District News – 18 February 2025

This Week's News

District Youth Day

Come along on Saturday 12th April at the District Youth Day at Hesley Woods Scout Activity Centre, Chapeltown. Join us for workshops, worship and onsite activities including zipline, archery, crate stacking and much more as we explore how to be a Justice Seeking Church. This event is for anyone aged 8 -18, but they must attend with a Youth Leader/Minister. Subway lunch is included. Bookings close on the 9th April at 1pm. £10 per person – leaders free.
Book here Youth Day @ Hesley Woods

Giving thanks for the life of Jeremy Pullan

We are deeply sad to let you know that Jeremy Pullan, husband of the Revd. Jill Pullan, a Presbyter in the Sheffield Circuit, died peacefully at home on 9th February. We continue to hold Jill, her family and friends and the congregation at Chapeltown, in our thoughts and prayers.
The Funeral & Thanksgiving Service will be held on 6th March at Chapeltown Methodist Church at 11:30am and will be live-streamed to High Green Methodist Church. The Wake/Celebration will be at Wortley Hall, Sheffield.
If you hope to attend any or all of the day, booking is required, ideally by 19 Feb for a rough idea of numbers.
Please find below a link to information about the day and an online RSVP form, to help the family collate names, numbers and preferences. The form is quick & easy to complete online and is very user-friendly. Should you wish to attend and cannot access the form online, please contact Katrin Hackett in the District Office on 0114 270 9990.
https://forms.gle/BWK5Rw8YcJAfotiGA
Jill & family hope to welcome as many as possible to one of the gathered services. The link for the live-streamed service will be made available in due course if you are unable to join on of the gatherings.

Singing the Faith

Do any churches have surplus copies of Singing the Faith? Barlborough Methodist Church are running out of hymnbooks, so thought they would ask here first.
Let Mark Carrick (mark.carrick@methodist.org.uk) know if you might be able to help them out.

Peak Wesley Way Open Day

Thursday 6 March 2:00 am

Come and find out more about the Peak Wesley Way at Great Longstone Methodist Chapel, Station Road, Great Longstone, nr Bakewell, Derbyshire. DE45 1TS. Drop in any time between 2 and 6pm

Whirlow Spirituality Centre

There's a lot happening at Whirlow over the next few weeks! As well as Praying without Words and Contemplative Dialogue this week, you may be interested in seeing what else is coming up. You can find out more by visiting our What's On page

Seeing the World Aright – reflections in Lent

Our five sessions of reflection in Lent will use some of the writings of Thomas Traherne, the 17th Century Anglican clergyman, poet and mystic. A contemporary of John Donne and George Herbert, Traherne's writings remained relatively unknown until the 20th Century. We will be drawing on writings contained in the collection Centuries of Meditations, and handouts will be provided of all the material that we use.

Holy Week at Whirlow

Join us this Holy Week as we make the Journey of the Cross together. Throughout the week we will display prints of the paintings by the artist Sieger Köder (1925-2015), a German Roman Catholic priest who fought in the Second World War and brought his experience of Nazism and the holocaust into his artwork. You are welcome to spend time with the paintings throughout the week when the Chapel is free, and they will be the focus for a Stations of the Cross shared prayer walk on Good Friday from 12 noon until 1.30pm.
On Maundy Thursday evening you are invited to join us from 6pm as we share a simple meal (Agape), retell the story of the final night of Jesus' earthly life, reflect on its meaning for us today and finally join in a silent vigil as we watch and pray together. Numbers are limited for the meal, so please book promptly if you wish to attend.
On Easter Day we follow in the steps of Jesus' friends and disciples and gather early in our garden at 6am and light a new fire and first candle of Easter in celebration of the resurrection. In hope and joy we will then celebrate together with a reflective communion service. Following this we will share breakfast together.

District Office News

The District Office will be closed from Friday 28 Feb until Monday 10 March while Katrin takes some time off.

GDPR support

Katrin will be holding 3 Zoom sessions on Monday 24 February to give support and advice on GDPR and the annual checklist. This information has already been sent to those who completed the checklist last year, but is open to all. Please complete the booking form if you wish to attend one of these sessions by 12noon on Friday, so that the Zoom link can be sent out.
GDPR Support

Events

Bereavement Group – Peak Methodist Church at Calver

Peak Methodist Church at Calver are delighted to have received a New Beginnings Grant from the Sheffield District to start a new Bereavement Group at Calver Chapel, and are pleased to announce our first course.
Peak Methodist Church at Calver Chapel will be running The Bereavement Journey® programme starting on 24th February.
The Bereavement Journey® is a place to talk – 7 Sessions of films and discussion for anyone who has been bereaved, whether grieving a death now, or wanting to explore a previous bereavement that may be unresolved. This course is for bereaved adults to do their own grief work with the benefit of peer support.
The final, 7th session, provides a Christian perspective to commonly asked faith questions in bereavement. This is optional, making The Bereavement Journey suitable for anyone of any faith or none.
For more details and how to register for The Bereavement Journey at Calver Chapel please email bereavementgroup@peakmethodistcircuit.org or phone 01433 631376
Places are limited and are by advanced registration only.
A short promotional film can be viewed on Vimeo: Bereavement Journey Promo

Joined Up Conference

Saturday 1 March

This year will be our 10th Joined Up Conference and we're really looking forward to it – we've got some great workshops lined up, and our keynote and worship are being led by Nick and Becky Drake who are founders/authors of Worship for Everyone. The day is for anyone involved in serving children, youth, families or schools in any capacity and we'd love to see you there! For more details, or to book head to www.joinedupconference.com
Please note that bookings will close on 26 February!

Cliff College spring retreat

Saturday 1 March 10:00 am

The Cliff College site is an ideal space for a retreat – surrounded by God's creation and with a sense of peace and stillness. The upcoming day retreat on Saturday 1 March 2025, a few days before the beginning of Lent, is an opportunity to reflect on the past and to prepare for what the season of Easter might hold. The cost of £50 includes lunchtime and evening meals – book now on the Cliff College website at https://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/shop/courses/lent-retreat-2025.

Mental Health First Aid – Refresher

Thursday 28 March 2025 – 9:30 – 2:30

We believe that mental health should be treated equally to physical health. And just like physical first aid, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training should be kept up to date. The course is for anyone who participated in the MHFA Adult 2 day course within the last 3 years.
Usually the course costs £150, however if you are connected to the Methodist Church it's been subsidised to £40 (none refundable) Please don't let the cost deter you. If you need help paying for the course please contact us for more information.
Brec Seaton – seatonb@methodistchurch.org.uk
Carla Quenet – quenetc@methodistchurch.org.uk
To book: https://MHFArefresher270325.eventbrite.co.uk

Spring District Gathering

Saturday 5 April 2025 from 9:30am
Join us for a morning of learning, sharing and worship with a buffet lunch provided. It will provide an opportunity for you to renew existing connections across the District and to meet new people.
Our theme will be To Boldly Go... Faith Beyond Church. Most followers of Jesus spend the majority of their time engaged in activities beyond church: working, holding family responsibilities, pursuing hobbies, supporting charities and community groups, travelling, resting. What does our worship, teaching and collective endeavours say into faith beyond church? How do we better equip people to live out their discipleship and mission in their own unique contexts beyond church?
Within the District Gathering we will hold the life of Methodism across our district in prayer, renew our relationship with our wider Connexional church, and make any formal decisions required of us as a district – the work of the representative synod.
This event is free and open to all, but we do need to know who is coming, so please book in!
https://buytickets.at/sheffieldmethodistdistrict/1536842

Vacancies

Finance Manager

Cliff College

Cliff College are seeking to appoint a qualified an experience finance manager to support the Head of Finance and line manage the Finance Assistant.
Key responsibilities:- To support the Head of Finance to deliver the financial strategy required for the flourishing of the College.

• To manage accounting, monitoring, and reporting systems including the production of monthly management accounts, with comparison to budgets.
• To oversee the College payroll, PAYE and pension payments and compliance.
• To lead on annual external audits (both with the Methodist Church and External Auditors).
• To produce and submit quarterly VAT returns.
• To produce and submit annual Gift Aid returns.
• Line management responsibility for Finance Assistant

See the poster for details on how to apply.

And finally ...

A prayer for humility

What does the Lord require of us?
To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
What is love?
It looks like Jesus.
Lord, help us to be more patient and kind, remove jealousy, envy, anger and rage from us.

Let us not be boastful in ourselves and our possessions,but to give away freely what we have freely received.
Love is not self-seeking, but looks after the needy, poor, lonely, and the widows and orphans.
Love looks to forgive those who have hurt us and doesn't keep a record of wrongdoings.
God is love and God's love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.
God's love never ends.
Amen.
Karen Jennings, Area Support Chaplain, MHA