From the Church Office

A time of significant change is coming in the church office. This week we are delighted to welcome Rachel Dixon who will be starting as our new Finance Officer. Please pray for Rachel as she begins her new role. But there will also be some goodbyes. Last week we announced that Sally will be leaving the role of Church Administrator at Easter and Elaine will be preparing to go on maternity leave from the end of April.

But in the meantime the work of the office carries on! This week we have been starting to think about services from May-July and have been once again blessed by the support of Lesley Blyth who does a wonderful job in coordinating the leading and preaching rota. We are also hugely grateful to and blessed by all the members of our extended team of leaders and preachers who serve at All Saints.

Thank you all for your time, efforts and patience with us!

Everyone in the All Saints Church Office

From the Vicarage

Dear Friends,

A member of the Parish commended a prayer of St Brendan:

Help me to journey beyond the familiar
and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways
and break fresh ground with You.
Christ of the mysteries, I trust You
to be stronger than each storm within me.
I will trust in the darkness and know
that my times, even now, are in Your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,
and somehow, make my obedience count for You.

There are many wonderful evocative phrases in St Brendan’s prayer and I draw your attention to the “music of heaven!” At a recent gathering of the many leaders and music makers at All Saints someone suggested making the month of March a music month. “Music March” So happily there are emerging leaders and teams of music makers at our various services all of which would be delighted to see others join them. There is clearly within our Church services a range of styles and approaches, something for everyone! Do let me know or our band leaders or choir leaders know directly if you would like to join them. I have been thrilled to see new faces singing and of course our young people with  such talent leading some of our evening gatherings. Why not join them – the invitation is there from them.

We are planning a social for all associated with our music making and its administrative and technical support ( ipad skills and operators are needed too! ) in the summer – so signing up has a sunshine dividend attached to it with a social!

Music lifts the spirits when many during these days are seeking to trust in the darkness and journey obediently into the unknown. Thank you especially to the lay leaders of our various congregations  of choirs and bands your ministry in Christ’s name to us all helps these journey’s of obedience as we seek to break fresh ground.

Yours in Christ

Mark

Announcement from All Saints Ecclesall

Appointment of a new Associate Vicar

We are delighted to be able to announce the successful appointment of Revd Roland Slade as the new Associate Vicar at All Saints Ecclesall. Roland is due to start with us in the summer.

Please do pray for Roland and his wife Caroline as they start their transition from Chalfont St Peter to Sheffield in the coming months. Thank you all for your prayers and to those members involved in the recruitment and interview process.

Revd Roland Slade’s biography

Roland initially studied Biochemistry at Southampton University, before working for St Aldate’s Oxford and the Church Mission Society. He also spent a year teaching in Tanzania, before training for ordination at Ridley Hall in Cambridge. He completed his curacy at another All Saints’ Church – in Marlow, Buckinghamshire!

Since September he has been an interim vicar in the village of Chalfont St Peter. Roland is an avid trail runner and rugby fan, and is looking forward to exploring the Peak District alongside his wife Caroline, and their puppy Oakley. Both Roland and Caroline are musicians, and are looking forward to joining the choirs and orchestras of Sheffield as well as bringing their gifts to the worship team. In ministry, Roland is passionate about discipleship, preaching, and training up young leaders across the church. 

Roland’s licensing will take place on Wednesday 29th June at 7:30pm in church.  More information will follow in due course.

We are really looking forward to welcoming Roland and Caroline to All Saints Ecclesall.

Yours in Christ,

The Revd Canon Mark Brown

From the Children's Minister

With Lent beginning this week the Children’s Ministry department is as busy as ever.  As well as our usual groups and school’s work, we have been preparing for Lent.  We have sent out a pack to all those families who have signed up to receive post from us, containing creative Lent activities to do and one of the ‘Live Lent Embracing Justice For Kids’ booklets (If you have children and haven’t received a pack by Wednesday then do get in touch with Rosie).  

We’ve got our drop-in pancake party on Monday 28th February at 4:15pm – 6:15pm for all those under eleven years old and their families. 

On Wednesday Rosie will be leading an Ash Wednesday service for children from Clifford All Saints, on Palm Sunday we have the return of the donkeys and on Good Friday we will be creating Easter Gardens. 

Rosie is hugely grateful to all those who volunteer and support our children’s ministry and to those who pray for her and all the work we do.   

if you would like to get involved with any of our children’s work then please do get in touch with the office on 0114 2687574.

From the Church Office

It’s been another busy week in the Church Office and once again there have been many times for us to be thankful for our church family and volunteers.

Over the last few weeks most of us have had a chance to visit the Monday morning coffee and cake run by Stella Berry and her fantastic team. The atmosphere and welcome in the church have been wonderful and we are grateful to Stella and all of those involved for making this happen. They will be returning to church on 21 February after the half term break so please do visit if you happen to be free on a Monday morning.

We have also felt very blessed this week by the support we have received from members of the audio visuals teams. We know that the coordinators of these teams would love to hear from anyone who would be interested in joining them to support sound, visuals or livestreaming at services.

Please do contact us in the office if you are interested in finding out more and we can put you in touch.

From the Vicarage

Prayer – The Christians vital breath

I recall mentioning that the words PCC really should stand for the Prayer Centre of the Church. So may I give you some updates after a good and wide ranging discussion last evening about how prayer might go forward at All Saints. I am very well aware that many of you gather in groups or enjoy WhatsApp exchanges to share particular needs. It will have come as no surprise that I am always on the look out too for those who can lead public intercessions at our Church service (always happy to hear from you!!).

This news gives my view after a conversation at PCC about night prayer and our prayer meetings. Night Prayer will be broadcast on three Thursdays each month but at an early time of 7pm. Our first online service will take place on Thursday 10th February at 7pm.

Night Prayer will now be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. The best way to access it is to go to our YouTube channel at 7pm. The video will then also be available to watch at a later date, so you do not have to be around at that time to join in. There is a good cohort of faithful prayers each month at our regular prayer meeting on Thursday which will still start at 7:30pm – we will pray in a guided way for an hour but we will not conclude with the Night Prayer Service. I specifically want to encourage all those in leadership positions to consider making these times a priority:

Thursday 24th February at 7:30pm
Thursday 24th March at 7:30pm

We also have the following times available to join us in prayer:

Mondays at 8:45am in church. Staff prayers.
Wednesday at 8:45am in church. Open to all.
Men’s Prayer Breakfast - 8am in church on the first Tuesday of each month.

There is much to look forward to and be positive about with a small trickle of new members joining us, some specials and regular fixtures to look forward too as Lent Holy week and Easter draws near.

Our vitality in Church life depends upon the prayers of God’s people. Those of us working hard at a round of recruitment have certainly valued these things and I simply wanted to say thank you for your prayers and to inform you of the importance that we continue to meet together and pray.

We will know and sense the Lord’s work in our midst even more.

Yours in Christ,

The Revd Canon Mark Brown

From the Operations Manager

I am almost into my second month at All Saints and it has been an action packed few weeks to say the least! As you will know, we have had some heating challenges at the Halls which are, thankfully, now resolved and I was blown away by the speed and generosity of the church family in providing heaters at such short notice. Much of my first month has been focused on meeting with people, getting to know members of both the paid and volunteers teams and getting to grips with the governance, finance, HR and estates aspects of the Operations team.

As an Ops Team, we are starting 2022 with a refreshed focus on the Halls promotion and income generation while also thinking strategically about the future of the space, we are also liaising with architects to arrange a number of Quinquennial Inspections on church property so we can continue to be good custodians of the estates we are responsible for. I have really enjoyed chatting with everyone and I am starting to learn a bit more about how All Saints ‘ticks’. If I haven’t had the chance to meet with you yet and you would like to say hi please feel free to pop into the Halls during church office hours.

Thank you to everyone who has made me feel so welcome in this first few weeks, I am really looking forward to working with you all here at All Saints.

Stephanie Osman
Operations Manager

From the Church Office

We are now well into 2022 and 2021 already seems very far behind us!

Over the last few weeks we have been reflecting on how wonderfully we were supported by volunteers from our church family over Advent and Christmas, and once again this week we have been blessed by the response of the church family to a number of unexpected things, especially the heating crisis in the church hall! Thank you to everyone who has brought in heaters. These things remind us how fortunate and well supported we are all year round.

However we do want to take this opportunity to mention one person in particular. As many of you will know Sue Blaby used to be Church Administrator and since autumn has been volunteering her time and expertise to support the staff in the church office. It has been invaluable and we would like to thank Sue publicly.

Thank you so much Sue from all of us in the office.