|
 |
April 2023 E-Newsletter |
|
If you would like to submit a news story or details of an upcoming event in your church or circuit, we would love to hear from you! Please email Emily at comms.leeds@ywmethodist.org.uk with the information you’d like to share, or for further guidance. The deadline for the May E-Newsletter will be Monday 22nd May at 5pm. |
|
Events |
Conistone Hostel Open Day |
 |
|
Doxecology - Climate, Creativity and The Church |
Resound Worship and Holy Nativity present a two day conference exploring creative, political and liturgical responses to Climate Change. Come and participate in discussions around the range of ways Christian churches are responding to the challenge of Climate Change, hear inspiring stories of activism and explore practical responses and ways to get involved. As well as helping to lead worship and seminars, we're also going to be performing a Doxecology concert on the Saturday night.
There is also an opportunity to host the Doxecology concert on Friday 19 May! If you're within an hour or so of Halifax and might be interested in hosting a Doxecology concert on Friday 19 May, drop us a line for details of costs, logistics etc. We'd love to hear from you! |
|
|
|
Every Church a Growing Church |
 |
This online conference on Saturday 08 July seeks to inspire you to discover the particular gifts your church(es) have to offer the community and to create simple, useful plans for positive action. Through a mixture of presentations, workshops and team coaching sessions, we'll explore God's call to share the love of Christ in word and deed, offering what we have to our community and letting the Spirit get to work. |
|
|
Praying without Words Retreat |
 |
For many, there is a strong desire to cultivate an inner life of prayer; it has always formed an essential part of the Christian tradition. Many also long for silence and stillness. Where does this desire, this longing originate? How might it be fulfilled? A retreat provides a good opportunity to explore and experience “praying without words”, bearing in mind there are no experts, just explorers. We shall explore the way of praying without words as taught and practiced in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), by Jesus and the early church (New Testament), through the early century mystics to present day. Whether this is your usual practice, or you are just venturing on this path of discovery, this retreat could be for you.
This retreat will take place on Tuesday the 17th - Thursday the 19th of October at Whalley Abbey, and will be hosted by Reflect. |
|
|
Whole Hearted weekend conference |
If you're seeking Spirit-led transformation in your church, circuit or New Place for New People, gather together with other Methodists in January 2024 to seek God, share stories, inspire one another and get unstuck.
This weekend conference aims to help us all “see the wood for the trees” by having some time away from our local contexts, opening us (we pray) to the bigger picture of the Missio Dei. The weekend will include worship, opportunities for storytelling, workshops and direct, coaching-style interventions. Workshops will be tailored to different contexts, but we hope and expect that people engaged in different areas of mission will come together in creative, unexpected and life-giving ways. |
|
Don’t forget to check the District website for details of other upcoming events. |
|
Vacancies |
Bradford Court Chaplaincy are looking for new Trustees |
 |
BCCS Assist is looking for new Trustees to join the current Board of Trustees. BCCS Assist is a well-established multi-faith project. The project is innovative and challenging, working with some of the most disadvantaged, marginalised, and needy members of our society. Our team provide practical, pastoral, and spiritual support for all court users and staff, and offer support and guidance for our team of dedicated volunteers. |
|
|
News |
District Prayer Handbook 2023/24 |
Emails requesting submissions for our 2023/24 District Prayer Handbook have been sent out and the deadline is Monday 08 May. If you have not yet sent your submission to Emily at comms.leeds@ywmethodist.org.uk, we would be grateful if you could send it across as soon as possible. Thank you! |
|
A Celebration of Diversity in Bradford South |
 |
I attended the above celebration on Shrove Tuesday and thoroughly enjoyed the event.
The programme was thoughtfully put together involving three short worship sessions with songs from different cultures sung by “Free Spirit”, and appropriate readings and prayers.
I enjoyed a sumptuous meal prepared by Godfrey and Onli, with contributions of desserts from people who attended.
There were four stations set up to help us understand about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) with videos, leaflets and writings, and we were invited to watch and listen individually to the videos by means of headsets. One centred on the prejudice experienced by Jamaican people arriving in London in the 1960s and becoming a community in Notting Hill. Another on the experience of a gay couple and the tragic suicide of one of the partners, which led to the setting up of a charity to help others; and the third related to people who suffer from a range of mental health issues with a really good video giving an insight into the mind and feelings of people with dementia. The fourth station enabled people to experience how it felt being wheeled around in a wheelchair.
There was a jigsaw showing different faces which people could complete and a quiet room for personal prayer and contemplation with chaplains Teresa and Suzanne on hand to talk to.There was even a stall for people to buy fairly traded goods.
A big thank you to the circuit and especially the EDI working group for raising the importance of these issues to everyone who attended.
Christine Peacock |
 |
|
Settle Methodist Church represented at “The Big One” in London |
 |
21st - 24th of April in London was "The Big One", raising awareness about the Climate Crisis and Nature Crisis. People were going to London to show the government that it needs to act now; these crises are happening now and while we can do many small things as individuals, it is up to governments to make better plans.
On Tuesday 18th April Judith Allinson, along with members of Settle Justice and Peace (a subgroup of Churches Together in Settle) and Action on Climate Emergency Settle organised a stall in Settle Market Day to tell people about the weekend.
Judith, a botanist, member of Settle Methodist Church and member of the national organisation “Green Christian” wrote:
"I will be going down by train this Thursday evening ready for the Climate Service which takes place on Friday at midday at St John's, Waterloo (“Green Christian” is one of a group of Christian organisations which is organising this service). At 10.30am there will also be a talk there: "The Big One: in conversation with Baroness Kate Parminter and Bishop Steven Croft of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee". After the service there is a pilgrimage to the houses of Parliament.
“On Saturday the 22nd, Earth Day, I plan to attend events focusing on the Nature Crisis, the "Unite for Nature Rally" and "The Big One for Biodiversity March".
Judith Allinson |
|
SpiDir - Course in Spirituality and Spiritual Accompaniment |
Are you interested in exploring more about Christian Spirituality and different ways of prayer? Have you ever considered being a Spiritual accompanist? Do you need space out from a busy schedule to do something new?
The York Diocese is running a course that covers this and so much more. Held at Wydale Hall we are now taking applications for the next couse commencing in September 2023. We meet once a month 10am-3pm for a varied and rich programme. The support team is made up of Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists and Pentecostals so the course is eccumenical in its outreach. |
|
|
|
|
