District Newsletter – 12 August 2025

This Week's News

Welcomes

We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new District Chair, Revd Vicky Atkins in a service on 31 August at Central Methodist Church, Chesterfield. There will also be services of welcome in Barnsley Circuit for their new ministers, Revd Andrew Atkins and Deacon Mark Attwood; in the Peak Circuit to welcome their new Superintendent, Revd Tim Morris; and in Derbyshire North East to welcome Revd Mark Carrick as he takes on the role of Superintendent there. We are also welcoming Revd Jo Rand who will be studying at Cliff College and Revd Graham Edwards, a new tutor there.
May they all know God's blessing as they move into these new phases of work.

Final Service

Renishaw Methodist Church will be holding a Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the life and work of all who have been involved there over the years, as the congregation have taken the difficult decision to cease to meet.
All are welcome to attend on Sunday 24 August at 3pm.

All We Can Harvest Service

We'd love to welcome you to our Harvest festival service, where we'll be celebrating this season of harvest, solidarity, and sustainable change. We'll be joined by the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, Revd Richard Andrew and Matthew Forsyth. The evening promises to be one of worship, challenge and encouragement as we journey together in God's mission.

The service will be taking place in Notting Hill Methodist Church, London (W11 4AH) on Monday 8 September 2025 and all are welcome! If you'd like to attend, please help us keep track of numbers by filling in the form on our website to let us know you're coming.
If you can't join us in person, then why not join us online? We'll be live streaming the event, and you can follow along at this link. Please do put a reminder on to receive a notification that we've gone live.

AI and the environmental impact

Artificial Intelligence might feel invisible, but it has a real environmental footprint. In the UK, the growing demand for AI data centres is putting significant pressure on local resources, especially water and energy, while globally, the impact is even greater.
As we embrace powerful new technologies, we must ask: 'Who pays the price, and can we afford it?'
Join us on 27 August from 12 noon to 1.00pm. Bring your lunch, your questions and join the conversation!
Book your place here

Whirlow Spirituality Centre

August is a quiet month at the Centre in terms of events and bookings, and this allows staff to take some holiday. You may find that staff take longer to respond to queries or aren't in when you expect them to be. We are very grateful to the volunteers who continue to look after the Centre throughout this month, whether by gardening, cleaning or maintenance. There is a lot of this going on at the moment, and it's much appreciated.
Space to Be, a time of silent meditation in the Chapel, happens every Sunday morning throughout the year from 8.30-9.15am, followed by a hot drink and fellowship for those who wish to stay.
There are still a few places available on our next Simple Quiet Day on 19th August. If you're interested do go to the website here to find out more and book a place.
A series of linked sessions – Calling a Wounded Earth Home – begins on 17th September. This draws on resources developed by the Green Christian movement and aims to help us navigate our complex emotional responses to climate and nature emergencies through a Christian lens of love, wisdom and justice. Together we will seek to reach a place of active hope. There will be prompts for reflection, times of silence and times to share together
We are introducing a series of reflective events in the evenings of the third Sunday of the month. These are free to attend and there is no need to book.
The first of these is Stilling our Soul on Sunday 21st September from 7-7.45pm. This will be a time of Reflective Worship using early monastic music (plainsong) and music from Taizé. There will be the opportunity to sing together if you wish but most of the time will be spent listening and reflecting

Tickhill Methodist Outreach Team

We are delighted to know that Tickhill Methodist Outreach Team (feeding the homeless project) came second in the Tesco Stronger Starts vote and has been chosen by Tesco Customers to receive a grant award of £1,000.00!
This will be used to buy food and drinks for our homeless and vulnerable friends whom we serve on Mondays.

MWiB Afternoon Tea

All are invited to Clifton Methodist Church for Afternoon Team on Thursday 14 August from 2pm. Tickets are £6 and proceeds will be for World Mission and Church Funds. Please let Carol Wignell know if you intend going for catering purposes (01246 433216/carol.wignell@btinternet.com)

MWiB Forum

Tuesday 19 August at 11am in the Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield
The Forum is the business meeting to arrange the programme of events for the forthcoming year and discuss how successful events had been. Anyone can attend, especially reps from the different circuits in the district.

Events

Rooted, Relevant and Reimagined!

Saturday 13 September

Our next District Gathering will be on the theme of Rooted, Relevant and Reimagined – being the church for today's world.
Everyone is welcome to this free event, whether you are coming for the first time, have attended previous District Gatherings, or are a member of our Synod.
Join us for a day of learning, sharing and worship with a buffet lunch provided as we offer an opportunity to renew existing connections across our District and meet new people.
Book your place here: https://buytickets.at/sheffieldmethodistdistrict/1774031
Bookings close on 1 September

EcoFest25

Saturday 27 September from 10am-2pm

Emmanuel Methodist Church, Barnsley are hosting another EcoFestival on the theme : Healthy Planet, healthy you.
Free fun for the family with displays, activities and stalls. Plus – bring your bike for a free check!

John Wesley & the Church Fathers

Online Short Course – Wesley House, Cambridge

This online short course encourages a deeper understanding of the Wesleyan tradition's rootedness in early Christianity. Participants will learn about how the Methodist movement, which Wesley founded as a prophetic revival within the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church" was shaped by these sources.
The course is led by the Revd Canon Dr Jason Radcliff who has published widely on the Church Fathers, Orthodoxy and the Oxford Movement.
Dates: Tuesdays 7, 14, 21 & 28 October 2025 at 7-9pm (UK Time)
Cost: Early bird offer of £100 until 15 August (then £120)
Registration: Please email office@wesley.cam.ac.uk to book your place

The Samuel Chadwick Lecture 2025

Thursday 16 October 2025

Our annual Samuel Chadwick Lecture will take place on Thursday 16 October 2025. The theme will be History, Church Growth and the Spirit, and this year the lecture can be attended onsite at Cliff College or online via Zoom.
The keynote speaker for this event will be Professor William K Kay, Professor Emeritus in Theology at Wrexham University and founding director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies at Bangor University. Professor Kay's research interests include the history of Pentecostal and charismatic movements, and the lecture will draw on this research. The formal response will be from Dr Ben Pugh, director of the Samuel Chadwick Centre.
Book your place here: https://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/news-events/samuel-chadwick-lecture-2025

Vacancies

Faith Rooted Community Organising Lead

Sheffield District

Community organising is about bringing people together to take action around their common concerns, and to create changes that tackle issues and experiences of injustice.
This role is toadvocate for and deliver faith-rooted community organising practices in the Methodist Church as routes to justice, congregational transformation and church growth.
The post holder will lead on accompanying and developing an organising culture across the district, providing bespoke support to embed faith-rooted community organising practices to develop teams and effective leaders of change in those congregations and communities.
The role will be key to supporting existing churches and new Christian communities to make connections as part of their discipleship and core mission to be justice-seeking.
advocate for and deliver faith-rooted community organising practices in the Methodist Church as routes to justice, congregational transformation and church growth.
The post holder will lead on accompanying and developing an organising culture across the district, providing bespoke support to embed faith-rooted community organising practices to develop teams and effective leaders of change in those congregations and communities.
The role will be key to supporting existing churches and new Christian communities to make connections as part of their discipleship and core mission to be justice-seeking.
General enquiries and informal conversations about the role are actively encouraged. In the first instance we ask that you direct these by email to Neil Harland, Mission Enabler, mpe@sheffieldmethodist.org.
More details can be found here: https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/recruitment/vacancies/district-vacancies.html

Community Pioneer – Broomhill

Broomhill Methodist Centre is embarking on an exciting journey to reimagine how church and community intersect.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional Sunday services, the Centre will become a vibrant hub for three distinct yet interconnected communities: Climbing, Families and Student.
The role of Community Pioneer will play a key part in shaping three new Christian communities that are rooted in real relationships and everyday spirituality aligning with the national New Places for New People vision of the Methodist Church, creating fresh expressions of faith in response to local needs and imagination.
Applications close at midday on 31st August 2025.

Informal enquiries to discuss the role are actively encouraged; these should be addressed to Victoria Loveday by email at cy@sheffieldmethodist.org
Application forms are available https://www.sheffieldmethodist.org/recruitment/vacancies/circuit-vacancies.html.
To apply, complete the application form and send to hr@sheffieldmethodist.org
For the purpose of safer recruitment, applications must be received on a Methodist Church application form. CVs are not accepted.

Circuit Administrator

Sheffield Circuit seek to appoint a full-time administrator to become their recognised and trusted point of contact for administrative and general enquiries.
The successful candidate will be an experienced administrator or well versed in office management with a keen eye for detail, able to effortlessly prioritise and manage a varied workload.
This is a key appointment in the life of the Sheffield Methodist Circuit that requires close working with the Circuit Superintendency.
Application forms are available from hr@sheffieldmethodist.org. Once completed, please return to the same email address.
We may on receipt of an application from you make contact to hold an initial conversation by Zoom. This conversation, between you and the Sheffield Methodist District HR Officer, will offer an opportunity for you to ask questions about the vacancy, on an informal basis.
Anticipated timeline: A start date as soon as possible is available to the right candidate and will be discussed at interview stage.

And Finally...

A prayer for life in all its fullness

Let us praise God,
who summons us to live as people of hope,
who lifts us when our hearts are weary,
and raises our eyes, restoring our vision,
to see a new heaven, a new earth,
which breaks in where we least expect it;
inviting us, beyond imagining,
to involvement in making real God's purposes of justice, righteousness and peace.

Let us praise God,
who leads us beyond death, to life in all its fullness,
not for our sakes, but for the sake of others;
that by God's Spirit we live with courage, compassion and commitment;
so we might be agents of change, sharing the gospel of truth and love,
as we join with God's work in the world.
Ruth Richey, deacon, South West Peninsula District