Vicars Summer Letter 2024

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

From the Mission Support Group

I am very privileged to chair the mission support group, a sub-group of the PCC which oversees the distribution of our outward looking (beyond the parish) mission budget. The group is supportive, committed and enjoyable – looking at ways in which we can use our resources (prayers, money, time, expertise) to bless others. The budget has recently gone up, which gives us even more opportunity to bless others. As it says in Psalm 112, we want to be those that ‘have given freely to the poor.’

At this year’s mission weekend we interpreted the ‘poor’ as those who need our help in Sheffield and so we invited three special, local charities to tell us their story and their client stories. We heard from The Golddigger Trust, the Archer Project and Snowdrop and were inspired to engage, learn, pray and give.

Recently, as a church, we considered how to engage with mission more effectively, looking at Luke 10 – the sending out of the seventy, the parable of the Good Samaritan and the story of Mary and Martha. Our mission support, hopefully, engages with all three of these emphases, but this year we particularly focused on the Good Samaritan. Each of the local charities works with people who we might not come across in our daily lives (especially the survivors of trafficking and the homeless) – but we have an opportunity to help ‘pay the innkeepers fees’ referring to v 35, the part of the story where the Good Samaritan offers to the innkeeper to ‘repay you whatever more you spend’.

So we hope that everyone who came to the weekend events was able to enjoy the ceilidh, the tea and scones and connect with our speakers. We are so grateful for the money raised. The current total for donations (including gift aid) is just under  £7,300. We will be allocating this equally across the three charities.  In addition we raised nearly £500 from the Friday night Ceilidh for Gold Digger Trust. Where we have received cheques specific to the individual charities we will be passing these on to them.

 With love, Simon Musgrave

From the Vicar

Dear Friends

People come to church for many reasons they stay for only one – they make friends.

Of course there are bound to be exceptions to truisms like this but it worth reflecting and giving thanks to God for those who have felt led to join us at All Saints in recent months and years. Welcoming their presence and gifts is an honour and privilege. It brings with it too a relatively easy challenge to respond to in love, in conversation and accommodation to their wishes and welcome input. We might be familiar with people, places and ways of doing things “around here”, they might not be. We might have our friendship groups already filled but of course they might not. There are many signs of encouragement, including: people joining small groups ( - we are praying for more); being honest and asking for practical help (thank you for the growing team who respond); and offering to assist with many emerging outreach events and fixtures (Experience Christmas for example).

May I encourage us all to be on the lookout for visitors and make use of our welcome pack and notice sheets (to pass onto them), to circulate and converse over coffee perhaps in church to liberate space in the welcome area, helping those new to appreciate the variety of ways we can give financially, serve practically (we always need volunteers) and pray widely (for our many mission partners). May we be an increasingly friendly and welcoming church as indeed many sense is already the case – thanks be to God for those he is calling to join us.

Yours in Christ,

Mark

From the Associate Vicar

This Weekend there are three great highlights happening. Firstly, some of our older Youth are in Manchester for the weekend with Dave and Helen our mission partners. Pray for them as they see God at work in the community and in their church. They will do lots across the weekend and we look forward to letting you know how it all went.

Secondly, we are delighted to welcome Avery and Reya-Mai (along with their families) who are being baptised at our 11am service.

Thirdly, this Sunday evening +Pete Wilcox will join us for our confirmation service. Do join us for the celebration as five people will make a public confession of their faith. Do you remember the moment you made a public affirmation of your own faith?  Was it a significant moment for you?

Rev Roland Slade

From the Operations Manager

Hopefully by the time you read this the scaffolding will have come down to reveal our repaired and restored tower plaque monument to Revd George Smith, ‘Assistant Minister of the Parish Church, Sheffield and Curate of this chapel’, and his wife Mary.

The plaque had been pulling away from the tower and causing damage to the surrounding stonework so the team from RM Eaton have spent the past few weeks working diligently to remove, repair and reinstate the plaque to prevent any further movement, make it safe and preserve it for future generations.

You will notice one corner of the plaque is a different colour from the rest, this piece been has carefully chosen and crafted to replace a section that was lost and will, over time, weather to match the rest.  

We have loved having Alice, Katherine and Mark on site, they have been so willing to talk to anyone who has questions and share insights into their highly skilled work, we cannot recommend them enough!

Now this job is done we can focus on the work to upgrade the AV inside Church and preparations for the next Church away day (12th and 13th October, save the date!).

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you want to chat anything Estates or Church Operations.

Stephanie Osman

From the Mission Support Group

This year for our Mission Weekend we hear from Christians who have gone into our city to bring about the goodness of God to people who really need it.  We want to focus on and support three of these charities this year.

• Snowdrop Project – supports and empowers victims of modern slavery and exploitation across South Yorkshire

• Archer Project – Offers homeless people in Sheffield a pathway from homelessness to a settled life

• Golddigger Trust – Transforms the lives of young people by equipping them with positive wellbeing and the skills to make good life decisions

All money raised from the weekend will go to support the work of these three great charities.  Please give generously!

You can give directly on the website - https://www.allsaintsecclesall.org.uk/mission or in person using the Mission Sunday envelopes which can be collected in church.

 With thanks from the Mission Support Group.

From the Assistant Minister

I imagine that in your diary, last Sunday was called ‘Father’s Day’. In the calendar of the Church this week, we remember the birth of John the Baptist and so we are very much reminded of John's Father, Zechariah. He was puzzled about a baby being born to him and his wife Elizabeth when they were both “advanced in years", despite the announcement of the child to come being given to him by an angel.   But a few days after the baby was born, the puzzlement completely evaporated, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied in words that have come to be called ‘the Benedictus’(Luke1.57-80). These words have been considered so important that you will find them both in the morning service in the Book of Common Prayer and in the Common Worship service book.

OK, but so what, Godfrey, you politely ask. This matters to us now, because these few verses are full of truth, wonder and encouragement for us. Luke records the events around the birth and naming of John as part of his determined drive to show all who will listen, then and now, that with the coming of Jesus into the World, God’s promised redemptive plan of salvation is bursting out into history and into the story of humankind.

 Zechariah first blesses God – not a bad way to begin your prayers. Then he declares the fulfilment of God’s promises, prophecies and covenant with Abraham, in the arrival of God Himself in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom salvation comes “in the forgiveness of... sins”.  Zechariah reminds us that “...because of the tender mercy of our God” He delivers us, that we might “serve him without fear” - we are saved, to serve the God of our salvation.

 John the Baptist is the great announcer of the Lord’s arrival, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, his Father Zechariah gives us a wonderful preface to the Gospel record of the work of Christ in the World.  How about taking this as the theme for your personal devotions this week?

With you in God’s service

Godfrey

From the Vicar

Dear Friends

One of the great privileges of belonging to All Saints church is its young peoples’ work which extends its ministry to us all through regular youth led evening services. Regular members will know that the feature of a quiz or time of congregational participation is much anticipated and looked forward to. It strikes me that there is a wonderful sense of fun and community shared by all who attend during these times. In a large and often dispersed church family these times of community are very precious. Here are some other times to pray, support and participate in. All are times to for others to be invited to and drawn into. A welcoming, fun filled, relaxed and meaningful Christian fellowship is a great advert for the Christian faith to a watching world. Here they are - sign up, come along and bring someone with you! The Mission Support group are holding a Ceilidh on June 28th, Friendly stop with George Parsons is on July 15th at 1pm. And save the date for our ‘Church away at home’ – if you liked last year’s day we hope you will love this year’s whole weekend on 12th & 13th October, with guest speaker The Revd Victoria Lawrence.