District News – 2 June 2026

Stories from across the District

Faith at Her Fingertips

A salon in Sheffield has become a place of both beauty and encouragement. At its centre is Hannah Caval, a talented nail technician and member of Greenhill Methodist Church, who has discovered an unexpected way to blend her profession with her passion for sharing the message of Jesus Christ.
Hannah’s clients come for immaculate manicures, creative designs, and expert care, but many leave with something far more lasting. Between selecting nail polish and cuticle oil, Hannah listens. She listens to stories of stress, heartbreak, hope, and celebration and when the moment feels right, she gently offers words inspired by her faith.
Read the full story here

A story to share from the Trinity Circuit

The Crossing Church received a New Beginnings grant towards the cost of setting up Family Events in the community. Deacon Emily Hoe-Crook shared the following encouraging story:
God brought along a young mum to the Sunday congregation with a calling ‘to serve’ in some way. Just two weeks later a young mum who was recently widowed came along and clicked with this lady – together they are helping to plan future events and how the worshipping church might help neuro-diverse teens in particular thrive in worship contexts.

Appeal for Laptops and Smartphones

Revd Jonathan Gichaara is again appealing for used Lap-tops and Smart phones for Students of his Village Kianjai, in Kenya.
Students from poor families in our village who qualify to go to the Universities and other tertiary institutions are terribly disadvantaged since they cannot access information on the Internet. Lap -Tops and Smart phones would greatly help them in their academic work.
Could those able and willing to donate such gadgets to please do so, either to the Doncaster Circuit office or to the District Office
Please make sure that the machines are cleaned of previous work and be ready for use by the next person.
He is returning to Kenya early July
Many thanks for those who have supported these efforts in the past.

District News

Office Closed

The District Office will be closed from Wednesday (tomorrow) to Friday while Katrin is at the Lay Employee Retreat. Emails will be checked, but she may not be able to respond until next week.
It will also be closed from Thursday 18 June to Monday 22 June, as she will be attending the Solas Festival (near Perth).

GDPR Checklist

Thank you to all the churches and circuits who have completed the checklist by the deadline of 31 May. I know some have been in touch to ask about an extension, and I will be in touch with all those churches to check on their progress.
I am aware that there has been some issues with the new version of the online form, which we will be feeding back to TMCP.

Host an Eclipse Party

£500 grants now available

There will be a solar eclipse across the UK on Wednesday 12 August, the last before 2090. Methodist churches are encouraged to use this as an opportunity to host eclipse parties – opportunities to invite local communities to come together for a once in a lifetime shared meaningful experience, during which we can gently and appropriately share something of the good news of Jesus.
Excellent comprehensive guidance on how to plan and organise an eclipse party – and details of a webinar briefing on 28 May – is available online at https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/evangelism-growth/practise-evangelism/day-of-outreach/
A simple application form for a £500 district grant is available here: Eclipse Grant Application

Regional Officer for Safeguarding Update:

District Safeguarding Review 2025-26

I can hardly believe it has been 12 months since our last District Safeguarding Review—yet here we are again.
Each June and July, I invite churches and circuits to take time to reflect on their safeguarding practice over the connexional year. I fully appreciate that this process requires commitment and effort; however, the benefits are significant. It supports Church Councils and Circuit Leadership Teams in fulfilling the requirement to “actively consider the extent to which they are succeeding in this area.” It also enables me to gain a clearer picture of what is working well and where challenges may lie, so that I can facilitate targeted support and guidance where it is most needed.
This year, I have made a few adjustments to the form—removing some questions and simplifying others. As they say, “every little helps,” and I hope these changes make the process more straightforward.
I have also introduced a new question relating to outreach work that may not sit neatly within traditional church activities. I have been truly encouraged by the variety of new and creative expressions of church taking place across the District. It is inspiring to see people exploring fresh ways to connect with their communities. These innovative approaches can sometimes require tailored safeguarding solutions, and I am very pleased to offer support in this area. By gathering some basic information about these projects, we hope to build a clearer picture of what is happening across the District.
To everyone involved in completing this year’s audit, I would like to extend my sincere thanks. Your time and effort are recognised and deeply appreciated. As always, this process is not about finding fault or assigning blame; rather, it is about working together to strengthen our safeguarding culture and ensure we are doing all we can to protect those in our care.
The audit will open on Tuesday 9th June and close on 31st July. It can be accessed via the Sheffield District website by clicking here.

As ever, if you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call on 07483 362 735 or email me at hilla@methodistchurch.org.uk
Many thanks
Alison Hill

Other News

Training on Record Management

The Methodist Church has arranged a short series of training sessions on managing Church records, organised by a working group of the Archives and Records Advisory Group (ARAG), and supported in part by a generous grant from the Susanna Wesley Foundation.
Our records are an irreplaceable asset which we need to manage effectively to comply with our legal responsibilities, as evidence of decisions taken, and to enable the Church to demonstrate title and ownership. Some of our records are also of historical value and interest and we need to ensure that we preserve these records for the future. This training is intended to support this work.
Who is the training for?
Anyone who has responsibility for church records, paid staff and volunteers, is welcome to attend, but the training is especially relevant to District and Circuit staff and administrators, and Archive Volunteers.
How many sessions are there and do I need to attend them all?
We are offering five sessions over a few weeks from late May to early July. The first two sessions will provide a general introduction to records management principles and practices including the challenges of managing records during periods of organisational change and re-structuring. These sessions will be followed by three sessions covering the management of digital records and emails. The sessions have been designed as a series, and we would encourage you to attend all sessions if possible. However, each session will cover a discrete topic, and you are welcome to choose as many or few sessions as you wish.
Earlier sessions have been recorded and will be made available on the Methodist Church Website.

• Session 3 Organising Digital Records – Thursday 4 June, 11.00 – 12.30
• Session 4 Storage and Security of Digital Records – Wednesday 17 June, 11.00 – 12.30
• Session 5 Managing Emails – Wednesday 8 July, 11.00 – 12.30

To book a place please email millardl@methodistchurch.org.uk specifying which sessions you would like to attend. A reminder of the date and time along with a Zoom link will be sent you in advance of each session.

Kingdom over Nation

We are pleased to share Kingdom Over Nation, a new ecumenical resource developed through Churches Together in England to help churches engage thoughtfully and prayerfully with the rise in Christian nationalism and the growing challenges surrounding identity, discipleship, and public life.
As leaders helping to foster unity and collaboration across churches and traditions on a national, county and local level, we believe this resource will help support important conversations within churches, leadership gatherings, local ecumenical partnerships, and wider community engagement.
Through eight Bible studies and theological reflections, the resource explores discernment, empire, ideology, justice, nationhood, and Christian witness in a divided age.

Download the resource here

Events

Need a laugh?

Friday 19 June at 7:30

Join SCCCC for an unforgettable Charity Comedy Night featuring some of Sheffield’s funniest local comedians and sponsored by Medequip.
We guarantee you will not be the last one laughing!
Hosted by Comedian Daniel Inniss
Expect:

• BIG laughs
• BIG personalities
• And an even BIGGER impact — all proceeds support our work helping older people in our community feel less isolated and more connected.

Come for the comedy, stay for the cause. Let’s raise funds and the roof — one punchline at a time!

Buy tickets here

Office workers' gathering

Tuesday 14 July

The next Gathering for all those involved in church administration will be held at Cemetery Road Baptist Church, Napier Road, Sheffield.
This is a great time to meet up with others in similar roles, to share experiences and good practice and to offer support and encouragement.
It is organised by the UCAN (UK Church Administrators Network), but is open to all.
To help with the catering, we do ask you book in so we know how many to expect:
Book here

Journey of a lifetime...

30 July – 1 August

Got any holiday plans? Come and join us at Bakewell Methodist Church for 3 days at our Intergenerational Holiday Club. Everyone is welcome, adults and children alike. There will be something for everyone. Join us for all or some of the days.
Contact Chloe Donoghue (07540 110 199 / email donoghuefamily45@gmail.com) – to find out more and book your place

Glimmers – ArtServe Festival 2026

23 – 25 October – Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes

Join us as we explore the ‘Glimmers’ in our lives: the small, often unexpected moments that bring us closer to God and closer to one another, that deepen our faith, and renew our strength for the next step on our journey. What are they? Where might we encounter them? And how can we respond in creative ways?

Explore the Festival theme with author and creative artist Wendy Usher.

Hone a skill or try something new in three creative workshops, including stained glass, dance, fabric postcards, photography, outdoor worship, creative writing, off-loom weaving, and music.

Join Maria the ‘flibbertigibbet nun-turned-governess’—and author Bryony Wood—for an evening of laughter, reflection and singing.

...plus worship, fellowship, good food, and much more!

A chance to meet up with other Christian creatives, to practise our creative skills and learn new ones, and to share our creative faith journeys together.
For full information and booking details visit: www.artserve.org.uk

And finally ...

When Wonders Become Prunes

For those of us who grew up in Britain from the 1960s through to the 1990s, Whitworths was one of the best-known names in dried fruit.
If your family baked Christmas cakes, fruit cakes, Christmas puddings or hot cross buns, there was a good chance a packet of Whitworths raisins, sultanas, currants or mixed fruit was lurking in the cupboard. Dried fruit wasn't an everyday thing in our house. It appeared on special occasions. It was tied up with celebrations, family gatherings, Easter, Christmas, weddings and all those moments that marked the seasons of life.
In my childhood, dried fruit was synonymous with fruit cake, hot cross buns, Christmas pudding, and, somehow, Jesus. It belonged to high days and holy days.
How things have changed.
I was shopping recently when I spotted a new Whitworths product. Instead of raisins for baking, it was a box of individually wrapped prunes called "1ders", as in "wonders". One a day. Good for your gut health. A nutritional rescue. Every packet counts as one of your five a day.
I stood there smiling.
Somewhere along the line we've moved from celebrating dried fruit for its taste and its place in our traditions to marketing it for its fibre content and digestive benefits. We don't save things for special occasions in quite the same way anymore. Everything is available all year round. Christmas cake in June? No problem. Hot cross buns in January? Why not?
And apparently, a prune is no longer a prune. It's a "1der".
Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against prunes. But if the marketing industry is using the language of wonder to sell dried fruit, perhaps those of us in the Church have a job on our hands. Maybe we need to reclaim the word.
Because wonder isn't really about clever branding.
Wonder is that moment when something ordinary suddenly becomes extraordinary.
Wonder is when we notice what we've stopped seeing.
Wonder is when we catch a glimpse of grace in the middle of an ordinary day.
So, here's my challenge for the week.
Please don't tell me about a packet of dried prunes.
Tell me about your wonder.
I'll start you off.
My wonder this week was looking out of the window and seeing a pigeon, a magpie and a robin sitting together on the fence, patiently waiting for Andrew to bring them breakfast. Their breakfast, as it happens, consisted of some dried fruit. Three very different birds, peacefully sharing the same space, trusting that food was on its way.
For a moment I stopped what I was doing and simply watched.
And I wondered.
What has been your wonder this week?
Prayer
God of wonder,
Open our eyes to the gifts hidden in ordinary days.
When life feels routine, help us notice the extraordinary.
When we rush past beauty, teach us to pause.
When the world encourages us to focus on what is lacking, help us speak instead of abundance.
Give us hearts that choose joy rather than fear,
hope rather than despair,
gratitude rather than complaint,
and curiosity rather than cynicism.
Help us to become people of wonder
people who notice the robin on the fence,
the kindness of a stranger,
the laughter of a child,
the changing colours of the sky,
and the countless signs of your presence woven through daily life.
In a world that can market a prune as a wonder,
help us reclaim that word for something deeper.
Remind us that wonder is not found in advertising slogans or clever packaging,
but in the gift of life itself
in love shared,
in creation enjoyed,
in communities nurtured,
and in the privilege of walking with you.
May we not settle for a one-a-day wonder,
but discover the wonder of every day.
And when others speak of scarcity, may we speak of abundance.
When others spread fear, may we share hope.
When others expect the worst, may we point towards grace.
For you are the God who fills the world with wonder,
and invites us to see it.
Amen.
Vicky Atkins – Sheffield District Chair