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August 2023 E-Newsletter |
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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@ywmethodist.org.uk with the information you’d like to share, or for further guidance. The deadline for the September E-Newsletter will be Monday 25th of September at 5pm. |
Dear all, I hope you are well as you read this latest newsletter from the District. Many of you will know that I was fortunate enough to take my sabbatical this year, returning for the Methodist Conference, before I then returned to my role in the District. One of the joys of the Methodist Conference this year was the theme adopted by the President and Vice President, and we will be spending time at our Synod exploring it together. The theme was “Hidden Treasures”, and drew on the parable of Jesus that speaks of treasure hidden in a field. We will be inviting the Synod, and I invite you to do this as well as you read this letter, to think about the hidden treasures of God you have been noticing where you are. Some of my own discovery of treasures are these: The pleasure of listening to 6 people from across the District who were exploring vocations, and in 4 cases a call to ordained ministry. Each of those 4 is now being accompanied by Connexional and local people, as they work with the Church to test that call. God is moving in these lives and it was good to hear about that. I have sat in 24 conversations this year with circuits or ministers who have been reflecting on ministry and mission where they are as they prepared for re-invitation processes or to enter stationing. The joy of those conversations is to hear what God is doing in circuits across the District. It was wonderful. I have continued to enjoy the riches of my sabbatical and the way in which I noticed God in what I was reading, listening to, and exploring.
I share all this as a sign of hope and joy, and a realisation that God is at work among us and in our lives. I also want to encourage you to receive a small treasure from the circuits of the District, the new District Prayer Diary, “Our Way of Life”. It is another wonderful insight into how God is at work among us and an opportunity to pray in the light of all that is happening. May God bless us all as we enjoy the deep treasures of God’s love and grace. Kerry |
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Events |
Details of other upcoming District Events and Events from around the Connexion can be found on the District website:
District Diary - www.yorkshirewestmethodist.org.uk/news-events/district-diary Events - www.yorkshirewestmethodist.org.uk/news-events/events |
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Mount Zion Heritage Open Day |
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Mount Zion Methodist Heritage Chapel (HX2 8XG) are holding a special service on Sunday 10 September at 2.30pm to celebrate 250 years of the Chapel. All are welcome! |
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Bradley Methodist Church’s Accessibility Project |
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Bradley Methodist Church has committed to an accessibility project to install a new external and internal lift, and have arranged a number of events to fundraise for the project. Put some dates in your diary if you’d like to support them! |
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Crackin’ Good Church: Finding treasure in Church at the Margins |
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Crackin’ Good Church is a fun, interactive and consultative gathering to promote new Christian Communities at the margins. We aim to promote a movement of new Christian communities amongst people at the economic margins, by sharing stories of what we’re doing and the changes we want to see.
It is a free event on Saturday 14 October in Manchester with time for fellowship, free food (a hot meal) and refreshments, for anyone who is part of a community or wants to be part of a community at the margins.
Guests will be Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Deacon Kerry Scarlett, Vice-President designate of the Methodist Conference. |
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Out of the Ordinary |
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Out of our ordinary acts, in our ordinary lives, the world-transforming, extraordinary love of God can shine through. It goes without saying that the Advent-Christmas season is a busy one for churches, but it is also a wonderful opportunity to connect with people who don’t normally attend church and who might come to a service in this period. These resources are intended to help you engage with the Methodist Church’s Advent and Christmas campaign for 2023, “Out of the Ordinary”, and reach your local community at a key moment in the year. |
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Don’t forget to check the District website for details of other upcoming events. |
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Vacancies |
Aire & Calder Circuit - Children and Families Worker |
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Aire & Calder Methodist Circuit are seeking to appoint a Full Time Children and Families Worker to support churches across the circuit. The person appointed will work alongside an existing Children and Families worker, to continue developing links with children and families in church-based faith activities, develop links with the community and work in partnership with churches in the circuit to create and strengthen relationships with local schools.
The role requires 35 hours per week and will be based at the circuit office in Wakefield (WF1 5NU), though travel across the circuit will be required. The salary will be between £11.52 and £15.93 per hour, depending upon experience and qualifications, with enrolment in the circuit's workplace pension scheme.
The closing date for applications is Friday 15 September at 12 noon. Interviews will take place on Thursday 28 September. |
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Nigeria Health Care Project - Volunteer Project Coordinator |
Are you looking for a fresh leadership challenge? Are you, or have you been, a health professional? Do you want to help improve the health of people in rural Nigeria? Would you value the opportunity to visit rural Nigeria?
The Nigeria Health Care Project is a faith-based charity that works in partnership with Methodist Church Nigeria. We are looking for a new Coordinator, willing to volunteer 1-2 days per week to steer the charity.
Details of the application process can be found in the Recruitment Pack on our website, where you will find information about the charity together with the Role Description, Person Specification and Application form. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 18th September 2023.
If you would like the opportunity to discuss the role or ask questions prior to applying, please contact the Chair of Trustees, Mrs Ali Redmore, 07834 140665. |
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News |
Touchstone Counselling |
Who we are: We are a small team of practitioners working together to provide support for people who have experienced trauma and abuse linked to faith, beliefs and spirituality. We are funded by the Methodist Church and donations. Our counsellors are committed to upholding the unique value of each individual and are registered, accredited members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (or working towards accreditation). They abide by the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018).
Our aims: We aim to provide an affordable, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, hope-filled counselling service.
Who we support: Individuals, aged 18+ who have experienced trauma and/or abuse linked to their faith, beliefs and spirituality, or whose faith, beliefs and spirituality are impacted now by experiences of trauma and/or abuse.
We offer: Short-term and longer-term counselling, online via zoom or in-person.
Donations: The cost of individual therapy is £40 per session. Where payment is difficult, we can offer a subsidy using a sliding-scale based upon your available income.
Next steps: Email the Therapeutic Coordinator, Sue Hill, to find out more and request a referral form. You can also request a paper copy by calling the District Office and leaving your contact details.
NB: We work Wednesdays and Thursdays and willrespond to your communications as soon as we can. |
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District Lay Employment Support |
District Lay Employment Team Melanie Walsh is the District Lay Employment Contact - the first line of support for all lay employment queries, and Liz Vere of Silver Consulting (Human Resource Partners) Ltd, acting as the District Lay Employment Advisor, provides HR consultancy advice and support where required.
Our role involves supporting employing bodies across the District by providing advice and guidance on lay employment matters. The aim is to assist churches, circuits and the District to comply with employment law, as well as promoting the lay employment policies of the Methodist Church which encourage the highest standards of management and support for lay employees.
When to contact us Employing bodies within the District should contact us in the following lay employment situations so that we can provide guidance and support and arrange for the approval of the Lay Employment Sub-committee when necessary: Creating a new post - please contact us so that we can discuss the role and support you through the advertisement, shortlisting, interview and appointment processes and assist you to issue the appropriate terms and conditions of employment and other recruitment documentation. Extension of probationary periods - please get in touch so we can help you to document this accordingly. Advice on any aspect of existing terms and conditions of employment including pay rates, Methodist Church lay employment policies - we would encourage you to contact us so that we can provide you with the necessary guidance and information. Any changes to existing terms and conditions of employment including hours changes, extension of fixed term contracts - please let us know of these so that we can support you to document any changes accordingly. Church mergers if any of the merging churches has lay employees - please contact us so that we can provide appropriate advice and template documents in respect of TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) situations. Any termination of employment situations including resignation, disciplinary, redundancy, ending of a fixed term contract - it is particularly important for you to let us know about these situations so that we can guide you through them. Any claim arising out of an employment dispute can have a significant impact on a church in terms of cost and reputational damage. Any employment disputes such as situations involving a disciplinary, grievance or relationship difficulty - we would encourage you to get in touch so that we can help and support you to resolve these.
Service Levels In all of the above situations, we would request that you contact us at the earliest opportunity so that we can provide you with the best possible advice, support and the highest level of service. Our service level for responding to queries from employing bodies is seven days at the latest.
Contact Details Melanie is your first point of contact for all lay employment queries and she will either deal with these herself or direct them accordingly. She works flexibly part-time, with core hours of work between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm on Mondays.
Email: layemployment@ywmethodist.org.uk
Telephone: 01274 442671 |
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Changes to the Learning Network |
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The Yorkshire Plus Learning Network Facebook page will soon be closing to make way for a new Connexional Learning Network Facebook group. You might perhaps think it won't be relevant for you if it is not Regional, but you'd be wrong. Events and activities hosted by the LN will now be available to everyone across the country - no more county lines - how good is that! We’d like to make the FB group a good place for conversation, engagement, fun and of course that only works if folk comment and join in - so don’t be shy! We're going to launch our new venture by following the Methodist Way of Life themes, beginning in September with Prayer. |
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All We Can Harvest Resource |
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Harvest season is fast-approaching, and this remains a really important time at “All We Can” to connect with the people called Methodists all around the Connexion. This year we are sharing exciting stories from our work in Malawi, including a fully planned worship service that features a sermon developed in a Bible study with the community where our partners are working in Malawi. We have also included an exciting resource, partnering with the Evangelism and Growth Team, to equip you to have a harvest meal filled with intentional, life-changing conversations! You can download the resources to print at home, or order materials to be sent to you and your churches, here. |
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