From the Churchwardens January 2021

Emmanuel- God with Us

How we have needed to be reminded of this throughout the past nine months! The first National Lockdown introduced us to a whole new vocabulary, not to mention a whole new way of living our lives. Praise be, that we also know that God is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today and for ever, no matter what we are going through. This is our last edition of ‘From the Church Wardens’. We are signing out with some reflections from this extraordinarily difficult period in our lives.

We are now very much looking forward to handing over to Mark Brown, our new Priest-in Charge. Happily, despite an impending lockdown, both he and Allie moved into the Vicarage on 5th January. They will have been greeted by all the signs of welcome prepared by the church family, including a big array of wonderful welcome cards. Thank you.

Looking Forward with Prayer and Hope

Our prayers are now with both Mark and Allie as they ‘settle in’ and especially for Mark, who will be Licensed on Thursday 21st January! Sadly, this service will have to be held on-line. Happily, however, it will mean that many more of you will be able to join in and ‘be there’ too!

So, we say goodbye from the Wardens, remembering also with thanks, Sarah Leighton and Julia Newton who travelled with us on this Lockdown-Vacancy journey.

To everyone, thank you! All your kind words of support and encouragement have meant so much and helped us to ‘keep going’ trusting that God is With Us! Emmanuel!

Ruth Watkin

Warden Reflections: Dave Coleshill

As a church warden, the last 12 months have certainly come with their challenges. Throughout the year the changes we had to make to ensure safety during the pandemic such as moving all meetings on to zoom, closing the church and then organising the cautious reopening of the church for services were important and the situation was closely monitored to make sure we put nobody at risk. Additionally, we had the problem of being without a vicar. Family life was also challenging as I began to work from home in March like many others. The pandemic disrupted work on our house extension and subsequently we were left with only two rooms for our family of four to live in; one to sleep in and one as our makeshift kitchen. It was a bit of a squeeze! By the summer, work was able to resume and so we finished the house and welcomed our long planned addition to the family, Doris, a sprocker puppy. We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, the vaccine programme is being rolled out and hopefully soon we will be able to welcome larger congregations into the church to worship with the full church family.

Doris

Perspectives

Alison Fletcher Deputy Churchwarden

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalms 113:3 NIV

This time last year Michael Gordon and I as your parish representatives were finalising our update to the church family to say that sadly the Diocese would not allow us to go ahead and advertise at that time for a new priest in charge. At the same time in the UK we had only vaguely heard of Covid, and were yet to become familiar with social distancing, lockdowns, tiers or bubbles. Roll on 12 months ....as we look back there are many things we simply can’t understand, there is loss, pain, heartache, concern, all in large quantities and whilst we can all give thanks for the vaccination roll out programme, we know many aspects of our lives are still ‘ on hold'. However as the verse above reminds us...the name of the Lord is to be praised, and at the start of this new year it is right to stop , be still and reflect on all we have to thank God for. The list is endless and different for each one of us but here are a few things:

• This week Mark and Allie Brown have moved into the vicarage and Mark will soon start his ministry with us as our new priest in charge

• God is never socially distant and wants us to get to know Him more • God’s creation surrounds us giving us plenty to smile about - the new shoots on trees and bulbs emerging, the changing skies, the birds singing, the frost on the grass

• Technology of all kinds allowing us to meet, hear our favourite music , order shopping , watch films, play Scrabble, read the news ......

Amen.

Richard Blyth Deputy Churchwarden

I feel very privileged and blessed to be a Church Warden and a member of the Churchyard Team during this time of Covid 19 because it keeps me busy and I feel useful and has given me a purpose by supporting our church. I have also felt inspired by the faith and guidance of the church family, and especially that shown by the older members of the congregation. All Saints churchyard is a very tranquil place and I work with a lovely group of mostly retired volunteers. With being outside we can easily socially distance, so the only time that it’s not possible to work is when there is a lockdown or the weather’s bad.

The effects of the pandemic in church have been much more significant and as a new Church Warden there has been much to learn and adapt to. Fortunately the Senior Wardens, the Clergy and the administrative staff are inspirational and a great support to me during this challenging time. I gain great comfort from being able to be part of our Church Family.

Rachel McLafferty- Staff Team reflections

With the arrival of our new Priest in Charge we approach a new season for All Saints, and this is so exciting. It’s also important to reflect on the past 18 months and the hard work and determination of the staff team. A vacancy is a difficult time for any church, but add a global pandemic into the mix and the challenges just get a lot harder!

The Ministry and Operations team have successfully juggled working at home, childcare, gaining new technological skills, supporting the church family, connecting with families remotely, social distancing and developing worship and festivals, all during this time. It has been an incredibly hard period, and I think I speak on behalf of all my colleagues when I say that. We look forward to a time when we can see our church family again. and we are grateful for the support that so many have given.

With God’s help we have kept going and been encouraged by your words of kindness and support. We are now very much looking forward to working with our new boss!

From the Churchwardens December 2020 and January 2021

Out with the old - in with the new
Doing Church Inside Out 2020-21

It’s hard to think that anyone will regret the passing of 2020. It has been a year of loss for us all. We have had much to grieve over- not only for the greatest loss; loved ones whom we could not visit or comfort but also for the loss of much that we held dear and had taken for granted in our everyday lives.

As a church we have had to adapt to different ways of doing things.  We needed to be inventive in reaching out beyond our Old conventional boundaries and seek New ways to communicate our message. Out of this need came the idea of doing church ‘Inside Out’. If our church building was closed then we could still celebrate our festivals by being creative. We could use the grounds outside and involve our church and community along the way. We could still share our message of hope to bless all those who passed by.

The displays for Harvest and Remembrance gave great pleasure. Who can forget the beautiful Harvest arch over the West door and the spectacular banner of poppies fronting Ecclesall Road?

So here we are at Advent! Watch out for the Advent banner. Look up at the Advent arch. Read the lines of the Advent hymns and ‘sing’ them to yourselves along the way!

Follow the trail of the Nativity story across the parish and find the baby in the manger. Make your Christingles at home to share. Spot ‘4 k-andles’ on Ringinglow Road. Find the Star shining throughout the night. Lights! Lights! Lights! ……There’ll be no mistaking the message of hope and love at the end of this Old Year. Whatever this Christmas may bring- Jesus, the Light of the World is here to stay.

As for the New Year, we have much to be hopeful for, especially as we prepare to welcome our new Priest -in-charge. Mark Brown along with his wife Allie will be moving up from Tonbridge at the beginning of January. Careful plans are in hand to welcome them and help them feel ‘at home’ whilst acknowledging all the restrictions that will still be in place. We certainly hope that we’ll be able to welcome them properly sooner rather than later in 2021!

Verse for the Year 2020

When we chose the verse for the year for 2020, we had no idea the significance it was going to have.  The verse was chosen to remind us that God is with us through what we expected to be a year of change and transition in the life of All Saints at a time of vacancy.  Most of us could not have predicted the global events of the COVID-19 pandemic and we could not have known how appropriate this verse is to the year we have had.

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

As we come to the end of the year, we thought it was appropriate to return to the verse to appreciate its significance at this time.  Firstly, to remind us that God has been with us through all the challenges and difficulties of the past year. Secondly, to reassure ourselves that we are still held, supported and loved. Finally, to point us forward that in God we can hold onto a hope that things may be better.

For God alone

The word alone stands out, not just in the fact that it repeated in the verse, but because it summarises the experience of many of us through the year of lockdown.  Through different parts of this year many people have had to be alone.  For some it has been through periods of lockdown, not being able to see people to protect those who are vulnerable.  For others, it has been a much longer period of isolation as they have been shielding to protect themselves.  Being on your own is hard and yet God is with us. In the verse the word alone is trying to tell is that God is all we need, and yet it is also a reminder that when we are on our own, he has never stopped being with us.

My soul waits in silence

This year has been a year of waiting.  Whether waiting for the next news announcement or waiting for news of a loved one.  Maybe waiting for lockdown to finish or waiting for normality to return.  Or waiting to see someone that you have missed so much or waiting to return to church to see our church family and to worship together in the same place. Some people will have found peace in the process of waiting, others will have found it difficult. Advent has always been a time of waiting and we are reminded that in God waiting always has an ending.  God meets us in the waiting and in the silence but he always brings us to a place of hope.

For my hope is from him.

The coming of Jesus at Christmas is the culmination of the Past hopes of the Jewish people, the arrival of a Present hope for those living under Roman rule and the foretaste of the Future hope that God’s kingdom will come.  For the people of Jesus’ day they had to rely on the promises of the earlier times, to meet hope in the person of Jesus and be reassured that God was moving them forward.  As we celebrate Christmas differently this year so we need to hold onto this same hope, grounded in the Past, experienced in the Present and pointing us into the Future.

A letter from St Gabriel’s

On 10 November the wardens of both churches and Revd Alistair Stevenson met on Zoom to reflect and review the last 6 months and look forward to the next. We wanted to take an opportunity to briefly share and celebrate what has been going on at St Gabriel’s, particularly since Alistair went full-time at St Gabriel’s.

During these turbulent and challenging months St Gabriel’s has put on a varied programme of Sunday worship, ministry and mission. These include a weekly Sunday Zoom Service and an unsung 11:30am Holy Communion in the church building (when permitted) alongside an online service and paper copy produced and delivered to those not on the internet. They have also started and developed termly courses including: Generous June, The Blessings Course, The Bible Course, The Marriage course -all on Zoom.

In October they launched a new ‘Bless Greystones’ initiative to encompass their engagement and mission to the community. Their first project was working in partnership with the local KTN shop to offer free delivery of essentials to those vulnerable or isolating in the community during the second lockdown. They continue to connect with the Playmates toddler group through story times on Zoom and a successful treasure hunt in Bingham Park. They also had a successful Holiday club, again predominately on Zoom, with ‘Adventurer Packs’ full of activities and crafts sent out to all the children the week before. They have continued to invest in the building and branding with the redecoration and painting of the church and hall and a new logo and a new sign at the entrance. Catherine Stevenson, has since September, started to work on a volunteer basis one day a week for the church. The wardens at St Gabriel’s particularly noted the huge positives of Alistair and Catherine working as a team over the last 6 months.

St Gabriel’s continue to be grateful to All Saints for sharing the responsibility and committing to funding the role of Priest-In-Charge at St Gabriel’s. They wait with us at All Saints with anticipation for the arrival of Mark as Priest-In-Charge of All Saints and particularly the impact on the Mission Partnership as he and the staff at All Saints work in partnership with Alistair across the mission area.

From the Churchwardens - November 2020

Reverend Canon Mark Brown Our new Priest in Charge

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Tonbridge, Kent, where I am in the process of many farewells to the Parish where Allie, I and our five children have been for the last 13 years! I am very excited and humbled to have been called by the Lord to be serving with you at All Saints. I am conscious of the many demands placed upon Churches during these days where a new language of tier systems and restrictions extend around the regions of our country. I am, therefore, even more full of admiration for the resilience and dedication of your team, PCC, Wardens and Parish Representatives to have been so adaptable and responsive during a long vacancy period.

Allie and I are very much looking forward to getting to know you all. We will be joined with our younger daughter Sarah-Jane, a second year student at Loughborough University. Our four other children have established themselves in various communities and we hope in time you might bump into them when they visit. Amy is an assistant clinical psychologist in London, Christopher a Police Officer in Kent, Timothy an engineer in London and Stuart a trainee teacher in Sevenoaks.

This verse from a well known hymn is much on my mind

Come down, O love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

Whilst written for an individual, the invocation or calling of the Holy Spirit to come is surely more widely appropriate: to the soul of our earthly families, our Church family, our Parish, our city, and region. May the Spirit come and bring what only He can - His healing and His wisdom to know how to manage and be through these days when so many are in need of the Lord to whom the Spirit points.

So, if I may say, this will be my prayer for myself and our increasing partnership in God’s work for the Holy Spirit to come and reveal and inspire His work and ways within our souls. I am so glad to know we will explore these things together in 2021 and beyond. Thank you for your prayers - these are reciprocated frequently by me during these days of change, calling and adventure for the Lord and His gospel.

Mark Brown

APCM summary

The All Saints Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Parochial Church Meeting took place on Zoom on Wednesday 21st October. Thank you to all those members of the church family who joined us for these meetings.

Ruth Watkin and Dave Coleshill were elected as churchwardens, and Alison Fletcher and Richard Blyth were appointed to support them as deputy churchwardens.

Ruth has been a member of All Saints since early 2000. She is married to Roger and they have three daughters and seven grandchildren! One family now live in Atlanta, USA, another live in North Portugal, but happily one family still live in the UK in Sheffield 8!

Dave has been deputy churchwarden since April 2018. He is married to Gillian and has two teenage children, Lois and Hugh. He, like Ruth has been attending All Saints for many years.

Thank you to Julia Newton who steps down from being a deputy churchwarden, after 18 months, to focus on her role as All Saints Treasurer.

At the APM, Ruth paid tribute to Sarah Leighton, our retiring Senior Warden. Ruth said that Sarah had been exceptional in all the ways she has fulfilled her role, particularly over this last year whilst we have been without an incumbent. Firstly in her willingness to accept the role of warden for a second time, after the sudden tragic death of our dear fellow warden, Steve Whittams-Howarth. Following this, the departure of our Vicar, Gary Wilton, in summer 2019, meant that Sarah had to assume all the extra responsibilities that befall a Senior Warden in a Vacancy. This she has done with exceptional goodwill, using all her remarkable organisational gifts in managing the large and complex church that is All Saints.’Unprecedented’ was the adjective that was used to describe the amount of time, energy and resilience shown by Sarah as she remained ‘in post’ through the initial Lockdown and until November 4th. We all owe Sarah a huge debt of gratitude and give thanks to God for the many ways He has blessed us through her. A gift of thanks was made from the warden team and Church to express our appreciation.

In her response, Sarah talked about the demands of the last 18 months and the challenges that we, as a church family, will face in the near future as we make decisions about the repair and up keep of the All Saints church building. She gave thanks for all those who give so graciously, faithfully and generously of their time and talents to serve in this place. She thanked God for all those He had drawn around her throughout her time as senior churchwarden and for all their love and support. Sarah expressed particular thanks to the All Saints staff team who have not only had to respond to the significant demands of being in Vacancy but also the additional challenge of a global pandemic.

She gave thanks for the PCC and all those involved in the governance of All Saints. Thanking, in particular, Richard Donkin, Bev Popplewell and Sue Blaby who come to the end of the maximum 9 years consecutive term on PCC. Sarah expressed her wholehearted thanks for God's love and the provision He has provided through the All Saints church family. Thanking each and every one for their part in the life of God's church here in Ecclesall. Most of all, Sarah thanked our loving, sustaining God without whom we are nothing and with whom all things are possible. She asked everyone to continue to lift the staff team, churchwardens and All Saints Treasurer in prayer. Saying that the enormity of their roles is huge and unsustainable without God's provision, and asking that we all continue to discern how we can support all those in leadership at All Saints to be a shining light for the glory of God in this place.

Treasurer’s Report

Julia Newton, formally All Saints Treasurer since June 2020, presented the 2019 audited accounts and provided an overview of 2019, looking at how PCC spent the church family budget. She explained trends in income and expenditure over recent years, including looking at the impact that Covid-19 restrictions are having in 2020. She concluded her presentation by considering our reserves and where our church family finances stand as we approach 2021. Julia framed her presentation in the context of the recent sermon series "What Is Church?" and reminded us that all our giving goes to support us to "live out" our mission statement. If you would like a copy of Julia's slides please email the church office using the email address: office@allsaintsecclesall.org.uk

Appointment of our new Priest in Charge

The churchwardens and parish representatives elected by the PCC to act on their behalf throughout the vacancy selection process, are delighted to announce that Revd Mark Brown has been appointed to be Priest in Charge of All Saints, Ecclesall and Oversight Minister in this mission area, sharing that oversight with Revd Alistair Stevenson, Priest in Charge at St Gabriel's, Greystones.

Mark is currently Vicar of St Peter and St Paul parish church in Tonbridge, Kent and Honorary Canon of Rochester Cathedral, in the diocese of Rochester. Mark is planning to move to Sheffield in early January and we are hoping that he will be licensed to All Saints in the second half of January. This announcement is also being made at Tonbridge parish church this morning, and so it’s important that we pray for that church family as they receive this news and pray for Mark over the next few months as he prepares to join us. 

There will be more information about Mark in the November edition of 'From the Churchwardens'.

We Pray.....

Father God,

At this happy moment we pause to give you thanks. We look back at the last 18 months and recall your faithfulness, our prayers heard and now answered. Thank you for calling Mark Brown to serve with us here. Be close to both Mark and his wife Allison as they prepare for this new chapter, keep them in good health and allow them a smooth transition into life in Ecclesall. Prosper them here we pray. We think of your people in the parish of St Peter and St Paul in Tonbridge today as they hear the unexpected news. Give them hope and peace as they contemplate the coming months and the next season in their shared life. For the ministry and operation teams at All Saints, sustain each individual with your Holy Spirit, enable and make generous provision for them as they continue their demanding work and prepare to engage with a new priest in the new year. Unchanging God, in these turbulent times, may we encounter your grace and love in abundance, and the fullness of your Holy Spirit that we may partner with you in blessing others and making Jesus known.

Amen

Knitted Poppies Appeal 2020

In 2018 we created a poppy display for Remembrance Sunday for the 100 year anniversary of the end of the First World War.

2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War and we want to create something to commemorate this.

Due to Covid-19 this will be outside the Church building and we need your help please.

We need lots of knitted, crochet or sewn poppies.

Sizes up to 30cm diameter if possible. There are loads of free and simple patterns on the internet, any design will do. A few green leaves would also be great.

Quantity is more important than quality. We need the poppies to reach us by 28th October.

Poppies can be left in the box in the Welcome Area at Church on Sunday or any weekday morning.

Any queries please contact the office on 0114 268 7574

Thank You.

From the Churchwardens - October 2020

Church Inside Out

‘You are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on human hearts’ 2 Corinthians 3 v3

October already! How the months have rolled by since March, when the first wave of Coronavirus struck. ‘Lockdown’ was imposed and the routine of our daily lives was changed drastically. Any hopes we might have harboured then that, by October, we would be ‘coming out’ of the restrictions and resuming ‘normal’ social contact. We now know this to be false. Now we face more weeks and months risk-assessing and navigating our lives with Covid-19 in our midst until a successful vaccine arrives.

We now know that however much we may wish to return to worship at All Saints in person together as a ‘multi-generational family’, as we once did, all the various guidelines and restrictions make this impossible for the foreseeable future. We cannot all gather inside our church building in the same way to celebrate Harvest, Advent and Christmas, or join together as we used to do on Remembrance Sunday.

Hence the concept of ‘Doing Church Inside Out’. The Ministry Team have put together plans for all these services to reflect and celebrate through these coming weeks as much as possible in the way we used to do, following the theme of ‘What is the Church?’ within the concept of ‘Doing Church Inside Out.’  The hope had been that some aspects of different services could be held outside, but sadly this is looking less likely given the present situation.

What we do know, however, is that we are not dependent on a building for our faith, but that each of us is, in Paul’s words ’a letter from Christ Christ’, as we demonstrate His love for the world in the way we live our lives.

One way we can bring this ‘letter of Christ’ – a letter of love, forgiveness and hope - is simply by taking the message outside our church building to the surrounding grounds and pathways; thus, complimenting the church’s festivals with relevant visible displays throughout the coming months. In this way all who pass by can look up, acknowledge, and maybe take with them, a message of hope and love through these dark winter days to come.

Harvest: Look out for Harvest Hearts made from plaited straws of wheat. These will be hung from trees along the path with a Harvest message from All Saints. After services on the 18th October, the hearts will be given to the congregation to keep or give away as a gift of hope. An arch of flowers over the West door will be arranged by the Flower Team, led by Sue Smith. There will also be a planter of flowers on either side to celebrate Harvest Festival on 11th October.

This year arrangements for harvest gifts are different, with the option of making monetary donations to the charities we support instead of food. Please look in the notices to find out more details.

Small potted plants will still be distributed to those members of the church family in special need of our love and prayers at this time. They will be delivered in bags which have been colourfully decorated by some of the children from All Saints.

Remembrance: Alongside services of remembrance on Sunday 8th November, there are plans in progress for poppies to be displayed both inside and outside the church.

Advent to Christmas: The Ministry team are developing plans for services to celebrate these festivals inside the church in as many ways as current restrictions allow. At the same time we can decorate the outside in various ways, including stringing lights through the trees lining the paths- to lighten the darkness and carry a message of hope and salvation through Christ into the New Year.

These projects have evolved from PCC Exec meetings about how to ‘do Church Inside Out’ and so the notion of a small Creative Group was formed. If anyone would like to get involved, either with helping or making, or offering other ideas then please do contact Ruth Watkin email.

Lots of other ideas may be developed to use our outside space in witnessing to the community around us.

We already have a Prayer Labyrinth looked after by the Churchyard team. Prayer walks could be developed, maybe a Prayer Tree could be set aside for anyone passing by to use. We could explore making fact-finding history trails and nature trails throughout the churchyard.

Throughout these months we have been grateful for all the work that has been, and is still being, done by members of the PCC in three working groups:

Back to Church group; working out how to open church safely for services.

Fund-raising group; which has already organised two very successful Open Garden events and has plans for an event in November, depending on restrictions.

Halls group; navigating all the complex issues around opening up safely to groups that are able to return, plus exploring to what extent All Saints regards the Halls as being integral to its focus on mission within the local community.

Communication is the key factor for us all as we try to come to terms with where we are and where we go from here. Thankfully, we can be encouraged by the words of St Paul that as ‘letters from Christ’ we carry within us the spirit of the living God to share and spread as many messages of light, hope and compassion in every possible way to the world around us.

APCM Update

Work is in progress for our APM and APCM on Wednesday 21st October. All those who can are asked to register to join these meetings electronically. Sarah Leighton will be stepping down from the role of Senior Churchwarden after 18 months rather than the usual year. This has happened because from 2020 the final date by which APCMs needed to take place moved from April to May, then five more months have intervened owing to all the restrictions and challenges presented by Covid-19!

We are very grateful to all those members of the PCC whose term of office would have ended in May, but who have remained on PCC for these five extra months. Our thanks go to them for all the time they have given and all the ways they have served at All Saints.

We look forward to welcoming new members onto PCC following the APCM. We also look forward to welcoming two new senior churchwardens supported by two deputy churchwardens. Ruth Watkin and Dave Coleshill have agreed to stand for election into the office of Churchwarden, and Alison Fletcher and Richard Blyth have agreed to stand to be elected as Deputy Churchwardens. Our thanks go to Julia Newton, who is standing down from being a Deputy Churchwarden, having been elected as Treasurer at the PCC meeting in June. Please continue to uphold all those who hold office at All Saints in your prayers and discern, for yourself, whether you might stand for election onto PCC or as a Deanery Synod Representative at the APCM.

From the Churchwardens: September 2020

When Gary Wilton officially left All Saints twelve months ago, I do not think anyone could have predicted the year we have just experienced. Yet from some extraordinary times we have been blessed by God’s faithfulness and we have begun to really think anew about what church means to us.

While we have been thinking about our hopes for the future, the Diocese of Sheffield has been exploring and explaining what they believe should be the strategy for our community of churches. It is a vision based on the values of being ‘Renewed’, experiencing ‘Release’ and empowerment through being ‘Rejuvenated’. If you would like to explore this further, and to see how you can play your part, please view the strategy in full at https://www.sheffield.anglican.org/diocesanstrategy

As part of the Diocesan Strategy, and to allow for greater flexibility, following consultation with the All Saints PCC, the Bishop has Suspended the Presentation within our parish and, therefore, the appointment for a Priest in Charge, rather than a Vicar, has been advertised. The Priest in Charge at All Saints will share oversight for the Mission Area with the Priest in Charge of St.Gabriel's and both will be Oversight Ministers.

'The Bishop of Sheffield wishes to appoint an experienced priest to provide strategic leadership in one of our largest churches, and share in the oversight of a growing mission area. All Saints is a vibrant church community of all ages, with a dedicated staff team, strong children and youth ministry and a rich variety of worship and music styles. It is well placed to become a resourcing church and play a key role in the future flourishing of the Diocese.'

The closing date for applications is Monday 7th September and so it is hoped that, this month, the process of appointment can begin in earnest. Please continue to pray for all those involved in the selection process, in particular our Parish Representatives: Alison Fletcher and Michael Gordon, as they discern and select the person to be charged with growing the body, re-imagining ministry, forming and equipping the people of Christ.

As we wait on God to draw a new Priest in Charge to us in His timing, the Ministry Team, supported by the Churchwardens, PCC and Operation Team, continue to look at how we can meet together as a church. We are looking at how we can open church more widely and this has begun with opening the church building, initially for private prayer, and more recently, for simple communion services. It is wonderful to see more people coming back to church to worship God together in our wonderful church building. We are exploring how we can continue to move forward but also, how we can do church differently; how we can engage with the whole church family and the community...how we can take church 'Inside/Out'.

Sarah Leighton & Ruth Watkin Senior Churchwardens

Holiday Club 10th - 14th August 2020

Summer is often thought of as a time of rest or at the least an opportunity to slow down. Since the start of All Saints’ annual Holiday Club, this has never been the case for our Children’s Ministry and 2020 was to be no different.

Once it became apparent that we would not be able to hold Holiday Club safely in our church grounds, quickly I began to think and pray through the options available. Following the findings of a survey commissioned by Tearfund at the start of May, finding that a quarter of adults in the UK had watched or listened to a religious service since lockdown began, and one in five of those had never been to church before, there was no question in my mind that if we were able to do something online then we should. Also, that if we could do something that people can access at different times then we were more likely to reach a wider audience and thus plans for Holiday Club online were born.

After prayer and consideration I decided that the best option to replicate our usual Holiday Club experience would be to have videos that mirrored the morning sessions I would usually do in church, to have members of church family read the stories and help lead activities, such as the prayers, and action songs led by both adults and children. I wanted an element of fun, which is how Dan Christian ended up doing silly superhero challenges each day, and I wanted to be able to provide children and families with all the resources they would need to make different crafts, join in different games, scavenger hunts etc. With a small team of volunteers we quickly began to put this into action.

The team of volunteers were absolutely brilliant and I cannot thank them, or Dan, enough for all they did. We did a lot of work in a very short space of time and with various social distancing, copyright issues and other obstacles in our way. The feedback I have had from many of the children that took part helped show how worthwhile it was. They adored the packs they received and I am very grateful to those members of the church family who donated money meaning that we were able to put on Holiday Club this year without a charge to take part. 57 packs of resources were distributed with the children accessing the online programme with their adults. It really did bless our families; one parent commenting that the packs felt like love coming through the door. The children enjoyed the films and the activities and had a wonderful time learning more about some of God’s superheroes.

I was also delighted that our Holiday Club continued to be missional, with some children from school and Toddlers having signed up and some of our parents sharing links on their social media, once they had completed day one, as they were so comfortable sharing and promoting it with their friends.

Writing this now, at the end of the week, I am tired but very happy. God has taken what we offered and blessed it and I am so thankful to Him. My prayer is that all those who watched the videos or took part in any way would know more of Jesus in their lives and it would help deepen their relationship with Him.

Rosie Blackett
Children's Minister

Review of past safeguarding concerns

Back in March we let you know about the Past Cases Review that is happening across the Church of England. This is a review of all known past cases of concern about the behaviour of clergy, and church officers towards children and vulnerable adults to ascertain whether they have been dealt with appropriately. 

Like all churches across the Diocese we were asked by Bishop Pete to review our past safeguarding records, and raise awareness of the review with the church family and invite you to contribute if you wish to. We will be returning our review information to the Diocese at the end of July. We wanted to inform you again of this and give a final opportunity for anyone to get in touch about the review. As a church we are committed to ensuring that all our church-related activities are as safe as possible for children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

In January the Panorama documentary ‘The Church’s Darkest Secret’ brought to light the appalling abuse committed by Bishop Peter Ball. Other reports of abuse perpetrated by clergy have hit the headlines in recent years. What has been so disturbing, in some of these cases, is the extent to which these crimes were covered up, allowing abusers to continue in ministry and enabling further abuses to occur. The response, from the church, to the victims and survivors who have spoken out, has often been incredibly damaging. Victims talk of being blamed and shamed for the crimes committed against them. Survivors report carrying the damage of the initial trauma, and the damage caused by the harmful response from the church, for the rest of their lives.

In 2018, an Independent Scrutiny Panel conducted a review of the Church of England’s ‘Past Cases Review’ (which had been completed by all Dioceses in 2007-2009). The recommendation of this panel was for every Diocese to do further work.  In response, the Church of England is currently undertaking a review of all known past cases of concern about the behaviour of clergy, and church officers towards children and vulnerable adults to ascertain whether they have been dealt with appropriately. This has been called the Past Case Review 2 (PCR2). We have been asked by Bishop Pete to review our past safeguarding records, to raise awareness of the review with the church family, and to invite you to contribute if you wish to.

Bishop Pete writes:

The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. [John 1.5]

St John the Evangelist, like St Luke and St Paul, uses the imagery of light and darkness, where darkness represents concealment and shame, whereas light represents the revelation of truth. Darkness hides things that are forgotten, uncomfortable or broken and have been ‘put out of the way’ in cellars or behind closed doors.

They may be things that are inconvenient or of which we are ashamed or afraid. In darkness they lie where we can forget about them, but Christ is the Light of the World and brings to light things now hidden in darkness. He brings to light those deeds that have been concealed and the victims of sins who have been silenced or kept from view. The Light shines for those who need justice and healing and upon those misdeeds that have injured them.

Allowing light to shine on what has been hidden is a first step towards healing, not only for those who have been abused, but for those whose consciences are, or ought to be, troubled by those sins they have buried away beyond the sight of others.

Sometimes it will take an external prompting for those things to be opened to the light of day and to the light of Christ but with such prompting may begin the path to penitence and forgiveness, the path to healing of long-hidden wounds.

We are asking you to help shine a revealing light on any instances of abuse that have occurred in your parish/es and to help ensure that everything that ought to be brought into the light has been. Shining a light on what has hurt or frightened someone is a matter of justice for those who have been victims; sometimes it may also prevent further harm and sometimes it may be the first step towards healing. With that in mind, we thank you for your cooperation in working towards a safer Church.

Should you have any concerns about the past behaviour of clergy, staff or volunteers towards children, young people and vulnerable adults, you are invited to contact Kate Gerrish (Safeguarding Officer) via kate.gerrish@allsaintsecclesall.org.uk  or Beth Keith (Deputy Safeguarding Officer) via beth.keith@allsaintsecclesall.org.uk or speak to us after a church service. This may relate to your time at All Saints or at a previous church.

Any information you choose to share will be treated confidentially; it will not be shared with other clergy or members of All Saints, instead, where appropriate, it will be passed on to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team overseeing the review.

If you prefer you can make direct contact with our Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) on 01709 309149. Alternatively, a dedicated helpline operated independently from the church by the NSPCC is available on 0800 802020. Anyone can use the helpline to provide information or to raise concerns regarding abuse within a Church of England context; whether they are reporting issues relating to children, adults or seeking to report poor safeguarding practice.  

More information from the Diocese about this can be found here (https://www.sheffield.anglican.org/pcr2) including a helpful questions and answer section  (https://www.sheffield.anglican.org/pcr2-faqs ).

Beth Keith Deputy Safeguarding Officer: beth.keith@allsaintsecclesall.org.uk

Kate Gerrish- Safeguarding Officer kate.gerrish@allsaintsecclesall.org.uk