District News – 24 October 2023

This Week's News

Correction – Christmas Praise in the City

This event will be taking place on Thursday 7 December, not 12 December as stated in last week's newsletter.

St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church Spire Restoration 2023

The work on the spire has now been completed and the scaffolding removed – it is now possible to see our beautiful shiny spire pointing the way to heaven for all Nether Edge and beyond!
We are so grateful to all who helped to make this such a successful project – the Spire Group for all their planning and for sourcing and applying to the funding bodies; the funding bodies who supported us so generously and the congregation and neighbours who made wonderfully generous donations; the architect and contractors who have done a great job and were very flexible in letting us have access to the church when we needed it. We have been very blessed!
Thank you and best wishes,
Clare Loughridge, on behalf of St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church

Eco Church Awards

Congratulations to Hathersage Methodist Church. Seems no time ago that we were congratulating them on their bronze Eco Church award and now they have been awarded Silver! They join St Andrew's Psalter Lane LEP (Sheffield) and Emmanuel (Barnsley). Are any other churches getting close to their first or next award?

Wanted – blue dinner plates and dishes

Seeking Johnson Brothers blue dinner plates and dishes.

Have you got any in your church cupboards that we could buy?

We have started a Greenhill MUNCH Club for a multigenerational community meal each week and are urgently trying to get more crockery to add to our existing set. Numbers attending are climbing by about 6-8 each week and we need more dinner plates and dishes to meet the demand. If you can help please contact Sue Stew on 07795244069 or email sue.stew@me.com. Please search your cupboards and help us feed our hungry people. (This is part of the warm spaces initiative) Hopefully and with thanks
Sue

Free defibrillator for your community

Applications for a free, BHF-funded defibrillator are now open. Applications will close on 15 March 2024.
All eligible UK-based community groups can apply. Each organisation can only apply for one award package.
A limited number of funded defibrillators are available. Applications will be reviewed monthly against a set of criteria so defibrillators can be awarded to communities that need them most.
Full details here: https://www.bhf.org.uk/.../apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-community

District Office News

District Safeguarding Update

Safeguarding Sunday – 19th November 2023

Taken from thirtyone:eight
When is it?
On Sunday 19 November 2023 churches will be marking Safeguarding Sunday together. But don't panic if you can't do this date. The more time you can dedicate to focus on safeguarding in a service, the greater the impact for your church, so if it has to be on a different day, that's okay too.
What is it all about?
Safeguarding Sunday is a safeguarding awareness raising campaign for churches run by the charity Thirtyone:eight. Each November, thousands of churches from diverse backgrounds and traditions across the UK come together to reflect on their own safeguarding journey, and to highlight and celebrate all the good work that is being done by so many behind the scenes to protect vulnerable people.
What will I get?
Our digital church resource pack will give you everything you need to plan and run your service, if you can give just a few minutes or can dedicate a whole Sunday morning, it all counts!
How do I take part?
Register your church using this form and get access to all our resources to help you plan and run your service.

Here's what churches said about Safeguarding Sunday 2022:

• "It was a powerful service and many people took part. It contributed and reinforced to the culture we want to create! We can't thank you enough."
• "It has sparked conversations and introduced safeguarding as a normal part of our church life and our Christian walk. So powerful!"
• "My safeguarding officer felt particularly affirmed, and it was probably the first time she'd been publicly prayed for in church like that."

As ever, if you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call on 07483 362 735 or email me at safeguarding@sheffieldmethodist.org
Many thanks
Alison Hill -District Safeguarding Officer.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

An early reminder that there will be a checklist to complete online next year to show that your church is complying with GDPR.
Last year there were quite a few churches who did not make the first deadline (31 May). To help churches prepare to this year's checklist, I have set up three drop-in Zoom sessions. They will be held as follows:

• Monday 13 November at 2pm
• Tuesday 14 November at 10:30am
• Wednesday 15 November at 7pm

It is the same Zoom link for all three, as I will be covering the same material each time.
https://zoom.us/j/98078068829?pwd=ZG9uUTZuWUdoeVFTMW1LMitlRk50QT09

If there is something specific you would like to know, please email me in advance with your questions.
Katrin Hackett – District Administrator and Data Champion

Events

BBC Radio 4 'Any Questions?' -Live broadcast

Join us on Friday 27th October 2023 at Victoria Hall, Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB.
We welcome Alex Forsyth hosts topical discussion in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of politics, media and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience.
Free tickets can be reserved at the link below;
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bbc-radio-4-any-questions-tickets-717951069977

Images of Holiness: A Workshop Exploring Icons – Whirlow Spirituality Centre

Wed 8 Nov 2023 9:30 AM

Led by Chris Ellis, this workshop will explore the theme of icons and holiness, with time for prayer and reflection.
The day will start with refreshments from 9:30, with a prompt 10am start, and will draw to a close at 4pm.
Participants are invited to bring their own packed lunch, though tea and coffee will be available throughout the day.
More details here! https://www.whirlowspiritualitycentre.org/whats-on/icons

New Christian communities gathering

12:30pm Saturday 11 November

An afternoon for anyone who is involved in leading (in any capacity), or preparing to lead, a new Christian community to spend quality time with others who are following similar callings in other places across or affiliated to Sheffield Methodist District.
We will be joined by Rev Anthony Clowes, Church Planting Officer for Manchester & Stockport District. Anthony will explore with us lessons from the Joshua Centre's starting of 30 new congregations within Liverpool's Church of England Diocese.
Lunch and hospitality provided by Gleadless Valley Methodists.
Contact Neil Harland mission@sheffieldmethodist.org for more details.
Please register so we know how many to cater for https://231111NCC.eventbrite.co.uk

Administrators/Office based workers Training Day

Thursday 16 November from 9:30am

UCAN not only encourage our local gatherings, but also organise training days and we have been able to arrange for one to take place in Sheffield. (This is replacing the previously advertised gathering on 14 November.)
Amplify Your Impact is a 3 session training day aimed at all those working in church administration and operations. Across the 3 sessions, we will be exploring how administrative functions can be aligned and optimised to have the greatest impact on our church's Wildly Important Goals.
The 3 sessions cover:
1. Amplify Your impact – individual impact
2. Amplify Our impact – team impact
3. Amplify The Impact – task impact

Come to talk about time management, implementation, evaluation, effective workflows, and cohesive team. How can we identify what is the best use of our time, and provide the most administrative value? How can we Amplify our Impact?
The cost is £44 for UCAN members and £59 for non-members.
Full details, including how to register, can be found here: https://ucan.churchsuite.com/events/agvekjr2

Lay Employees Retreat -- Yorkshire Plus and North East District

10-12 April 2024 -Wydale Hall, near Scarborough

The theme for this year's Lay Employees Retreat is "Hidden Treasures"
Finding and celebrating the hidden treasures and riches in ourselves and our surroundings. A range of sessions are planned to help rediscover a sense of hope about what lies ahead and find a renewed calling to see where God is at work in and with us.
Cost: £240 A subsidy of £120 may be available from your District towards this. If this has been confirmed, it will be automatically deducted from your invoice. A deposit is required to confirm your registration
Book early via EventBrite https://202404hiddentreasure.eventbrite.co.uk by 7 February.

Exploration days 2024

The Methodist Church are holding a few events for those wishing to explore a call to Ordained Ministry:

• Exploring Ordained Ministry | March 2024 – Click here to book
• Inhabiting Diaconal Ministry | March 2024 – Click here to book
• Exploring Ordained Ministry | June 2024 – Click here to book

Please pass these details on to those who might like to attend.

Cliff College

Courses starting in January 2024 at Cliff College

We might be into the final months of 2023, but it's not too late to apply for a January start at Cliff College! Our Growing in Leadership and Reading the Old Testament courses, available entirely online or with some on-campus teaching, start in mid-January and are designed to equip the whole church for mission and ministry in their own contexts.
Read more on the Cliff College website or get in touch with our team on enquiries@cliffcollege.ac.uk.

Seasonal retreats at Cliff College

Join Cliff College for guided day retreats, at the start of Advent and just before the beginning of Lent, to pray and reflect. Retreat spaces available on Saturday 9 December and Saturday 10 February: book now on the Cliff College website.

Supervision Training

the Learning Network has a selection of training events for reflective supervisors who have completed their initial training and need to accrue 40 hours of ongoing development before re-authorisation to supervise.
You can find them all on EventBrite here

And finally ...

Prayers on the worsening situation in Israel-Palestine

Loving God
I see the news and I am afraid.
Violence is spiralling out of control.
I don't know what to think or feel.
The temptation to fall into hatred, or despair feels very close at hand.

Help me to remember that nothing in all creation can separate me from your love that I know in Jesus.
May your perfect love for me cast out my fear and free me to discern what is mine to do amidst the chaos of this suffering world.
Amen

God of the poor, the widow and the orphan,
Why do we kill husbands and parents and hope?
God of life and love and longing
Why do we woo death, hatred and despair?
We are like lost children, who want our inheritance
At the expense of our relationships.
As you wait for us to come to our senses
Forgive us that we have squandered peace
Our own and yours, for the sake of our anger and greed.
Show us how to walk humbly, love mercy and
desire justice for all people
In all places and with all people cause our pride to step aside for the poorest, the most desolate and the displaced, because amongst them you are walking too.

Oh sacred head now wounded...
Today, as every day, you are wounded again by the sins of the world.
Today the wounded of Gaza cry to you and we lift our cries with them.
How long, we wonder, will it be until your promised reign of peace comes.
How long before the captives will be released.
O sacred head, when the wounds seem too hard to bear, too awful to see, teach us not to turn away but instead remind us that in you all trauma can find healing and long years of hatreds be transformed.
Oh, make us yours forever
And should we fainting be
Lord, let us never, never
Outlive our love for thee.
Amen