News from Dane and Trent Circuit: and beyond

Trussell Trust logo As a consequence of COVID-19, those who rely on extra support to receive essential food and resources may find the next few months particularly difficult. Foodbanks are already beginning to be stretched as a result of the strain on resources.

As we seek to care for the vulnerable and at risk in our communities, supporting your local foodbank is a practical way to be of help. There are two key ways in which you can offer support:

Volunteer – the Trussell Trust is calling on working-aged people in good health to volunteer, to enable their services to remain open.
Donations – you can find lists of the resources your local foodbank particularly needs on their website.

Guidance on supporting your local foodbank

An appeal to churches from the Trussell Trust

Rev Barb Glasson In the days leading up to taking up her post, Revd Dr. Barbara Glasson, President Designate of Conference, set out to walk the 130 miles by canal towpath, from her home base in West Yorkshire, to the Methodist Conference in Birmingham. With a small group of supporters from her West Yorkshire District she started from Aspley Basin, Huddersfield, aiming to arrive two days before Conference started, at which moment she would start her year of office as President of the Methodist Conference.

The aims of the walk reflect the story she wants to get over during this presidential year:

Because the earth matters and we want to reduce our carbon footprint
Because the Methodist Church matters and we want to tell people where we are going
Because we want to raise the profile of the Methodist Church
Because life matters and we want to listen better and share our stories
Because faith matters and needs to be seen

JPIT have produced a briefing note in which they identify specific steps we can all take to reduce the carbon footprint.

Personal Steps, e.g. specific green energy providers you can swap to;

Church Steps, e.g.score your church overall, such as its management of buildings and land;

National Steps, e.g. join the campaign to get your MP to be a 'Hero for Zero';

By November 2018, there were seventeen Street Pastors, including three new ones who, having been out as observers, began to be officially part of the team going out on patrol.

It’s encouraging to see different groups coming together to help our Community. Rumba restaurant, now established on Swan Bank, provides a good stop in order to connect with people.

New volunteers are always welcome, especially for Street Pastors. If you’d like to volunteer for the Street Pastors please contact Revd Andrew Lindley and for the Prayer Pastors please contact Anne Argent.

local preacher awards, February 2018

A Circuit Together event was held in February 2018 at Trinity Methodist Church, to celebrate and give thanks for seven Local Preachers with a total of 275 years service.

The event started in the afternoon with a workshop led by Rachel Lampard, past Vice-President of the Methodist Church and who is currently Team Leader of the Joint Public Issues Team, churches working for peace and justice. see http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk

The workshop was entitled “Politics is too important to be left to politicians and political parties! What can WE do?”. Rachel was engaging and enlightening and the workshop was enjoyed and appreciated by over 40 participants.