provided when booking by emailing 2tonges317@gmail.com
Reflect is the Methodist Spirituality and Retreats group . The events are open to everyone of any tradition/denomination.

Christmas Praise in the City

Monday 9 December 7:00 pm

Start your Christmas celebrations in style with our special Christmas Praise service at Victoria Hall, Norfolk Street, Sheffield. Hosted by Cliff College with special guests, we'll be joining together to sing some carols; hear a Christmas message; and enjoy some refreshments. Our theme is Hush the Noise, and we hope you'll join us in the busyness of December to reflect on the reason for the season. Book your free place now at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christmas-praise-in-the-city-tickets-1029963527637

District Directory/Database

The latest version of the Directory is available to download from the website here: https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/about-us/synod.html.

Rita Hunter's Funeral

The Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Rita Hunter was live-streamted and is available to watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze63lbhNoII. Please note that it starts with a video montage of photos lasting about 12 minutes.

Events

Church Action on Poverty

Urban Poverty Pilgrimage

This year's pilgrimage is a linear walk taking place on Saturday 19th October. We shall explore community issues and church social action with a number of churches. We assemble between 9.00am and 9.30am at St Andrew's United Reformed Church, Broomhall, Upper Hanover Street, where we shall hold our opening service and learn about projects in Broomhall. Then we shall walk, via Ben's Centre, to St Mark's Church, Broomhill, where we shall discuss this church's social projects over tea and coffee. Then we shall walk to St Mary's, Walkley, for a similar discussion, while we eat our packed lunches ( tea and coffee will be provided). Our last visit is to Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Hillsborough, with discussion and final prayers ending around 2.30 pm. From there, it is an easy tram or bus ride back to Broomhall or to the City Centre.
The total walk is around 2.7 miles. It is urban but picturesque with some uphill and downhill stretches.

Sustainable Flowers

26 October- St Luke's Lodge Moor, S10 4LS

Helen Chambers NSDF Floral Designer, qualified tutor and experienced NAFAS Area Demonstrator specialises in sustainable sourcing and flower arranging. She will share top tips on arranging flowers sustainably with a demonstration in the morning session, followed by an optional hands on workshop after lunch (all materials, tools, flowers and foliage provided).
Tickets are £20 for the morning demonstration 09:30 to 12:30; £40 for the full day with workshop 09:30 to 16:00.
Full details here: https://stlukeslm.churchsuite.com/events/beko28q4

MWiB (Sheffield District) Events

October 25th MWiB Dedication Service at Whittington Moor Methodist Church 11am Led by Deacon Jackie Wright.
Bring your own lunch drinks provided, followed by talks about the work of Roundabout and Street Pastors
November 15 Quiet Day at Gleadless Methodist Church, 10am for 10:30 start
December 6th at Frecheville Methodist Church -Carols 11am followed by alternative Christmas lunch Fish and Chips followed by Trifle
£12 tickets will be available at the Dedication Service.

Lay Employee Day

Tuesday 5 November from 10am to 5pm

All Lay Employees are invited to join the Yorkshire North and East District's Community of Practice day. The morning session will be exploring how we care for ourselves, followed by a light lunch (provided) and then a chance to support each other in community of practice groups.
Booking is essential (for catering purposes). Please contact Victoria Etherington victoria@methodistyouth.org.uk if you want to attend.
These days are great time of networking and mutual support.

Positively Rural

The next Positively Rural zoom gathering is planned for 16 January 2025 at 1pm. More information, including the link to register, will be sent as soon as plans have been finalised
We have the following online gatherings which may be of interest:

• rural & rooted – thriving small churches Tickets, Tue 22 Oct 2024 at 19:30 | Eventbrite
• Dreaming Beyond FX – Love Your Neighbour Registration, Tue 12 Nov 2024 at 13:30 | Eventbrite
• Rural & Wild – Pilgrimage Learning Community Tickets, Tue 26 Nov 2024 at 19:30 | Eventbrite

Vacancies

Administrator

Peak Methodist Church

The Peak Methodist Church is a newly formed multi-site church which has brought together nine congregations and also works closely with a Methodist/URC Local Ecumenical Partnership. This is a new merge of churches who are working closely together particularly in terms of governance and finance whilst local mission and ministry is led by the local congregation leadership. (One church on nine sites).
They seek to appoint an Administrator on a part-time permanent contract to provide an efficient level of administrative support to the Peak Methodist Church office with PA support as necessary to the Superintendent Minister.
Full details can be downloaded here: Peak Administrator

Cafe worker & Soft play facilitator

Sam's Space, Firth Park Church, Sheffield

Seeks an enthusiastic person to join the font of house team to help deliver a growing community service whilst developing fresh expressions of church.
Full details on the poster

And finally ...

A prayer for our discipleship

Lord, send us out.
Send us out from our buildings, full of history and comfort and meaning, and lead us into your world as your disciples where the story is still being written.
Send us out with our hearts full of love and concern and fear and hope, and lead us into your heart for this blessed and beautiful world where the story is still being written.
Continue to bless places for lonely people to gather; soup lunches and warm spaces; moves and renovations; missions and prayer gatherings; and all the ways we seek to move from where we are to where you want us to be.
Lord, send us out. And remind us – remind me – that the story is still being written. Amen.
Sean Turner, MOCC, Isle of Man