Circuit Bulletin: Sunday 25th October 2020
Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly news round-up. You are encouraged to forward this email on to your friends and invite them to subscribe. This week's new items are in red.
Our Social Media details are at the foot of this Newsletter, where you will also find the link to previous Newsletters.
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ONLINE WORSHIP FOR SUNDAY 25th OCTOBER 2020
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Early Circuit Service 9.30am
Join us for Worship from Stockland Green Methodist Church led by Revd Dr Jimmy Dube with 'Gospel Central'. You can access it via the Circuit's YouTube Channel.
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Live Circuit Service 10:30am
This week's morning service comes from Four Oaks Methodist Church and is led by Revd Stephen Froggatt. You can access it via the Circuit's YouTube Channel.
Bible reading: Matthew 22: 34-46
StF Hymns 161, 154 and 403
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Junior Church 4pm - 4:30pm
This is a 'live and lively' half-hour of fun and worship over Zoom.
Please contact Revd Malcolm Oliver for log-in details.
Zoom details will also be published on the usual WhatsApp channels.
Please note that for Safeguarding reasons we can only allow children and their parents/carers to participate. Also, unrecognized names in the 'Waiting Room' will not be admitted.
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Circuit Evening Service 6:30pm - 7:30pm
We continue our pattern of weekly Circuit Evening Services. This evening's service is led by Angela Constantine from Four Oaks Methodist Church, with contributions from JulieAnn Read, one of our Local Preachers in training. Please post your feedback in the comments on YouTube so that JulieAnn can submit them for her portfolio.
The Service will be broadcast from the Circuit's YouTube Channel.
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EDITORIAL - Revd Stephen Froggatt and Revd Malcolm Oliver
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Thought for the week: The antidote to PRIDE is HUMILITY.
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This Week.. a few notes
AWARD FOR TRACEY
We were delighted to hear this week that Tracey Gough has just been awarded an academic prize. Tracey, from Falcon Lodge Methodist Church, is currently busy doing a part-time BA in Mission and Family Work at Cliff College. The Helen Davies Award will be presented to Tracey in a special socially-distanced ceremony on 14th November. Congratulations, Tracey! 👏🥳
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
We continue to encourage you to take a look at the current Methodist Podcasts....This week President Designate Revd Sonia Hicks of the Methodist conference Hicks in conversation with Revd Charity Nzegwa ..and also still available Professor Anthony Reddie who visited us not so long ago is interviewed by Revd Dr Inderget Bhogal. We warmly commend The Podcast Series to you and also Anthony's article: Reassessing the Inculcation of an Anti-Racist Ethic for Christian Ministry: From Racism Awareness to Deconstructing Whiteness
Professor Anthony Reddie is one of the leading theologians and scholars of our generation, and his work in the field of Black and Liberation Theology is highly recommended. Sonia Hicks speaks about being a Black woman Methodist Minister.
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Worship around the Circuit in Weeks ahead...
Many of our churches are now beginning in a cautious way to hold morning worship, albeit not every week. However, with most, if not all of these services, it will be necessary to book a place, not least for 'track and trace' purposes. Please do contact a Steward from the church beforehand.
REGARDING ONLINE WORSHIP FROM OUR YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
:On the first Sunday of the month at 11am (next one 1st November) we have Witton Worship... Jointly led by Deacon Rachel, Fitzroy Storrod and the young people in the Circuit.
Evening Worship continues each Sunday at 6.30:
- 1st November Revd Emily Young
- 8th November Erdington Stewards
- 15th November Glynn and Angela Constantine
AND THEN: Please do get in touch with Revd Malcolm or Revd Stephen if you are willing to volunteer.
In January we will be following the book of Ruth
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WORSHIP AT HOME RESOURCES W/C 25th OCTOBER
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Methodist Service Sheets - 25th Oct
Each week the Methodist Church has been producing a Service Sheet for people to use at their own pace, in their own homes and at their own time. These also make an excellent resource for a form of midweek worship.
Regular and LARGE PRINT VERSION available.
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The Vine At Home - 25th Oct
Available in PDF or DOCX versions.
This week Tim reflects on the set readings for us “…To love is to get hurt, to get bruised. We will feel people’s pain with them, and we will feel pain when they reject us, let us down, or seek to manipulate our love for their own ends. But we will dust ourselves off. We will nurse our wounds. And we go again.
Our world is crying out for more love, for a better kind of love. As the church of Jesus Christ, let’s show them what the word means. All we need is love.”
Don't forget that The Vine at Home is live-streamed every Sunday Morning at 10.30am on Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth and Lympstone Methodist Churches Facebook page. It is then posted later in the day onto to The Worship Cloud Facebook page.
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JPIT October Newsletter
If you do not already subscribe, you can read the Methodist Joint Public Issues Team October Newsletter Online. In this issue:
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#ResetTheDebt
Reset The Debt is a campaign launched by the Baptist Union, the Church of Scotland, Church Action on Poverty, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.
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Weekly News
Click here for the Methodist Connexion News for 22nd October 2020. In this week's issue:
- Tiered lockdown and its impact on churches
- 3Generate Election
- Facebook Live with the President and Vice-President
- Children and Youth "Get Creative" - Competition winner
- Churches' Refuge Network (CRN) Meeting
- Black History Month news and special features
- Update on the Methodist Year of Prayer
- and much more
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October is Black History Month
A new area of the Methodist Church website has been launched to mark Black History Month. The page includes personal testimony and blogs from BAME members of the Church, prayers and information on events. Find out more here.
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Connexion Magazine
Full of hope, issue 20 of the connexion also explores difficult topics.
Be challenged reading of African women’s suffering; of ill health; of racism; of deprivation in poor councils. But let hope grow as you read of those women keeping African communities alive; how wounded pilgrims find strength; where Christians resist racism; how bright stars shine across the UK’s margins.
Read The Connexion issue 20's stories proclaiming hope for a better future (Pdf)
Feel free to browse the archive of PAST ISSUES.
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3Generate - A Request from Phoebe Parkin
Dear friend,
This year’s 3Generate elections take place from 21 November 2020 and we’re keen that as many children and young people as possible, from across the Methodist Church, are able to participate as possible. They have the opportunity to elect the Youth President for 2021/22 as well as their 3Generate representatives for the coming year.
In order to vote children and young people need to be registered. There are some simple steps to make this happen:
- Children and young people aged 8-17 years old can be registered only once by a group leader or parent/carer.
- They need to be registered by 15 November via this link.
- Elections open on 21 November for a limited period.
- All those aged 18-23 can register to vote here.
Please could you help us get the word out and communicate this as widely as possible? There will be more information appearing in the coming weeks about the candidates standing for election so do check 3Gen TV and the 3Generate webpage for further details. We hope that lots of children and young people will use their vote and know that by doing so they are making a difference to the life and ministry of the Church.
With grateful thanks for all your support in this,
Phoebe Parkin and the Children, Youth and Family Team
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Methodist Way Of Life
What is distinctly Methodist about our calling? The recently-established Methodist Way Of Life (MWoL) offers a simple and practical way to take the commitments of the original Our Calling template into your daily discipleship.
Revd Dr Roger Walton, former Director of the Wesley Study Centre in Durham, past President of Conference and author of several books, including The Reflective Disciple, has been one of the key people working on this initiative, which was accepted by Conference in 2018.
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Singing The Faith Plus
The latest news from StF+ is now available to read here.
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A Rocha UK’s mission is to equip Christians and Churches in the UK to care for the environment - for God, nature and all people. The pandemic has shown just how much people need nature - and how much nature thrives if humans give it space. In response A Rocha now plan to roll out a new extended programme of events on their reserves, designed to have an impact on nature and people nationally. Can you help?
Watch this video here, where Andy Atkins, Chief Executive outlines the new vision for A Rocha's reserves.
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Chaplaincy Newsletter
"Chaplaincy Everywhere" - Please read the latest Newsletter (23rd October) from Paul Chesterman and the Mission In The Economy team.
Back issues of the Newsletter can be read here where you are also able to subscribe yourself.
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Ink Cartridge Recycling
At South Parade for some years now we have recycled our empty print cartridges and toner bottles for free via the Greener Side. We have a box in the office and when it is full they come and collect it and save it all from landfill. I would recommend this to all our churches and their members. Alternatively if they wish to bring theirs to South Parade any morning before 10.00 they can add it to our box.
Thanks - Amanda Hume
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Circuit Stewards' Report
Marion, Naomi and John have published the Sutton Park Circuit Stewards Report for Autumn 2020. This is always an Agenda item on Autumn Church Councils, and all Circuit members should be up to date with its contents. Please click here to read the very latest Circuit news.
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Birmingham District Safeguarding 'Online Safety' Seminar
Over recent months we've become more aware than ever of the opportunities and challenges of connecting online. The Birmingham District Safeguarding Group, in collaboration with the Learning Network West Midlands, invite you to join us for a Zoom Seminar on Online Safety led by independent e-safety expert, Karl Hopwood.
To enable as many people as possible to benefit from this session, we will be running it twice. The two options are Thursday 26th November 19:00-21:00 or Thursday 3rd December 9:30-11:30. The session on the 3rd December will cover the same material as the one on the 26th November, so please book in for one session only.
Please download the full details.
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In Memoriam
We are trying to maintain a page on our Circuit Website listing the names of all those members, adherents and friends from our Circuit who have died during these past months. Please visit the page and then let Revd Stephen Froggatt know of any necessary additions to the list.
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Words on the Word
Revd Stephen Froggatt's reflections on the Lectionary Readings are taking a week off for half term. Catch up on previous weeks on the Circuit Website.
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Past Issues and Sign-Up Page
We have a new page holding all our previous 'campaigns' (Newsletters).
You can also sign up to these emails from the same page.
CLICK HERE for our Bulletin Archive and Subscription Page
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