From:                              Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District Office [admin@wsmethodist.org.uk]

Sent:                               13 January 2021 12:52

To:                                   beckminster@talktalk.net

Subject:                          13/01/2021

 

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Latest News:

New "God is with us" grants
New Appreciative Inquiry Training Session
BBC casting opportunity
Prayer Relay Day
Breast Screening Webinar
In case you missed it:
Fresh Expressions FX Multiplier
District Children's Support Fund update

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New round of "God is with us" grants

Every Circuit responded to the District invitation to bless their communities at Christmas through the availability of small grants and 27 different projects were enabled.  In this short video https://youtu.be/KDYwJ3Diu7I a sample of these are celebrated and a new round of grants is launched to coincide with Valentines Day, Thinking Day and Mothering Sunday.  Anyone with a creative, missional idea which will bless people on the fringes of, or beyond the usual congregation* can apply for a grant of up to £150 with the agreement of the Superintendent Minister.  Grants are limited to 3 per Circuit.  It’s essential that activity does not breach lockdown restrictions nor increase chances of Coronavirus transmission but, with careful planning, much may still be achieved.  
Click here for a grant form.
 
*We recognise the huge importance of offering support and pastoral care to Church members and recognise the value of the work that is being done across the District .  However these grants invite churches and Circuits to go beyond that. 
 

 

New Appreciative Inquiry Training Session

We know that life at the moment is far from routine, and that the idea of signing up to explore something new, whilst also balancing a number of other tasks, might not be your first thought today. But we hope that the 2-hour training session that we are offering as an introduction to Appreciative Inquiry will provide you with a range of tools and skills that will be a positive influence on your work and ministry, particularly at this time of adaptation and ever-changing normals.
 
Used by an array of organisations, from the British Red Cross to American Express, Appreciative Inquiry is an approach to developing a culture, as well as a set of strategic tools, which encourages building on your existing strengths, rather than focusing on what you don’t have. It formed the basis of the ‘Our Church’s Future Story’ resource, and in our current climate, offers accessible and user-friendly tools to analyse what has been working well, and then building on those positives to strategically plan for both the short-term and/or long-term future.
 
The 2-hour session, which will take place online, offers an informal and accessible introduction to the theory of Appreciative Inquiry, while also providing practical suggestions to positively influence your work and ministry.
 
It is open to all members of the Methodist Church in the West Midlands region, and is something that you may wish to attend either on your own, or as part of a leadership group. The session will be run twice, with both a daytime and evening session available to allow for flexible working hours. Please feel free to share this invitation with others who you think would be interested.
 
Please let me know if you have any questions about the sessions. Places can be booked using the Eventbrite link below.
 
Tuesday 9th February, 10am-12noon
Wednesday 10th February, 7pm-9pm
 
https://abriefintrotoai.eventbrite.co.uk
 
God bless you
 
Jon Pedley | Regional Learning & Development Officer - West Midlands

 

BBC Casting Opportunity




I'm Imani and I work on the Casting team for Workerbee, a production company based in Manchester. 
Recently, we have been commissioned by the BBC to develop a faith-based documentary which celebrates and explores how Christians mark some of life's biggest moments. 
 
We are interested in speaking to people from all denominations of Christianity who are currently reaching milestone; newborn dedication, child's coming of age or end of life preparations for a beloved family member. Or any unique groups, ceremonies or practices that aren't commonly known about e.g Pathfinders, pastoral ordinations, baptism's, etc. 
 
We would like your help in spreading the word and sharing the flyers attached in hopes of reaching anyone who would be interested in taking part. 
It's great opportunity to represent and educate others on their religion in a way that celebrates its differences. 
 
If this is of any interest, please get in touch or forward to 
faith.casting@wbtv.uk  
 
Kindest Regards, 
Imani x
 

 

Prayer Relay Day

SUNDAY 17TH JANUARY 2021

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will hear you.”    Jeremiah 29:12
Let us join together this day in praying, calling out to God for the current pandemic situation.
Pray when you can.  When you finish, someone else will still be praying!!
For those with Zoom access, join together to pray as well at 8.00 am, 2.00 pm or 7.30 pm
Others may want to telephone someone at these times and pray together down the phone!
You may want to pray for:-

  • Those currently poorly at home or in hospital
  • All those in the NHS caring for them
  • Distribution of the vaccine
  • God’s intervention in all areas of the pandemic

We are inviting you and anyone else that you wish to invite to join in with a Prayer Relay that will start at 8am and finish at 8pm.
The idea is that every half an hour from start to finish someone will be praying, and that on the hour and half hour for 12 hours the ‘Torch of prayer’ will pass like a baton in a relay race from one person, or group of people to another throughout the day.
The devastating impact that the Coronavirus has had and that now seems to be getting more and more severe, is a real concern and we want you to join us in praying that God will intervene and suppress the virus in the UK. We want to pray for all those affected by this pandemic and for those who are working in the NHS and other key workers.
We think that it would be great if a National Day of Prayer was organised and we are still hoping that someone high up in the Church or in Government will call for this to happen soon, but in the interim this is our attempt to show God our real concerns, and by doing this Prayer Relay your prayers will be joined with others of the same mind.
We are having 3 Zoom sessions at 8am, 2pm and 7.30pm to allow people to pray together, and individuals who want to join in are also being given specific half hour slots to pray. If you want to join in the Zoom meetings you will need to use the Meeting ID of 221 989 9073 and the Password is Gordon
If you wish to be allocated a specific slot then email Mike on Timbine@hotmail.com and either specify a time or have one allocated to you. Thanks  

 

 

Breast Screening Webinar

My name is Monizah Mockbill and I am an interim Health Promotion Representative at the Dudley, Wolverhampton and South West Staffordshire Breast Screening services. I am emailing in regards to spreading awareness and promoting the National Breast Screening Services among women between the ages of 50-70.
 
Screening guidelines have been in place since 2003 but uptake by at-risk women is lower than we might expect. This means that some are missing out on the opportunity to detect breast cancer at an early stage when cure rates are high.
 
We have identified that this is the case for certain focus groups and that could be due to the lack of information surrounding the programme. In an attempt to overcome this issue, we require a collaborative approach with community leaders to help spread awareness, by promoting our services to enable women to make an informed decision.
 
I would like to kindly request if you could promote (to your community) our upcoming webinar which will take place on 8th March 2021 at 12.30pm. This will be an online conference which aims to project the main core values of the programme and the importance of detecting breast cancer early. We aim to armour women with knowledge and information required for them to make an informed decision about attending a breast screening invitation. 
 
I would appreciate if you could kindly confirm your participation, so that I can send you the information required to promote and access the zoom webinar.
 
With the upmost regards
 
Monizah Mockbill
Interim Health Promotion Representative/Mammographer
 
 

 

Fresh Expressions FX Multiplier

In February, the District will be piloting the new FX Multiplier scheme for those who hope to start a Fresh Expression of church or would like some encouragement with an existing FX.
 
I am really excited to bring you this opportunity to collaborate with other FX leaders, teams and pioneers from across the country.
 
Let me tell you the main points of the scheme…

  • FX Multiplier aims to give a focus for missional energy.
  • It is open to any teams who want to start, or who already lead and would like to build up a Fresh Expression community.
  • A team can be made up of a minimum of 2 people, lay, volunteer or ordained, it is open for all.
  • All members of the team are invited to attend the FX Multiplier launch event on February 3rd at 7.30pm on Zoom, where Michael Moynagh, Simon Goddard and I will further explain the scheme. (Teams will be placed into breakout rooms for conversation so it’s important that at least 2 of you attend).
  • We will be creating a community of practice for you to encourage one another, pray together and swap tips and ideas. Initially this will be for local teams with the view of feeding into a wider national group as the scheme progresses. This will meet twice a year.
  • The scheme is centred around the Godsend app which is free to download. By using the model of listening, loving, building community, sharing Jesus and building church, and repeating the cycle, you can monitor progress and learn at your own pace.
  • Free coaching will be made available to any teams who run into difficulties or get stuck along the way.

 
I would like to encourage you to pray and ask God if this is the right path for you, particularly in regard to how you may reach new people with the Good News of Jesus. If you feel that this is something that you would like to join or simply explore with other like-minded people then we would love to have you with us. Don’t worry, you don’t have to have it all sorted for Feb 3rd, come along with your team and explore the possibilities...
 
Please do let me know if you are interested and available to join us on the 3rd. February at 7.30pm and I will send you the joining details for the launch event and answer any questions in the meantime.
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Every blessing
 
Jo Yair
 

 

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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