Latest News:
Wellbeing Resources from the Methodist Church
Action for Children News
In case you missed it:
Wesley House centenary Events
Delta Variant Q&A Session
Circuit Finance Administrator vacancy (Birm)
Holiday Club Resources
Homelessness and Housing Conference
Young Evangelist Officer vacancy
District Children's Support Fund

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Methodist Church Wellbeing Resources

I’m taking this opportunity to remind and highlight that The Methodist Church website has information and resources on wellbeing. Wellbeing (methodist.org.uk)
 
What is Wellbeing:
https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/wellbeing/what-is-wellbeing/
 
Wellbeing: the five key elements:
https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/wellbeing/the-five-key-elements/
 
Wellbeing toolkit
https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/wellbeing/wellbeing-toolkit/
 
Positive working together:
https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/wellbeing/positive-working-together/
 
Ministers with ill health:
https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/wellbeing/ministers-with-ill-health/
 
Further advice and information:
https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/wellbeing/further-advice-and-information/
 
 
Specifically I would like to draw you attention to  Positive Working Together.   [1]
This is a training resource that the Learning Network can provide across the region.
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.
Starting from a distinctively Christian standpoint creates an opportunity for individuals associated with the Church to behave in a manner which models the very highest standards of human interaction and relationships. On an everyday basis high standards of behaviour require attention to how individuals communicate with each other, how people are treated, how information is managed and shared and how difference is understood and embraced.
Positive Working Together encourages us to reflect on the importance of the way in which we engage and interact with each other within the life of the church and the wider community.
A key focus of the work is to provide a range of resources that enable leaders, lay and ordained, to be more resilient and better equipped in engaging with and responding positively to situations of transition, change and conflict, and preventing bullying and harassment so that we can model positive working together in the life of the church and wider community.
Positive Working Together is the job of everybody in the Church and the resources found on these pages aim to help everybody play their part.
Further information about having this training in your circuit can be obtained from the Learning Network.
Best Wishes
Geoff
Geoff Bond | Regional Learning & Development Coordinator - LN West Midlands 
The Connexional Team
07799 900486 [Mobile]



 

Action for Children news

Online webinar
Childhood during coronavirus: protecting children from the effects of poverty Action for Children invites you to an online webinar, ‘Childhood during coronavirus: protecting children from the effects of poverty’. It will hold on Wednesday 7 July.

Staff will talk about the impact of the lockdown on families drawing on research in our report, End Childhood Crisis and our campaigning work. They will also explain what they are asking the Government to do and how you can add your voice.  

Click here to sign up: http://bit.ly/Childhood-1

Boycott Your Bed - You can still sign up!
There is still time to sign up to Boycott your Bed on Friday 9 July to raise money for vulnerable children and young people.

We've lined up fun activities to keep the whole family entertained on the night such as: a dance masterclass with Strictly Come Dancing’s Giovanni and Luba; a Very Hungry Caterpillar reading by TV presenter Laura Hamilton, and a Horrible Histories Foul Facts Quiz hosted by actress Jess Hynes.

Every £1 raised will help us support the UK's most vulnerable children and young people. Sign up today at: boycottyourbed.co.uk/faith 

Action for Children Sunday worship materials
Worship materials for this year's Action for Children Sunday on 11 July are now available to download. The theme is ‘Peace within, peace around'.

You'll be pleased to see activities that children can do whether they are worshipping at home or meeting in a church building. Our thanks to Vickie and Chris Heydon-Matterface (Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District) who did an amazing job creating such engaging activities for children of different ages.
    
To download, worship materials visit https://bit.ly/FaithFR     


 

Wesley House Centenary Events

Click here to find attached details of Wesley House Centenary inaugural event For the World: Living Faithfully in Contemporary Cultures running 7-9 July 2021.
Click here for future events we have planned over the forthcoming year.

We hope to be able to welcome you to one of our events and encourage you to register at www.wesleyhouse100.com/centenary-events

With best wishes,

Dan Stow

Delta Variant Q&A session

This session will be led by Dr Masood Ahmed - the Chief Medical Officer at NHS Black Country & West Birmingham CCG, who will present to us and then answer your questions. 
The event will be jointly Chaired by:

• Shaz Akhtar : TCT's Black Country Near Neighbours Coordinator 
• Mohammed Yasin: Senior Development Worker - Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 

Please note: The main session will be recorded, but not the Q&A's.
For more info on TCT, please visit www.tctogether.org.uk - supporting people and communities to thrive and flourish.
Book your FREE place now at https://covid19-delta-strain.eventbrite.co.uk
 

Circuit Finance Administrator vacancy

The Birmingham Methodist Circuit has a vacancy for a Circuit Administrator (Finance)  (25hrs)
Salary is £12.14 - £13.18  per hour, depending on qualifications and experience.
Office base is Selly Oak Methodist Church, B29 6HT.
 We require someone who has the ability to do the following:
The day to day book-keeping for the Circuit.  Payment of bills, expenses and collection of payments due.  Production of draft budget and management accounts and draft end of year accounts.  Any other financial duties required, liaising with and working closely with the Circuit Treasurer.
For more information and an Application form contact Sue Saunderson (Circuit Administrator) at ssaunderson@birminghammethodistcircuit.org.uk
 or download the information from the Circuit website.
http://birminghammethodistcircuit.org.uk/index.php?page=vacancies
Closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 2^nd July 2021. 
Interviews will be held on Monday 12^th July 2021

Holiday Club Resources

Are your churches planning a Holiday Club this year?
If so, you may have some concerns about how to do so in a post-COVID world, even with social distancing measures and restrictions relaxed, there will no doubt still be obstacles to navigate. I’m writing to let you know we’ve released an online resource which we hope will be invaluable to local churches organising IN-PERSON events across the UK – Virtual Holiday Club!
Virtual Holiday Club is an online resource featuring dramatized bible stories, crafts, songs, games and competitions.  Streamed live on YouTube from Monday 9^th – Friday 13^th August, our virtual holiday club is available to watch for FREE from home or your church building.
Following the success of last year’s VHC (which over 15,000 children and families tuned in to – you can check out a highlight reel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i80WXJY4qgI ) we’re bringing it back bigger and better than ever, but this year we’re looking to partner with local churches for IN-PERSON events.
We have designed a church pack full of all the information and details you will need to run a local holiday club alongside Virtual Holiday Club. The pack is £15 and is available to download from our website https://www.virtualsundayschooluk.com/products/virtual-holiday-club-church-pack– you can even get a shoutout for your church LIVE on the show!
Virtual Holiday Club has been designed by the team at 4Front Theatre. We are a charity that aims to produce shows and performances that are entertaining and thought-provoking for people of all ages, yet ultimately, we exist to create theatre that puts faith at the 4front.
During the past year we have also produced Virtual Sunday School, a free weekly resource available for free on our YouTube Channel, we now have over 6K subscribers and our videos receive over 1k views each week.  Check out our YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMu2bG8L2dp7ywUZVa9uXDA
We look forward to you joining us as a church this year for Virtual Holiday Club!
Every Blessing,
Lydia
 
Lydia Martin
Operations Assistant
4Front Theatre
 

Homelessness and Housing Half Day Conference

The Conference will kick off with a keynote speech on "Partnership Working" from Kathy Mohan the CEO of Housing Justice. We will then have a series of spotlight interviews on making the connections in our place, working with local authorities, co-production, getting started and praying with vision, followed by a Networking 1 to 1 and a resources exhibition. 
 
After a short break we will be joined by Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, the newly appointed Bishop for Housing who will unpack some of the key theological foundations and recommendations from the Archbishop`s Commission. We will then choose a workshop to follow up some of the learning from the first session, have another Networking 1 to 1 and move into regional get-togethers to discuss how we progress the actions that arise from the Conference.
 
Kathy will bring a final response and we will close with an Act of Commitment.
 
It would be wonderful if you could be with us on the day and please pass on the details of this conference to your relevant contacts and networks. Please register on the link below to be with us on 7 July.
 
When: Jul 7, 2021 10:00 AM London
Please register for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ocuGuqj0jHdIlzLOQyZzjOH9DbHC1jRmW
 
God bless
Ian
 
Rev. Ian Rutherford  
City Centre Minister  
Methodist Central Hall, Manchester  

Young Evangelist Officer Vacancy at Cliff College

Cliff College, located in the Peak District, has been training people in evangelism and mission since 1903. Today it continues in its mission to equip the church in evangelism and mission through a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, a wide selection of short courses, an annual Festival, partnerships with other institutions globally and churches locally and a busy conference centre and leisure business.
Cliff is now seeking to appoint to the new role of Young Evangelism Officer within its Evangelism and Mission team. This will be a key role at Cliff College but will also have significant responsibilities within the Methodist Church’s Evangelism and Growth team. This is an exciting time in both organisations as the College is about to launch Vision 21, a strategy that takes the College on a journey to become a global centre of evangelism and mission, and Methodism continues to implement its God for All strategy, that commits the Church theologically, culturally, and financially to deepen its mission to be a growing, evangelistic, justice-seeking, and inclusive Church.
This collaborative role will focus on evangelism amongst the young in a variety of contexts and we are looking for someone who:
• is an effective communicator of the Gospel
• is passionate about encouraging, developing and supporting young Christians
• has experience of working with young people, in a missional role or as an evangelist
• has a heart for mission and evangelism
• is willing to play a key role in the life of Cliff College and the Methodist Church
If this is you then please contact the Michelle Foulkes for more information or download the details from our website: https://cliffcollege.ac.uk/news-events/hiring-young-evangelism-officer
Salary: £30,000
Closing date: 12 noon on Monday 28 June 2021
Interviews: Monday 12 July 2021
Applications are welcomed on a College application form or through a CV with covering letter, outlining suitability for the criteria required.
For more information or to arrange an informal conversation about this post please contact Michelle at m.foulkes@cliffcollege.ac.uk or 01246 584200.

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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