District News – 5 October 2021

This Week's News

Introducing Victoria

Say hello to our new District Children's and Youth Co-ordinator – Victoria Loveday.
Victoria will be supporting volunteers and paid workers across the District, supporting young leaders, nurturing young people and creating new opportunities for children and young people to explore their faith.
You can learn more about her here: Introducing Victoria

September Synod – update

The theme of September's Synod was God's Planet: Our
Responsibilities.
The key note speech was from Revd. Canon Nick Jowett and aseries of TED Talks explained how people are tackling climate change indifferent ways and offered examples of how our churches and circuits can make adifference too.
We've created a YouTube playlist of them all so you can catchup or watch again.
Don't forget to click on the subscribe while you watch soyou can keep up to date with all our videos.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-XPpJod_i6e3VeFfVwRyo6Knc5wUga7o

AllWeCan – The Next Steps

Tim Baker introduces the "Next Steps" campaign in a short (3 minute) video.
The past year has posed immense challenges both to those of us in the UK, and our brothers and sisters across the globe. We stand now at a pivotal moment – looking towards a better tomorrow, and envisioning a world where every person's potential might be fulfilled.

Throughout the next year, All We Can is inviting you to help make that vision a reality. Together, we can help our global neighbours take the next steps towards recovery, resilience, and a thriving future.
You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/IkHIdxols88

Cliff College Digital Week

11-15 October

Cliff College is excited to be hosting its first Digital Week from 11-15 October 2021.
This week will be an opportunity for people to discover what Cliff has to offer in a digital space and to connect with some of the incredible things the church is doing around learning, discipleship, worship and evangelism in a digital world.
As well as livestreamed events and services, look out for some free resources as well as discounts on online courses. For more information including a full timetable, go to: https://cliffcollege.ac.uk/news-events/cliff-digital-week-2021

An introduction to Church at the Margins

Monday 8th November from 7-8.30pm (via Zoom)

Poverty across the UK is rising with a devastating impact on the lives of individuals and communities. How should we respond? What is God's invitation to us? This webinar offers an introduction to the vision and values of Church at the economic margins with stories from local practitioners in urban and rural contexts.
Hosted: by Eunice Attwood, Church at the Margins Officer and Sarah Hulme, Rural Officer.
REGISTER NOW: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvf-GoqD0tHNNqHWQlv-N6LI5KTxiWJBoe

Relating to people of other faiths

Are you concerned about developing and promoting good relationships with people of other faiths?

Inderjit Bhogal, Liz Wills and Gareth Jones meet together from time to time as Methodists in the Sheffield District who are committed to inter-faith relations, to share and reflect on their experiences.
They would be very glad to be joined by anyone else in the District who is involved in, or has an interest in, inter-faith relations. If you would be interested in joining the group, please contact Revd Gareth Jones at garethjones11@gmail.com or on 0114 250 8251

A Fair Way to Christmas

To mark the launch of the 2021 Real Advent Calendar, the Meaningful Chocolate Company is offering free delivery to churches and schools if they buy a case of 18 calendars.

A great way to share the Christmas story, the Real Advent Calendar is designed to support outreach work and mission. Each calendar includes a 24-page Christmas story activity book, the chocolate is Fairtrade, and it supports charitable causes including a baby clinic in Kenya and Fairtrade farmer community schemes. Owing to economic circumstances, Tesco will no longer be stocking the calendar this year but it is available directly from the Meaningful Chocolate Company.

Real Advent Calendars cost £4.50 each. There is a case discount and free delivery if buying at www.realadvent.co.uk.

Lay Orientation Day

2 November, 10.00 – 3.30

Training for newly appointed lay employees working in a church context.
It is designed to give a better understanding of the role of church worker, both in general and in one's own setting.
The day's topics, and the opportunity to share together, will help develop a strong foundation of good practice.
Register here: https://211102layorientation.eventbrite.co.uk

Events

MWIB (Sheffield District)

Friday 15 October – 11am

The Rededication Service for Methodist Women in Britain is to be held at Bents Green on
Friday October 15th at 11am Rev Graham Wassell is officiating at the Service.
The Service will be followed by lunch (please bring your own)
Drinks will be provided after which we will launch our Project for 2021-22.
All are welcome -do come and join us
Pam Meek
President (MWiB Sheffield District)

Job Vacancies

Part-Time Interim Families and Community co-ordinator (Maternity Cover)

Wesley Hall, Crookes, Sheffield

Wesley Hall is a dynamic welcoming community-focused Methodist Church. We are looking for someone with the passion and expertise to work with us in developing our mission and ministry to children aged up to 11, building on the success of existing children and youth programmes and providing the necessary specialist expertise not currently available within the congregation.

As our families and community co-ordinator you will be:

• Enthusiastic and expert in the organisation and leading of activities for children and families
• Committed to building community, working in partnership with groups and individuals, including beyond the church congregation
• An enabler of the ministry of others
• Confident in when and how to share our Christian faith
• A builder of pastoral relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds

Part time: 22 hours per week
Salary: Up to £13,600 per annum (£24,740 full time equivalent) at £11.90 per hour,
plus option to join contributory pension scheme

The start date for the role will be in December 2021/ January 2022 and will be agreed with the successful candidate. The role will be a fixed term appointment of 12 months, with possible 6-month extension.

Applications by 12noon on Tuesday 2nd November with interviews on Wednesday 10th November (subject to candidate availability).

For information and applications, please contact Matt Irons 07582 855 409 or matt.irons@wesleyhall.org.uk.
There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder be a practising Christian.

Youth & Schools Worker

Soulroots Youth Community, Sheffield

Soulroots is an exciting and vibrant Christian youth work project that currently provides a range of activities for young people aged from School Year 5 and upwards in Sheffield 17 (Dore, Totley & Bradway).
We are looking for a Youth & Schools Worker who has the ability to work with young people, a passion to make disciples for Christ and to build relationships with local schools. There is one youth worker already in post and in addition a team of volunteers and trustees.
The job is part-time including evening and weekend work. We are looking for someone to work part-time for up to 16 hours per week. This post is for 39 weeks during the school term-time working with statutory holidays to be taken during the school holidays. Salary is £12.30 per hour.

The youth & schools worker will be expected to be available to support youth work activities on some or all of the following:

• Tuesday evenings 5.30pm – 8.00pm
• Sunday evenings 5.45pm – 9.15pm

We also expect the worker to help develop new schools work alongside the current work.
Closing date: This vacancy is being advertised on a rolling & continuous basis until a successful appointment is made, and we will review applications as they arrive. Please apply for this post as soon as you can, if interested.

For further information about this post, the full job description and the person specification please email Jonathan Buckley (Soulroots Trustee & Line Manager) at:
jonathan.buckley@sheffieldcircuit.org.uk
Or call Jonathan on 07450 778 678 for an informal discussion.
Applications should be made by sending a CV and covering letter via e-mail to the address above.
For more information on Soulroots please visit
www.soulroots.org.uk or www.facebook.com/soulrootsyouth
There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post holder is a practising Christian. The Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003 Sec. 72 applies to this post. This post is subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.

Other News

Action for Children

Report into the importance of the £20 a week Universal Credit increase published

Action for Children and Child Poverty Action Group released a report in September that reveals the importance of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit for families.

The report examines the impact on 19 occupations. It showed that without the £20 increase, hairdressers will be the worst affected, losing an average of £1,982 a year after the cut.

To read the report visit: https://bit.ly/UnivCReport

Join the Star Jump challenge

You can raise funds for children while keeping fit by taking part in Action for Children's Star Jump challenge.

As part of our 'Star in Every Child' campaign, we're inviting supporters to raise funds so that we can ensure children have the basics – the things every child needs: warm clothes and proper meals, and things that help them to reach for the stars, like tutoring or learning a musical instrument.

The challenge is really simple, and anyone can do it with friends and family. To sign up, visit: https://bit.ly/AFCStarJump

Create a star to send to your MP

There's still time to take part in Action for Children's craftivism campaign.

Last month, we invited you to create a star and send it to your MPs urging them to commit to making children a personal priority so that the star in every child can shine.

Thank you to everyone who has created and sent a star; we were thrilled to see your stars.

To send a star, sign up to receive information about what to do: https://bit.ly/Craftivism-signup