District News – 6 August 2024

This Week's News

Responding to violent disorder

The President of the Methodist Conference, the Revd Helen Cameron, and Vice-President, Carolyn Godfrey, have released the following statement and prayer as a response to the violent disorder that has taken place over recent days.
The Methodist Church celebrates diversity as a gift from God. Every day we work through churches, schools and community projects to build relationships of respect, care and love in communities across Britain. Watching the news from towns and cities across our nations, where people motivated by hate have caused harm and fear, has been shocking and distressing. The Methodist Church deplores the use of violence and intimidation against displaced, marginalised and vulnerable people. We are appalled that the tragic killing of three young children and the injuring of others has been used as an excuse for riots and disturbances. Honesty and trust are at the heart of the Christian life and the abuse of social media in spreading lies to stir up anger and hate is despicable.
Those with hate in their hearts will never have the last word. As communities reel from unrest and disorder, Methodists will continue to work with our ecumenical and interfaith partners, as we join in clearing up, restoring trust and building communities of love, in which people can live in peace.

A Message from City of Sanctuary, Sheffield

We are horrified at the far-right violence that has been seen across the UK in the last week, especially the targeting of a hotel in Rotherham that was housing people seeking asylum on Sunday.
We stand in steadfast solidarity with everyone affected by these ongoing attacks, many of whom came to the UK seeking sanctuary, having already fled violence and persecution.
We are here and are working alongside our community to stand against such hatred, to keep people safe, and to support those at risk.
We are also coordinating a broader community response to the recent attacks, working together to ensure that Sheffield is a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
However, this is not ours to deal with alone. This should be a wake-up call for our political leaders to prioritise communities and fix the violent, dehumanising rhetoric of the previous government and parts of our media.
The events of this week do not reflect the majority of our country. We are welcoming, we offer safety to all those who need it, and we stand together in solidarity, hopeful for a better future.

Message from Revd Inderjit Bhogal

I am deeply troubled by the street violence in cities around England. Nothing can justify the murder of children anywhere. It is an awful crime and there is due legal process to deal with crime.
Provocation and promotion of street violence, which includes the participation of young children in such violence, is a gross violation of hurt and grief. Hatred of those who are different, and violence directed at those who stand with minorities is a gross injustice. There is no need to behave in this way.
Conducting violence draped in Union Jack flags mocks values of human dignity and decency. The use of social media to organise such violence and violation shows that this behaviour is coordinated and targets people who are vulnerable to such tactics.
The root causes, not least misinformation about mythologies about minorities, especially refugees, require attention. This cannot be seen as a policing matter only. It calls for all communities to come together building ways ahead that are based on humanity and hospitality, challenging hatred and hostility, as the basis of hope and healing. We can do this.
Inderjit Bhogal
Past President of the Methodist Conference and founder of City of Sanctuary

Vigil at Rotherham Minster

Rotherham Minster will be holding a prayer peace vigil on Wednesday 7th August at 7pm, hosted by United Churches Together. Whether you are attending this event or others like it, please continue to hold the victims of these attacks inyourprayers.

Coat of Hopes – changes to schedule

The Coat of Hopes was going to be walked to Rotherham on Thursday, as the start of the 13th leg of its journey around the country. Unfortunately, the team leader has come down with Covid, so they have had to postpone this leg. This means that the planned event at 9:45 on Thursday morning will not now be taking place.
However, we will still be taking the Coat to Rotherham Minister – travelling by tram at 11am. The Coat will stay there for the next few days before being taken to Winterton for the next stage of its journey. If you want to join us, we will be assembling at Victoria Hall at about 10:45am.
It has been such a blessing to be part of the hosting of the Coat for this last month. When Barbara Keal first had the vision of the Coat, she wrote "I want to make you a coat so you can wear the promise the we all belong together". I am sure that all who have worn or walked with it would agree that this is what she has enable to be created!

Cliff College Festival – 23-26 May 2025

'It was a great opportunity to relax and recharge, and to make connections with other Christians. And the kids loved their programmes in Awesome and Little Awesome!'Cliff Festival 2024 attendee
Cliff Festival is full of Spirit-filled worship, inspiring Bible teaching and activities for people and families of all ages. Cliff Festival 2025 will run from 23-26 May at Cliff College in Derbyshire and will explore the theme 'Holiness Calling', with Bible studies led by Dr Ben Pugh. Weekend passes start from £40 and under-18s get free entry for the whole weekend. Visit https://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/cliff-festival to learn more and book your tickets now.

Working out Worship – WoW!

For four weeks, from Mon 21st Oct – 11th Nov the Learning Network will be hosting a weekly online evening session, 7pm – 9pm aimed at helping people facilitate worship in their local contexts.

• 21st Oct – Local Arrangement 1
• 28th Oct – Local Arrangements 2
• 4th Nov – Creative Worship
• 11th Nov – Intergenerational Worship

These sessions are aimed at anyone who currently leads worship, or would be interested in giving it a go, for youth workers, stewards, Local Preachers, Sunday school leaders, ministers, Worship Leaders or anyone else!
Register here: Working out Worship Registration, Mon 21 Oct 2024 at 19:00

Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy

August Prayer Update

Please find our August Prayer Update, written by agricultural chaplain Alison Fletcher, here: August Prayer Update
Feel free to share it amongst anyone you know to whom it might be of interest or help.

Summer Shows

The DRC will be at Ashbourne Show on 17th August and Hope Show on 26th August. Please do come along and say hello if you can. We also have further shows booked in September and October – see the poster for more details

Whirlow Spirituality Centre

'Entering the Round Zion of the Water Bead'
5th October 2024| 9:30-4pm | £20 | Whirlow Spirituality Centre
A day of poetic exploration with Adrian Scott exploring the spiritual and lyrical vision of the poet Dylan Thomas. As the year moves towards its ending, we will do what Dylan did in his famous Poem in October and take stock: to look back down the paths of our past and appreciate who we have become in the present and how we can move into the future with honesty and appreciation.
Full details here: https://www.whirlowspiritualitycentre.org/whats-on/dylan-thomas

Attention all Fairtrade churches!

Fairtrade Fortnight has changed and will take place from Monday 9 September – Sunday 22 September 2024.
This year, the Fairtrade foundation is launching their 'Be The Change' challenge to newly elected MPs. They invite supporters to not only encourage people choose Fairtrade products, but also to ask their MP to step up and stand with Fairtrade farmers and lead the way in building a fairer future.
Check out the Fairtrade Fortnight 2024 digital campaign pack for tools to support you in getting involved, and click on the link below for all the details of this year's Fairtrade festivities!
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight/

Events

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

UCAN – Online Training Days

UCAN (UK Church Administrators Network) run training sessions. I attended the Amplify session last year and found it extremely helpful. They are now offering the same course online!
Hosted over 2 consecutive mornings from 09:30-12:30, Amplify Your Impact is aimed at all those working in church administration and operations. Across the 2 mornings, we will be exploring how administrative functions can be aligned and optimised to have the greatest impact on our church's Wildly Important Goals.
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 day will be packed full of shared wisdom, practical tools, and know-how.
Online Area Training Day: 9 & 10 October 2024 : https://ucan.churchsuite.com/events/rqirf20n
Online Area Training Day: 24 & 25 October 2024 : https://ucan.churchsuite.com/events/zx1yocgk

UTU's AGM

16 November 2024, 2pm

Lower Hall, Victoria Hall, Sheffield S1 2JB or on Zoom
Speaker: Revd Dr Alex Clare-Young
Alex Clare-Young is a minister in the United Reformed Church, an activist, academic, writer and creative. Alex ministers amongst those on the edge who are asking questions about faith, about social justice, and about human identity to re-form the body in ways which are authentic, challenging and relevant. As a trans person, Alex is particularly interested in theologising around gender and identity more broadly. They also write about trauma, post-Christianity, and disability. Their most recent book, trans formations, was published by SCM press in May 2024. Alex is a patron of the Open Table Network.
Alex will speak about the cross-ways between deconstruction and construction in dialogue with the trans theologies shared in their recent book, trans formations.
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334066002/trans-formations

Vacancies

Local Lay Pastor

Doncaster Methodist Circuit seek to appoint a full-time Local Lay-Pastor via a 3-year fixed term contract.

The Circuit is going through a time of exciting change and forward thinking; the successful candidate would play a key part within this momentum.
We are seeking a candidate with proven pastoral and interpersonal gifts; a sensitivity to the needs of the members within the Churches served and the willingness to be a team player.
The successful candidate would work closely with two presbyters and another Lay Pastor as part of a growing 'Team Ministry' approach, but will work with five Churches in the North East section of the Circuit.
We encourage enquiries and conversations about the post to the Rev John Henry (saintjohnuk2001@yahoo.co.uk)
A role description can be found here: Lay Pastor Doncaster
Closing date: 12th August 2024.
Interview date::20th August 2024.

And finally ...

A Prayer following the recent unrest

God of love,
We pray for your Spirit of peace to move in our communities,
that those who are targets of hate might be safe
and that people of good will might work together in love and respect.

We pray for your Spirit of healing,
that those who grieve, might be comforted
and those who are injured might be made well.

We pray for your Spirit of hope,
that those who despair might see a way ahead
and those who live in fear might find sanctuary and freedom.

Soften the hearts of those motivated by hate
and help us all to love our neighbours as those made in your image.
In Christ's name.
Amen