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

Sent:                               19 August 2021 16:02

To:                                   beckminster@talktalk.net

Subject:                          19/08/2021

 

Latest News:
Representative session of Synod, Saturday 18th September.
Photographers invited:
Climate Walk
Opportunity for Training
Journey of the Magi

In case you missed it:
Gender, Church and Culture Conference
Give Thanks Appeal
Lay Conference 21 - more details
School and Community Outreach Worker vacancy
Stories of Change: Hope, Faith and Love
School Lay Worker vacancy
COP 26 walk
3Generate comes to Brum
District Children's Support Fund

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District Office
Richard will not be in the District office for a while due to a family bereavement. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. 

 

Representative Session of Synod, Saturday 18th September
Synod will once again be held on Zoom between the hours of 9.30am and 3.30pm.  Amongst other things the Youth President, Phoebe Parkin, will be joining us to reflect on her year in office.
A full agenda will be sent out in early September.  Meanwhile Synod members are alerted to the email sent out last week inviting nominations for District Representatives to the Conference of 2022.  The Synod will be electing two ministers (presbyter or deacon); one deacon and one lay person.  The nomination form sent out with the email needs to be returned by 31st August.  For any queries please contact the Synod Secretary, Andrew Beattie, synsec28@gmail.com

Photographers invited: God’s World - Our District Home

At Synod on September 18th we’ll welcome Phoebe Parkin to reflect on her year as Methodist Youth President.  Phoebe’s theme was “God’s World, Our Home”.  In the District we’d like to make a short video for use at Synod which can then be used in Harvest Festivals or for churches having a “Climate Sunday”.  We’re looking for photographs that celebrate God’s amazing creativity in your home location, covering both urban and rural locations.  Please send any photos to the Chair at chair@wsmethodist.org.uk by 11th September with a note of your name and where the photo is taken.  Thank you.
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Walkers invited:  Climate Walk - Wolverhampton to Birmingham
 
Next week (Thursday 26th August) a small group from the District will walk from Wolverhampton into Birmingham as part of the Young Christian Climate Network (YCCN) Relay to COP26.  The relay started in Cornwall and will arrive in Glasgow in time for the international summit on Climate Change.  The YCCN are inviting Christians of all ages to join them and “Rise to the Moment” to send a powerful message to international leaders.
There are two options for this walk.  You can either start in central Wolverhampton at 9.15am for a walk of roughly 15 miles along the canal.  The other option is to join at Smethwick Galton Bridge at 2.30pm for a 5 mile walk into the City Centre.  You’ll be responsible for your own travel back from Birmingham.
There’s still time to join….please contact Lesley Cook of the Wolverhampton Circuit lesleyvcook@btinternet.com

 

2 opportunities for training:
 
2-4th September: A three day training course on Media Literacy in a Digital Age. We’ll be exploring all things from the digital revolution to communication online, from social media to crisis comms, from ritual online to digital futures. We’re taking online students (£100 per day) or onsite student including lunch and refreshments (£120 per day). Sign up here: http://spurgeons.ac.uk/medialit-course
 
MA in Digital Theology Taster Session, 3rd August, 7.30pm – Come and explore the first steps in taking an MA in Digital. Hear from one of our tutors, from students, from admin staff. You could start your training towards a Masters Degree (online or onsite) this September! To book for the Taster Course: https://bit.ly/Aug3TasterMADT
 
Also please remember to think about including everyone in your new vision for a post-Pandemic Church. Take a look at the Hybrid Church Charter: http://premierdigi.info/charter
 

 

Journey of the Magi – a festive, light-hearted, joyful event with a moving and profound message. 

Following a sell-out year in 2019, Journey of the Magi is back, for churches to host for Advent 2021. Share the joy and wonder of Christmas with your church and local community through this exhilarating, critically acclaimed performance. The show offers a bridge between contemporary life and Jesus’s birth, comparing our own personal journey to Christmas day with the journey that the wise men took. With sparkle and songs to keep the children entertained and bags of good humour for the grown-ups, Journey of the Magi delights audiences of all ages and offers a chance to reflect and refocus.

“Absolutely fabulous show. Wonderful mix of fun, wit, and meaning. It made me laugh and it made me cry all in a couple of minutes. (Hope you'll come back.)”  Richard, Poynton Methodist Church

Springs is inviting churches to host a performance of Journey of the Magi, which we are planning to tour nationally in December 2021. If the tour cannot go ahead due to Covid-19, bookings will be postponed until Advent 2022 or will be fully refunded .

Further information can be found on the Springs Dance Company website page https://springsdancecompany.org.uk/productions/journey-of-the-magi/, by emailing touring@springsdancecompany.org.uk or by calling 07876 752 910

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Gender, Church and Culture Conference

 

“Can a person choose their gender?”
“Is gender established at creation or constructed by society?”
“Is gender a binary thing or is it a spectrum?”
These are just some of the many questions increasingly faced by every one of us in Britain in 2021. Understanding the complexity of those questions and offering both theological and pastoral responses is something churches will not be able to avoid for much longer.
We need to be able to critically engage with our culture, seeking to understand what is ‘going on’ in the world we live amongst, but also to think through our theology, seeking to understand what the Bible does (and doesn’t) say about these issues.
The Theology Network invite you to join with Christian leaders from across the Midlands at a two-day conference to explore the issue of gender fluidity with the help of two experts in this field.

 

 

Guest speakers

Dr Elaine Storkey is a Christian feminist, philosopher, sociologist and theologian who has published and taught widely on gender-related issues for over thirty years as well as working extensively in broadcasting, including being a regular contributor to Radio 4’s “Thought for the Day”.
Dr Ian Paul is an ordained Church of England minister, lecturer and theologian who runs psephizo.com, one of the most widely read Christian leadership blogs in the country, in which he has repeatedly engaged in gender-related issues over many years.
Both Elaine and Ian are informed academics who are also heavily involved in the church. It’s hard to think of two better people to have help us with these questions.
 

Conference format

The conference will take place over two days on Friday 15th October – Saturday 16th October 2021 at Chawn Hill Church, Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, DY9 7JD.
Friday 15th October
Time: 12pm-4:30pm and 7pm-9:30pm
Friday will include teaching sessions which focus on understanding where we’ve got to in culture, how we’ve got there and the issues facing the church.
Saturday 16th October
Time: 9:30am–4pm
Saturday will include teaching sessions that focus on the biblical anthropology of gender and what we can really say about these questions from a Christian perspective.
Both days will include panel sessions with Elaine and Ian where we will delve deeper into asking and discussing key questions around the issue of gender fluidity.

 


Questions being explored

Gender fluidity is a huge area of study and we only have two days to look at it. Therefore, attendees will be asked to send in their questions ahead of time to ensure that we address the real issues people are currently facing. Specific questions that will be covered include:

  • Is gender something we can choose?
  • Is gender essentialised (are we, with very few exceptions, either male or female) or is it a spectrum?
  • Is gender something established in creation or something constructed by society?
  • If men and women are created different, is it just about biology and reproductive systems?
  • What are the theological and pastoral implications of transgenderism?

 

Who can attend?

The heart behind the conference is to serve the church by providing a safe place to explore this highly emotive issue with sensitivity and with the help of knowledgeable academic and theological experts.
The conference is open to anyone with an interest in this topic, however we strongly recommend church leaders, youth and children’s workers and church staff teams to book in and join us.
Whatever your opinion on the subject, we aim to provide a helpful and constructive environment in which to wrestle with this issue and develop well-informed and gracious responses to key questions about gender fluidity.

 

 

 

Book your place

Advance booking is essential and can be done online by clicking here.
In order to make the conference accessible to as many people as possible, there are multiple booking options:

  • Whole conference – £40 
  • Friday all day (12-4:30pm & 7-9:30pm) – £25
  • Saturday all day (9:30-4pm) – £25 
  • Friday afternoon (12-4:30pm) – £15 
  • Friday evening (7-9:30pm) – £10

Lunch will be provided on both days and is included in the price unless otherwise specified.
Place are limited so we recommend you book in ASAP to secure a space.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Many thanks,
 
Adrian Lowe and Tim Murray
On behalf of the Theology Network.

 

 

 

 

Lay Conference 2021

Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District in partnership with Lichfield Diocese
 
Lay Conference Detail
Title;               Discipleship Today – Being and Doing
Date;              Saturday 4th December 2021
Time;              10.00am – 4.00pm
Venue;            Yarnfield Park Conference and Training Centre, Yarnfield near Stone, Staffordshire
Cost;               £20.00 per person
Programme
09.30 – 10.00                      Arrival
10.00 – 10.20                      Welcome and Worship
10.20 – 11.15                      Bible Study / Reflection on Discipleship - Revd Rachel Parkinson
11.15 – 11.35                      Coffee Break
11.35 – 13.00                      Keynote Address – Revd. Roger Walton
13.00 – 14.00                      Lunch
14.00 – 14.40                      Round 1 workshops
14.40 – 14.50                      Movement
14.50 – 15.30                      Round 2 workshops
15.30 – 15.45                      Summing up – Bishop Michael
15.45 – 16.00                      Closing Worship
16.00                                   Departure
 
Workshop Leader and Title
Roger Walton – Discipleship – Following a rule for life
Andrew Roberts – Discipleship and Forgiveness
Dr Lindsey Hall – Discipleship and Change     
Helen Morby – Discipleship and Joy

Click here for more details and here.
For more background information, click here
For booking forms, click here.

 

School and Community Outreach Worker Opportunity

Berkswich Methodist Church (Stafford Circuit) wish to appoint a part time Schools and Community Outreach Worker
*  20hrs per week
*  £11.25 per hour
*  Application deadline 3 September 2021
*  Interviews to be held during last week of September
 
Berkswich Methodist Church has employed a Schools Worker over the past 12 years and we wish to maintain and build on this work, developing the relationship between the six primary schools with whom we work and the church.
 
 We are also looking to find new ways of taking church out of the building and into the community so that people may understand what a relationship with God can mean in their lives and come to faith. 
 
The Schools and Community Outreach worker will work in the schools delivering assemblies, lunchtime Bible clubs, celebrating the Christian festivals and being a Christian presence for both staff and pupils. The outreach work in the community looks to find new ways of being church in the community and having soft conversations about faith with those unsure about stepping over the threshold of the church building.
 
If you would like to have an informal chat about the position do call Jean Harrison, Berkswich lay pastor on 01785 661263 and to request an application form.
 

 

Stories of Change: Hope, Faith and Love

Saturday 4 September to Sunday 3 October 2021
The Methodist Modern Art Collection will be displayed as an Art Trail across churches in Coventry and Nuneaton for City of Culture. The trail exists of carefully selected works, providing unique moments of healing and contemplation. You can view the Art Trail on selected days from Saturday 4 September to Sunday 3 October 2021. For more information and timings for each church, please visit www.methodist.org.uk/cityofculture
 
#HopeFaithLove

There is also a circuit Facebook group regarding this art trail: https://www.facebook.com/groups/storiesofchangehopefaithandlove
 

 

School Lay Worker Vacancy

The Telford Methodist Circuit
seeks to appoint a School Lay Worker  at the (Methodist/ Anglican controlled) John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School

  • 7 hours per week term time only (plus pro-rota holiday pay)
  • Pay Range £9:70 to £11.45 per hour
  • Application deadline: Monday 7th September
  • Interviews will be held during the second half of September

 
The Telford Methodist Circuit is seeking a person to work within our Anglican/ Methodist School  to help support the Christian ethos of the school. This will involve engaging with staff and pupils on a variety of activities including corporate worship, after school clubs, supporting lessons (in particularly leading up to the main Christian festivals), pastoral care, etc. The person appointed will also help to encourage Methodist support for the school and help the school to understand its Methodist Heritage.
 
This appointment is for a 12 month fixed term in the first instance and then depending upon funding.
 
For further information and an informal chat prior to application please ring:
Brian Oakley 01952 510546
 

 

COP 26 District Walk

Date for your diary: Thursday 26th August 2021

District Event. A Tributary Walk is being organised from Wolverhampton to Birmingham City Centre, along the Birmingham Mainline Canal towpath, a distance of about 14 miles. This would be to raise awareness of Climate Change issues as we walk to meet up with the main YCCN Relay to COP 26 in Glasgow, who are resting in Birmingham that week. (Take a look at the YCCN website to learn more) We will leave at around 9.30 am and arrive at around 3.30 pm, with a toilet/lunch stop at Tipton. You can make your way home independently by train or tram

 

I would be grateful for expressions of interest: please let me know if you wish to take part, by sending your name, mobile phone number and email address. Please also let me know If you would be willing to be a group leader or group back marker. We are particularly in need of a FIRST AIDER. Lesley Cook lesleyvcook@btinternet.com 07840128510

If you feel that 14 miles is too far for you, you might wish to do a shorter walk from Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station; arriving in to Birmingham at a similar time. It is around 5 miles and takes about 2 hours. We would need a leader, back marker and first aider for this too, so PLEASE GET IN TOUCH.

 

3Generate comes to Brum!

Calling all Junior Church leaders, Youth and Children's workers and Ministers. 3 Generate (for 8 -23 year olds) is happening this year, at the NEC, Birmingham, October 29-31. Tickets are on sale now. Please go to the 3 Generate pages on the Methodist Church website for more details. Volunteers will be needed too.

 

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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