District News – 7 March 2023

This Week's News

Faith Journey

Revd. Michelle Deans from Sheffield Methodist Circuit shared her faith journey on BBC Radio Sheffield. You can listen again to her personal story of being introduced to Jesus. She talks about having a challenging childhood and also about a heartbreaking time as an adult, but it was a chance meeting at a baby and toddler group that really started her journey of discovery and ultimately finding Jesus. Fast forward to 1:38:00 to hear her speak: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f31ypr

Walking into Lent

Revd Paul King (Supernumerary Minister in the Derbyshire North East Circuit) writes:
Our 'walking into Lent' began with an actual walk.
Some of us have known a large number of Ash Wednesdays. They may have been marked by a simple service, with or without communion and with or without a form of 'ashing'. For my money, that seems to be a rather obtrusive form of saying sorry if you go out in the street with a grey smudge on your forehead....

This year, in Chesterfield, we inaugurated instead a significant 'escorted walk'. In the last year a sizeable company of people have been engaged in creating a significant memorial to the 106 men and boys who lost their lives in 3 disasters at the Markham Colliery.

After 10 years of thinking and talking and fundraising, a visible memorial has been created called 'Walking Men'. It stretches from the Environment Centre in Markham Lane, up the slope to Robertson Close, Duckmanton, crossing two roads and going through a tunnel under the M1, all within shouting distance of the 29A junction on the M1.
Half the figures are grey, representing men walking to work before a shift and half black, representing them walking back home after work.. Attached are metal tokens, with names on them of the 106 men.

Our party of about 30 people in the morning of Ash Wednesday were escorted by 2 ladies from the volunteer group, who had shared in research of the victims and their families (in some cases, their relatives). Another smaller group did the walk in the afternoon, without very much commentary.

In this way we 'Walked into Lent' and keyed ourselves into local emotions and suffering. A Lent course entitled 'The Crucifixion and other Excruciations' now follows.

Holy Week Day of Retreat -Whirlow Spirituality Centre

3rd April 10-am-4pm £20

Days of Retreat are specifically designed and facilitated to offer maximum quiet and solitude in the special setting of Whirlow Spirituality Centre. Honouring your quiet, we keep the space and time as quiet as possible, restricting numbers to 10 participants.

Joy Adams, our Chaplain will offer a brief introduction to the Stations of the Cross, providing some written meditations. Then, apart from brief optional midday prayers, the time is yours to spend as you feel drawn. Optional closing prayers at 3.45pm. Drinks provided, please bring your own lunch.

Greenville University Choir Concert at Cliff College

Tuesday 14 March – 11:15am

You and your friends are invited to a free concert where the Greenville University Choir will be performing choral pieces for us in our college chapel.
Greenville is a Wesleyan University in Illinois.

The concert will take place in the Cliff College Chapel on Tuesday 14th March at 11:15am and will last for one hour.

Everyone is welcome to join us for coffee and cake in Chadwick's before the concert (from 10:30am onwards).

Godly Play Resource Centre

St Columba Church, Crosspool, Sheffield hasa beautiful Godly Play Stage full of resources that you can borrow.
Opening times: Mondays from 11 am – 1pm / Fridays from 1am to 12 noon.
If you would like more information or like to know more about Godly Play, please contact Tara on 07852 697815 or email tara.osborne@stcolumbacrosspool.org.uk

District Safeguarding Update

LGBT+ Safeguarding Webinar Recording, resources and contacts

A zoom webinar was organised on the topic of 'Safeguarding people that are LGBT+ in the Methodist Church' on 24 January 2023. In this webinar, on 24 January 2023, we explored how we in the Methodist Church can safely welcome people who identify as LGBT+ into our church communities.

We looked closely at the decisions arising from the God In Love Unites Us report and the statement from the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church that: "Within the Methodist Church ... marriage is understood in two ways: that marriage can only be between a man and a woman; that marriage can be between any two people. The Methodist Church affirms both understandings and makes provision in its Standing Orders for them"

Over 300 people attended and you can read more and watch the recording on our website at https://www.methodist.org.uk/safeguarding/webinars/lgbtplus-safeguarding-webinar-24-january-2023
On the same page, you will also find a link to resources and contacts for safeguarding people who are LGBT+ in the Methodist Church:

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

Church at the Margins Community of Practice

Tuesday 14 March from 7:30pm via Zoom.

The Church at the Margins Community of Practice (CaM COP) is aimed at individuals ministering alongside financially marginalised people.
It meets four times each year and seeks to be a safe space to share joys, concerns and learning. It is a place to consider and promote good practice and provide opportunity to raise awareness and conversation around pertinent issues.
Next meeting on Tuesday 14 March from 7:30pm via Zoom. It will be looking at "Sharing food justly".
Book your place via EventBrite: https://230314CoMCoP.eventbrite.co.uk

District Youth Day

Saturday 25 March

Join us on Saturday 25th March 2023 at Hesley Woods for a fun day of workshops, worship and on-site activities. This event is for anyone aged 8 -18, but they must attend with Youth Leader/Minister.
Full details including how to book here! https://230325-youthday.eventbrite.co.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.

Regional Retreat for ministers and lay employees

9-11 May 2023.

The next Regional Retreat for presbyters, deacons and lay employees is at Wydale Hall in North Yorkshire from 9-11 May 2023. You will see from the flyer that there will be opportunity for reflective walks, long and short, led and self-directed, in the beautiful grounds of Wydale Hall and the surrounding countryside. Why not start the year by booking yourself into what promises to be an enriching time of refreshment and renewal!?
Full details including how to book your place here: https://YP-230509-retreat.eventbrite.co.uk

Cliff Festival

Cliff Festival 2023 runs from 26-29 Mayat Cliff College in Derbyshire. Expect morning and evening worship and Bible teaching, seminars, games and activities for people of all ages, opportunities to be reenergised and resourced for mission – and all in the stunning surrounds of the Peak District. Come for the day or bring your tent and come for the weekend. Weekend tickets start from £42 – and, did we mention, entry is free for under-18s? Come and encounter the Spirit of God at Cliff Festival – visit www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/cliff-festival to find out more and book now.

Lay Employees Retreat

5-7 June 2023 at Wydale Hall

Lost, Found, Reclaimed
Over time things change – but is that always for good?

Lost, Found, Reclaimed takes as its starting point "The Lost Words" book, written as a response to the removal of everyday nature words – among them "acorn", "bluebell", "kingfisher" and "wren" – from a widely used children's dictionary, because those words were not being used enough by children to merit inclusion.
In this retreat we will be exploring some of the things that have been lost; what might we want to reclaim or rediscover; but also what new things have we found that aid our work.

Register link: https://20230605LayRetreat.eventbrite.co.uk before 3 April (places are limited)

Other News

Five Golden Rules of being a Trustee

The Legal & Constitutional Practice Team have asked TMCP to help publicise their new resource for Managing Trustees: "The Five Golden Rules of being a Trustee".

This new guidance will be essential reading for all members of Local Church Councils, Circuit Meetings, and any of the other Methodist bodies of Managing Trustees. It reminds us that if you are a member of any of these bodies then you are a charity trustee and are obliged to follow the duties placed on you under charity law. The guidance is a helpful reference tool summarising what it means to be a Methodist charity trustee and encapsulates the duties placed on you in five golden rules. The document also contains practical guidance on how to follow these rules in your day-to-day life as a Methodist charity trustee, gives information on trustee liability and provides links to further help and assistance from the Charity Commission.

In essence the resource reminds us that charity trustees must always act:

• In the best interests of the charity
• In accordance with the law and the charity's governing documents
• With reasonable skill and care
• Prudently and responsibly; and
• Collectively

The five golden rules can be downloaded from the Methodist Church Website and used as a handout: ( The Five Golden Rules of being a Trustee PDF ).

Please also refer to the additional resources available to assist Methodist Managing Trustees on the " Managing Trustees " resources page of the Methodist Church Website.

Global Relationships

Caring for people around us, globally

The Methodist Way of Life commitment for Care includes that We care for ourselves and those around us.
And as we are part of a global Methodist community this particular commitment allows us to think about caring for people around us, globally.

This newsletter highlights all the ways in which our global Partners are building God's kingdom and how we are supporting people, globally, in their mission and ministry to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ.