District News – 23 December 2025

This Week's News

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas from the District Team.

A reminder that the office will be closed until 2 January, although I will keep an eye on emails and respond if necessary before then.

Online Volunteer Training

Linking Lives UK offers an online session aimed at improving connection and reducing isolation in just two hours. The online “Good Conversations” course is for anyone wanting to improve their conversation skills, and particularly for all volunteers who help at community activities. Through enhanced listening, it’s possible to promote inclusion and increase the wellbeing of those you speak to. Find out more, including dates and booking, here:https://linkinglives.uk/what-we-do/good-conversations/
They also other useful resources : https://linkinglives.uk/churchleader/

Urban Theology Union

A Christmas Message from UTU

UTU sends you Christmas greetings with the hope that the Wise Counsellor and Prince of Peace will be with you this season as we work and pray for the realisation of God's Kingdom of justice and freedom from oppression for all people.
A heads up for our first Gospel Coffee of the New Year on Monday 12 January 2026
On Saturday 7 February 2026 at 2.00pm, we will next be together in person, as well as on Zoom, to launch Radical Disciple and celebrate the impact of John Vincent's teaching down the years
Best wishes from UTU and Melanie

Vacancies

Community Outreach Manager

Greenhill Methodist Church (School Lane, Sheffield S8 7RL) are seeking to appoint a full-time Community Outreach Manager to manage, enable and develop the current community outreach activities at the church, initiating new work when needed with the primary purpose of serving the local community and to fulfil the Church's objective to make disciples.

Contract type: Full-time, 3 year fixed term contract
Working hours: 37 hours per week.
Work pattern: A flexible working pattern, to include evening and weekend working.
Rate of pay: £29,100 per annum

Full details here: Community Outreach Manager

Finance and IT Manager

Unlock – resourcing
growth & discipleship for Urban Christians Location – Station Road, RotherhamSalary – £4,973 annually for part time post
Hours – 7 hours per week
Start date – 1st quarter of 2026
Responsibilities – To establish and maintain effective finance management systems with appropriate external support, to establish and maintain effective IT systems for a small office.
Details from: – Unlock,
15 Station Rd, Rotherham, S60 1HN / 01709
380 318 / office@unlock-urban.org.uk
Closing date: – 25 January 2026

And finally...

A hope filled Christmas prayer

The painting is called Dancing in the Dust by Revd Rachel Bending. It is inspired by the fierce, enduring love of mothers
in Gaza and in other war-torn parts of our world. Even amid devastation and dust, it speaks of tenderness, courage, and a HOPE that will not be silenced.

Tender God,
in the chaos and distractions of these days,
help us to lift our eyes
towards the hope coming into our world this week.

We remember a newborn….
vulnerable, fragile, and small,
yet carrying the hopes of us all.
Born into a world of beauty and brokenness,
with compassion that heals,
with justice that unsettles,
with love that resists all that diminishes life.

As we celebrate Christmas,
remind us that every birth holds possibility,
new life, new paths, new ways of being.
May this season loosen what has become fixed in us,
soften what has grown hard,
and open us again to hope.

Let our Christmas prayer be,
that hope might be born among us
not once, long ago,
but again and again,
in our lives,
in our communities,
and in a world longing for peace.
Amen.

Vicky Atkins – Sheffield District Chair