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Latest News:
Easter message from the District Team
Dates for diary - Correction
Trauma-informed Ministry Workshops
Stations of the Pandemic church resource
Safeguarding Webinars
Vacancy for Chaplain
Modern Slavery Survivors room request
In
case you missed it:
Good Friday Resources
Self Care and Mental Health Workshop
Living Library
TMCP new email address
Christian Aid Vaccination Wall of Thanksgiving
District Children's
Support Fund
FOR
THE LATEST ADVICE ON COVID 19 FROM CONNEXION PLEASE CLICK HERE
Dial-a-prayer
free phone line to hear prayers: 0808 281 2514 Methodist News:
0808 281 2478
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Easter
Message from the District Team
The
District Team offers prayer for the whole District, that together
we may walk to the Cross, secure in the everlasting hope we have
through the promise of an empty tomb and our risen Saviour.
by Meg
Wroe (used with permission)
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Dates
for the diary - correction
Please note
the correction below in red.
Apologies for the confusion!
District
Testimony Service
A service to hear the public testimony of Rev’ds Samantha
Hagerman, Stuart Reed and Josephine Soon and to celebrate their
journey to ordination will be held online on Saturday 22nd May at
6pm. Details of the live streaming will be
available nearer the date, which is both the eve of Pentecost and
Aldersgate Sunday. Sam and Josephine, whose ordination has
been delayed by the pandemic, will be ordained on Saturday 19th
June. Subject to Conference, Stuart will be ordained on
27th June. Please pray for all three of them as they
prepare for ordination.
Stationing
Training Arrangements
All stationing training will take place online this year.
The arrangements will also be different from previous years
in that the information will be spread over several shorter
sessions, as follows:
- Thursday 6th May
at 7pm: Brief
overview for all those involved in stationing. This
marks the start of the stationing process, from which date
conversations with ministers can begin. (45 mins max)
- Monday 24th May
at 7pm: A session
for Circuits and ministers expecting to be involved in
re-invitation. It is very important that everyone who
will be playing an active role in this process attends (1 hr
max)
- Wednesday
26th May at 6pm: A session
for ministers seeking a new appointment (45 mins max)
- Wednesday
26th May at 7.15pm: A session
for Circuits entering a profile into stationing (45
mins max)
Links to
join online will be made available later.
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Trauma-informed
Ministry Workshops
THIS
TRAINING IS DESIGNED FOR ORDAINED MINISTERS - last chance!
The District has secured two workshops with the Tragedy and
Congregations team. These are on 20th April repeated on 21st April both
from 9.30 till 12.45pm. Each workshop can
accommodate 12 ministers. These workshops have previously
been offered to all ministers in the Birmingham District and all
priests in the Shrewsbury Episcopal area of the Diocese of
Lichfield. Take-up was very high and the workshop was
greatly appreciated by those who took part.
If you would like to attend, please let Richard know (admin@wsmethodist.org.uk) giving
your preferred date and also an indication of whether you would
be available for the other date in case your first option is
full. If there is excess demand we will attempt to secure
another booking. The District is bearing the costs of these
workshops. With the limit on numbers it’s very important
that you take up your place if you book it. If that
becomes impossible please contact the District Office at the
earliest opportunity so we can offer your place to someone else.
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Stations
of the Pandemic: A resource for churches
This
year the District Chair has made a series of 12 “Stations of the
Pandemic” loosely based on the traditional Stations of the Cross
and Resurrection.
Each one features words associated with people’s experience
of COVID-19 and is made from fused glass. At the moment
they are being shared on social media but they are available for
churches to borrow and display. They come on a backing board and
can be displayed outside with reasonable precautions taken.
They may be particularly helpful if churches are planning
any events to help people process the experience of the pandemic
through prayer, worship and/ or conversation. Please
contact the District Chair if interested.
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Tackling
bullying, changing culture and enabling positive relationships
webinars
‘Tackling bullying, changing culture and enabling
positive relationships’:
A
series of webinars from the Methodist Church.
The
target audience for these webinars is lay and ordained leaders in the church (as defined broadly by those who
are required to undertake the Advance Module safeguarding
training).
Following her virtual travels around the connexion our current
Vice President, Carolyn Lawrence, has heard accounts of members
who have experienced bullying and poor behaviour in different
church contexts. After discussions with Connexional staff about
these issues and what resources are available to help the church
be better prepared in this area, work started to address how we
can improve our overall awareness, the resources already
available, and ability to take action when required.
We are therefore very pleased to present three specific webinars
looking at different aspects of anti-bullying action. They
are designed for all church leaders with the Methodist Church and
any other members and officers who are interested in how we can
continue our journey of making churches and church work safer for
everyone involved.
The invitation is for you to join any or all of the webinars.
When you sign up, there will be an option to send questions in
ahead of the webinar which we will do our best to address.
Webinar 1:
Tackling Bullying, Changing Culture, Enabling Positive
Relationships
April 20th 11.00-12.30
Within the
church we believe that everyone should be enabled to flourish, to
become the people whom God created them to be. Promoting positive
working relationships is a key part of enabling individuals and
communities to flourish and culture to change. The webinar will offer
practical ways in which to tackle bullying, change culture and
enable positive relationships.
Register here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f6PHOTqcQeOg-yTrOSupgA
Webinar 2:
Reconciling communities: living well with difference
May 13 11.00-12.30
Change,
disagreement and conflict is a part of everyday church life. This
interactive webinar invites you to look at disagreements in a new
light, seeing them as an opportunity for creativity,
community-building and conflict transformation. You will
experience an online facilitated conversation and find out more
about the exciting new reconciliation and mediation pilot project
being run in partnership with Place for Hope.
Register here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NZ8IM5OuTG2YfCbvSI0VHg
Webinar 3:
Addressing Bullying through Justice, Dignity and Solidarity
Jun 17 11:00 – 12.30pm
In this
webinar we explore the relationship between bullying,
discrimination and exclusion. Panellists will examine the
intersectionality between individual, institutional and
structural forms of discrimination and the role each may play in
bullying. The importance of creating a supportive environment in
which trust and confidence is achieved is critical to ensuring
that no one suffers in silence. This webinar will present a range
of inter-related approaches to tackling bullying, discrimination
and exclusion, through a range of options offered by
the Methodist strategy for Justice, Dignity and
Solidarity.
Register here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_feXVK3LvTdiqx1qeVlpO0w
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Vacancy
for Chaplain - MHA Stafford
Brooklands
House, Retirement Apartments, Stafford.
- Part-time - 10
hours per week - permanent
- Location:
Brooklands House, Eccleshall Rd , Stafford, ST16 1PD
- Salary: £21,395
pro rata from 01.04.2021 (actual £5782.00)
- Closing date: 18th
April 2021
Would
you like to make a positive contribution to benefit older people?
Spiritual well-being – distinct from religious affiliation or
belief – is a universal need and a cornerstone of MHA’s positive
approach to ageing and we aim to provide the highest quality care
and support for older people of all faiths and none.
We are looking for a person who is in good standing with their
faith community to take the role of chaplain (a lay person or
ordained minister). They will build good working relationships
with local faith communities, and take on pastoral care,
spiritual and worship aspects of life.
You will have excellent listening skills, great empathy, be able
to lead appropriate worship and have an understanding of the
spiritual aspects of ageing and dementia. Experience of providing
excellent pastoral care, ideally to people in later life, is
essential.
Please look for the job description and apply online at https://www.mha.org.uk/careers/current-vacancies/
Job Reference REQ012541
For more information please contact the Manager Sarah Heath,
Brooklands House, Stafford, ST16 1PD t: 01785 221 800
or area support chaplain hilary.alrasheed@mha.org.uk
tel: 07568 612075
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Good
Friday Resources from the District Chair
A
reflection on Psalm 121 suitable for use on Good Friday worship
or for personal reflection. Feel free to share it in any way
you wish to. If anyone would like the actual video file
please contact the District
Office.
Here is the link to the YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/p-Pv7IVRtm4
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Self
Care and Mental Health Workshop for Leaders and Activists
by
Learning Network - The West Midlands Region
A space for leaders and activists to talk about mental health as
they support communities dealing with unprecedented need, grief
& loss.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/self-care-and-mental-health-workshop-for-leaders-and-activists-tickets-145827850025
Date and Time: Tue,
13 July 2021. 12:30 – 14:00
About
this Event
This has been an incredibly busy and challenging season. Those of
us who invest our lives in loving and serving our communities and
responding to urgent crises can easily become overwhelmed with
the need we see in front of us and daunted by the unknown path
ahead.
On top of the physical deprivation we see, there is also a
deepening mental health crisis as we all deal with collective
trauma and loss in some way. As leaders and activists, it can be
tempting to minimise our own experiences of grief and exhaustion
until we hit a breaking point.
The
Methodist Learning Network West Midlands, in
partnership with Red
Letter Christians UK, invites you to join us for
an online workshop led by Mental Health First Aid Instructor,
Activist & Minister Mick Kane. This is a safe space for us to
re-centre ourselves around some contemplative practices, to share
with others how we are feeling and to consider how we care for
others better by caring for ourselves. We want to draw more fully
on the spiritual resilience that God's Spirit can provide and
make space to support and care for one another as we share a
similar journey.
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Living
Library
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF YOU MIGHT VOLUNTEER FOR A LAY ROLE IN
CHURCH LIFE, OR EVEN EXPLORE ORDAINED MINISTRY OR PAID LAY WORK?
- If you have a
sense that God might be nudging you in to a role in church
life, but you’re not sure and you don’t want to make a fuss
at church, then you can come to this event and meet people
from other churches.
- It is a place
where there are no ‘silly’ questions
How it
works:
- We have some
‘books’ committed to be at the event.
Local
Preachers, Administrators, Stewards (circuit and church),
Presbyters, Deacons, Children Youth & Families Workers,
Global Mission Partners, Pioneer or Planters, Chaplains, Youth
Reps, Youth President and other young adult leaders.
- ‘Readers’ visit
the ‘books’ in breakout rooms, and the ‘books’ share their
stories, and the ‘readers’ can ask questions and together
they engage in a conversation.
- The event is
10-12 on 22nd May
- There will be up
to 3 breakout room opportunities, and 3 times of prayer all
together (we will be engaging with 3 different styles of
discernment prayer)
- If people only
want to ‘read’ one book, they can visit that book 3 times,
or they can head off after they have ‘read’ the book. It is
very flexible.
www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/vocations/living-library/
Please contact Alison Ransome if there is anything else it would
be helpful to know ransomea@methodistchurch.org.uk
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TMCP
new email address
TMCP is
currently carrying out a major upgrade to its IT systems and
moving towards more online ways of working. One change to
note is that it has a new e-mail address: finance@tmcp.org.uk.
Although its original e-mail address will be active for a
short while, this will be taken out of use soon, so I would
advise using the new one from now on.
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Christian
Aid Vaccination Campaign
Click here
to see the press release from Lichfield announcing that the
District is joining them in partnering Christian Aid in giving
people an opportunity to give thanks for their Covid-19 vaccine
by helping others in crisis across the world.
Here’s the online giving link here: https://events.tapsimple.org/online/christian-aid/diolichfield
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District
Children's Support Fund
The funding allocated
specifically to the support of children and families in the
District - particularly those experiencing some form of
deprivation - is still open to accept applications at the moment.
Are there projects you might consider which could offer
support even during the lockdown?
The
maximum amount of any claim is £500 and a Church can apply at any
time using the attached form
and send it electronically to Tim Lorimer who will process your
application and give a decision within six weeks of receipt. The
application will need the support of the hosting Church and
circuit superintendent. Church’s cannot apply for retrospective
funding.
We would hope that individuals and groups that have contributed
in the past to the Holiday Fund will still wish to do so knowing
that there money will still be used for Children’s Projects.
For more information please contact Tim Lorimer
on lorimertim@yahoo.co.uk
07971899084.
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