District News – 2 July 2024

This Week's News

Action for Children Caregivers Award

Congratulations for Angela and Nick Waterfield from Sheffield Circuit after they received the Inspirational Caregivers Awards from Action for Children for their hard work and dedication to fostering children for the last 18 years. You can read more about their story here.
https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/news/news-stories/action-for-children-carergivers-award.html

Sad News

Harry Matthews

Harry Matthews, a Local Preacher in the Rotherham and Dearne Valley Circuit and member of Clifton Methodist Church, died on Monday 24th June peacefully in hospital. He was 95 and had become increasingly frail.
He was a much loved local preacher, I am not sure how long for but he started preaching as a teenager. He only stopped preaching a few years ago, though his last stand at the lectern was this last Christmas (Clifton Carol service will not be the same without him). We filled Clifton only a couple of months ago to celebrate his 95th birthday just with members of Clifton and family.
Consequently the decision of the family has been to hold the funeral thanksgiving service at Broom Methodist church. The details of the funeral service are as follows. Wednesday 10 July from 11am at Rotherham Crematorium, Ridgeway, S65 3NN, followed by thanksgiving service at Broom Methodist Church, Stag Lane, S60 3NR, with an open invitation to remain after the service to share memories and refreshments at Church. Broom has a large car park and is big enough to welcome all.

Revd William (Bill) Davies

Following on from last week's sad news about the death of Revd William Davies.
The funeral will take place on the 19th July across the Pennines where their bungalow is, where Bill lived before they married and lived between their homes. It will be family only at Carlton Crematorium at 10.30. This will be followed with a service at Thornton Methodist Church at 11.30.

Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy

2024 Agricultural Shows

The Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy will have a presence at several shows this summer including Ashbourne Show, Hope Show and Brailsford Ploughing Match. For the full list of shows we'll be attending, along with dates and venues, please see the poster. Please do feel free to call in and say hello at a show over the summer – we would love to see you.

July Monthly Service at Bakewell

Our next monthly service at Bakewell Livestock Market will take place on Monday 1st July starting at 10.00am and everyone is welcome to attend.

Methodist Ministers' Housing Society (MMHS)

MMHS have a pod-cast! The latest edition includes an interview with Revd John Simms, a supernumerary minister in the Sheffield Circuit.
You can listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/mmhs75/rnr-spring-summer-2024-podcast

Broomhill Methodist Centre are looking for volunteers.

Can you spare 2 hours per week, or 4 hours per month?
We are currently running a weekly playgroup on a Wednesday morning and are looking to recruit Community Engagement Volunteers who will support the playgroup through providing hospitality and helping setup.
We also run a monthly family community day, 'Mini Broomhill' where we are looking for kitchen volunteers to help prepare the food and wash up afterwards!
Full training is provided, and we will pay reasonable expenses.
To find out more about either volunteer opportunity, please contact Rose at rose@broomhillmethodist.org

Coat of Hopes

Coat of Hopes is a precious patchwork garment on a long term pilgrimage through the UK, made by, and worn and walked by more than 2000 people, for a distance of over 1000 miles, carrying their hopes in the face of climate and ecological breakdown. The pilgrims are staying overnight in Chapeltown church on Monday 8th July, and they will host an event at 7pm that evening to talk through the story of the Coat of Hopes. All welcome to attend.
It will then move onto the city centre it will be on display at 35 Chapel Walk and in the Sheffield Cathedral, as well as going on visits to other churches in Sheffield and also out to the Peak District.
More information will follow!

District Office News

Copyright Images

In a digital world it's very easy to find images/photos at the click of button, however we need to be aware of copyright before we use them.
The legislation is lengthy to read however, to look at it in the simplest way, any photograph belongs to the person who took it and it's up to them if they are happy for anyone else to use. Sometimes an image will state taken by ........ and you will often see the copyright symbol or a watermark and that proves they are the owner; therefore, the image can't be seen as anyone else's.
Before using an image, you must take steps to ask the owner if they are happy for you to use it in your context. If you are unable to do this, then there are various places you can find copyright free images you can use. It is good practice to note the author and where you took the image from ie image by Joe Blogs from Pixabay. This information is provided when you download the image.
https://pixabay.com/
https://unsplash.com/
There also sites where you can pay for images such as www.shutterstock.com, however the free options are just as good.

Copyright also applies to music. You can find copyright free music here:
https://pixabay.com/
There is also an audio library in the Youtube studio.

If you are using Canva to create images or video's it states on the website "Canva gives you non-exclusive licences to use stock content in your designs, (including photos, graphics, videos, fonts, and music) for a range of permitted uses"

You can read more about it here https://www.canva.com/en_gb/help/copyright-design-ownership/

Managing Trustees can sometimes receive quite threatening emails claiming a copyright strike, these are "Copyright Trolling" emails and are design to intimidate and to obtain financial gain. If you receive such an email, please do not reply, do not click on any link and forward it to Sam Roberts, District Communications Officer at comms@sheffieldmethodist.org for further advice.

If you are concerned you have used a copyrighted image without permission please remove it and contact Sam Roberts, District Communications Officer at comms@sheffieldmethodist.org for further advice.

Useful resources
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws

You can read this article on the district website, please use it as reference.
https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/news/news-stories/copyright-images.html

Events

Mwib District Day

Friday July 5th 10.30 for 11am

At Woodseats Methodist Church. S8 OGR
Rev Vanessa Hollingworth will be speaking about
Women in the shadows
Drinks will be provided, please bring your own Lunch
Do come and join us all are welcome

50th anniversary of MAYC Orchestra and Singers & OneSound

Saturday 6 July at 6:30pm – Coventry Central Hall

Come and celebrate the 50th anniversary of MAYC Orchestra and Singers & OneSound – maybe even don the green and yellow one more time
Past conductors, Craig McLeish (Musical Director of Young Voices since 2000) Paul Leddington Wright, and our very own Matt Beckingham will be leading over 100 ex-members in an evening of music from across the 50 year of O&S. It's sure to be an evening full of memories.
Tickets available here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/sbkSecHEwZXQ

Christian Aid Night Hike

6 July – 7:30pm

The Sheffield Night Hike is back and promises to be a joyous occasion to come together and enjoy the beauty of creation whilst also supporting life-changing projects across the world. It's a 9 mile walk and people of varying abilities can take on the challenge. It may be of particular interest to youth groups who would relish the excitement of walking in the dark! (please note it is a guidedwalk, not marshalled) but it is open to any age.
For full details and registration please go to the website https://sheffieldnighthike.org.uk/

Praying With The Natural World:

Whirlow Spirituality Centre Autumn Retreat

6-8th September 2024 | Parcevall Hall Retreat Centre | £230

During our time together we will use the natural environment for inspiration and prompts for reflection. We will be in silence from the Friday evening until Sunday lunchtime and there will be shared worship and led reflections. This is a retreat for those comfortable with collective and individual silence and wishing to undertake inner exploration.
Full details here: https://www.whirlowspiritualitycentre.org/whats-on/autumn-retreat2024

Vacancies

Christian Youth Worker

at Hillsborough Trinity, Wesley Hall and Wisewood Methodist Churches

Hillsborough Trinity Methodist Church, Wisewood Methodist Church and Wesley Hall Methodist Church all have some level of youth work already in place. Some of this work engages with church families, but the majority is with those from outside our worshipping communities. Recognising the positive impact that youth work with a Christian ethos can have on young people, the churches are looking to resource and expand this area of their mission by appointing a paid youth worker.

As our youth worker you will:

• Bring expertise to the churches as we develop our youth programmes and team
• Lead and organise a programme of activities including community-building, faith-sharing and Christian nurture
• Walk alongside young people journeying from attendance at church-run events into discipleship
• Work in partnership with the minister and local congregations

Full time: 37 hours per week (fixed term contract for 3 years)
Salary: Up to £27,500 per annum at £14.31 per hour

Applications by 12noon on Friday 16th August with interviews on Monday 2nd or Tuesday 3rd September (subject to candidate availability) and a start date to be agreed with the successful candidate.

For information and applications, please contact Matt Irons 07582 855 409 or matt.irons@wesleyhall.org.uk.
In accordance with the Equality Act 2010 it is an occupational requirement that the successful applicant is a Christian.

And finally ...

A Prayer for the Marginalised

O God we come to you
God of the displaced, who created space for all,
God of the refugee, who carved a place for all,
God of the poverty-stricken strangled by the cost of living,
God of the marginalised and the ignored,
You are God of the moon and the sun,
the stars and all of creation.
We come to you.

When our world loses meaning, O God we come to you.
When our faith becomes institutionalised and we lose our direction, O God we come to you.
When our service through the Church is repetitive and draining, O God we come to depend on you.

When our hope is stifled by our fear of the world's wars and greed, O God we come and we trust you.
When our vision becomes blurred by the tears of pain, anxiety, lack and loss, Lord God we come to you.

Turn our eyes to see in your ways.
Open our ears to hear your understanding of life.
Breathe your hopefulness into our hearts, so that our hands and feet and heads may think and act only for you, as you help us to come to you.
Amen.

Jongikaya Zihle, District Chair, London District