District News – 22 June 2021

This Week's News

Office News

A reminder that there will be no weekly mailing next week, as Katrin will be attending the Methodist Conference next week. Emails to the District Office will be read, but may not get an immediate response.
Please hold all the delegates to Conference in prayer, as they meet both via Zoom and in person. The full Conference programme can be found here: Conference 2021

Make technology work for you

Do you ever think "I wish there was an easier way of doing this" when using your word processor, powerpoint or spreadsheets? I am offering to run a series of short sessions looking at some of the tools which might be useful.
If this is something that might interest you, please let me know by completing this form: https://forms.office.com/r/2S3nx9CZ6t

SCAM Warning

A number of ministers appear to have had had their email addresses hacked – so you should not automatically trust emails from them, especially if they are asking you to 'do them a favour' or to buy Google Play cards or Amazon Vouchers. Katrin and I have already received text messages, described below, and they look very real and could easily trick you if not careful.

How does the scam work? – below is an account from a church member in the Southampton Methodist District:
A church member received an email which showed up as being 'from' the Minister. He had no reason to suspect that it was not from the Minister, as they have email contact about all sorts of church matters. He opened the email. It asked him if he was available, because the sender needed a favour, and was signed from the minister. Still unsuspicious he replied and then received a response asking him to go to a shop and purchase a Google Play card, claiming that the sender had forgotten their niece's birthday and it was urgent.
He became suspicious, then noticed that the grammar and punctuation were poor. He therefore did not respond, but alerted the Minister.
The email address the messages had been sent from, and it was not the Ministers. Instead it was from the email address: office 23127@gmail.com.
A few days later the Minister was contacted by another Member, to ask if she had just texted her.
The sender signed as the Minister. claimed to be in a meeting, but to need a favour. She replied to the first message, and was then asked to go to a shop and buy a Google Play card. But was given a different reason. She was told that the card was needed for a woman who was in hospital battling cancer.
The phone number from which the texts were sent was 07451 200598.

If you receive an email do not open it. Depending on your email provide, please add to your JUNK folder and BLOCK the sender.
If you receive a text message BLOCK and delete the number.
You can also find more useful advise here: Online Safety

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

MWiB – Sheffield District

Methodist Women in Britain will be holding our District day at Whittington Moor Methodist Church on Wednesday 7th July. Our aim is to have an afternoon meeting with Rev Val Ogden starting at 3 pm we are following this with tea ( drinks will be provided ) but please bring your own food and then we will proceed to an evening service at 6pm. The idea being that people who are working may be able to come to the service or both.
Can you let Pam Meek or Carol Wignell know as soon as possible as numbers are limited to 30.
email pammeek48@gmail.com or carol.wignell@btinternet.com

GDPR Support

The District Website has updated the Data Protection page, There are now sections on Data Mapping, the Annual Checklist and Data Breaches. More will be added, so do keep checking back:
Data Protection
If you have any questions about GDPR, please contact Katrin, the District Data Champion, in the first instance (katrin@sheffieldmethodist.org)

Fellowship in Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield

https://jibs.group.shef.ac.uk/sir-henry-stephenson-visiting-research-fellow/

Sir Henry Stephenson Visiting Research Fellow – Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies (JIBS)
Call for Applications. The Sir Henry Stephenson Endowment trust is recommencing its historic fellowship in Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield,--which began in the 1950s--via the appointment of a part-time non-residential Visiting Research Fellow in the Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies (SIIBS).The start date for the position is 1 October 2021

Events

Big Cliff Weekend

The Big Cliff Weekend is a one-off event in July 2021. We'll be gathering as Cliff family and friends on the Cliff College site to worship, learn, relax and celebrate together. Philippa Hanna and Tom Smith will be joining us to lead worship and perform some of their own music, and you can expect to see some of our own College staff and friends teaching and sharing from the Bible.

As well as the excellent worship and teaching you expect from Cliff College, there will be activities for all ages across the site. Come with your family and friends and spend the weekend with us praising God and enjoying the beautiful Cliff site in all its summer glory!
Watch a taster here: https://youtu.be/dD_rmiopApU

Whirlow Spirituality Centre

Coming soon!

We would love to see you:

• 6 / 7 July Get creative – no skills required!
• 4 July – Space to Reflect
• Labyrinth

All events are listed here. Weekly reflections are here. And we are also available for hire!

Positively Rural – Countryside challenges

Wednesday 7 July from 1 – 2:30pm

Focusing on the issues facing rural communities and how we can respond to them.
Speakers: Rachel Hallos, the West Riding NFU chair and Claire Maxim, CEO of Arthur Rank Centre
To book your place and obtain joining instructions, follow this link: http://bit.ly/PositivelyRural5
Positively Rural is an online community hosted by the Yorkshire Plus Learning Network, but open to anyone of any denomination involved or with an interest in rural ministry, including volunteers, lay workers and clergy.

Ministry with older people: Mental Health Matters. For Older People. For Carers

13 July from 1:00-2:30pm

We will be joined by Pauline Kimantas (CEO, Sheffield Carers), Tim Jansen (Founder, Pontes Training), Sue Wishart (District Safeguarding Officer, Yorkshire West District) as we discuss how to be alert to signs of mental ill health in older people, mental health impacts of the Covid pandemic, and support available for experienced and new carers.
Book your space by Saturday 10 July at https://mentalhealthmatters210713.eventbrite.co.uk
Ministry with Older People is an online community hosted by Sheffield Methodist District but open to anyone of any denomination involved in ministry with older people, including volunteers, lay workers and clergy.

Deep Talk training opportunities

Deep Talk uses stories in the sand as a stimulus for conversations that address big questions of life and build community. It helps people bring their whole selves to a situation, learn to listen to their inner voice and to listen and talk with others in a way that is appreciative and reflective, which strengthens community.
The wisdom stories are suitable for both adults and children in a secular setting. Faith stories can also be shared using the Deep Talk approach.

For more information and to register your interest: https://forms.gle/egqX3KJA47Y34R6V9
Training in Deep Talk in Sheffield on 30th and 31st July: https://forms.gle/AjKjQ9ascpCEJFGf9
Online training in Deep Talk starting in July : https://forms.gle/TUp6t7v7rq7vx3fF9

Vacancies

District Leading Team members (volunteer position)

We are seeking people who are:

• Excited by the opportunities before us in For Such A Time As This and committed to its implementation
• Comfortable offering and hearing dissenting opinions during discussion, and embracing collective decisions
• Enablers and inspirers of missional change through the many people of our membership – learning, changing, and joining in
• Able to apply their own experiences to support and encourage a range of models and approaches
• Able to work as a geographically dispersed team
• Approachable with regard to the work of the district in their other contexts
• Holders of confidence and managers of conflicts of interest within a Connexional church

Further information on the District website www.sheffieldmethodist.org/recruitment/vacancies
Please submit expressions of interest by Thursday 1 July.
To maintain the diversity of the team we are particularly keen to recruit members who are women, lay, younger adults or BAME at this time.

Circuit Administrator (Finance) (25hrs)

The Birmingham Methodist Circuit has a vacancy for a Circuit Administrator (Finance) (25hrs)
Salary is £12.14 – £13.18 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience.
Office base is Selly Oak Methodist Church, B29 6HT.

We require someone who has the ability to do the following:

• The day to day book-keeping for the Circuit.
• Payment of bills, expenses and collection of payments due.
• Production of draft budget and management accounts and draft end of year accounts.
• Any other financial duties required, liaising with and working closely with the Circuit Treasurer.

For more information and an Application form contact Sue Saunderson (Circuit Administrator) at ssaunderson@birminghammethodistcircuit.org.uk
or download the information from the Circuit website.
http://birminghammethodistcircuit.org.uk/index.php?page=vacancies
Closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 2nd July 2021.
Interviews will be held on Monday 12th July 2021

Methodist News

Gordon Brown lecture

Over 1200 people registered for the inaugural lecture from our new justice project, Walking With Micah last weekend. Former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown, delivered an inspiring talk on a wide range of issues and answered questions from the audience at the end.

You can watch the event again here.

Find out more about Walking With Micah here

TMCP – updated Retention Schedule

Managing Trustees are advised that there are now three new resources available to them: Updated Retention Schedule for Managing Trustees, The Annual Checklist in a shortened Word version and Guest Wi-Fi Acceptable Use Policy.
Read more