West Midlands Mayoral
Accountability Assembly 2024
On the evening of Thursday 25th April, amidst celebrating our
diversity with powerful testimonies, communities from across our
membership will come together to put specific asks directly
to Andy
Street (Conservative candidate) and Richard Parker (Labour
candidate) on our priorities for Housing, Safety and Work.
This
is not a public hustings event. We will publish
written responses to our priorities received by all candidates on
our website as well email them out to everyone on our mailing
list.
Our priorities have been developed by our membership over the
course of the past 18 months through listening events, workshops
and local action. We are seeking a 2-way accountable relationship
with whoever becomes the next Mayor of the West Midlands.
If you are from a member organisation or have received this
specific invitation as a guest, join us then for what will be a
moving evening of communities acting together for the common good
and social justice.
For more information and to register your place, please visit:
https://actionnetwork.org/events/25april2024
Arrangements are being made to arrange a coach to take attendees
from the Wolverhampton area to the Mayoral Assembly in
Birmingham. If anyone is interested in attending the event, they
should register via the link and contact me: Eddy Aigbe at ccorganiser@wsmethodist.org.uk
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Bible Month Study Day
Kidderminster
& Stourport Circuit
Are
you doing Bible Month on Genesis this year?
A special Study
Day on Genesis, the Bible Month book for 2024,
has been organised by Kidderminster & Stourport Circuit’s
LP&WL Meeting:
Saturday
4 May
at
Trinity
Methodist Church Centre, Churchfields, Kidderminster DY10 2JL
10.00
for 10.30 – 15.00
[Tea
& Coffee provided – please bring your own packed lunch!]
Open to the Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury and Birmingham
Districts, this study day will be led by Dr Andrew Mein, Director
of Research at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham.
Whilst aimed primarily at preachers, the day will be of interest
to those leading the study of Genesis in small groups – and to
anyone who wants to get to grips with the pivotal first book of
our Bible!
The venue is a 15 minute walk from Kidderminster railway station
and also has ample free parking on site. There’s a map on
the church web site: trinitymethodistkidderminster.org.uk
To reserve a place on Saturday 4 May, please contact:
Mike
Dernie
Secretary
Local Preachers & Worship Leaders’ Meeting
Kidderminster & Stourport Methodist Circuit
Email:
mikedernie@aol.com
Tel.
01299 400284
The Kidderminster & Stourport Circuit will be having themed
preaching on Genesis throughout October 2024.
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Saltley Trust
Grass-Root Grants
Could St
Peter’s Saltley Trust help support your bright idea?
We’re dedicating a third of our annual grants budget to fund grass-roots
projects being developed by individual local churches, schools or
colleges (or small local partnerships of these).
Grants are available for new
work which is creative, innovative, experimental and exploratory
in nature, and focused upon either:
- Religion
(particularly Christianity) in school education
- Religious
literacy, church-college partnerships and spiritual
development in Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges
- Christian
learning and discipleship within church and community
settings
We particularly
want to support the development and trialling of new initiatives
which could become the model or inspiration for work elsewhere.
For more detail on funding priorities and eligibility criteria,
see: www.saltleytrust.org.uk/what-we-support/.
You can also contact: director@saltleytrust.org.uk
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Bible Month Training
Day
Just a reminder that there are still places to book and attend
the Bible Month training day, either from home or at the hub at
Trinity Methodist Church Codsall. To book a place go to https://BM24-Training.eventbrite.co.uk.
Please pass this on to any others you think may be interested in
this. I believe sales close on the 15th March
though, so only a few days left for anyone wanting to join the
session.
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Pioneer Children and
Families Worker needed
Do you
love working with children and families? Do you have the passion,
patience and commitment to help them develop their faith? Could
you nurture them in their spirituality through interesting and
exciting activities, discussions and worship? If so, this role
could be what you are looking for.
We are seeking a full-time Pioneer Children & Families
Worker. Responsibilities include
· Working
with under 11’s (with a possibility of working with 11 – 18 year
olds) and their families
·
Initiating and leading schools based work and outreach into the
community
·
Developing appropriate activities and forms of worship for
families
·
Developing work with volunteers enthusiastically and inspiring
them
We are a welcoming and inclusive church with a toddler group,
uniformed organisations and a Sunday School. Could this be you?
If so please get in touch. Warley Woods Methodist Church. Contact
details https://www.warleywoodsmethodistchurch.co.uk/
or email warleywoods6@gmail.com)
Closing date 12 noon, Saturday 6 April 2024
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Synod Secretary and
Spring Synod
The
Rev’d Margaret Eales has decided to step down from her role as
Secretary to the Representative Session of Synod. The
District is so grateful to Margaret for her generosity in
stepping into this position and for all that she has contributed
in the last 18 months. The Assistant Secretary, Rev’d
George Heinz, will be taking the lead in arrangements for the
Spring session to be held in person at Oswestry Methodist
Church on 20th April.
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Pity of War
How did
Pity of War start?
Joyce Gee, a local Quaker, was a child during the Blitz. Her
neighbours were killed by a direct hit during a bombing raid.
As an adult she visited the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) and
noticed there were no memorials to the millions of civilian
victims of war.
Her concern soon grew and a working group was set up. The group
approached the NMA who put them in touch with an internationally
renowned sculptor, Peter Walker, as he had also approached the
NMA with a similar idea. The group set up a secular charitable
trust and commissioned Peter to produce a memorial. The two metre
work has now been installed at the NMA and awaits its formal
unveiling.
How
big is the problem?
Although the total numbers of people killed in wars has fallen
over time, the civilian proportion of those has risen. It is
estimated that civilians now account for some 9 out of 10 deaths
from war.
Since 9/11, it is estimated that wars have accounted for:
- over 900,000
direct civilian deaths
- more than 4.5
million indirect deaths
- about 38 million
displaced people
The
human cost—physical, psychological, and emotional—is huge,
overall.
Where
else have Pity of War maquettes been displayed?
Several maquettes have been made. Some have been put on permanent
display, and others have been exhibited temporarily in a variety
of countries and locations.
Permanent displays are at:
British Embassies in Dubai & Paris
Cathedrals in Chester, Liverpool and
Sheffield
University Church, Oxford
City of Limburg an der Lahn, Germany
Basilica of Saint Mary, Minnesota, USA
The
National Memorial Arboretum
Is part of, but separate from, the Royal British Legion. It aims
to ensure that the contribution of those who have served and
sacrificed is never forgotten.
It consists of a 150-acre site at Alrewas in Staffordshire, about
halfway between Lichfield and Burton-upon-Trent. There are over
400 memorials among 25,000 trees and parkland there.
More at www.thenma.org.uk
How to
support us
Donations can be made
- online via the
website
- via PayPal
- via JustGiving
- via BACS transfer
Reliance Bank
a/c name ‘Pity of War’
sort code 60-01-73
a/c number 00219664
If you can, why not add Gift Aid?
This adds
25% to what we receive at no extra cost to you
You can
download a Gift Aid form from the website, on the ‘Support us’
page
A note
on Gift Aid
Please notify us if you:
• change your name or address whilst this declaration is still in
force
• wish to cancel this declaration
• no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains
Pity of War Charitable Trust
HMRC Charities reference number: ZD05274
Education
and outreach
The charitable trust has established an educational sub-group.
Now the memorial has been funded and installed, they are
beginning to work on a strategy to support their educational
aims.
Prior to the pandemic, members of the group had worked with some
local schools to test out some approaches to this work.
They aim to encourage children to develop empathy for civilians
caught up in wars and to express their feelings about this using
a variety of techniques.
There
is a sensitive balance to be struck between raising awareness
that war is not like a video game, but involves much human
suffering on the one hand, and not unduly distressing the
youngsters, on the other.
Pity of War is
a charitable trust whose aim is to raise awareness of the impact
of war on civilians.
Sadly, as we are currently seeing in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Gaza
and other parts of the world, civilians are bearing a heavy load
from the many wars currently active.
Pity of War has two aims:
• to publicise the recently installed two-metre high monument to
the memory of civilian victims of war at the National Memorial
Arboretum.
• to find and host resources to help educate people, especially
children and young people, about the impact of war on civilians.
More information on our website:-pityofwar.org
‘Pity of War’
Ludlow Methodist
Church
52, Broad Street, SY8 1NH
18th to 23rd March
10.30am to 1.30pm
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West Midlands URC
Synod Communications Officer needed
Part-time, home-based
10
hours/week, starting salary £15/hour (£27,300 pro rata)
Apply
using our application form below
Are you a great communicator with excellent English, experience
and knowledge of website design and social media platforms? We
are seeking someone who can identify a good news story to promote
digitally. You will manage our social media feeds, help to
replace the current Synod website with an iChurch website
(based on WordPress). We need someone with initiative to gather
news from various church sources and colleagues and who will take
responsibility for a monthly Synod e-newsletter. You will liaise
with Synod Officers, local church contacts and the United
Reformed Church Communications team.
Application deadline: Thursday 21 March 2024
Shortlisting: Tuesday 26 March 2024
Interviews: Tuesday 16 April 2024
If you have any questions, or would like the information to be
emailed to you, please contact Lindsay Peniston at the Synod
Office on 0121 783 1177 or by email to moderatorspa@urcwestmidlands.org.uk (Mon-Thurs,
9am-4pm).
Terms
and conditions
The hours may be worked flexibly but will necessarily include
some evening and weekend working. The post will be home based,
but some attendance at the Synod Office will be necessary. The
successful postholder will have the right to live and work in the
UK.
Suitable IT hardware and software will be provided by the Synod.
Administrative and secretarial support is provided at the Synod
Office.
West Midlands Synod Office, Digbeth-in-the-Field URC, Moat Lane,
Yardley, Birmingham B25 1TW
Tel: 0121 783 1177. https://www.urcwestmidlands.org.uk
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Saltley Trust Funding
St
Peter’s Saltley Trust offers funding and support for creative
projects in Christian learning/discipleship and religious
education. Come and hear about our new grass-roots grant
opportunities, and help shape our new programme of discipleship
projects by telling us what you think helps people go deeper in
their everyday walk with God. Meet us at the following
time/place, and we’ll buy you a coffee (or similar)!
*
Wed 24 April, 10-12 - Hummingbird Cafe, Meeting Point House
Telford TF3 4HS
Open to anyone - not just church leaders/ministers.
No need to book, but dropping us an email would help us know who
to expect. Look out for the Saltley Trust logo when you
arrive. Contact Ian Jones (director@saltleytrust.org.uk) <mailto:(director@saltleytrust.org.uk)>
Ian Jones
Director, St Peter's Saltley Trust
director@saltleytrust.org.uk
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Might you be
experiencing a call to ordained ministry?
The Methodist Church has recently launched a new candidating
process. Now is the time for anyone who is beginning to
discern a call to ordained ministry to apply for ‘Discerning
Ordained Vocation 1’ (DOV1).
The application period is from January 1 to March 31.
Full information about the new process is available here: https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/ministries/candidating-for-ministry/candidating-process/
The process begins with a period of accompanied discernment as
applicants discover God’s calling for themselves. It
involves working with an accompanist, deep discernment on a
facilitated retreat, and then meeting with an Advisory
Group.
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3Gen Volunteers needed
Volunteering
for 3Generate is now open! There are plenty of different ways to
join the team and help make the event happen.
Here’s Jude Levermore sharing why volunteering matters: https://youtu.be/iWCUqrTfEBU
Let’s share the news far and wide and encourage those we know to
get involved. And why not consider the opportunity yourself too?
Check: www.methodist.org.uk/3Generate for
further information
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Methodist Heritage
Update
Olivia, the
Heritage & Collections Officer for the Church is working on a
new Methodist Heritage website. So she is looking for inspiring examples of
how local churches can celebrate and share our stories, historic
spaces, objects and archives, for mission and evangelism.
‘Heritage’ can be defined as anything deemed worthy of conserving
for future generations and all of our churches have stories to
tell whether they were built in the 1800s or last week. But for
the Church, we preserve our heritage as a tool for mission, not
for its own sake, such as helping to secure the future of a
historic church building for visitors to encounter our story and
our worship, organising an event or publishing a photo book to
celebrate an anniversary that explains the historic presence and
current work of a church in a community – all examples of
churches working to preserve and celebrate their heritage and
history but also use it to engage in contemporary mission.
There is a lot of great work like this happening around the
Connexion, and she
is looking for particular examples of churches that have produced
and effectively used the following for mission:
Exhibitions
and displays: Exhibitions or displays in
churches that tell the history of the church and, hopefully, lead
on to promote the current work of that community.
Events: Events
to celebrate or mark a historic event.
Books: Books
produced by churches that document the contribution of church in
their area.
Commissioned
Artwork: This could be stained glass,
banners, paintings, wooden model of churches and more…
Commemorative
service: Model orders of service for
heritage occasions, e.g., special services that mark the
anniversary of church building, or Windrush Day / Remembrance Sunday
/ International Women’s Day and more…
Website: Examples
of websites that tell a heritage story, perhaps history pages or
about particular leaders in the church who made a difference.
Tours: Churches
who offer tours of their building or local area; a great
opportunity to share who we are and what we believe.
Please contact Olivia at threlkeldo@methodistchurch.org.uk with
any examples and photographs.
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Methodist Women in
Britain news
Methodist
Women in Britain (MWiB) will be
hosting their Swanwick
Conference 2024 from
Friday,
April 19th to Sunday, April 21st.
The conference theme is “Words Create Worlds”.
It will take place at The
Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to book your place and
be part of this inspiring gathering! More
information about the conference can be found on the MWiB
website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to
connect, learn, and create meaningful conversations with fellow
participants.
However, there is the opportunity for one person from our
District to go for free if they have never been before.
Contact Liz Moore (01922 421333) before March 10th if
you are interested.
Final
MWiB District Thanksgiving Service
A final MWiB District Thanksgiving Service is to be held at
Springdale Methodist Church, Penn WV4 4LF on Tuesday 16th April
10.30am to 3.15pm:
Service at 11 am led by Rev. Rachel Parkinson
Please bring packed lunch Drinks provided
1.30pm - Happy District Memories Please bring your stories and
photos
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Children's Support Fund
We are still able to support Children's
activities through a Children's support grant. The original fund
has been spent but the District has agreed to make more funds
available so please apply using the link and forward to my email tim.a.lorimer@gmail.com
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