View this email in your browser

Circuit Bulletin 20.12.2020

Sutton Park Circuit News - w/c 20th Dec 2020 and w/c 27th Dec 2020

Welcome

Welcome to our new design Newsletter as we see out the year that few will forget easily. There will be no Bulletin on 27th December owing to staff holidays, so this issue is full of things to keep you busy until the New Year!

We would like to thank the staff and stewards in particular who have worked so hard over the year to look after our Circuit Churches, not least with all the work of Risk Assessments and enforced new measures for the use of buildings.Thank you to our various Church Pastoral Teams, who have worked long hours behind the scenes to keep in touch with their visitees through cheery and welcoming phone calls. Thank you to all of you who have explored with us the various new ways of being ‘Church Without Walls’ as we have gathered through Facebook, Zoom and YouTube in ways we couldn’t have imagined this time last year. Thank you to all of you for giving our new colleagues Revd Emily and Revd Jimmy such a warm and gracious welcome.

As we eagerly enter the New Year with such a sense of HOPE at what new things God will bring to birth, may we wish you all a very happy Christmas, with God’s blessings of peace, comfort and joy to be with you and your families into the New Year.

An a brief note from Malcolm as Superintendent: I know we will all agreed that we want to say a huge ‘thank you’ for the way that Stephen has ensured this weekly bulletin goes out with so much information. I am so grateful for a wonderful staff and wonderful congregations. This year has been so tough for so many, yet we have come through and

Christmas Services

We are delighted to announce our Circuit Christmas Day Celebration, featuring contributions from every church in our Circuit. This will be available on the Circuit YouTube Channel from 9:30am on Christmas Day morning.

As promised, we list below the arrangements for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in our Circuit Churches.

BLACKWOOD

10:30am Christmas Day - Gather to watch streamed Circuit Service*

BOLDMERE

11:30pm Christmas Eve Holy Communion*

ERDINGTON

11:30pm Christmas Eve Holy Communion*

FALCON LODGE

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

FOUR OAKS

4pm Christmas Eve Holy Communion*

KINGSBURY

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

KINGSTANDING

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

NECHELLS

2:30pm Christmas Eve Celebration*

SOUTH PARADE

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

ST CHAD'S

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

STOCKLAND GREEN

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

STREETLY

10:30am Christmas Day - Gather for Live Worship and Streamed Circuit Service*

WITTON

No services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

*NB IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU BOOK IN ADVANCE IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND ANY OF THESE IN-PERSON SERVICES. THIS IS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENTS AND FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL THOSE ATTENDING WORSHIP.

Doorstep Carols on Monday 21st December at 8pm was recently promoted on National Christian Radio Station UCB2. Our own Revd Emily had a special mention!

The idea is that you play the set carols and sing along from your own doorstep. All the words and accompaniments are on the Doorstep Carols Website. Just press PLAY at 8pm!

Sunday Services - 20th December

10:30am Circuit Morning Service live from Four Oaks Methodist Church, led by Revd Stephen Froggatt. Hymns 186, 173, 178. Bible reading Luke 1:26-38. Sermon: “Do Not Be Afraid, Mary”.

6:30pm Circuit Evening Service led by Glyn and Angela Constantine.

Sunday Service - 27th December

10:30am Circuit Morning Service from Stockland Green Methodist Church led by Revd Dr Jimmy Dube, featuring the Clarke family and music by Gospel Central. (N.B. There is no Circuit evening service today).

Circuit Evening Services in January

Evening Services in January 2021 will take us through Bible Month. We are going to be working through the book of Ruth, so you may wish to take your Bible and read ahead as we look at one chapter each week.

• 3rd Jan (Revd Stephen) - Introduction and Overview
  

• 10th Jan (Revd Emily) - Chapter 1
  

• 17th Jan (Clive, Tom & Jack) - Chapter 2
  

• 24th Jan (Glyn & Angela) - Chapter 3
  

• 31st Jan (Revd Stephen) - Chapter 4 and Conclusion

District Services

Services from the District continue to be offered.

20th December - see Order of Service Outline & Full Words Edition

27th December - see District Website for further information nearer the time.

Today is the last week of Advent. If you have been following the District Advent Journey, take a look at Advent 4.

Missing Your Carol Service?

177th Birmingham (Erdington Methodist) Scout Group Carol Service took place this year over Zoom. Thanks to the miracle of technology, the whole service is available to watch on Erdington’s YouTube Channel. It’s a treat!

Other Carol services have taken place in the Birmingham District and are available online. Full details in the Chaplaincy Everywhere Newsletter (below)

Midweek & Other Service Resources

The Methodist Worship At Home Service Sheets for the next three weeks:

• 20th December in Regular or LARGE PRINT formats
  

• 27th December in Regular or LARGE PRINT formats
  

• 3rd January 2021 in Regular or LARGE PRINT formats [COVENANT]

The Vine At Home is also available now for the next three weeks:

• 20th December in .docx or .pdf formats
  

• 27th December in .docx or .pdf formats
  

• 3rd January 2021 in .docx or .pdf formats

News Updates

A festive edition of Methodist News for the week beginning 17th December is now available to read online. Please note that there have been some issues with the images in this week’s News.

Eco Church organisers A Rocha UK have a short final Newsletter of 2020 with a personal message from CEO Andy Atkins.

Eco Church Connect, a project of A Rocha, have written a seasonal reflection “Slowing Down / Digging Deep” which we commend for your careful reading.

Chaplaincy Everywhere have produced a bumper issue of their Newsletter, including details of and links to Carol Services and Concerts from the Universities of Coventry, Birmingham, Warwick and Aston.

The Prison Fellowship continues to support prison officers, prisoners and volunteers, and to show Christ’s love in one of life’s darkest and toughest environments. Its latest Newsletter includes updates on the Angel Tree programme, the Prayer Line, Prison Bible Studies and Sycamore Tree Training.

GDPR - Annual Checklist

All Trustees ( = Members of Church Councils & Circuit Meeting) are now being asked to complete an annual checklist compiled by TMCP. This has been developed to help Managing Trustees across the Connexion check that they are on top of their data protection responsibilities.

The first checklists will need to be completed by May 2021 - the three-year anniversary of the introduction of GDPR regulations - and they are being compiled by the Districts as a requirement to demonstrate assurance by the Districts to the Controller, being TMCP. Each Church, Circuit and District is advised to work with its District Data Champion. The Data Champion for the Birmingham District is Revd Stephen Froggatt.

The Checklist will be available for Managing Trustees from the TMCP Website from around 21st December.

Christmas Day Dinner

You will know that Deacon Marilyn is providing meals for people in our Circuit who would otherwise be alone this Christmas. Please contact her if you can spare some time as a volunteer packer or driver, or if you know someone who would welcome one of her dinners.

Those living in “the Far East” (aka Kingsbury) are invited to get in touch with Debbie who is running a similar, smaller scheme from Kingsbury Methodist Church Hall. This is part of the Kingsbury Good Neighbour Scheme and so not directly affiliated with this Circuit.