District News – 01 June 2021

This Week's News

Life on the Breadline

Eunice Attwood, our national Church at the Margins Officer, writes about the interaction between our theology and engagement with poverty and austerity, and invites us to join her to discuss this further. Many of our churches run social cafes, host food provision projects and respond to the economic challenges in heir neighbourhood in other ways. Our district New Places for New People project is focussed on being church in left behind communities. These could be helpful events to help your church reflect on its post pandemic priorities.
https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/the-methodist-blog/life-on-the-breadline-project/

District Safeguarding Update

Online Safety training – Thursday 17th June 10.00am – 12.30pm

The Yorkshire Plus region, to which the Sheffield District belongs, have arranged Online Safety Training on Thursday 17th June @ 10.00am -12.30pm. I've had the honour of hearing Karl Hopwood already and it was a brilliant session. I often attend Online Safety training. It's usually aimed at people working with children and young people and it can be very uninspiring, but not so with Karl Hopwood. This session is fasted paced and looks at online safety for everyone. Karl obviously knows what he's talking about and I 100% recommend this training to anyone who uses a computer or smart phone – I promise it won't disappoint.
Please click here for the link to the booking details.

Online Peer Support Group Sessions for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Empower The Invisible is a small charity which offers support services to adult survivors of child sexual abuse. They are currently offering peer support group sessions over Zoom. They accept self-referrals from survivors.
While they emphasise that peer support should not be used as a stand-alone service as a replacement for a therapeutic course of treatment, many survivors have found it helpful to speak to others in the same situation.
The peer group is run by the founders (who themselves have lived experience of childhood trauma) on a voluntary basis. They also offer one to one support and run a private/closed support group on Facebook plus an additional page that is open to the public called Empower the Invisible CIC. For further information
Kate Little, Safeguarding Survivors' work lead – taken from the Connexional Safeguarding Newsletter April 2021

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

Wanted – what does gathering mean for you?

We are seeking objects, images or visual symbols that speak of the lives of people across our district on a theme of "Gathering and Regathering: Inclusivity". Your item can be anything: a symbol of industry, a symbol of community, a symbol of recreation, or something else. It can be abstract or concrete. It might be something crafted: painted, sculpted, sewn, or woven. It could be ready-made or off the shelf. The only restriction is that the dimensions should be no bigger than 30cm x 30cm x 30cm.
Please send a photograph of your item and a brief description of why you have chosen it to Katrin (admin@sheffieldmethodist.org) by Monday 7 June.

GDPR compliance

As you are hopefully aware, there is an annual checklist which has been complied by TMCP to help churches and circuits show that they are complying with these regulations. This checklist needs to be completed, signed and sent (by email is fine) in to Katrin Hackett, the District Data Champion by the end of July.
She also needs to have a copy the Processing Record (this is Check 6 on the form) for each church and circuit.
Get in touch if you have any questions about this.(katrin@sheffieldmethodist.org).

Events

Candidates' Support Group

11 June from 1:30pm

The first gathering of this year's Candidates' Support Group will take place via Zoom on Friday 11 June 2021 from 1.30pm – 3.00pm. If you are exploring a call to ordained ministry or are expecting to candidate this coming year you would be most welcome. For more details please contact Graham Jones (jonesg@methodistchurch.org.uk or 07799 902574).

Eco Church Festival with 'Churches Count on Nature'

Saturday 12th June

The free online festival celebrates God's creation and is linked with 'Churches Count on Nature' week, including sessions for children and young people. It will also provide space to pray and reflect on the climate and nature crises in the lead up to COP26. Interactive workshops and sessions will be of interest to all who wish to actively care for God's creation.
Hosted by Sheffield Diocese, with contributions from Sheffield Methodist District members.

Climate Change Emergency: Resources for a Green Church

Saturday June 12th, 2021, 9.30am-3.00pm

Registration via sue.cutting1209@gmail.com
Inspiring keynote speakers to stimulate your imagination, develop your understanding of the Bible and reinvigorate your worship life. Engaging workshops with pioneers who are already bringing together faith and action for a better world.
Revd Philip Bee
JPIT Yorkshire Convenor

Waiting on the Word

Sunday 7th-Friday 12th November 2021 – Cliff College

Through a programme of worship, teaching, silence and reflection based on a Benedictine monastic pattern, the Five-Day Community for Spiritual Formation aims to

• root spirituality in Christian faith and tradition
• provide opportunity for participation in community life
• form people for life in a changing world

For more details including how to book, see the flyer here: CSF Flyer

Training and Learning Opportunities

Certificate in Theology and Discipleship for Mission

UTU's Certificate in Theology and Discipleship for Mission is a unique course that helps people discern their own discipleship journey for mission (whether evangelism, and/or service and/or prophetic action.)
The plan is to deliver the 2021-2022 course in person and on Zoom so that people outside Sheffield can continue to attend.
Please take a look at the flyer (and registration form) to see if this would interest you:
Flyer:
https://utusheffield.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/EVbe5-z2sPNKsP3WuoQVkxUBaasz5NvNVD59X_wse5y7Jw?e=gRObc8
Registration Form:
https://utusheffield.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/EVC2VhtfrTdFuYfGOn7F2hkB6Dvj4hLyExyTV1rKw0AhLA?e=vWanaH

Connexional Gathering for Chaplains

Tuesday 15th June, 2.00pm – 3.30pm

Our next Connexional Gathering is Tuesday 15th June, 2.00pm – 3.30pm
This time the question we're asking is, "how can chaplains effectively challenge racism in their context?" and we're delighted to be joined by Bevan Powell, Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Advisor for the Methodist Church.

To register and receive the Zoom link, please click here.

Job Vacancies

CHILDREN AND YOUTH CO-ORDINATOR

SHEFFIELD METHODIST DISTRICT

To increase the scale, impact and sustainability of children's, families and youth ministry in churches and circuits across the district for such a time as this.
As an experienced and highly networked children's, youth or families worker with excellent interpersonal skills you will:

• support, encourage and equip paid workers and volunteers
• lead an integrated programme of district-wide events
• nurture young leaders
• facilitate enhancement of local ministries and birth of new projects and Christian communities

Salary: £26,628 plus contributory pension scheme.
There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder be a practising Christian.

Closing date for applications Mon 12 July
Interviews on or around Tues 20 July
Further details at www.sheffieldmethodist.org/recruitment/vacancies.html

Recruitment Manager

Cliff College

Cliff College, located in the Peak District, has been training people in evangelism and mission since 1903.

Cliff is at an exciting place in its history as it is about to launch Vision 21, a strategy that takes the College on a journey to become a global centre of evangelism and mission. This builds on its tradition and history and focuses on the College as a place of engagement, encounter and equipping.

As part of this strategy, Cliff College is seeking to appoint a Recruitment Manager to join its staff team at this exciting and challenging time. This is a new full-time role, building on the previous Communications and Recruitment role, and we are looking for someone who is willing and able to build on what has already been developed and enable the College to grow its student body.

Full information can be found here: Recruitment Manager

News from Outside Organisations

Action for Children

Webinar – Childhood during coronavirus: protecting children from the effects of poverty

Action for Children invites you to an online webinar, 'Childhood during coronavirus: protecting children from the effects of poverty'.

Staff will talk about the impact of the lockdown on families drawing on research in our report, ' End Childhood Crisis ' and our campaigning work. They will also explain what they are asking the Government to do and how you can add your voice.

To sign up, visit http://bit.ly/Childhood-1

Children's Drawing Challenge – Boycott Your Bed

There is still time to sign up to Boycott Your Bed on Friday 9 July to raise money for vulnerable children and young people.

Children can also get involved by taking part in the Children's Drawing Challenge, which asks them to draw the most fantastical, imaginative, exciting place to boycott their beds. Invite children in your churches to sign up here: http://bit.ly/BYBchildren before entries close on Friday 25 June.

Children's author and illustrator Rob Biddulph is one of the judges for the challenge and with others will pick a winner to be announced on Friday 9 July.

Rob drew his dream bed live on BBC Breakfast – atop a diplodocus named Wilf! (See picture)

Every £1 raised will help us support the UK's most vulnerable children and young people.

Action for Children Sunday worship materials

Worship materials for this year's Action for Children Sunday on 11th July are now available to download. The theme is 'Peace within, peace around'.

You'll be pleased to see activities that children can do whether they are worshipping at home or meeting in a church building. Our thanks to Vickie and Chris Heydon-Matterface (Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District) who did an amazing job creating such engaging activities for children of different ages.

To download, worship materials visit https://bit.ly/FaithFR

Thought for the Month

Alison Fletcher, DRC's new Rural Associate Chaplain, reflects on the hymn "All things bright and beautiful" and how it refers to so many aspects of the natural world around us.
You can read the full reflection here: Thought for the Month