Dear Friends,
It was a pleasure to meet part of the church family last Sunday, first at the 11.00am service and then at the picnic. This was a lovely way for Helen and I to begin our life at All Saints. New to you all but not new to Sheffield, as we have lived here all our married life.
As some of you will know, I am joining the ministry team as a part-time self-supporting Minister. This is with a number of particular roles in mind, including working with and in ministry to older members of the congregation and offering support in various areas of ministry including, preaching, Bible study, Christian discipleship generally and the pastoral care offered by All Saints.
Thank you for making us both welcome already and we look forward to getting to know more and more of the fellowship as we engage with the life of the Parish.'
The Revd Godfrey Smallman
From the Vicarage
Dear Friends
All Saints Church family news
Towards the end of this month, we will be saying farewell to Olivia Redfearn as her time for University study and life beckons. In addition to assisting regularly and faithfully with the Toddlers groups run at ASE by Rosie and her team, Olivia has pioneered and adapted to a range of roles across the staff team; starting by organising young people to working on the sound desk, being the Vicar’s camera man and editor for various “on location” mini-sermons, to the depth and breadth of a digital graveyard mapping project.
These many and varied experiences have been distinguished with humour and very knowledgeable insight. Olivia has especially earned respect and admiration for holding the service rotas together between the many staff changes. Simply put, what has happened on Sundays would not have taken place so smoothly without her knowledge and willingness to serve the Church. Thank you.
This also means that there is now a vacancy for a gap year student in the office. Please get in touch if you or someone you know might be interested in joining our team next year.
The church choir has grown and adapted magnificently under the leadership of Sue Blaby, Roger Watkins and Eric Philips during the re-emergence of church life after Covid. Many of us with other music makers enjoyed a summer evening of fellowship at the Vicarage recently.
Thank you for coming and thank you for your faithful hard work over recent months. With my full permission, the choir will take a break over August and you will find the ranks of chairs within the congregation filled with their energetic and tuneful singing rather than from the front.
Do join me in praying for new members and for good plans as Roland and I with the team reflect upon the best way to build the musical life of our church family.
Yours in the service of Christ
Mark
From the Associate Vicar
Thank you to the whole church family for the wonderful welcome that Caroline and I have received over the past month. We have felt loved by your generosity and warmth! I was really touched by the number of people who came along to my licensing service and am excited by the opportunities there are to see God at work in our parish.
Over the coming weeks and months, I will be discerning how I fit into the life of the church. There is a simple but profound method that I encourage all of us to consider. The idea is to look for where God is at work and to get involved. Firstly, to look perceptively at life around us and look for the Spirit of God in our midst. God then calls us to join in with Him.
As I get to know the church, parish and community I want to see what God is doing and get involved. As the people of God, let’s all keep our eyes open for God at work so that we can be part of His great plan for our church!
Blessings,
Roland Slade
From the Curate
Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for the warm welcome we have received! Rebecca and I are delighted to be joining the church family as I begin as Curate and we settle into a new life together in Ecclesall with our three month old daughter, Rosanna. We are so grateful for your prayers, cards, kind words, and delicious meals over recent weeks.
We have been in London over the past four years, I was studying Theology at Oak Hill College, and Rebecca teaching Biology at Haberdashers' Boys School. Before that, we lived in Sheffield - I worked at Christ Church Fulwood, with Christian Unions across Yorkshire, and taught Religious Studies in Rotherham whilst Rebecca taught at Notre Dame High School.
Someone described a Curate as "clergy with L-plates on" - and I look forward to learning from you, serving together, and seeing what our wonderful God does in this new chapter in the life of All Saints Ecclesall. Rebecca, Rosanna, and I are excited to get to know you all!
Simon Oatridge
From the Vicarage
Dear Friends
I am so pleased that we are able to run Holiday Club in person again this year and want to say a huge thank you to all those who have volunteered their time, energy and skills. If anyone else would like to get involved it's not too late and it is a wonderful way to bless our community and to get to know others in our church family who may attend different services to you.
If you know people with children aged 3 - 11 please do take one of the posters with all the information on or share the information on your social media account so that we can invite as many children as possible to this week and share the Good News of Jesus with them.
Finally, please do be praying, not only for the week but also all the planning going into it. I am looking forward to seeing all that God is going to do!
Yours in Christ
Mark Brown
From the Vicarage
Dear Friends,
Finally he has been found – St Bede I am referring to. Unsurprising when All Saints is a significant Parish Church with in the Northern Province of the Church of England when there is a whole window devoted to the so called Northern Saints. One memorable mid-week communion service saw many of us gazing heavenwards to try and locate the famous Saint. There is of course a leaflet (more are in production!) describing all of them. St Bede’s remains are in Durham Cathedral but one of our windows is allotted to him amongst other Northern Saints.
There is much to be enjoyed and commended to visitors in our building. We are planning to make something of the Heritage weekend for visitors (10th-12th September this year – let me know if you would like to help out) so do pray for the use of our buildings and day-in, day-out and for those who care for its upkeep. May All Saints indeed commemorate with Saints of the past and equip the Saints of today for mission and outreach in today’s world.
Yours in Christ
Mark
From the Vicarage
Thank you for your support, in so many ways, for recent events at All Saints. There was a great effort for our APCM and our Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. It was especially heartening to see some new faces and invited guests.
As you will be aware many of our messages are recorded and uploaded on the website and if you wanted to catch up fully on news and ideas shared at the APCM then here is the link for the recorded video of the evening https://youtu.be/O0NluJrjz5Q
Please use this in conjunction with our “Celebration 2021 leaflet”, it shows some of the amazing work of our members and gives us hope as we journey together into a new phase in the life of All Saints with new staff joining us. I am particularly interested to see how we respond to the challenge presented at our APCM of who we will sit with, how we will serve and what can we see?
Yours in Christ,
Mark Brown
From the Vicarage
Come Holy Spirit! The day of Pentecost happened in the past but its reality can be felt now in prayer. We pray come Holy Spirit upon our outreach occasions for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. We pray come Holy Spirit as we reflect upon how to carry forward our desire to serve God’s purposes following on from our APCM. We pray come Holy Spirit as we welcome new ministers into our midst.
We pray come Holy Spirit as we intercede together (Thursday June 16th 7.30 in church). We Pray come Holy Spirit as many in our communities and wanting to reconnect with church after the rigours of Covid. How good to be part of a Christian community where gifts are shared. Pray therefore also for yourself. Come Holy Spirit and aliven God’s gifts in me!
Yours in Christ,
Mark Brown