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Latest News:
Faith, finance and climate change event
Fund for Human Need news
Love This Calling campaign
Vaccine Voices Videos
In
case you missed it:
Dates for diary - Correction
Trauma-informed Ministry Workshops
Stations of the Pandemic church resource
Safeguarding Webinars
Vacancy for Chaplain
Modern Slavery Survivors room request
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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Faith,
Finance and Climate Change event
Increasing
people’s knowledge of the different faith perspectives on climate
change and the environment
About this event:
Our aim with these sessions is to bring people
together from across the Black Country and beyond to:
1.
Increase people’s knowledge of the different faith perspectives
on climate change and the environment
2.
Increase people’s understanding of different religions
3.
Increase social cohesion by bringing people together
4.
Explore how we can all work TOGETHER across communities and faith
groups, to improve financial wellbeing across the Black Country
Confirmed speakers include:
- Dr Zahid Parvez -
Markfield Institute of Higher Edication
- Jasmine Khatri -
Hindu Climate Action
- Simon Ross -
Director of Marches Energy Agency
- Rosie Venner,
National Programme Manager, Ecumenical Council for Corporate
Responsibility
- Rev Richard
Clarkson - Lichfield Diocese Environmental Officer
Please
book your place through the Eventbrite link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/faith-finance-and-climate-change-tickets-143926300439?ref=eios
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Fund
for Human Need news
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Love
This Calling Connexional Campaign
Love This Calling is a campaign to celebrate a
range of vocations in gathered and scattered church and to build confidence as
we explore our own sense of calling in the time and place we find
ourselves. You may be interested in some of the following:
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Dates
for the diary - correction
Please note
the correction below in red.
Apologies for the confusion!
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 - only 8
places left!
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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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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