District News – 28 March 2023

This Week's News

How to be a Just Church in an Unjust World

Saturday 22 April 2023 starting at 9:30

Join us for a day 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. We will also be unveiling the "Justice Quilt".

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.

Revd Jill Marsh, Connexional Inclusive Church Implementation Officer, will lead us in looking at the question "What does it mean to be a Justice Seeking Church?". There will be several "How To .." groups that will offer practical suggestions and advice about how your church can be a church like that! These will include:

• Turn Vision into Action: Introducing Faith Rooted Organising – led by Deacon Kerry Scarlett, part of the Methodist Learning Network West Midlands team -
• Act Justly with Money – led by Rosie Venner, programme manager at the JustMoney Movement -
• Influence your MP – led by Roo Stewart, a member of the Joint Public Issues Team -
• Become a Church of Sanctuary – led by Revd Inderjit Bhogal -
• Become more accessible – led by Maria Brown and Beth Wright from Mencap -
• Hold an "Ask Me Anything" conversation – led by Revd Jill Marsh – How to create a safe space to hear from 'Experts By Experience'.

There will also be a Market Place where you can to explore other ways in which you can help to work towards a more just world and purchase resources, so don't forget to bring your purse/wallet!

Book now: https://230422-JustChurch.eventbrite.co.uk
Registration will close on Wednesday 12 April

Dual Transformation webinar

7pm Wednesday 19 April

Many of us, whether involved with new Christian communities or existing church, are looking with hopeful imagination to the future flourishing of the Methodist Church. We recognise that this means we need BOTH to encourage inherited churches to flourish all the more, AND also to create space and safe frameworks for pioneers to take risks and explore all kinds of new Christian communities. Dual Transformation helps us see that these are very different enterprises, each needing their own particular ecosystems. We invite you to a conversation, via this webinar, exploring these issues. Hosted by Eunice Attwood (Church at the Margins Officer) and Matt Finch (Pioneering and Church Planting Officer), this will be a conversation between Leslie Newton, Chair, Yorkshire North and East district and Stephen Lindridge, Chair, Newcastle upon Tyne district.

Book your place here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dual-transformation-webinar-tickets-558562634877

District Officers News

Movie Night – New Christian Communities

Grab your popcorn and join us on our Facebook and Youtube channels at5pm on Friday 31st March for the premier of New Christian Communities. This is the first in the series of three movies featuring Derbyshire North East, Peak and Sheffield Circuits sharing stories of new Christian communities.

• www.facebook.com/sheffieldmethodist
• www.youtube.com/sheffieldmethodistdistrict

Kings Coronation

The Kings Coronation in May will be an opportunity to celebrate and many community events will be taking place. Is your church planning an event or joining with others to mark the occasion? We'd like to hear what is happening in our District so we can share in the celebrations together.

Please email District Comms Officer Sam Roberts comms@sheffieldmethodist.org

SAVE THE DATE: Sheffield District Domestic Abuse training.

On Saturday 25th November 2023, we will be hosting a mornings training session, focusing on Domestic Abuse. We plan to start at 10am and finish by 1pm at the latest.

We will have a keynote speaker plus Karen Allen from the Connexional Safeguarding team will introduce the work carried out by the Methodist Church and the resources created for churches and circuits to use.

We plan on inviting a variety of national and local organisations who work to support people affected by Domestic Abuse and who will explain what there organisation can offer.

The training will be over Zoom, and we hope that as many people as possible will be able to attend.

The statistics surrounding Domestic Abuse are very concerning:

• The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated that 5.0% of adults (6.9% women and 3.0% men) aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022; this equates to an estimated 2.4 million adults (1.7 million women and 699,000 men).
• The National Domestic Abuse Helpline delivered 50,791 support sessions through phone call or live chat in the year ending March 2022

As church we need to be better informed so we can help people who experience Domestic Abuse – this training aims to do just 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.

Events

Voices from the Crowd -- Good Friday Meditations

Friday 7 April 12 at 12 noon

St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church, 31 Psalter Lane, S11 8YL
Our annual Good Friday Meditation service this year includes 'Voices from the Crowd' Meditations and music from local cellist Tom Pickles, including compositions by Bach, Britten and Tom himself.

Holy Week at Whirlow

This year, our inspiration will be drawn from paintings by Sieger Köder from the series Folly of God, depicting the traditional stations of the cross. The stations will be on display throughout the week.

Holy Week will begin with a Day of Retreat on the 3rd April

Evening Reflections will take place 4-7th April 7-7:45pm where a meditation on one or more of the stations will be offered each evening.

We will celebrate Easter Day with a sunrise service, gathering quietly on the front lawn at 6:15am. This shall then be followed by sharing breakfast together. There is no charge for this event, but it would help greatly with catering if you could book a free place via our website

Rural Ministry Course – 25-26th April at King's Park, Northampton.

Are you pondering the future of your local rural church? Struggling to lead through a season of great change?

Come and gather with other ecumenical rural leaders to explore what community, mission, evangelism & leadership can look like in rural contexts.
"Really helpful – practical, inspiring & encouraging!"- Oct 22 RMC participant.

We're currently offering a 50% bursary for lay or ordained Methodist participants, whilst funds last.

If further information would be useful, please contact Sarah Hulme, rural mission & ministry officer via hulmes@methodistchurch.org.uk

Positively Rural – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in a Rural Context

Wednesday 26 April at 1pm

God for All: Rural Churches for All.
How do rural churches engage with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work?

Rev Jill Marsh (Inclusive Church Officer for the Methodist Church) will be with us to think about these questions as we aim to reflect God's inclusive love for all people in our own local communities.
As usual, there will be space to discuss the issues raised in smaller groups.

Register here: https://PositivelyRural230426.eventbrite.co.uk
Bookings close 3 days beforehand

Positively Rural is an online community hosted by the Yorkshire Plus Learning Network, but open to anyone of any denomination involved in rural ministry, including volunteers, lay workers and clergy.

Job Vacancies

Centre Development Manager

High Street Centre, based at Rawmarsh Methodist Church

The High Street Centre, based at Rawmarsh Methodist Church, is looking to recruit a new Centre Development Manager to lead our successful staff team.

We have many ongoing exciting projects which enhance the lives of people of all ages in our local area.

If you would like to be part of a thriving organisation, we would love to read your application.

Further details are available from:- https://www.varotherham.org.uk/job/centre-development-manager
For an informal chat about the post, please contact Tracy Holmes on 07508 073991.
Closing date for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 11th April 2023.

Young People's Worker

Barnsley Circuit

This is an exciting role to help develop the children's and youth activities across the North West of Barnsley. With exciting activities already in place that are delivering real value, the circuit know that there is more that can be done. The successful applicant will be someone with the passion, enthusiasm and drive to make this happen.
Full details here: https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/recruitment/vacancies/young-peoples-worker.html
Closing Date: 20 April

Nurture & Pastoral Care Worker

Barnsley Circuit

The Circuit is seeking to appoint a part time worker to provide pastoral support and care alongside the minister in the North West Church. This worker will also play a key role in developing opportunities for nurture and discipleship within the church.
Full details here: https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/recruitment/vacancies/nurture-pastoral-care-worker.html
Closing date 13 April

Cliff College

This is an exciting time to be joining Cliff College as Vision 21, a strategy that takes the College on a journey to become a global centre of evangelism and missiology, is launched.

Commercial Sales Manager

The role will have responsibilities relating to our commercial strategy, commercial activities, initiating and bringing to fruition new onsite projects and maximising what we can do with our site.
Full details here: cliffcollege.ac.uk/news-events/hiring-commercial-manager
Closing date: 17 April 2023

Catering Manager

Cliff College, situated in Calver in the Hope Valley, is a a busy College with a 50 bed conference centre and student accommodation for 30 residential students. We operate a seven day a week operation, catering for a wide range of customers including students, staff, conferences and other guests on our 50 acre site. We also have a number of special events throughout the year including graduation, Christmas and Cliff Festival.
This post of Catering Manager is critical to the continued development of Cliff College's fast-paced and varied catering department that continues to strive for excellence.
Full details here: cliffcollege.ac.uk/news-events/hiring-catering-manager

Details of other vacancies including Chef and Kitchen assistant can be found here: https://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/about-cliff-college/work-with-us

Other News

52 ways to pray

Do you find prayer difficult, boring and frustrating? Or creative, life-giving and transformational?

A set of new Methodist prayer cards offers 52 different prompts for creative prayer; different ways that we can fulfil the Methodist Way of Life commitment to "pray daily" as far as we are able, with God's help.

The cards can be used by individuals or groups, at church events onsite and online, in homes, schools and care homes. Early feedback has included: "The teenagers liked them – thought the illustrations were cute/cool and it prompted some good discussion." "As the focus of a prayer station, at the online Circuit Day of Prayer, I got the following comments: 'Love the focus and simplicity of the cards'; 'Wonderful, keeping me focused'."

Available to download as a PowerPoint or PDF version for easy use in digital meetings and church services. Or, buy a print pack from Methodist Publishing.

and finally ...

God of life and love without limit

we pray for those who seek peace in a world beset by chaos,
overshadowed by destruction
but are met with ridicule and marginalised.

We remember

all whose love for you urges them to hear your word
to love their neighbours in the way that you love them;
those committed to campaigning for peace,
and those trying to get aid to starving people
with so little time and so much opposition.

May we in love be compelled to keep on praying, never losing heart or failing in our love.