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 25th October 2020
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 service on Sunday. There are Notices at the end of the newsletter. All contributions, serious or light-hearted, would be very welcome!
The Methodist Prayer for the day Thursday 22nd October 2020 This earth, a delicate sphere filled with light and life, all of it yours; a home and safe haven, where life may grow and flourish, all of it yours; a place where rains fall, lightning strikes and the sun shines, all of it yours. This earth, all of it amazing, all lovingly created and all of it yours. We offer you our love, Lord God, and all of it is yours. Amen. Loraine Mellor, Nottingham and Derby District Chair
Message from Gareth We do not have a Message from Gareth this week, as he and Jean are having a well-deserved break – I am sure you all join me in hoping they have a relaxing and refreshing time. Here instead is a poem by Derek Mahon, one of the group of poets from Northern Ireland who flourished during and after the Troubles, Seamus Heaney being the best known. Derek Mahon died on the 1st October 2020. His poem ‘Everything is going to be All Right’ was read out after the main RTE (Irish television) evening news on March 27, the day the Irish government imposed a nationwide lockdown which would last seven weeks. The poem was first published in 1990, but captures the inescapable anxiety caused by the virus and humanity’s unfailing resilience even at the worst of times. It brought comfort to many during lockdown and reminded us all that "the sun rises in spite of everything". I hope it brings us all some food for thought – and comfort – as Sheffield goes into Tier 3 lockdown. Janet Loughridge
Everything is Going to be All Right by Derek Mahon How should I not be glad to contemplate the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window and a high tide reflected on the ceiling? There will be dying, there will be dying, but there is no need to go into that. The poems flow from the hand unbidden and the hidden source is the watchful heart. The sun rises in spite of everything and the far cities are beautiful and bright. I lie here in a riot of sunlight watching the day break and the clouds flying. Everything is going to be all right.
Services Sunday 25th October 20th Sunday after Trinity
10.30 am Morning Worship Chris Sissons We look forward to our online Sunday service at 10.30 am. Music led by Simon Dumpleton and members of the choir; reader Barbara Shuker; Intercessions led by Bill Atherton. You are invited to have 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.
The Junior Church Activity sheet for the service is available here.
Zoom coffee meeting There will be a Zoom coffee meeting after the service every Sunday. The link will be sent to you all by email on Saturday. The host (usually Imogen) will open the Zoom meeting 5 minutes after the broadcast service ends - long enough to make a hot drink - and she will assign people to breakout rooms so that they can chat in small groups. This is a really nice way to meet up with friends from SAPLC, old and new – why not give it a try if you haven’t already?
2.30 pm Derbyshire Farmers' On-line Harvest FestivalAs the seasons and the rhythms of creation continue the Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy is preparing to celebrate Harvest with the agricultural community. We normally gather for our Farmers' Harvest Festival in the main store ring at Bakewell Livestock Market with thanks to the support of Bagshaw's LLP and the High Peak Livestock Society, however; given we cannot sing and we certainly couldn't socially distance the 300 people that normally come together, due to Covid-19 restrictions we are pre-recording the service from farms and fields across Derbyshire this year! We welcome Philip Holland, our wonderful Derbyshire poet, and Bel Canto and St Anne’s Church Choir from Baslow will sing a harvest anthem on a farm (socially distanced of course), and we welcome readings by farmers and our rural chaplains. Given the use of technology, we also welcome Revd. Jeremy Dare to share a harvest reflection all the way from the wild moors of the Shetland Islands, the United Kingdom's most northerly location! Revd. Jeremy was Chair of the Shetland District of the Methodist Church. The service will premiere here at 2.30 pm on Sunday 25th October.
Wednesday service There will be an on-line service at 11.00 am on Wednesday. The format of the service will be readings with pauses, a led meditation, a psalm and prayers, with some music at the beginning and the end. This is followed by time to chat over a cup of coffee – very sociable even on Zoom! The link to this service will be sent on Tuesday.
Sunday 1st November 2020 10.30 am Holy Communion Revd Gareth Jones We look forward to our online Sunday service at 10.30 am. Music led by Simon Dumpleton & members of the choir. Prayers of intercession Josie Smith; reader Clare Loughridge 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
4.00 pm Worship Service in Church John Harding
If you intend to come to this service you need to book by midday on Saturday 17th October There is an online booking system here or you can 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.
Please consider volunteering to act as welcomer, screen operator or sound operator at this service - without this team of people we could not safely open the church for public worship. If you can help, please contact Janet Loughridge - email j.loughridge@sheffield.ac.uk, Tel. 2584164
Private prayer in church We look forward to welcoming you to private prayer in the church from 10.00 am to 12 noon on Thursdays We have carried out a thorough risk assessment to make sure we do this safely. A huge amount of work has been done to make this possible – we are extremely grateful to John Cripps and the others 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. Visitors are asked to follow the rules, which are 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.
Please remember all those who are in need of our prayers at the moment Paul Freemont has suggested that we also think of those who put themselves at risk for the sake of others - thinking of workers in the health service in particular, but not neglecting those whose work puts them in potential hazard.
NOTICES
Season of Remembrance at St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church All Souls’ Service Sunday 1st November 7.00 pm on YouTube Our annual All Souls Memorial Service offers an opportunity to remember those who have died both recently and longer ago. As the video will be public, no names will be mentioned, but if you would like to send a photograph of the person you are remembering, it will be included in a photo montage on screen. Please email the photo to Judith Roberts: robertsjm4@gmail.com no later than Wednesday 21st October. Please also let Judith know if you would like a link to the online service which we shall send just before the service is due to be broadcast. Bulb planting in the church garden During the week 2nd – 7th November there will be the opportunity to plant a bulb in the grass in the church garden. Turfs will have been lifted to indicate where the bulbs should be planted, and a limited number of bulbs will be available. You would need to bring your own trowel and if possible, a bulb of your choice. We hope that the result will be a lovely display in the spring which will be a tribute to those whom we have lost. Remembrance Sunday On Sunday 8th November, our online 10.30 am service will have a Remembrance Day theme, with two minutes silence. In addition to this at 11.00 am a wreath will be laid at our Garden of Remembrance memorial plaque in the church garden. It will be possible to attend this short service subject to the available space and appropriate social distancing and in groups of no more than 6 people. Please arrive by 10.50 am.
Harvest Festival donations The amount given instead of Harvest gifts for the Cathedral Archer Project was £1,572.40 on Monday. Many, many thanks to everyone who donated so generously, this is a magnificent result.
Annual Church Meeting The Annual Church Meeting, which was to have been held on Sunday 26th April, will now be held at 7.00 pm on Thursday 29th October on Zoom. Please consider standing for election as a Warden, Steward, or as a member of the Ecumenical Church Council. It is particularly important that we find at least one person to join the team of Stewards and Wardens to replace Muriel Roberts, who has completed her 4-year term of office. The post is open to all Joint and Anglican members. Please think seriously about whether you could fill this position, which is vital to the life of the church. If you wish to stand, or would like to find out what is involved, please speak to Gareth (email garethjones11@googlemail.com Tel 0114 2508251) or Clare Loughridge (email clareloughridge49@gmail.com Tel 0114 2584164). If you have never 'Zoomed' before, it is quite straightforward - see this guide for more information.
Electoral Roll The Electoral Roll has to be revised prior to the Annual Church Meeting. You were given notice of this in March, but we were prevented from completing the process because of lockdown.
The World after the Pandemic During lockdown, the Eco Group discussed what the world would look like after the pandemic, and what we would like it to look like; we discussed how we could influence the world to improve and how we could help to create a greener, fairer ‘New Normal’. This is the ‘manifesto’ that we have drawn up as a result of this discussion: it is intended to be a statement of our beliefs about the issues of climate change and pollution, a tool for lobbying those in power – we will be sending a copy to local MP Paul Blomfield, for example – and a basis for discussion with other people and groups who are involved in making change happen. You may have had a leaflet through your door from Paul Blomfield with the title 'Beyond Covid-19 - What Next?' We suggest you print off the Manifesto and send it to Paul Blomfield with the “Tell me what you think” section of the leaflet. This is a great opportunity to make our collective voice heard. Thank you to those who have already signed this manifesto. We would like everyone in the congregation to do this - if you would like your name to be added to the list of signatories, please email clare@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk
Diocesan Development Day Saturday 10th October Several SAPLC members attended this meeting, which was held on Zoom with 172 people attending, which worked remarkably well, and found it interesting and rewarding. The main speaker was Ruth Valerio, author of ‘Saying Yes to Life’ (which our Housegroups are studying this term), and Global Advocacy and Influencing Director for TearFund. She spoke on Living Hopefully - A Christian Response to Climate Change. She began by showing us a film about how climate change is affecting a family in Ethiopia as an example of how the poorest people in the world are suffering. Ruth summarised the reasons why we as Christians should be concerned about climate change, and then spoke on how the church can respond:
Can churches make a difference? Yes! We are the largest group of people on the planet – about a third of the world’s population is Christian. The sleeping giant that is the church is beginning to awake! There were other equally interesting talks by Bishop Pete on The Hope we have in Christ and Bishop Sophie on Sharing our Hope with others; and we divided into small groups for discussion. TearFund has an online petition that we are encouraged to sign to encourage the UK Government to lead the world towards a greener, fairer future, and unite in prayer and action to see a breakthrough in the climate crisis.
A message from Anne Hollows Please cconsider filling in this easily completed proforma letter authored by Church Action on Poverty and the Joint Public Issues Team about the mounting level of debt. Many thanks, Anne
A message from Mary Mitchell Thank you so much for your donations. It was very encouraging, (especially when walking in the rain!) to know that there was more purpose to the walk than just enjoying the views and getting some exercise, even though those aspects of walking are so very good too. I have completed both the walk and my fundraising targets. Best wishes, Mary
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. The latest episode features Rev Inderjit Bhogal talking on Black History Month and his 40 years in ministry in Sheffield and beyond, the previous week features the National Methodist Choir, led by Matt Beckingham from our Doncaster Circuit.
Re-Opening the Church We look forward to welcoming you to private prayer in the church. We will be open from 10.00 am - 12.00 noon on Thursdays. We are now asking for non-vulnerable volunteers to assist with welcoming for 2 x 3 hour sessions on Monday afternoons (say 1:30-4:30 pm) and Friday mornings (say 9:30 am -12:30 pm) including preparation time, plus the Wedding on Saturday 1st August, time to be arranged. Please contact Janet Loughridge if you can help (0114 2584164, j.loughridge@sheffield.ac.uk)
CLC Bookshops Sheffield is reopening!! The team at CLC Bookshops is very happy to let you know that the bookshop will be reopening at 11.00 am on Tuesday 22nd September. The revised opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm. If you need something before the shop reopens, call 0114 2724663 for prompt, friendly & knowledgeable service, whether to ask a question or to place an order. You can also send enquiries by email.
The Real Advent Calendar – the perfect gift for little people The Real Advent Calendar is a fun way for parents, grandparents and Godparents to share the Christmas story. The 2020 design calendar comes with a free 24-page Christmas story activity book designed to be used every day in Advent, and illustrated by award winning artist, Martina Peluso.. A special edition of The Real Advent Calendar has been produced this year, as Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.
New Coronavirus (COVID-19) test centre in our area. A testcentre has recently opened on Alderson Road carpark in Sharrow (this is situated just down the road from the London Road pharmacy). It is open from 8am-8pm 7 days a week. Testing is free. Tests can be arranged by calling 119 or by booking online, or the centre will accept walk ins. Please do not let this worry you! - having a testing site in our local area does not mean there is more Covid-19 here than elsewhere. Testing sites have been cleared by the Government; it is not dangerous to visit one or to have one in your local area. You should only take a test if you have any of the symptoms of Covid-19, which are:
All We Can Update Sadly the All We Can events have had to be put on hold until it is safe to go ahead. Many thanks to the people who have offered help with the organisation. We know that all of you will have had requests from charities and other calls on your finances but climate change continue and food shortages have worsened. Please can you consider making small gifts to All We Can or thinking of small sponsored events that you can do safely at home. The All We Can website have updates about their work and information on giving. They are also sharing positive and uplifting content each lunchtime at 1.17 pm. Janet has recently received this letter of thanks from All We Can, with some news of their activities and concerns. Many thanks, Janet (Clarke) and Judith (Loveman)
Year of Prayer The Methodist Conference has declared 2020/2021 a year of prayer so that our Church-wide commitments to evangelism, church growth, church at the margins, and pioneering and church planting will flow from a deep, contemplative orientation to God’s grace and love. Be part of this movement of prayer as we ask the Holy Spirit to help us be a growing, evangelistic, inclusive, justice-seeking Church of gospel people. Join others across the Methodist Church to pray together every Tuesday from 12.45 to 1.00pm. Read more and take part here.
Working Party – message from John Cripps Thank you to everybody who came and helped at the Working Party on Saturday 3rd October. The next Working Party will be on Saturday 7th November, when we will work outside while maintaining our 2m separations. Please consider coming to join us – we do not have many volunteers, and the church grounds still need maintenance especially now as the leaves are falling. Unfortunately we cannot use the church kitchen, so please bring your own refreshments. We look forward to seeing you! 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).
A message from Bill Atherton One of the benefits of the Nexus being on line is that the links to websites work. This is particularly relevant with the report from the Barnsley ”Positive Climate Action Day" that I sent to Anne and she included, to my surprise, in full. Please follow this link to their site and find there the proper report that has pictures & graphs. Much more interesting and dynamic than my script. Bill
Defibrillator training SAPLC Property & Finance Committee is planning to install a defibrillator on the outside wall of Shirley House for the benefit of the community. We are now looking for people to volunteer to do some training in how to operate the defibrillator This opportunity will be offered to members of the community as well as SAPLC people. If you would like to be involved in this please contact the Church Office at office@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk
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. 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. A message from Joe, who takes the donations to the Foodbank: ‘A big thank you to everyone who has donated to the Food Bank this week. Your contributions make a big difference. Helping people get by in difficult times’
Baby Basics Donations can be left in the basket at 51 Barkers Road, S7 1SD; 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. Or donations can also be left at 45 Osberton Place, S11 8XL. 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.
To keep you on your toes - a new challenge from Josie Smith
As Paul is having a break from the Hymn Challenge, and if you can’t resist a challenge, how about writing a HAIKU this week? Like Sudoku, it’s a Japanese invention, and it’s very simple. Just seventeen syllables, 5, 7, 5, in three lines. Go on - have a shot at it. And 2 responses this week:
On my way to work The bus is very chilly Glad to have my mask!
The sun is shining The leaves are turning to gold Summer and Autumn?
Send your haiku to Janet Loughridge in the Church Office and it will appear in the Newsletter
And just for fun:
And remember - You’re not stuck at home - You’re safe at home.
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