I hope you have had a good week - please find below some of the things that have happened this week or that you might want to be involved in over the next seven days:-
Please find attached:-
A short order of service for the coming week – “Vine at Home 21 June 2020”
Prayer for the week ahead - “Emmanuel Corona Prayers week 14”
Living Your Faith – adult reflection sheet
Methodist Church Service sheet
New Courses – see below under “In Other News”
2 Rainbow Patterns
Connections Job Advert June 2020 – see below under “In Other News”
Children’s activity sheet
Following the Government announcement around the ability to open Churches for private prayer, we wanted to let everyone know that following guidance from the Methodist Church nationally, we will continue to stay closed at this current time. We will not be opening for private prayer or any other form of worship alongside others within the Barnsley Methodist Circuit. We will, of course, let you know as soon as we start planning the re-opening of Emmanuel Church building so we can all prepare together.
However, we still want to encourage a people of prayer and reflection. From today we have launched our Labyrinth on the top car park at Emmanuel for people to visit and use in their own times of reflection. Clearly social distancing needs to be obeyed – so if someone else is using it, just wait or come back some other time. Read the instructions on the main church doors, then journey into the heart of the Labyrinth – have a time of quiet prayer - and then travel back out again. Take as long as you need – it will be there until the rain washes it away! Suitable for all ages – do it as a family or as an individual. This is not a private facility – tell your neighbours and friends – we would invite anyone in the community to make use of this beautiful space. With big thanks to Pete & Annie Lane & Lucy Stirk for marking out the Labyrinth.
Tell us what you think!
We’ve been trying lots of different things these past weeks to ensure we continue to connect as a Church family. And whilst we’re busy planning our return, when we are able to, we want to ensure whilst we continue to meet virtually we do this in a way that works for as many of us as possible. That’s why we’re asking for your views. We’ve developed a short survey – just ten questions – to gather your views on what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what we should build on. We want your views on what’s been, but also your ideas on what’s to come. If you can, please take the time to complete the survey – as honestly as possible. We need your views!
What’s on this week…
SUNDAY //PREPARED SUNDAY SERVICE
Please join us again this Sunday at 10am (or at a time convenient for you) in our Emmanuel Family Facebook group for our local service and a time together in worship. This will be like the last few weeks, post after post in real time to follow a full service that takes around an hour. You can join us live or enjoy it later in the day – the choice is yours. We’ll be singing, praying, reflecting and listen to the message from Marian Olsen. Why not join us? Any problems finding the group please email us and we will be happy to help. You can also assess the service through the Circuit website: www.barnsleymethodist.org.uk or via our website.
Our midweek story…
Our midweek stories continues – a way of us sharing the stories of people from across the Emmanuel family. This week is Doris Kwofie Andoh-kesson – thank you for sharing! You can find the story here to view: https://youtu.be/3AcXHkobsBA
Get involved…
Give to Church
It’s now been almost 14 weeks since we met as a Church family to worship together. We’re so grateful for all those that have continued to support Emmanuel financially during this difficult time. We are currently challenged with no rental income from people using the building, limited giving and no opportunity to increase income from other routes. Costs continue to drain our reserves – namely the assessment which pays for ministry and mission in the Church – this includes the salaries of Ministers, Circuit & District contributions - other costs include monies to pay our staff including contributions to all of our furloughed workers, utilities, day to day building maintenance and running, and other essential costs. The Church was unable to furlough Ministers so they have continued to work full-time, which means that our assessment has been the biggest continued regular out-going. We need, more than ever before, to look to our Church Family to support us. In simple terms, we have more cash going out than is coming in. And that continues to worsen as this period of lockdown continues. We ask those who can, to consider prayerfully their individual giving. Can you give more each month? A one-off boost to support in these times? We ask you all to keep this situation in your prayer.
We are working towards our Gift Day on Sunday 5 July. Those in the envelope scheme have received their regular weekly envelopes which we have only recently been able to distribute. Thanks for the volunteers who helped to distribute.
On the Gift Day people from 10am – 12 noon & 2.00 - 4.00pm will be waiting at Church (socially distanced) to receive envelopes, and cheques. We may also have a credit card machine available to take electronic donations to support the ongoing life and ministry of Emmanuel. If you have been saving all your offerings, you can bring all the envelopes, or just one, down to church, either in cash form or by writing a cheque. If you don’t have envelopes but want to give a gift, we shall also make envelopes available. If you would struggle to get to church, please let your pastoral visitor know and they can collect envelopes or cheques from you. If you want to give electronically rather than coming to Church personally then our Church Bank details are:
A/c name: Emmanuel Methodist Church
Sort code: 40-09-12
A/c number: 91633023
HSBC Bank - 5 Market Hill, Barnsley, S70 2PY
Please mark your bank transfer as: Gift Day
We hope that people in our giving schemes and those who normally put cash in week by week, as well as anyone wanting to make additional donations to support Church, will support us on this important day. The life and ministry of Emmanuel needs to be resourced and this is a great way of continuing all the good work that happens for now and for the future. Thank you for your support and generosity.
In other news…
Fancy working with us? The North West Church is also looking for a person of any age to work alongside our OPP and the staff team as a Connections Social Isolation worker with the elderly. This will be working across four areas of the Church – Barugh, Emmanuel, Kexborough & Pogmoor. It is 27 hours per week and is paid for a one year contract. Please advertise widely as we feel this worker will be key for this vulnerable group of people even after the Lockdown has been lifted. You can find the advert here: https://www.emmanuelbarnsley.co.uk/post/great-opportunity-to-work-with-us or attached “Connections Job Advert June 2020”
You might be interested to know that there is an open air chapel at Silverwood, which is on the left just before you get to the village of Silkstone on the A628. People could meet there for socially distanced prayer – fellowship – or even a sing! Silverwood is a Scout camp – so after turning off the main road, take the right turn at the junction and go towards the camp – just before the camp the chapel is then off to the left.
The Bible Society have produced some Home-school resources. While so many children are being home-schooled, they are posting some RE resources on their website every fortnight for people to use. Lion Storyteller Bible author Bob Hartman tells the Bible stories, and the accompanying downloadable printed materials have a range of tasks to choose from, suitable for ages 5–11. You can access these resources on: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/explore-the-bible/homeschool-resources/
Dial-a-Prayer - A FREE phone service to hear prayers and news from the Methodist Church has been launched. Listen to a prayer: 0808 281 2514; Listen to news: 0808 281 2478; Content is updated weekly on Thursday evening.
Foodbank collection points are still available at both Tesco’s in Wilthorpe and also outside the Vestry door at the back of Church. Ongoing donations of non-perishable items - tins, pasta, cereals, UHT milk, tea, coffee, rice and biscuits are all very welcome. We are getting plenty of great donations in both places – thank you for your support.
· Felicity Sanderson from the Education Co-ordinator – Barnsley emailed to offer free online classes – attached are the classes “New Courses” and include Painting & Drawing, Playing the Ukulele, Writing, and Needle Craft.
There have been more great good news stories this week! If you have any to share please let me know for the newsletter next week (or post them on our Facebook page)
Men’s Discipleship Group is meeting again virtually on-line, to be a part just contact Peter White on: peter-bmv@hotmail.com or give him a ring on 07703 567060
We have a series of knitting patterns for creating rainbows. It might be that you want to knit rainbows to give out to friends or neighbours – (with perhaps a note saying you are praying for them?) or if you can make lots, we would be happy to receive them so that they can be left at church in the next few weeks for people to take home. We have attached two patterns, and if you know some of our older members who could help, then print them a pattern off and include them in helping us to bless our neighbourhood with signs of hope.
4front theatre, who came and delivered their Christmas show to us in December 2019 have announced this week a Virtual Holiday Club that they will be running from 3rd – 7th August in partnership with St Peter’s Baptist Church. We will keep you posted nearer the date!
We received this e-mail this week.
“I’m working as part of the workforce development initiative being run by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Humankind charity. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has disclosed that people with no history of mental illness are developing serious psychological problems for the first time as a result of the lockdown, amid growing stresses over isolation, job insecurity, relationship breakdown and bereavement. With these finding in mind and as we all slowly start to return back to work and the restrictions on lockdown being lifted, now is the perfect time to ensure you have a greater understanding of mental health issues. I have a commitment to deliver training in mental health early intervention for low level mental/emotional resilience grounded in early support and building community resilience. This mental health early intervention course will help you recognise the common low-level mental health issues that can affect people and will help you decide on the appropriate action to take to assist in their recovery. This course will help you improve your own personal mental health and increase your awareness of the people around you. During these unprecedented times, we have moved the mental health training online, and I would like to invite you to take part in our Zoom online training sessions. All you need is an internet connection and a PC with a webcam, speakers and a mic. Each session lasts around 90 minutes and you will also receive a certificate of attendance on completion.
I’m looking to hold the web sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 and then again at 14:00, however, I can offer more conveniently timed sessions for groups of people (4 or above) please mention this when you enquire.
So please contact me by e-mail and I will set up a time and send you an invite for the training session” richard.snaith@humankindcharity.org.uk
Have you any good news to share? Tell us and we will share through this newsletter.
And to finish, shared on our Facebook page this week, Mark Bulmer posted a reminder us to count our blessings:
Many thanks and God bless
The Leadership Team