Tuesday 15th January 2007
We hope that you had a good Christmas & Epiphany and all the very best for 2008.
It’s good to be back and we hope that you find all the information contained useful.
We are currently putting together the Forward Planner for 2008 and would like to know of any key events across the Diocese. We need to know – who, what, where, when and why – so that we can tell the rest of the Diocese and, where appropriate, the media.
Please email Sheffield@media33.co.uk
WE BELIEVE COMMUNICATION MATTERS!
For publication in your church or parish newsletter:
At the turn of the year two very painful images of the Church were given in the media. One was of the scuffles that broke out in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem just before Christmas, as Orthodox and Armenian Christians clashed over territorial cleaning rights in this disputed church. The other was the harrowing picture of the burnt out church in Eldoret Kenya in which more than 30 women and children were burned to death. Bethlehem was the place of refuge for Mary and Joseph at the time of Christ’s birth. The church in Eldoret was the place of refuge for innocent frightened people who came for safety, only to meet their deaths.
There is something horribly wrong about these images, but at the same time something startlingly authentic. We are made aware of the fragility of human life and the raw vulnerability of the church. We are reminded about the transitional nature of the church as it lives, in some parts of the world, in the crucible of violent and opposing religious and political powers. There is something of the scandal of the Cross in both of those images, revealing in stark reality the vulnerability of the church mirrored in the vulnerability of all human institutions and political processes.
The narrative becomes clearer. Only a vulnerable church can speak to a vulnerable world. To fail to understand that is to miss the point about the church.
We do well to remember this as the Anglican Communion prepares for the Lambeth Conference this summer. We can only speak with integrity to one another when we speak from the place of pain in the light of bigger, and frankly more important, issues and injustices. To become preoccupied with the internal management of the church in the global context of Kenya and Uganda, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq, is to trivialise Christianity to the level of fighting over the territorial cleaning rights in the Church of the Nativity.
Deeply rooted in our Christian tradition is the paradox that the place of vulnerability is also the place of strength. God became man in the most vulnerable of human ways in order to reveal grace and truth. Perhaps it remains the case that the only way we can come to the truth is to make ourselves vulnerable to each other and to the world in which we live.
A challenge for all of us in 2008 is to seek to be the birthplace of the Christ through whose vulnerability came grace and truth.
+Cyril
Heather Morris is now installed as the new Diocesan Director of Education and looks forward to getting to know the people and parishes of the Diocese. “I am delighted to be here and have been very warmly welcomed,” she told Snippets this week. Heather will be responsible for overseeing the links between the Diocese and its 40 Church of England Schools. “I am particularly looking forward to meeting the headteachers and to visiting the schools,” she said this week. “My main focus will be on the education of the children within a Christian context. That means working towards a high quality education within a 21st century context – and that includes buildings and resources.” heather.morris@sheffield.anglican.org
A day of reflection and study on Pilgrimage today. Wednesday 12th March. St Mary Abbots Centre. London W8. 10.30am-3.45pm. Speakers: Bishop David Hope (Being: Pilgrimage in the Holy Land); Dr Gavin Wakefield (Journeying: The Celtic Tradition); Canon Martin Warner (Prayer: Reflections from Walsingham). Day fee including lunch £20. Send postcard with contact details, dietary requirements and a cheque for £20 made payable to LTG to 5, Brampton Court, Brough HU15 1DZ (0845 601 9567). All welcome.
We ask you to pray this week (22nd-28th January) for people from the following occupations;- Housewives and husbands.
The Occupational Prayer Cycle, which runs week by week, covers nearly all occupations over the course of the year. It is produced by South Yorkshire Workplace Chaplaincy (SYWC), and more information can be found on their website at http://www.sywc.org.uk/opc/.
The contribution to the economy of unpaid domestic work is colossal. It must be valued for what it is.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/7184326.stm
Nick Hutton, Diocesan Christian Giving Advisor
The Church of England launched an initiative on debt this week as part of the Church’s teaching on stewardship, this being wider than simply giving to the Church. This made the lead story in the Times on Monday and was featured on the Today programme and the BBC website. A package of resources on this can be found at www.cofe.Anglican.org/debt and this includes prayers, a post-Christmas debt check, household budgeting help, etc.
The headline in the Times was misleading in that it gave the mistaken impression that clergy were to become debt counsellors! Clergy are however being encouraged to preach more broadly about money as part of the issues people are facing. There is a spiritual aspect to all our dealing with money and that includes debt, both at an individual and a society level.
A booklet called The Money Revolution was sent to all clergy in the Diocese last autumn and should help clergy answer any questions they may receive as a result of this Initiative or they can contact Nick Hutton, the Diocesan Christian Giving Director, at Church House Rotherham (01709 309151 or nick.hutton@sheffield.anglican.org).
For those who are interested in learning more on this subject, the South Yorkshire launch of The Money Revolution book will be on Monday 10th March at the Elim Christian Centre, Effingham Street, Rotherham (close to Church House) at 7.45 pm, refreshments from 7.15 pm. The speakers will be Dr John Preston, National Stewardship Officer for the Church of England, and the Revd Steve Pierce, National Stewardship Education Officer for the charity, Stewardship.
This week, the Church remembers: Antony of Egypt, hermit and Abbot (356) and Charles Gore, Founder of the Community of the Resurrection (1932) on Thursday 17th January 2008; Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester (1095) on Saturday 19th; and Agnes, Child Martyr at Rome (304) on Monday 21st.
Also this week, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on Friday 18th, and ends on Friday 25th.
Every year the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham holds a Youth Pilgrimage for young people aged 11 and above. It is a very special few days which comprises worship, prayer, Bible study, fellowship and fun. While it takes place at an ancient site of pilgrimage, it aims to be a shamelessly contemporary youth event which helps young people to find and live out their faith in the modern world. The worship makes use of state of the art technology and the music and dance is led by CJM, an incredibly creative group of musicians and liturgists. Bishop Lindsay Urwin leads the teaching ministry. The worship is catholic in feel and focuses strongly on the Eucharist. If you would like to find out more about the Pilgrimage in 2008, please visit www.megabite2008.org where you can also download a booking form.
Want to do your bit for charity? And find a reason to get the kids exercising in the fresh air? We’ve found the solution – The Barnardo’s Big Toddle. This annual half-mile sponsored walk for under 5’s saw almost 400,000 toddlers from across the UK register in 2007, raising £1.4 million for Barnardo’s work with disadvantaged children and their families. For more information on Barnardo’s Big Toddle and how to arrange your own event, you can visit the website www.bigtoddle.co.uk or call 0845 270 9900.
Seeking to invest money, but concerned about the ethics involved, or just looking for investments free from the effects of the current recession? Ethical Investments, backed by an AAA-rated bond from one of Europe’s leading banks, puts money into a fund to back poor African farmers, and reap the rewards whilst helping them secure their financial future! For more details, email enquiries@ethicalinvestments.co.uk.
The “prayerful insights” of Cardinal Basil Hume are edited into a useful Lenten anthology in Darton, Longman & Todd’s “A Turning to God” which has recently been published. Editor Patricia Hardcastle Kelly has taken relevant chunks of Hume wisdom to ensure that whether on the bus, train or sitting in the conservatory, you can digest a meaningful thought or point each and every day in Lent.
Saturday, in the first week of Lent, for instance, takes the theme Preparing for Perfection. Hume’s take is: “Religion without the love of God is cold and unreal, it becomes burdensome. The love of God, love of our neighbours: that is at the heart of it all.” Two weeks later it is the humility of the sinner which preoccupies Cardinal Hume until, as we arrive on Palm Sunday, we explore the following argument: “It is not always easy for all of us to spend Holy Week as a special week, thoughtfully and prayerfully. But as far as we can we should plan now to steal time out of a busy life, just to re-read the story of the Passion, and think about it in a prayerful and loving way.”
You can see Cardinal Hume’s wry smile as he encourages on through the sufferings of the present time to the eternal glory in this gem of a little book.
Revd Rob Marshall
(A Turning to God. Darton, Longman & Todd. Cardinal Basil Hume. ISBN- 10 0-232-52701-6)
The Archdeacon of Doncaster, Bob Fitzharris, is to lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the autumn focussing on building bridges between the various communities which make up that part of the Middle East. Pilgrims from across South Yorkshire will visit many of the places associated with the life of Jesus on the 8 day tour which leaves the UK on November 3rd. Special readings and prayers will be offered at many of the sites and there will be a Eucharist each day. The group will stay in good quality hotels and fly on scheduled airlines. Brochures are available from Lightline on 0845 601 9567.
Lorna Culloden was commissioned as Headteacher at Ecclesall Junior (C) School at the family service at Ecclesall Parish Church, Sheffield on Sunday 13 January 2008. The service was led by Rev Canon Simon Bessant, Vicar at the church and the Chair of Governors, Dr Gordon Barratt and Diocesan Director of Education, Heather Morris participated in the commissioning.
Wednesday 23rd January 2008 @ 9.45am - 3.30pm (We start promptly at 10am)
£10 per person including lunch, to be paid on the day
Dewsbury Minster (Rishworth Road, WF12 8DD)
Traditional approaches to using and teaching the Bible can be alienating for people in urban areas affected by deprivation, and others who tend not to use books as their preferred way of learning. Unlock (http://www.unlock-urban.org.uk/info.php) has developed creative approaches to Bible study specifically designed for urban contexts, to overcome some of the barriers to exploring personal faith which text-based approaches present.
The day will include:
· Creative approaches to using the Bible in urban mission
· What works and what doesn't work
· Helping 'urban disciples' relate the Bible to their day-to-day lives and experiences
To book:
Contact Ruth Smith at Grooms-Shaftesbury on 0113 350 8070 or email rsmith@grooms-shaftesbury.org.uk
The Omega Climate Change Course is ideal for Lent. It shows that climate change is a pressing spiritual issue and how we can do something about it and make a real difference. It is not just talk but about how we can act. The entire course is available on the web at www.omegaclimate.org.uk
Tony Beck writes: “Gordon Fallows' biography is published today by his son Geoffrey Fallows. Amazon have it on their catalogue at £18.50 for those who want a copy. Gordon was Bishop of Sheffield 1971 to 1979 (when he died in office but after announcing his retirement). It is written by John Peart-Binns. I believe he lives in Hebden Bridge. Mrs Fallows is still alive and living in a nursing home in Sheffield. But I understand she has Alzheimer's which is fairly advanced.”
Together for Regeneration (TfR) is a project of the Faith and Justice Department within the Diocese of Sheffield. TfR has booked rooms to hold its advice surgeries in January at:
Victoria Methodist Church, Sheffield on 17 January;
St George's Minster, Doncaster on 22 January;
and Emmanuel Methodist Church, Barnsley on 24 January.
We can offer church or faith based groups and voluntary/community projects another opportunity to meet with TfR Advisers at these surgeries, on a one-to-one basis, to discuss your project’s needs in developing work within the community e.g business planning; project management; funding; consultation. Each surgery will start @ 09:30 and will run through to 16:30.
If you would like to attend the surgery please contact : Madeleine Gadsby 01709 309 119 or (madeleine.gadsby@tfr.org.uk)
We ask you to pray this week (15th-21st January) for people from the following occupations;- Managers in banks, insurance and finance, advertising executives.
The Occupational Prayer Cycle, which runs week by week, covers nearly all occupations over the course of the year. It is produced by South Yorkshire Workplace Chaplaincy (SYWC), and more information can be found on their website at http://www.sywc.org.uk/opc/.
SYWC is developing a new project to offer chaplaincy to the financial services industry, as well as working on financial exclusion.
Centre Manager at Trinity Community Centre, Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham
15 hours per week , pay £7 per hour, plus statutory holidays
Application by letter including C.V.
Closing date for applications 1st February 2008
Interviews week beginning 11th February 2008
Subject to CRB check
For job description send a stamped addressed envelope to Mrs. F. Wilson
14 Curlew Rise, Thorpe Hesley S61 2TZ
“Coffee Morning & Book Sale”
WEDNESDAY 16TH JANUARY @ 10.30-12.30
Please join us for a Coffee Morning & Book Sale at Todwick Church Hall. 10.30 - 12.30 Just browse and enjoy a morning coffee/tea and the company, and maybe pick up a good book.
“Centre for Radical Christianity”
SUNDAY 3RD FEBRUARY @ 15.30-17.30 – Keith Ward
SUNDAY 10TH FEBRUARY @ 15.30-17.30 – George Pattison
SUNDAY 17TH FEBRUARY @ 15.30-17.30 – David Boulton
St Marks Centre for Radical Christianity is delighted to announce that during this coming February there will be at St Marks Broomhill three Sunday afternoon seminars starting at 3.30pm and ending at 5.30 pm with tea, led by distinguished writers and thinkers.
The subject for these informal seminars is that of God – how God has shaped our thinking about the world and ourselves and how we put our own journey into the God story. To lead us in our reflections are three people who have had distinguished careers:
Keith Ward, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Oxford
George Pattison is currently the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford and a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
David Boulton, humanist and Quaker is a former TV producer
The cost (including light refreshments) is £4 per seminar for members of St Marks CRC and £5 for non members.
For further information and booking forms phone Adrian Alker on 0114 2670362 or visit the website : www.stmarkscrc.co.uk/news-and-events/crc-events
Snippets is published every Tuesday.
Email your contributions to Sheffield@media33.co.uk by Monday of each week.
Thanks for all your contributions!
Revd. Rob Marshall
Diocesan Communications Adviser
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland enters into partnership with BBC Radio 4 for Lent
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and BBC Radio 4 are pleased to announce a Lent partnership for 2008 - “Pathways of Prayer”.
Lent is an important time of preparation for Christians. The death and resurrection of Christ, celebrated during Holy Week and Easter, is the culmination of Christian faith.
Reflecting the season, BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship (0810-0850) and Daily Service (0945-1000 BBC R4 LW) will take up themes of Pathways of Prayer with a study guide and complementary materials on both the CTBI and BBC websites.
Recent research from TEAR Fund suggests that around twenty million people pray in the UK. Pathways of Prayer aims to provide opportunities for anyone to explore Christian spirituality and to deepen his or her prayer life. It will provide a rich and useful resource to individuals and groups.
BBC Local Radio stations will be offering parallel features about prayer that will be tied in to local initiatives and events.
Resource materials for individuals and groups will be downloadable from the CTBI and BBC websites (www.ctbi.org.uk – www.bbc.co.uk/religion) which will offer pointers to enable further exploration of the theme for each week. It is hoped that church and other groups will download these and use them during Lent. The materials will be accessible for anyone who is interested in spirituality and prayer.
Each week the Radio 4 Sunday Worship preacher will focus on a particular ‘Pathway of Prayer’. These will be: The Path of Holiness The Path of Social Justice The Devotional Path The Sacramental Path The Contemplative Path The Charismatic Path
The preachers will include Commissioner Betty Matear (Moderator of the Free Churches), The Revd Canon Bob Fyffe (General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland), The Rt Revd Carl Cooper (Bishop of St Davids), Nick Buxton, an Ordinand specialising in spirituality from the BBC TV programme The Monastery, and Bishop Joe Aldred (Secretary for Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs, Churches Together in England)
For further information or for queries please contact CTBI at: 020 7654 7254; gensec@ctbi.org.uk
Rob Marshall
Media33
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