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District
Resources for Racial Justice Sunday
“Who is
my neighbour? What is my Calling?”
The District is producing resources to mark Racial Justice Sunday
thanks to the work of Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI)
advisers Rev’d Molly Chitokwindo and Liz Dean. A full
service of worship will be available on Youtube for churches and
Circuits to adopt in its entirety. Separate elements of the
service will also be made available for those who would like to
incorporate these into their own planned act of worship.
Please contact Richard at admin@wsmethodist.org.uk to find
out what will be on offer and to register to receive various
elements as they become available.
Many people from across the District will be taking part.
The address will be delivered by the Rev’d Dr Paul Nzacahayo and
a reflection on the way forward for the Church will be offered by
Dr Rachel Starr, a member of the Wolverhampton Circuit and Tutor
in Biblical Studies at the Queen’s Foundation.
Materials will be available by the end of the month. Separate
resources from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI)
should also be available from the end of January on their website
https://ctbi.org.uk
Racial Justice Sunday is normally observed on the second Sunday
in February. With this being Valentine’s Day this year, we
recognised that some churches may wish to move this to Feb
7th. However what matters more than the specific date is
that churches recognise and reflect upon God’s call to racial
justice within the context of worship.
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Lockdown
Letters
"Lockdown
Letters" were originally written as weekly pieces, sent to
friends and acquaintances during the first five months of the
national lockdown, following the spread of the global COVID19
virus in March 2020. Personal reflections on the positive and
negative effects of the lockdown, the letters are a kind of
commentary on this strange time which has the potential to change
our lives, society and the world, for years to come. Price £6.50.
Profits from sales of 'Lockdown Letters' will be equally divided
between Medical Aid for Palestinians and The Fund for Human Need,
a small, effective Methodist charity. Copies can be obtained from
Warren at w.bardsley39@btinternet.com
or 01543 255292.
This is a limited print run. There will be a small discount on
orders of five copies or more.
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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.
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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
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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
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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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