Sunday 23rd March

Third Sunday in Lent

10.30 am  Morning Worship    Local Arrangement

This service will be followed by our popular 'Soup and Puddings' Lunch - Join with us in Shirley House for this great chance to get to know each other better while sharing a delicious meal!

Collect

Eternal God,

give us insight

to discern your will for us,

to give up what harms us,

and to seek the perfection we are promised

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings   Psalm 63: 1-8

                   Isaiah 55: 1-9

                   Luke 13: 1-9

Hymns       StF 357 Jesus, the name high over all

                   StF 397 The Spirit lives to set us free (v1)

                   StF 481 The Lord’s my Shepherd

                   StF 248 I heard the voice of Jesus say

                   StF 65 Sing of the Lord’s goodness

This service will also be live streamed and you can watch it here from 10.30 am.

There is a Junior Church Activity sheet available here.

You can read this week's Newsletter here.

NEXT SUNDAY

Sunday 30th March

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Mothering Sunday

10.30 am  All Age Holy Communion   Revd Cheryl Collins

Every Monday

         10.00 am – 12 noon   Knit and Natter Group in Room 1, Shirley House 

Everyone welcome to come and knit, sew, craft or just chat and enjoy a drink and a slice of cake.

Every Tuesday 

           2.00 - 4.00 pm -  Tuesday Café in Shirley House

The café is for those living at home with memory loss or dementia and their carers.  Hot drinks and cakes, music, memories, singing, stories and more.  For further information ring the church office (0114 2678289) or email office@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk.

Every Wednesday 

         10.30 am    Holy Communion in Church

Monday 24th March

         2.00 pm      Afternoon housegroup meeting in Shirley House

         7.30 pm      Worship Planning meeting, Room 3, Shirley House

Wednesday 26th March

        7.30 pm       Evening Housegroup meeting at 303 Cemetery Road

Thursday 27th March

        7.00 pm       Taizé Prayer for Lent in Church

An Update on Rev Naomi Cooke

You will all be aware that for the past few months Naomi has been on light duties in order to support Lisa. However, as of 14^th March 2025, this has changed to special leave with relief from all duties. This will be for at least three months, when it will be reviewed. The immediate consequences of this are that the All Age Worship Service on Sunday 23^rd March 2025 will be by Local Arrangement, and the At Home Church Weekend in June is to be postponed. However, please keep the evening of Friday, 13^th June 2025 free for a social evening. Details about other services, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday, will follow in due course once further information is available. In the meantime, pastoral care for SAPLC will be provided by Revd Debora Marschner.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to apply for the vacancy of Lay Worker for Hospitality, Pastoral Care and Children at St Andrews Psalter Lane Church.

We seek to appoint a Lay Worker to develop a ministry of hospitality and pastoral care with a particular focus on children and their parents, to develop and lead the work of the junior church and to engage with local families and schools.

See here for more information.

NEW! You can listen to a podcast of our recent services here!

Same sex marriage at SAPLC

At St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church, we seek to be an inclusive church, and a place in which every person is celebrated and affirmed.

We are delighted to announce that we have now received consent from both the Methodist Church and the Church of England to use SAPLC for the solemnisation of same sex marriages conducted by a Methodist Minister according to the rites of the Methodist Church, and we have made an application for the church building to be registered for such occasions.

We welcome enquiries from anyone who is considering getting married and who would like to explore this further. Please contact the Revd Naomi Cooke:  minister@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk 

You can also donate by BACS: Sort code: 05-08-08 Account Number: 36930499
or by cheque payable to: St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church, and posted to St Andrew’s Church Office, 31 Psalter Lane, S11 8YL.

Don't forget to Gift Aid your donation if you can, as this will increase the amount we receive by 25%!

Regular Giving to St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church  If you do not give to the church through the envelope scheme or by bank standing order, please have a word with Rodney Godber (tel 0114 266 3893) who will explain how this makes your giving to the church easier and more beneficial. If you would like to join the envelope scheme, please contact Janet Loughridge (tel 0114 258 4164)

NOTICES

New Electoral Roll  Every six years, the Church of England requires us to prepare a new Electoral Roll, that is, a list of all those who consider themselves to be members of the Church of England and who either live in the parish or have attended worship regularly over the last six months.
All Anglican members and Joint members will need to re-register, even though they are included on the current Roll. Methodist-only members do not need to fill in a form.
If you wish to remain on the Electoral Roll, please complete and return a form (you can find one on the table in church or here) as soon as possible and in any event no later than Sunday 20th April 2025 to the Electoral Roll Officer, Judith Roberts.  There will be a box on the table in the narthex as you enter the church for this purpose. Alternatively you may return your form by post to Judith Roberts, c/o Church Office, Shirley House, 31, Psalter Lane, Sheffield  S11 8YL, or send a scanned completed form to Judith by email.

The Annual Church Meeting which was to take place on 27^th March has been rearranged for 11^th May. Please put this date in your diary and make every effort to attend.

Taize Prayer in Lent  A peaceful half hour of prayer, gentle repetitive chants and silence on Thursdays at 7:00pm in church on 20^th, 27^th March; 3^rd and 10^th April . There will not be one on 17^th April as there will be a Maundy Thursday service at St Augustine's Brocco Bank.

Housegroups in Lent  Both groups will meet on Wednesdays in Lent to study the Diocese of Sheffield Lent Course.   The course looks at Luke’s account of Jesus’ journey from Galilee to Jerusalem (chapters 9 to 19) and explores six encounters that Jesus has with people on the way. Each encounter teaches us something new about what it means to be Jesus’ disciple and how we might follow Him faithfully.

The Monday afternoon housegroup will begin on March 10 at Shirley House beginning at 2 o’clock. They would welcome any new members.
The evening group will be held at 303 Cemetery Road, every Wednesday except 9th April (when there is a Property & Finance Committee meeting which involves 5 housegroup members). The last meeting will be on 16th April.
We would love to welcome more members! If you would like to join us please contact Janet Loughridge (Tel 258 4164 Email janet.loughridge.45@gmail.com)

Sacred Space at SAPL This service, offered on the last Thursday of the month could also be described
as ‘church at the edge’. An invitation not only for our regular churchgoers but for those who may not usually walk through the doors of this building for a variety of reasons. 
Many of us find sustenance within a ‘space’ where we can be still, breathe and remember the love which holds us all.
A small, dedicated team plan a themed service for all of us to experience a quiet contemplative hour, being guided to reflect with some meditative self-inquiry, readings, poetry and music. A sacred space to help us reconnect with the inner wisdom of our hearts and cultivate both a sense of calm and self-care for body, mind and soul.
When we nurture ourselves with gentleness, we are revived and feel safely held. As a result, we ultimately have greater capacity to love and give to others in all the ways we feel called to.
Please feel warmly welcome to join us on the last Thursday of each month, keeping a check on dates via SAPL newletter/website.
To express your interest, or for further info: please contact Fiona
Watson: wildgustfiona@gmail.com or Nessa
Hargraves: nessahargraves@gmail.com

Volunteer Chaplains  Are you motivated to support others, or know someone who is? South Yorkshire Chaplaincy & Listening Service is currently recruiting people to serve as Chaplains supporting staff in schools and other businesses. If you’re available on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis and willing to undertake chaplaincy training, get in touch with them.  See poster in narthex for details, and for more information or an application form, email the People & Officer Co-ordinator using roxy@sycls.co.uk or give them a call on 07903 899751.

Help needed! We are looking for someone willing to act as Safety Officer for SAPLC, to oversee risk assessments, identify hazards and ensure our operations accord with good practice and the Health and Safety policy. This is not likely to be a very onerous or time-consuming role, and training and support would be provided by the Property and Finance Committee. If you think this is something you would be interested in, please speak to John Cripps (Email cripps@uwclub.net Tel 258 8932)

Who to contact for asylum seekers/ refugees

Asylum seekers accommodated in Sheffield will normally be in touch with City of Sanctuary. Melinda (see below) may help in an emergency. The Wednesday ‘drop in’ ( around 150 people) has clothing, conversation, and advice on law, health, accommodation, finance etc. 

For people granted refugee status, for a newly granted case please call 0114 221 1845.

SPRING is the Sheffield Project for refugee integration and growth. For urgent SPRING referral (newly granted refugees in Sheffield only) please email to adminspringcoss@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org

for newly granted refugee referral  please use the link https://sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org/our-work/the-sheffield-project-for-refugee-integration-and-growth/

If you have an urgent request for City of Sanctuary, please contact one of the following people:  

Governance/ CoSS -       Tom Martin ( Director)       (tom@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org)

The Sanctuary  &The Drop In – Anna Aitken (anna.aitken@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org) 

Volunteering : emma.milne@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org

System Change and Advocacy – Melinda Mo Martinez (melinda.momartinez@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org) 

Communications and Media work – Annie Feetham (annie.feetham@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org) 

Finance – Angela Argenzio (angela.argenzio@sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org) 

There is a copy of this information sheet on the board in the narthex

  Anne Hollows

A Call to Peace  John Cooper who is Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation gave a talk this week to Churches Together on “A Call to Peace”.  You can watch John's talk here:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm47zRia6zM  Anne Hollows

Action of the Week: Lift the Ban  A coalition of more than 300 organisations, including charities, trade unions, businesses, and refugees, are urging the Home Secretary to lift the ban on work for people seeking asylum. Many people who have risked everything to seek safety in the UK are eager to work. People want to be part of the solution, to use their skills, and to thrive. By letting them work, the Home Secretary can restore people’s dignity, unleash valuable skills into the UK’s workforces and benefit the economy. Sign the open letter to her: https://act.refugee-action.org.uk/page/166207/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=LTB_OL_TY

Anne Hollows 

A message to food Bank Supporters:

Dear food bank supporters

On behalf of everyone at Firvale we'd like to thank you for your continued generous support to the food bank 

We don't know who you all are but we're grateful for your support 

Your kindness makes a difference to the lives of less fortunate people

Thank you all so much 

Regards 

Joe & Liz

Oxfam Challenge: March Your Way! March Your Way is a flexible challenge where you set the goals and decide how you’ll reach them.
Complete 31 miles across the month of March and make a difference with every mile you take! So how
does it all work?

Choose Your Method - Walk, wheel, run, swim or hike - how you do it is up to you. Take on a mile per
day, complete 31 in one go, or break it up into several chunks.
Set Your Target - Hit the £150 fundraising target and you’ll bag yourself a UK-made, eco-friendly medal
for your efforts. Simply create your fundraising page, link it to our JustGiving campaign, then spread
the word!
Find Your Reason to March - March for climate justice. March for women and girls. March for peace.
March for access to water. March for a fairer world.
For full details see here.
 

All We Can Loose Change Appeal

 Thank you so much for all your donations to All We Can. The collection bowl will be out during Sunday service so please bring along any small change. Thank you again.

Thank you from All We Can All We Can have written to thank St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church for the donations we have made in 2024. The total is £1,931.05. The letter will be in the narthex with information about All We Can’s work.

All We Can continue to provide a vital resource for partners around the world  as countries navigate the challenges of climate change, poverty and inequality. More information about the transformative impact that we are helping to make is available here.

Clifford All Saints School

Community monthly prayer group If you are unable to attend but would like to share a prayer request for the group please click here. 

The Psalter Lane building is now closed, and the whole school is at the Ringinglow Road site. The Morris School window - originally one of the pair in old St Andrew’s, of which the one in the narthex is the other - has now been installed in the Ringinglow Road building and looks wonderful. There is a photograph of it on the board in the narthex. 

Clifford School Building The old Clifford School building on Psalter Lane is under consultation by Historic England for listing but heavy plant is already on site. It may well get demolished before it is protected. Sheffield could protect it by issuing a Building Protection Notice, but at the moment is not willing to do so. We are being asked to write to the Council’s ‘heritage champion’ at janet.ridler@councillor.sheffield.gov.uk to urge them to protect Clifford. Please do so if you feel inclined.

The Tuesday Café The café is open every Tuesday from 2.00 - 4.00 pm in Shirley House.  The café is for those living at home with memory loss or dementia and their carers.  Hot drinks and cakes, music, memories, singing, stories and more.  For further information ring the church office (0114 2678289) or email office@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk.

Car Parking As an Eco Church we would urge you not to bring your car to Church, but to use public transport, walking, cycling and car sharing if possible. If you do come here by car and need to park in the nearby roads, please do so with due consideration to our neighbours. In particular do not block accesses such as by parking on both sides of Cherry Tree Drive, and leave quietly. Thank You!

If you are parking at church, please take care not to park directly opposite the yellow lines marking the path towards Shirley House and Southcroft, as this blocks pedestrian access for people coming to church from Southcroft