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

Sent:                               08 September 2021 12:14

To:                                   beckminster@talktalk.net

Subject:                          8/09/2021

 

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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 later this week to Synod members so keep an eye on your inbox. 

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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3Generate News

Dear Colleagues,
We hope you are making the most of a slower pace of life over the summer.  We thought it would be helpful to keep you updated with plans for 3Generate so that you can continue sharing information about the event and encouraging groups to join us in October. 
We were very sad to not be able to meet at 3Generate last year, having to cancel the event was a deep loss. During that time we introduced 365, had some gatherings of young people virtually and explored together what it meant to Tune In to God. We were still able to elect our Youth President online and the good news is that this year we can meet! And we’re over the moon that we can do this!
 
3Gen 2021 is a great chance to deepen relationships and build on the reconnections with children and young people. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet so let’s not wait!  We believe groups will be really excited to meet face to face again and we all know the power of residentials, as a great way of having fun with, and growing relationships with, our children and young people. Experience tells us that residential events can have huge and lasting impact on a child or young person’s faith development too.
 
This year’s theme is ‘In Tune’ - with each other and with God. This includes an exploration of the story of Peter and how he was In Tune with what God was doing at some points in his life—and not in other parts of his life.  There are some brilliant venues in the 3Gen town such as the Theatre Royale, Arts Centre, Town Hall, Health and Wellbeing Centre, The Great Outdoors, marketplace, chapel and arena.  Young people can also explore what faith looks like in our Wilderness space and find out more about experiences of those who find themselves on the margins.
For the first time we are welcoming 4 to 7 year olds in their own designated space on Saturday 30 October, from 10am to 3pm, where they can join in a dynamic and immersive programme of activities designed to aid them in reflecting on faith, life and meeting with God in their own dedicated space, separate to the main 3Generate event.
Through three different ‘zones’ they can choose to explore ‘home’, ‘the outdoors’ and ‘school/nursery’, where there will be plenty of different ways to wonder and ask questions. The programme is flexible and designed so that younger children can make their own choices, exploring the space as they feel led. It’s 3Generate but on a smaller scale!
Each child will need an adult with them for the whole day. They can be accompanied by up to two significant adults, who may be parents, carers, grandparents or others they know well from church. These adults can encourage and support children as they explore all that’s on offer during the day. The venue and programme is intended to be an intergenerational space.
 
There will also be some great chances to celebrate together. From the big light switch on, Friday evening, through the Festival on Saturday night with an international flavour and street entertainment, to the energetic mass worship with Urban Praise Party and up and coming band Echo.  3Generate 2021 promises to be a huge party—celebrating the joy of being together after so long apart. We don’t think anyone would want to miss it!
As we look forward to 3Generate 2021, what is there to support leaders?  As term starts in September, there is still plenty of time for groups to arrange to attend 3Generate—and we, the CYF team, will be there, every step of the way, supporting leaders to bring children and young people to 3Generate.  Some of the ways we are doing this:
 
· District or regional drop-in and find out sessions hosted by District Ambassadors (DA).  If there are limited or no DAs in your region we are keen to arrange a similar event with you.
· Regularly updated website with vital information including FAQs: 3Generate 2021 FAQs (methodist.org.uk)
· 3Generate help desk: 3Generate@methodistchurch.org.uk
· Later booking and the payment deadline extended to 23rd October
· Ability to return up to three tickets by the end of September
· Equipping session for leaders who are bringing groups to 3Generate nearer the time
 
We will offer support and help leaders work out everything they need to bring children and young people to the event, including helping them to identify and mitigate risks.  Would you join us and spread the word about 3Generate in all the regional places and meetings you find yourself in?  There is a flyer attached that we’d ask you to forward to and share as far and wide as possible.  Do make the most of any opportunities available to you at Synod to promote 3Generate, building confidence amongst those who may still be unsure. 
 
For the wider church we’d urge them to volunteer and join the team making the event happen.  There are a whole range of roles for different abilities, ages and skills.  People can volunteer for a day or the whole weekend, there’s plenty of flexibility.  More information can be found here: Volunteering (methodist.org.uk)
 
In this joint endeavour do have conversations with those in your regions working alongside children and young people about coming along to 3Generate this year.  It’s going to be an incredible weekend to remember.  Join us as we continue to pray that God will be at work in mighty and extraordinary ways in the lives of all our children and young people.
 
With every blessing
 
The Children, Youth & Family Team

 

Action for Children News

News for your District from Action for Children

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope in Israel Palestine

Revd. John Howard will be visiting the District on Tuesday 12th October to share his experiences of his time working in Jerusalem.  He has written a book which will be available on the evening and says, “I hope that the book sets out the grounds for hope for a solution to the conflict that has gone on for so long. The first thing that those who look for peace in the land called Holy need, is the belief that a just peace is attainable.” 
The meeting will be chaired by Revd Rachel Parkinson and will be @ 7.30 pm at Beckminster Methodist Church, Birches Barn Road, Wolverhampton, WV2 4PX. 
Please put the date in your diary! 
 

 

 

 

3Generate Q&A session

Over the past couple of months or so I have contacted all the churches in the district that seemed to be offering children and young people's work at the present time and have received some positive responses. I have emailed those people personally to invite them to the below event, but I'm keen to make sure everyone relevant knows about it.
 
As we now have a date for 3Generate and tickets are on sale, we have arranged a Zoom meeting for anyone who is interested to find out more about the event and a representative from Connexion will be attending to answer our questions. 
This event will take place on Friday 10 September from 11-12.
The zoom link is:
 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7711426177
 
 
There will also be an opportunity for children and young people's workers to get to know each other a bit more and just chat about how things are going, what we would like from the group etc, all very informal. 
 
God bless
 
Melody Jones
 
Melody Jones l District Ambassador 3Generate365
 

 

 

Let's Talk - Modern Salvery

Real conversations that make a difference
This event will focus on how to stay safe and protect our children from criminal exploitation, human trafficking and modern slavery.
The Lichfield Diocese Mothers’ Union, Lichfield Cathedral and Transforming Communities Together (TCT) are inviting families from across the Lichfield Diocese to join this ground breaking event.
 
This is a call to action, to gather and to equip!
We are bringing together Lichfield Diocese Mothers’ Union Members, their children and their grandchildren (from 10 years and upwards) at Lichfield Cathedral for two hours to focus on Modern Slavery.
There is power in all generations coming together to discuss this growing issue, that affects all ages. We’ll be sensitively discussing how we might work together to keep our children safe, with the input of the children themselves. This is a unique opportunity to engage with our LDMU members, their families, and the wider church.
We will be blessed with the support of:

  • The Children’s Society
  • West Midlands Police Violence Reduction
  • Blue Bear Coffee company

What will the format be?
It is a call to action, as this event will be centred around the narrative ‘What will you do next?
Everyone in attendance will be working together in family groups to create a plan around their tables.
It will be an engaging interactive session for all attending, with quizzes, talks and art.
 
Why?
With alarming figures reported in April 2021, we must act now. Our children are at risk and we MUST act together to ensure that they are safe.
No matter where we live, there is a real risk. The pandemic has not been kind to many and vulnerable people have been targeted here in the UK. Our children are being groomed into drug criminal gangs in so-called ’county lines’ trafficking, forced begging and shoplifting. The BBC reported recently that a 14-year-old boy was recruited in less than 80 minutes on social media[1].
Reports of sexual and criminal exploitation increased dramatically during the pandemic, new figures from Unseen's Helpline reveal. The data is part of the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline Annual Assessment, a yearly stock take on UK slavery and human trafficking. Despite an overall drop in contacts to the MS Helpline, reports of sexual exploitation were up 25% on the previous year, with nearly a quarter of potential victims being children. Criminal exploitation, meanwhile, was up by 42%, with a fifth of potential victims being minors. 10% of all victims reported overall in 2020 were children, up from 7% in 2019.
 
Need more information?
Please contact info@tctogether.org.uk

 

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.

 

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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