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New this week:
New Learning and Development Office Post
Happy Christmas from all the District Staff
In case you
missed it:
Christmas Greetings Card from W&S District
New District Chair
Christmas Greetings from Action for Children
New District Website - reminder
Action against Fossil Fuels
Safeguarding Officer Post
District Children's Activities Fund
Making a link to Bethlehem
Refresh: Lay Vocation Conference
Methodist Conference - Telford
Latest Safeguarding Training Info
Dial-a-prayer
free phone line to hear prayers : 0808 281 2514 Methodist News :
0808 281 2478
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Happy
Christmas from all the District Staff.
Wishing
all our readers a blessed Christmas and we look forward to seeing
you again in the new year.
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New
Learning and Development Officer post
Are
you passionate about helping to further the mission of our
churches, circuits and districts? Are you an excellent
facilitator and educator? If you are, we would like to hear from
you. We are recruiting a new Learning and Development Officer to
join the Learning Network. They will support the whole Connexion
on a few larger pieces of work and support others more locally in
work specifically supporting mission and ministry in the Chester
and Stoke on Trent District and Isle of Man District.
Full information on the role can be found here
The deadline for applications is 12th January,
interviews will take place on the 4th February in
Crewe.
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Christmas
Greetings Card from W&S District
Christmas Greetings from the Wolverhampton &
Shrewsbury District
Below is the image for this year’s card that has been sent out on
behalf of the District. It has been created by the Rev’d
Phil Summers of the Shropshire &
Marches Circuit. I wonder what you make of it?
It is not a traditional design for a Christmas card. People
have seen different things within the image and so it has been
offered without “one” interpretation. It serves to bring
Christmas greetings from the District but also hopes to be a
theological resource. With whom might this image
help you start a conversation on what it means to celebrate
Christmas in a war-torn and dangerous world?
The background is deliberately roughly sketched so as to make
this a generic image of the results of war. Sadly, as
conflict both intensifies and spreads geographically in our
world, there are many possible settings. But the
collapsed building could also be
metaphorical. Lives fall apart for many
reasons.
Whether real or metaphorical, where is the Good News for those
left living in the ruins?
How might we help ourselves and other people discover and
articulate answers to this most pressing of
questions? And how will our marking of Advent and
celebration of Christmas help us in this quest?
The message inside the card reads:
Blessed are you in whom the light lives;
bearer of stubborn hope;
rooted and grounded in love.
May this blessing be yours this Advent and Christmas.
Rachel Parkinson
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New
District Chair for new WM District
The
Rev’d Rachel Deigh has been nominated for the role
of Chair of the West Midlands Methodist District. The trustee
bodies of the two current districts voted unanimously as the next
step in a rigorous and prayerful selection process.
Rachel is
currently serving as a mission partner in Sierra Leone with her
husband, the Rev’d Sylvester Deigh. She offers to
the new District the experience of 25 years of
presbyteral ministry in a wide variety of settings, including as
a circuit minister, a Superintendent, and a District Mission
and Evangelism Facilitator. Members of the Nomination
Committee who met with Rachel were impressed by
her ability to articulate a vision for the life of the new
District in a way that values and understands the diversity within
it, and models a collaborative form of
leadership. Both Districts are grateful to members of
the Nomination Committee for their careful work
of discernment.
Rachel’s
name still has to come before both Synods and ultimately the
Conference in Summer 2025. However, the strong
support already shown for her nomination gives grounds for
confidence and hope in the emerging arrangements for the new
District. Rachel’s appointment would be for a
period of six years from 1 September 2025. The Rev’d
Novette Headley will remain as a District Chair for the
first of these in order to ensure a smooth transition.
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Action
for Children Christmas Greetings
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Wishing
you all the best for Christmas and the New Year
Dear friends,
As we come closer to the festive season and the
end of the year, I wanted to thank you for your
support over the course of 2024. We really
appreciate your help in creating safe and happy
childhoods!
I'd also like to thank those of you who have
attended our Faith Space events
throughout the year. We're excited to be
continuing Faith Space in 2025. Sign up
to future Faith Space events here.
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There
is still time to get involved in our Secret Santa
Christmas appeal
Christmas is just around the corner. Each
year, we ask people to become a Secret Santa for
a vulnerable child.
The magic of Christmas begins in childhood. It’s
a time for children to feel loved and make
memories that last a lifetime. But for vulnerable
children across the UK, Christmas is anything but
magical.
4.3 million UK children now live in poverty.
That’s almost 1 in 3 children. It’s the worst
number ever recorded, with 100,000 more children
in poverty last year than the year before.
Vulnerable children across the UK need Secret
Santas to help them feel the magic of Christmas. Please
share our Christmas appeal within your churches
and with your family and friends if you
haven't already. Become a
Secret Santa here.
This year, the theme of our Christmas
worship is 'Give hope this Christmas'. Download
our Christmas worship materials here along
with templates for making
your own Christmas decorations here.
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New
District Website and Socials launched
If you are looking for updates and news of the progress of the
District merger, yesterday saw the launch of the new website and
socials so please click the link below to sign up for news
regarding the new West Midlands District so you don't miss a
thing!
https://www.wmmethodists.org.uk/
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Take
Action Now!
District joins call for major UK high-street banks
to stop financing new fossil fuels
At the most recent District Policy Committee, a decision was made
to join 70 churches and Christian organisations - including the
Methodist Church in Britain - in calling on Barclays, HSBC,
Santander, NatWest and Lloyds to end their financing of new
fossil fuels.
The joint statement which the District has signed raises
concerns over the $556 billion Barclays, HSBC,
Santander, NatWest and Lloyds have provided to the fossil
fuel industry since the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2023,
the hottest year on record, the five banks collectively
financed companies expanding fossil fuels with almost $25
billion. The expansion of oil and gas is incompatible with
limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, according to the UN,
the International Energy Agency and thousands of leading
climate scientists.
More information can be found here: https://justmoney.org.uk/news/churches-call-on-major-uk-high-street-banks-to-stop-financing-new-fossil-fuels/
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Safeguarding
Officer needed
The Methodist Church
Telford Circuit
CIRCUIT SAFEGUARDING OFFICER
Home -based
12 Hours per Week
£7488 (Actual Salary)
We seek a person with ability to lead and instruct on all aspects
around Safeguarding at a Circuit Level and to support local
churches in exercising their Safeguarding responsibilities.
The post is to commence as soon as possible.
Applications will be dealt with as they are received until we
find the right person for the role.
For a full application pack
please contact the Circuit Administrator
email: circuitsupport@telfordmeth.org.uk
Telephone: 01952 505108
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District
Children's Activities Fund
With
Christmas approaching I am sure a number of Churches are looking
to run Children's activities. Want some hep with funding?
So if you have a project coming up please apply for funding
(up to £500) using the application
form linked to this and forward to Tim Lorimer at childrensfunding2024@gmail.com
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Making
a Link with Bethlehem
As
Christmas lights are switched on in towns and cities across the
country, many of us are preparing to tell once more the story of
Jesus' birth. Bethlehem will have a starring role, but for
many listeners it may seem no more than a storybook setting.
This Advent and Christmas the District has decided to make a
tangible link with the real "little town" by ordering
1,500 Christmas decorations carved from olive wood by Palestinian
artisans in and around Bethlehem. They'll shortly be
distributed across the Circuits who will each decide what use to
make of them.
This project hopefully fulfils many aims. Firstly, they are
beautiful, natural and durable gifts. Our hope is that they will
be part of Christmas decorations in 1500 homes across our
geography for many years to come - a reminder of the local
church's generosity and, through that, the generosity and grace
of God displayed in the birth of Jesus. Secondly, our
purchase is helping to support a Palestinian community
impoverished by the collapse of tourism since 7th October 2023.
And last but certainly not least, we hope that these gifts
will remind people to pray for an end to war and violence, and
for a just peace, especially in the land of Jesus' birth.
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Refresh:
Lay Vocation Conference
Come
join us at the Berkswich
Methodist Church for
a day of learning, networking, and fun at our lay leader
conference! Whether you're a paid worker, or a volunteer you're
welcome. It is an opportunity to connect with others and to hear
more about what "God for All" means to you and your role.
It is also a chance to reflect and learn more about your own
vocational calling.
As well as
hearing from our Keynote Speaker - Trey Hall, Director of
Evangelism and Growth. We will have a guest speaker from Care for
the Family and there will be opportunity to speak with Jo Yair,
Mission and Ministry Co-ordinator for the W&S District, Adam
Sanders, Mission Enabler in the Birmingham District and Rosie
Bryant from the Learning Network. So there are plenty of
opportunities to find out more about training and coaching
available through the church. Don't miss out on this opportunity
to grow and recharge with like-minded individuals. Register now
to secure your spot!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1037817468987?aff=oddtdtcreator
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Methodist
Conference 2025 - Telford
Taking place @ Telford
International Centre
26th
June – 2nd July 2025
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED
An
exciting opportunity to support
The METHODIST
Conference
Conference Needs
Stewards/Help
Desk
Collators
and paper distributors
Creche
Memorial
Service Chaplains
Please
make initial contact with YOUR District’s PA
Wolverhampton
& Shrewsbury admin@wsmethodist.org.uk
Birmingham
office@birminghammethodist.org.uk
Chester
and Stoke chester.stoke@btconnect.com
Be
part of the team that makes The Methodist Conference work!
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Latest Safeguarding Training Dates
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