News
from Synod
The
Representative Session of the Synod met online on Saturday.
Many thanks to St John’s Methodist Church, Bloxwich for providing
a central venue for those facilitating the Synod and to all those
who helped it to run smoothly.
The Synod recorded positive votes in favour of all the
resolutions contained in the report on Marriage and
Relationships, God
in Love Unites Us, having made a small amendment to
one of these resolutions. The voting patterns in all the
Synods will be reported to the Conference which will make final
decisions this Summer.
Amongst other business, the Synod also voted to recommend to the
Conference that the Chair’s appointment be extended by three
years until August 2025.
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Action
for Children Newsletter
News
from Action for Children – April 2021
Thank you for your continued support throughout the pandemic.
You’ve helped us support more than 20,000 children through our
Emergency Response Fund and other gifts.
With lockdown restrictions being gradually lifted, we’re feeling
positive that we’re getting closer to the time when we’d safely
resume face-to-face events. In the meantime, I’d like to tell you
about two events coming up soon.
Virtual
Fostering Information event
Ever thought about fostering? Know someone who might be thinking
about fostering? Then, come along to our live
Facebook event on 20th May at 7pm to hear
from one of our foster carers and our social worker.
There were 78,150 children in local authority care in 2019, and
many more foster carers are needed to give them a safe and loving
home; that might just be you. We can answer any questions you
have.
The online event will be live on our Action for Children Fostering – England
Facebook page on the Click here to sign up: https://fb.me/e/bA48w2IME
Boycott
Your Bed for Vulnerable Children
On
Friday 9 July, join forces with family, friends or colleagues to
raise money by spending the night in the most unusual place you
can think of.
Will you camp out under the stars or under the stairs? Bunk down
in the bathroom or the back garden? Where will
you sleep to challenge yourself? Before
you settle in for the night, join us for
an evening of virtual entertainment packed
with famous faces, bringing people together across
the UK.
Boycott your Bed and you’ll bring hope to
vulnerable UK children hit hardest by the
pandemic. Because – while happier times are ahead for
most of us – this crisis has
made things even worse for children and
families already in desperate need.
Wherever you sleep, the money you raise can make children’s
dreams of a safe and happy childhood come true.
How
will you Boycott your Bed? Sign up today
at: boycottyourbed.co.uk/faith
To receive regular updates about the Action for Children straight
to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/AFCNewsletter-F
Please find the latest Children for Action Newsletter for the
District here.
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Linking
Lives outreach toolkit
Hastened by the pandemic, isolation is sadly increasing in our
communities. How can churches respond? What toolkits are
available to help create supportive communities?
Transforming Communities Together are working with the national
charity Linking Lives to support Churches in reaching out to
their communities in five different, complementary ways that all
help to tackle social isolation.
- Linking Lives -
one to one physical befriending,
- Two's Company -
one to one telephone befriending
- Bringing People
Together - online group conversations
- Places of Welcome
- physical group meetings
- Places of Welcome
Buddy - one to one support in attending a group meeting
Please
join us to find out how we can support you in ensuring that
nobody is isolated in your community.
Date And Time: Wed, 9 June 2021 | 10:30 – 12:00 BST
Sign up now for free
at https://linking-lives-transforming-communities-together.eventbrite.co.uk
For more details or if you have a question, please contact TCT’s
Carrie Blount – carrie.blount@tctogether.org.uk
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Christian
Aid 300,000 Steps Challenge
Last year we were unable to reach out into the community with our
Christian Aid Week house-to-house collection which is such a
valuable source of income for the charity, and, although we
learned very recently that a May 2021 house-to-house might be
possible, UK supporters are encouraged to seek other means of
fundraising too. Some of your churches may be struggling to fund
raise with the current restrictions on our activities. If
so, Brenda Shuttleworth, a self-confessed couch potato, is
taking the Christian Aid challenge to walk 300,000 steps
(equivalent to about 120 miles) during May on behalf of the
Wolverhampton Christian Aid committee. She will set out at 10am on Saturday,
1st May from the canal bridge at Newbridge,
walking towards Compton.
If you would like to support her, you can do so by going to her
Just Giving page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Brenda-Shuttleworth or
by sending a cheque payable to Wolverhampton Christian Aid to
John Bate, 79 Cranmere Ave, Wolverhampton, WV6 8TR,
including your name address and post code if you are indicating
that you wish to Gift Aid.
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Job
Opportunity for a School Chaplain
Rydal
Penrhos School in north Wales is looking to appoint a new
Chaplain from September 2021.
Details of the appointment can be found on the MIST website
at: https://www.methodistschools.org.uk/about-us/vacancies-at-methodist-schools with
closing date of 7th May.
The post is open to ministers and suitable qualified lay people,
so if colleagues could draw this to the attention of anyone they
feel might be interested, we would be very grateful.
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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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