Weekly Newsletter and Other News
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This page contains a Weekly Newsletter, information about upcoming services and events and groups that we support, links to sources of help both spiritual and practical, requests for prayer and thoughts from church members. Please contact clare@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk or garethjones11@googlemail.com if there is anything you would like to see or to add, or anyone you would particularly like us to pray for.
Weekly Newsletter Sunday 11th April 2021 We hope you find the SAPLC streamed services inspiring at this time when we cannot join in worship together in church, and that by praying together and sharing these services and resources, we can all still feel connected to our worshipping community. The purpose of this Newsletter is to keep us all informed and connected, and as always it includes a message from Gareth as well as information about our streamed services. There are Notices at the end of the newsletter. All contributions, serious or light-hearted, would be very welcome!
Wonderful News! We are intending to open for public worship twice a month, starting on Sunday the 18th April. We will keep the 10.30 am online services as our main worship each week (though we are conscious that not everyone is in a position to access these), but we will also have live services twice a month in church at which a congregation will be present, with appropriate social distancing and other safeguards. The live services will take place at 3.00 pm on the first and third Sundays of the month We will not be permitted to sing, chat with each other or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee after a service. We urge anyone who is at all vulnerable on age or health grounds not to take undue risks in attending services. If you intend to come to these services you will need to book: Book here for Sunday 18th April
Private prayer in church We also look forward to welcoming you to private prayer in the church which will open from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon on Thursdays from 15th April. We have carried out a thorough risk assessment to make sure we do this safely – we are grateful to everyone involved in doing this. Church will look a bit different but we are doing everything we can to make sure that visitors feel comfortable. Please do not visit if you have any symptoms or are feeling unwell, for your own safety and that of others. The church garden is open to the public and you are welcome to use it for prayer and meditation, but please observe social distancing and wash your hands after visiting, as the seats are not sanitised.
Church of England Prayer for the day, Thursday 8th AprilGod of glory, Message from Gareth We do not have the usual much appreciated Message from Gareth this week as he is on sick leave, but we have received this message from Jean: 'Gareth and Jean are very grateful for the messages of care and support they have received for Gareth’s hip replacement operation. The operation on Monday was successful, and Gareth was home again the following day!'
Services Sunday 11th April Second Sunday of Easter
10.30 am Sunday2 Easter resurrection trail in the church garden
There will also be an online service for those who can’t come to the garden: 10.30 am Sunday2 Imogen Clout Music led by Simon Dumpleton; Prayers led by Caroline Cripps You might like to print this service sheet, and follow the activities at home. The link to the service will be sent to you all by email on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, and will also be on the Home Page of the SAPLC website. We hope you will enjoy the service and feel connected to your St Andrew’s Psalter Lane friends as we join in worship on Sunday at 10.30 am.
Zoom coffee meeting There will not be a Zoom coffee meeting after the online service as Imogen will be in the church garden. Normal service will resume next week!
Thursday 15th April 10.00 am – 12.00 noon Church open for private prayer We have carried out a thorough risk assessment to make sure we do this safely – we are grateful to everyone involved. Church will look a bit different but we are doing everything we can to make sure that visitors feel comfortable. Please do not visit if you have any symptoms or are feeling unwell, for your own safety and that of others. If you could help to welcome on Thursdays, please contact Janet Loughridge (j.loughridge@sheffield.ac.uk or Tel. 2584164– please leave a message with your name and telephone number if there is no reply)
Sunday 18th April Third Sunday of Easter 10.30 am Holy Communion Revd Gareth Jones and Revd Anthony Ashwell We look forward to our online service. Music led by Simon Dumpleton; Reader Barbara Shuker; Prayers led by Jan Birch You are invited to have a piece of bread and a drop of wine or juice with you for Communion, and a candle for the prayers of intercession The link to the service will be sent to you all by email on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, and will also be on the Home Page of the SAPLC website. We hope you will enjoy the service and feel connected to your St Andrew’s Psalter Lane friends as we join in worship on Sunday at 10.30 am.
3.00 pm Worship Service in Church John Harding If you intend to come to this service you need to book, preferably by midday on Saturday Book here for Sunday 18th April You can also book by telephoning Janet or Clare Loughridge on 2584164 – if there is no reply please leave a message with your name and telephone number. Please note you will have to wear a face-covering, stay socially distanced throughout, sit in your designated seat, and follow the instructions given by the welcome team. We are not able to sing, socialise or have refreshments inside our buildings. This may sound draconian but is for your own safety and that of others. If you could help to welcome, read lessons or prayers, run the sound system, or operate the screens, please contact Janet Loughridge (j.loughridge@sheffield.ac.uk or Tel. 2584164– please leave a message with your name and telephone number if there is no reply)
Please remember all those who are in need of our prayers at the moment
NOTICES Annual Church Meeting The Annual Church Meeting will be held at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 27th April on Zoom. Please think seriously about standing for election as a Warden, Steward, or as a member of the Ecumenical Church Council. These positions are vital to the life of the church If you would like to know more about what these roles entail please contact Janet or Clare Loughridge (j.loughridge@sheffield.ac.uk or clareloughridge49@gmail.com or Tel. 2584164 It is particularly important that we find two people to join the team of Stewards and Wardens to replace Muriel Roberts and John Booler, who have completed their 4-year terms of office. The posts are open to all members - Joint, Methodist and Anglican. People who have already served in these roles are most welcome to stand again. If you cannot or prefer not to use Zoom, please let Janet Loughridge know and we will email out any proposals and nominations prior to the meeting and ask you to vote in advance without "attending" the meeting. You can also send in questions or comments in advance by email. Papers and reports will be sent by email and will also be available on the Annual Church Meeting page of the website. If you cannot or prefer not to use Zoom, please let Janet Loughridge know and we will email out any proposals and nominations prior to the meeting and ask you to vote in advance without "attending" the meeting. You can also send in questions or comments in advance by email. In order to vote at the Annual Church Meeting you must be either on the Electoral Roll or a Methodist member.
Revision of the Electoral Roll The Electoral Roll has to be revised prior to the Annual Church Meeting on Tuesday 27th April
Application forms can also be downloaded here. N.B. If you have previously joined the Electoral Roll and you are sure that the details we hold for you are accurate, there is no need to take any action this year. In order to vote at the Annual Church Meeting you must be either on the Electoral Roll or a Methodist member.
Foodbank and Baby Basics Firvale Foodbank and Baby Basics are still desperately in need of help, so that they can help the most vulnerable members of society. If you are able to give anything, donations can be dropped off at the following addresses – why not combine donating with your legal daily exercise? Food Bank Donations can be left at the rear of 16 Edgehill Road, S7 1SP, or you can bring them to the Church Office on Thursday morning between 10.30 am and noon (The Office is closed at other times during this lockdown). Fir Vale continue to take referrals and just under 100 people are being supported. Food and cash donations are welcome. Food is especially welcome. The Food Bank particularly need pasta, rice, UHT milk, toiletries and toilet rolls, but are ever grateful for canned goods. If you would like to give cash, you can donate here, or you can send a cheque made out to St Cuthbert’s (write Fir Vale Food Bank on the back) and send to Joe Dey at 16 Edgehill Road, S7 1SP, who will hand it over when he delivers to the Food Bank at St Cuthbert’s.
Baby Basics Gifts, especially nappies, toiletries and hand-knitted items (cardigans and jumpers for 2-5 year olds rather than babies if possible), and the following items for 2-5 years are always in short supply: pyjamas, underwear, socks, tights and warm trousers/jogging bottoms for boys and girls. Donations can be left in the basket at 51 Barkers Road, S7 1SD, or in the box in church when it is open for private prayer on Thursday mornings from 10.00 am – 12 noon; cash donations should be put through the letter box. If Pat is away she will remove the basket from her front door step and she asks that items aren’t left at her door if the basket is not there. If you have something you can put through the letter box, that would be alright. The Facebook page also has information about donating via their Amazon wishlist. Donations can be left in the box at 51 Barkers Road, S7 1SD; cash donations should be put through the letter box. Pat would be able to collect donations if you cannot get them to her – telephone her on 2014881 if you would like to donate this way. You can also now donate online. We are grateful to all the very kind people who are taking these donations to where they are so desperately needed.
Something to think about At the Methodist Conference of 1994 in Leeds a visitor from the USA, Rev. Dr William Quick, one-time Associate General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and ‘a world-class preacher’, asked, ‘What is there in your life that it takes Jesus to explain?’
Congratulations to Anne and Nick Hutton who celebrate their Golden Wedding on the 12th April. They were married at St Andrew’s Sharrow on Easter Monday 1971.
Gifts outside the Box 10th -16th May A week of online events to discern how we can use our gifts from God to serve others in safe and gracious ways. Organised by the Yorkshire North and East, Yorkshire West, Sheffield, Darlington, and Newcastle Methodist Districts. Sessions on Community, Empathy, Place, Confidence, Resilience, Togetherness, Peace. Join any or all of the sessions, booking required. Book for the sessions you are interested in here. Registration deadline: Monday 3rd May. Full details here.
Methodist Church to start major new project on being a justice-seeking Church The Methodist Church is to commit to a two-year project looking at how the Church speaks out on social issues and challenges injustices. The project will be led by Rachel Lampard and aims to make the Church more effective in speaking and acting for justice and transformation. For full details see here. Thanks to Anne Hollows for sending this in!
CLC Bookshops Books for adults and children just £1 each!! Visit https://clcbookshops.com/landing-pages/world-book-day to browse and buy from the range of books at just £1 each in celebration of World Book Day !!
Good Taste – Sheffield’s Fair Trade shop 'Last week as a volunteer at the shop I joined in the 6th Anniversary on-line celebration of "Good Taste", the Sheffield Fair Trade Shop. It is a non-profit-making organisation, in that any profit made during the year is donated to "Taste", a water aid charity, providing bore holes to supply clean drinking water to an area in Nigeria.
Sheffield City Council Governance Referendum The Governance Referendum gives you a choice over how the Council will make decisions about your local services in the future. It was postponed in 2020 and is now planned for 6 May 2021 and will be held at the same time as the local Council and Police Crime Commissioner elections. On 6 May there will be two choices... The question you will be asked on the ballot paper is:How would you like Sheffield City Council to be run? By a leader who is an elected councillor chosen by a vote of the other elected councillors. This is how the council is run now. Or By one or more committees made up of elected councillors. This would be a change from how the council is run now. For information to help you research & think about the issues which the referendum raises, and to make this decision see here.
Nether Edge Fair The Nether Edge Fair is a runaway success! With more than 195 stalls and over 5,000 visitors, it is THE place to buy presents and treats for yourself and others. Profits from the stall fees go to charity, so everyone wins! You can browse and shop here, and please spread the word to everyone you know and help local independent businesses. Jean Allen
'Clare's Clever Cards' Visit this stall in the Eco-Charity section of the Nether Edge Fair to see what Clare Loughridge does with the cards you so kindly pass on to her. If you fancy buying anything you see, you can contact her at clareloughridge49@gmail.com - and 50% of the price will be donated to SAPLC.
We need your help! 2020 was a tough year for us all, but for St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church it was particularly tough financially. Our income dropped dramatically when we had to stop hiring out rooms in Shirley House due to the lockdown, but unfortunately our outgoings increased – our wonderful online services cost about five times as much to make as a ‘normal’ Sunday morning service would! There is also a lot of important repair work to be done on both the church and Shirley House, which will eat into our reserves even more. Many of you have been incredibly generous with your donations over this time but unfortunately we need to ask again – please give what you can to help us keep producing our online worship and keep our buildings in good repair. There is a variety of ways in which you can give – if you want to make a one-off donation, the easiest way may be to donate online here. You can also choose to give regularly on this page. Alternatively, you can pay money directly into the church bank account: Account name St Andrews Psalter Lane Sort code 05-08-08 Account number 36930499 OR send a cheque made out to St Andrews Psalter Lane Church to the Church Office, Shirley House, 31 Psalter Lane, Sheffield S11 8YL. You can find a Gift Aid declaration to fill in here, if needed. If you are able to, a regular donation makes it easier for us to budget our income and outgoings – please contact our Giving Secretary, Rodney Godber (rodney.godber@btinternet.com) to set up a Standing Order. The Envelope Scheme is another way to give regularly – see the separate notice in this newsletter for more information. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Giving Envelopes Members who use the giving envelope scheme to give regularly can collect their numbered envelopes for 2020 from the table in the narthex on Thursday mornings when the church is open for private prayer. If you do not give to the church through the envelope scheme or by bank standing order, please have a word with Rodney Godber (rodney.godber@btinternet.com) who will explain how this makes your giving to the church easier and more beneficial. If you wish to join the envelope scheme, please contact Janet Loughridge (j.loughridge@sheffield.ac.uk)
Methodist podcast Have you discovered the weekly Methodist Podcast? Available here and on most audio streaming services. Half an hour of inspiring stories, emerging ideas and latest news from across our national church.
Sheffield Interfaith news Visit the Sheffield Interfaith website for news on what they are doing, including their online Ramadan Iftar event: Interfaith event - Invitation to Online Ramadan Event, Tuesday, 20th April The Dialogue Society, Sheffield, kindly invites you to an online Ramadan Iftar event. It would be a great pleasure for us to have you online for this event. The month of Ramadan is a special time of the year for us and we would like to share the spirit of this great moment with you. The event will be streamed on Zoom on Tuesday, 20th April from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm the latest. We will entertain speakers, present some visual contents and a traditional Turkish dessert recipe. The guest speaker at this event will be Dr Chris Hewer and he will talk about Ramadan and Fasting. We will also have a Kahoot quiz. All you need to do is have a second device on hand in order to take part in the quiz.
Please also note this post about getting the Zoom links for their events.
Help Needed!
(Not necessarily an accurate representation of a Working Party!)
Many thanks to those who turned out to help at the Working Party on Saturday 3rd April. "Everyone is welcome to carry out gardening tasks at other times convenient to them. I will send out an email about the mowing rota. The compound and the tool box have combination padlocks. Please ask me if you want to know the combination and if you open either lock, please take care the combination is set correctly before closing it. The tool box contains the mower, strimmer and some tools and there are additional tools in the cellar. The usual tidying and weeding will be required in the coming weeks, remembering that the beds to the front of Shirley House also need to be kept weeded and tidy. Many thanks" John Cripps (01142 588932, 07914 290016, cripps@uwclub.net).
Live-streaming services We would like to be able to live-stream our Sunday services instead of recording them to put online. If you have any of the skills needed to do this (or perhaps you have a teenager who could help?) please contact Simon (email simondumpleton@gmail.com Tel. 07734527449)
The Green Box Calling all potential climate activists! Weekly Eco Tips We all want to care for the planet but can’t do everything at once. Here is the first of a series of tips to think about. They might seem a bit obvious, but it is always worth being reminded. Some can be done today, some this month, and some will not be for you. Everyone can do something! Time for a cuppa? Use proper cups/mugs - the UK uses 6 billion polystyrene cups, which all finish up in landfill sites
Send a postcard message to Boris The G7 is made up of the richest countries in the world and this June, G7 leaders are being hosted by the UK government in Cornwall. Countries that caused the climate crisis must financially support those facing its worst impacts. The UK must lead the way by making more money available to tackle this crisis – and the G7 is a key moment to make this happen. As we can’t be physically present in Cornwall to raise our voices, we need to make sure the Prime Minister gets the message another way. Send Boris Johnson a postcard that represents where you live to show the breadth of support for action on climate justice. Suggested message Dear Prime Minister, I can’t be in Cornwall for the G7, but I call on you to make this summit a success for climate justice. Please: Increase climate finance to the most vulnerable communities around the world. Cancel unfair debts so that countries can tackle the climate crisis and other urgent priorities. Success at the COP26 talks in November hinges on progress on these crucial issues at the G7. And the futures of millions of people depend on a just finance deal. With best wishes, (remember to leave your name and full address)
See the Eco Group page for more Green news! FUN PAGE
Hymn challenge, with a seasonal theme Paul Freemont has sent us an Easter-themed Hymn Challenge. Have a go and see how well you know the wonderful hymns we sing at Easter.
How well do you know your Easter Hymns? Below are 10 lines, taken at random from different hymns in Hymns Old and New. Can you supply the first line of the first verse of each?
So, if, for instance the line was “Above thy deep and dreamless sleep” it shouldn’t be too difficult to remember it’s a line from “O little town of Bethlehem” [but of course a Christmas Carol won’t be one of the options!]
1 risen from the tomb; 2 Jesus is Lord of all the earth 3 when he rose again, 4 behold his hands and side, 5 then open thou our eyes, 6 watching for the dawning 7 Christ has broken his prison, 8 evermore with you to reign. 9 quick from the dead, 10 O Life, awakening life in cell and tissue,
Answers next week We are very grateful to Paul for stirring up our little grey cells again!
And remember - You’re not stuck at home - You’re safe at home.
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