Dear Friends,
"There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism and one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4 v 5-6). With many congregations, many networks, affiliations, partnerships, community links and indeed differences of opinions on life and faith, this seems like a good verse to hold before us when for a time we seem to have the sun out! May indeed the Son of God and his love bring us his welcome and unifying grace. I hope some of the pointers I have selected to share about the life and work of All Saints bring a sense of unity and common focus for our many activities and work. Thank you for your interest, prayers and support.
Staff Work
Thank you for your prayers for the recruitment process for a Vicar’s PA. I am delighted to say that Hollie Milburn joins us in early August for 20 hours a week supporting myself and in part the office admin team. George Parsons our Music Minister begins on 1st August and we hope to make the most of Stephen Holme’s call to ordination as he offers a day a week plus Sunday duties, fully from September. Thank you to those who have enabled these people and processes to come to fruition. I pray that in the Lord’s time, your ministries and theirs might bear much fruit.
Team Work
Thank you to the Mission Support Group who have led us once again in a focused and creative way to be aware of local mission projects in Sheffield. Alongside our support of work overseas, the sense of sharing our prayers and financial resources to support God’s work away from our parochial structures is important. The extra funds offered in addition to our regular commitment through our PCC budget is, we trust, an encouragement to the groups who receive support. We pray with them that the One Lord blesses their work.
Thank you to the Halls Group who have begun, under Ian Walker’s leadership, a more detailed assessment of what might be possible to upgrade and improve the premises to support our links with the local community. We will share more news when we can but thank you to this group and the PCC for seizing this opportunity to move things forward.
Thank you to the Wardens Team who attend with others to the church services and many practical arrangements, participate in various committees and work streams. They, with I, place on record our indebtedness and thanks to Sue Gill, who has stepped down from this role, for her three plus years on the warden team. She has been a constant source of support to the team and staff and in recent months, an unsung hero in enabling, with others, the appointment of a new chaplain at Whirlow and our music minister. The PCC are grateful that the team is filled with four wardens with Richard Blyth offering to re-join and serve through to the APCM in May 2025. Do speak to one of the wardens if you sense a call to support the team and don’t run away too far if someone (like me) taps you on the shoulder and says “…would you mind offering to serve…!”
Group Work
Our main desire and focus as a staff team is, after prayer and reflection, to see membership of our small groups network enhanced with new members joining existing groups or establishing new groups and enhancing our resources for study and fellowship when they meet. Roland Slade and Kathryn Walker oversee this part of our church's life. Small groups can be a great way to follow on from Alpha or to feel a greater sense of belonging to All Saints. They can help in studying the Scriptures and to feel supported in your Christian discipleship. We have had some offers to lead or host a new group but if, as the autumn comes, you felt able to offer your home to host or your skills to lead a group we would be delighted to hear from you. Please join me in supporting our desire to grow this network in our midst.
Outreach Work
One of our principle outreach projects is of course our annual holiday club, taking place this year (Monday 12th – Friday 16th August). Rosie and her amazing team of helpers would value your prayers and encouragement for this week, particularly that the stories and love of Christ can be shared in an exciting and faithful way and increasing connections made with families in our area. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see more joining us for our regular acts of worship on the Lord’s day.
If you are free the team meetings, which include teaching, worship and prayer, are open to all. Join us to start your day with God and God’s people. Monday 12th - Friday 16th August, 8:30am for 20 minutes in church.
Autumn work
The Stewardship Team is already preparing for the autumn financial stewardship appeal which this year we plan to launch on Harvest Sunday, 6th October. Reflecting the theme "seek the Lord, serve the church, play your part", it will build on the key messages in relation to our church finances that were in our Treasurer Julia's presentation to the APCM in May. Do speak to Roland, Simon or Julia if you feel the Spirit prompting you to join the team or if you would like to know more about how to support the church financially.
Our Church Away at Home Weekend, 12-13th October, is building on the success of last year’s venture. We have a visiting speaker, members of our community contributing to our various activities and all our staff team involved in leading things for us all. There is an aspiration that amongst all these things we will unite on Saturday evening and again in a joint act of worship on Sunday morning. Steph and the team are always keen to mobilise your offers of help, so please be in touch.
We will be preparing for launching a larger Alpha course in the new year and my public lecture (you may have spotted there has been one each year I have been your vicar) on 6th November is to be focussed on the important area of helping ourselves and others be victorious in Christ (Good Lord deliver us ...). Shared with my daughter Amy, this lecture is open to all and will underpin much that we will be seeking to do at All Saints into the future. For all at All Saints this evening is a priority to be in attendance at.
Overseas Work
With the Bishop Pete’s encouragement, and that of our Standing Committee, I have accepted an invitation to share in the ministry of Bishop Brian Williams of Argentina in teaching and encouraging the clergy of his area. I hope this will strengthen the bonds of fellowship with our own mission support group link and the Church of St Michael’s that we have a partnership and connection with. I anticipate being with them at some point next year for a couple of weeks. More news will be forthcoming once the fixtures have been finalised. I am also delighted that for a few days in October Roland will be strengthening our MSG links with the church in Tanzania.
God’s Work
When we work, we work; when we pray God works. Join me in praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom during these days that many more might become more fully aware of God’s love in Christ. I offer some reflections and pointers in keeping with God’s work and priorities outlined in recent teaching on Luke 10 and at the APCM in May. These reflections will be added to for personal use, in prayer and mission triplets in the autumn. May our fellowship be used by God for his work and mission in the world.
The priority of God's work in sharing faith: Who are you praying for that they might come to faith? What might be the most suitable event or group at All Saints to help them connect to?
The priority of God's work in caring for others: We rejoice in having a menu of daytime activities as a church that are caring for others: Monday’s Drop In, Wednesday gatherings for communion and Thursday’s Open Door. We rejoice in having a team that encourages and facilitates practical pastoral care. How can I support these things or signpost others to them? Is there something I could be doing practically to care for others? All churches have a perception of being busy but I and the staff team are very much open to hear and support your ways of being practical and caring for others.
The priority of God’s work in keeping yourself fresh and alive spiritually: How does this happen for you? Are you aware of and have you noted in your diary the dates of the next church prayer meetings? Are you aware of the amazing resource that Whirlow is to us? Have you attended the Bible Society course to increase your fuller awareness of God's work? (The next course ‘Going Deeper in God’s Word’ starts on September 18th). Have you the courage to speak to someone if you sense you are stuck spiritually? Or are you indeed humble enough to share a renewed sense of awakening spiritually which always brings with it a desire to serve for there are always things that need doing?
Yours in Christ’s service,
The Revd Canon Mark Brown