 Karen Turner, the Methodist Chaplain at the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live last week to discuss the support she is offering to students.
Listen here from 57:10mins.
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We are very pleased to host the virtual harvest assembly for Frodsham Manor House School! As part of our commitment to EDI within the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District, we will be starting a series of standalone sessions on Zoom for all who are passionate about issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.
On 1 October 2020 at 2:00pm, we will meet to begin to explore issues of race. The sessions will include testimony from invited guests and a time of reflecting and sharing together in smaller groups. If you would like to join the session please e-mail Rob in the District Office (chester.stoke (@) btconnect.com) for the Zoom code.  It is with great joy that can announce that on Sunday 4th October at 10 am we will be holding our first service in church since March. There will also be a mid week early evening service on Wednesday 7th October at 4 pm. These will not be the same as the services that we are used to:
However, we will be able to worship God in a familiar setting. If you would like to attend a service you can book place by filling in the form HERE. If we are oversubscribed then those that miss out will be first on the list for the next service. We can assure you that we are following all guidelines around safety, and church will be a safe place. If you are not ready to return to the church building, and we realise that many of you will not be, the YouTube service will still be broadcast each week, and will be available on line or over the phone. The service sheet for those who are unable to access the online service will also continue to be produced each week. The Leadership Team Frodsham Methodist Church As you will realise, we will sadly not be able to celebrate harvest in the usual way this year. However, it didn’t seem right not to give thanks to God in some way, and not to recognise the needs of others. We are suggesting that you may like to respond in two ways:
  Frodsham Methodist Church is a thriving North Cheshire market town church which has been running a lively families and children’s work for the last 16 years including our 09.30live! family friendly service, recent schools outreach, a small teenagers group regularly visiting Greenbelt and other events. The church has excellent ecumenical links in the town. Historically the town began as a small market town but with excellent links to Chester, Runcorn, Liverpool and Manchester it now has a widely diverse population of commuters and service industries. The town shares schools and services with the surrounding villages of Norley, Helsby and Kingsley, which also have smaller but thriving Methodist congregations.
The Church, which is part of the North Cheshire Methodist Circuit, is now looking for a committed Christian with a clear calling to work to encourage young people and under 30s (from within and currently outside the church) to develop a deep and long lasting faith in God, embedded and working within the community. The appointed candidate will work with the existing youth and young adults to assist them in developing their faith into adulthood, but also work with the wider community outside of the church. Covid-19 has focused our attention on the exciting possibilities that are available to us to fulfil our Vision. We wish to recruit someone who will help us explore, determine and then implement the new ways of ‘doing/being church’ in a post pandemic scenario, both in the physical and in the digital world. You are a good communicator, able to work independently at times to suit the range of activities and to encourage and motivate others to get involved. Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week including Sundays. Salary £21,060 per annum + agreed expenses + training opportunities. For an application pack please contact: Rev'd. Andrew Emison on andrew@emison.net Applications enclosing a full CV by Friday 16th October 2020 to: Rev'd. Andrew Emison, 41 Fairways, FRODSHAM, WA6 7RU First round of interviews: week commencing 26th October 2020  We would love you to join and be part of the charity challenge this September. The aim is to travel in a refugee’s shoes covering as many miles as possible to reflect on their journey. The challenge You can choose how to clock up the miles – run, walk, cycle, toddle, skateboard or do laps of your garden like Captain Tom! Let us know at the end of each week how many miles you have done & we will add this to the team total. Ask your family and friends to sponsor you or donate directly via the JustGiving page. Why? All funds raised will go to Trinity Safe Space, who provide emergency support and help to asylum seekers, who have fled from war-torn countries, like Syria. The charity operates from, and is supported by, our friends at Halton Trinity Methodist Church and Widnes Trinity Methodist Church. Sponsorship Form 
JustGiving Page To donate visit the JustGiving page now! Ready to sign up or want to know more?
Contact Carolyn at: stewards (@) frodshammethodist.org The Methodist Conference has declared 2020/2021 a year of prayer to support Evangelism and Growth. Districts, circuits, churches and individuals are invited to pray for the Methodist Church as we deepen our commitment to be a growing, evangelistic, inclusive, justice-seeking Church of gospel people.
Join others across the Methodist Church to pray together online every Tuesday (starting 1st September) from 12.45 to 1.00pm. You may be aware that we identified in our 2015 Vision and Mission Strategy document the need for us to look to appoint a part-time youth worker. When Andrea left her post as part-time church children and families worker we have reviewed the need for the two posts and merged them into one role – a full time Under 30’s worker. Since that time we have been securing the money to pay for the post and getting the necessary approvals in place from Circuit and District. As you know, in ‘normal’ times, we have an exciting 0930live! service, a youth group within our church, and an active pre-school programme. We also have a small group of people in their 20’s. We want to support and build on this existing work. This project and post was approved and funding secured prior to the UK ‘lock down’ following the declaration of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Due to the lock down, recruitment was not commenced. This period, along with the introduction of a live online Sunday 10am service via YouTube, has provided the leadership team opportunity to consider the scope of the Vision and Job Description, to enable us to still meet the Vision and Aims of this project, but to reflect the ‘new normal’ and the possible new and additional opportunities. There will be very few churches who are in a position to immediately recruit an individual to be at the forefront of helping to explore and determine what this new normal will be, and the application of this within a local church setting. We now wish to recruit someone who will help us explore, determine and then implement the new ways of ‘doing/being church’ in a post pandemic scenario, both in the physical church building, but also in the virtual world. We have secured funding for a three year contract, made up of money from our own church funds, North Cheshire Circuit and the Methodist District funding. We are very grateful for this generosity. The job advert will be launched in the second week of September 2020 using the following text. If you can share this advert with anyone who may be interested in this post, or with those who may know people who may be interested, then we would really appreciate this. If you have any queries with this, then please let one of the leadership team know. Under 30’s Worker Vacancy
Frodsham Methodist Church is a thriving North Cheshire market town church which has been running a lively families and children’s work for the last 16 years including our 09.30live! family friendly service, recent schools outreach, a small teenagers group regularly visiting Greenbelt and other events. The church has excellent ecumenical links in the town. Historically the town began as a small market town but with excellent links to Chester, Runcorn, Liverpool and Manchester it now has a widely diverse population of commuters and service industries. The town shares schools and services with the surrounding villages of Norley, Helsby and Kingsley, which also have smaller but thriving Methodist congregations. The Church, which is part of the North Cheshire Methodist Circuit, is now looking for a committed Christian with a clear calling to work to encourage young people and under 30s (from within and currently outside the church) to develop a deep and long lasting faith in God, embedded and working within the community. The appointed candidate will work with the existing youth and young adults to assist them in developing their faith into adulthood, but also work with the wider community outside of the church. Covid-19 has focused our attention on the exciting possibilities that are available to us to fulfil our Vision. We wish to recruit someone who will help us explore, determine and then implement the new ways of ‘doing/being church’ in a post pandemic scenario, both in the physical and in the digital world. You are a good communicator, able to work independently at times to suit the range of activities and to encourage and motivate others to get involved. Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week including Sundays. Salary £21,060 per annum + agreed expenses + training opportunities. For an application pack please contact: Rev'd. Andrew Emison on andrew@emison.net Applications enclosing a full CV by Friday 16th October 2020 to: Rev'd. Andrew Emison, 41 Fairways, FRODSHAM, WA6 7RU First round of interviews: week commencing 26th October 2020 A reminder that there is a reflection provided by Rev'd. Jo Brown, one of the ministers in our Circuit, each week on the 'dial-a-reflection' telephone service. Please telephone +44 01829 708 930 (local rate applies) to hear this. Please feel free to pass the details on to anyone you think would like to hear this.
Trinity Safe Spaces (TSSs) drop-ins normally provide support and services, through external agencies such the British Red Cross, Refugee Women Connect, that are key to integrating asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants, into the local authority area, services, organisations and community of Halton. Due to the Covid 19 lockdown, the Trinity Safe Space buildings had to be closed in March after 3 x weekly sessions attended by an average of 45 people, causing the leaders’ teams to make plans together with A Better Tomorrow, Halton, to support the asylum seekers we had made contact with, as well as any new arrivals we came across. The support has changed from people coming to a drop-in where they met with others, ate a cooked lunch, accessed food parcels, toiletries, sanitary products, clothes and essential household items and received practical help with form filling, legal aid through partner organisations etc, to support from A Better Tomorrow, Halton with the following activities during lockdown:-
We formed the virtual TSS Leaders’ Group, which meets weekly by video call, to plan what to do - this became a weekly report-in session, to hear what was being provided by A Better Tomorrow, Halton, partly funded from an Our Halton grant, a grant from the Police Crime Commissioner and many generous donations from the public, to support A Better Tomorrow, Halton practically and emotionally, to utilise our collective contacts and partnerships to help with issues arising and to discuss the rest of the year, when lockdown eases. We have also set up Survival English lessons on-line using a combination of Messenger and WhatsApp for practice exercises, You Tube videos, and video calls to practise speaking and listening. Currently 29 students are taking part in this, supported by 2 tutors and 6 volunteers with a few new students being assessed. There are two levels: beginner and entry. Students and their helpers are enjoying this and are doing well. Outcomes already achieved for asylum seekers
Through a Better Tomorrow, Halton we have:
We still need cash donations to keep this vital work going for the foreseeable future. There are two ways you can donate, through our Just Giving link, or you can make a one off donation/set up a regular donation into our bank account by emailing us on TSSHalton@gmail.com so we can give you the account details securely. Lessons learned are that our team is very flexible, can adapt to new ways of working very quickly, that people worked to their strengths in what could have been a crisis by applying for extra funding, monitoring what is happening, supporting each other extremely well, that, despite being from different faiths/denominations we all wanted the best for the client group and worked hard to achieve this and that the asylum seekers are much happier and well than they would have been had we not have done this. Also, by partnership working, we have provided a huge amount of support from quite small amounts of funding and donations, which has made a very big difference to people’s lives. A very big thank you to everyone who has worked, volunteered and donated money or goods over this difficult period – you have had such a positive impact on many people. We also have volunteering opportunities if you are able and willing to help: for example helping deliver food and other essentials to properties across Halton, especially if you have your own vehicle; helping to sort and bag donations; helping as an on-line support for the Survival English; contacting people by WhatsApp or phone to check on their wellbeing. You will need to go through a safer recruitment process to ensure we keep you and our vulnerable people safe. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with us, please use the email address above and one of our team will reply to you. Thank you. Halton Trinity Methodist Church, Main Street, Halton Village, Runcorn, WA7 2AT Trinity Methodist/United Reform Church, Peel House Lane, Widnes WA8 6TJ www.facebook.com/trinitysafespace Dear friends,
Some of you have received e-mails purporting to be from me asking for donations of money. These are always “scams”. Please know that there are no circumstances when I would ask you for money for me personally. If you receive such an e-mail, please delete it without clicking any of the links inside the e-mail. This seems to be a wider problem at present and has been reported on BBC News. There is no need to report it to me but if you are in any way concerned, please give me a call. Rev'd. Andrew M Emison  Weeknight Worship returns - but different! Weeknight Worship is changing days!
With effect from this week, the North Cheshire Circuit Service will now be held on Sunday evenings at 7pm beginning on 30th August. This week Rev'd David Bintliff will be reflecting on Romans 12: 9-21. Please join us on the Circuit YouTube channel as we worship together. Many of us have enjoyed watching the services streamed on YouTube by Rev'd. Andrew Emison every Sunday morning at 10am. It looks as though these are set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Of course, not everyone has the right means to access this online service at home. So throughout the current crisis, our Frodsham preachers have been producing a short printed act of worship each week, which has been delivered to about 15 people. We are very grateful for the time and effort they have all put in to this. If you had not heard about the printed service, but would like to receive one, please get in touch with Elizabeth Holmes, on enquiries (@) frodshammethodist.org A huge thankyou to all who contributed to this Gift Weekend appeal as a result of which we were able to collect an incredible total of £ 2,187.00.
Of this £1,093.5 went to Chester Aid to the Homeless (CATH), with the rest split equally between Methodist Homes fo the Aged (MHA), Runcorn and District Food Bank, and the Methodist Church Fund for World Mission. In addition, we were able to send a cheque for £180 to the Toilet Twinning organisation which gives grants towards provision of toilets in schools and other community buildings in the developing world, and a further donation of £191 to the Leprosy Mission, for whom we had an envelope collection just before lock-down. Many thanks to all who contributed so generously to these gifts. John Holmes, Church Treasurer Covid 19 and our response as a Church by the Church Leadership Team
The Church Council met on 17th July 2020 (by Zoom) and recommitted itself to worship, study and prayer. We agreed to continue to pray for each other and seek discernment and wisdom at this time. Whilst the Church Council retains legal responsibility for the reopening of the church, it delegated the task of making and executing decisions regarding the phased reopening of the church to the Church Leadership Team. During the whole of the Covid-19 the Church Leadership Team has met together every three weeks online via Zoom to pray and carefully consider/plan how as a church we can continue to worship and grow as disciples, love and support each other, and how we can serve our wider community. We are reminded that through this difficult time we remain a community who love and care for each other. We have agreed to continue the online service via YouTube every Sunday morning at 10am for at least several more months. We also have a separate printed service sheet issued every week to those who can’t access the online service. We have taken the decision to not open or start Sunday services with people attending church in September – due to all of the restrictions we would need to impose, it would be very strange and different to what we remember as normal. There would be no singing, we would need to wear masks, seats would need to be booked, lots of people would not be able to attend, there could be no refreshments or social time after the service, and we may only be able to get up to 20/30 people safely in church. We are therefore considering and setting out a plan to get us from September to the New Year – this plan can be amended, speeded up, or slowed down to reflect changing local restrictions and government direction/legislation. Regular updates on the gradual reopening of church will be provided as we continue to react to the swift changing situation and national and local guidance, including guidance from the Methodist Church. We welcome any views on these proposals via email to leadership.team (@) frodshammethodist.org, via your pastoral visitor or to one of the Church Leadership team. Every activity/event which we propose and which eventually starts will be the subject of a detailed Covid-19 risk assessment, with the wider effect and risk assessment of the church and any collateral impact from one event/activity on another also assessed. We have noted that for some of these events and activities to take place, zoning of the whole of the Church premises including the hall, annexe etc. would be required (we would need to separate parts of the church premises to make sure no one from one event/activity went into another zone of church which was saved and cleaned for a separate activity) and/or enhanced cleaning will be needed. As part of this plan we hope in September to be able to move the online service to be streamed live from church. There will be no congregation present, but it will enable more flexibility and permit more than one person to be present and help lead it. There is also the potential for funerals restarting at church later in September, but numbers attending will be significantly restricted. It is possible that we may be able to restart youth group at church in some format and maybe the regular walking group. As we move later into October, there is a possibility that we may be able to permit a very small number of people to attend our live streamed services at church, but the services will continue to be streamed on YouTube for all to attend online or listen via their phone. Even later in October we are looking at if we can start some sort of short spoken prayer service for a small number of people, possibly midweek. During November and December, and into the New Year, we will look to gradually reopen activities and events at church. Sadly it is too early yet to give any real detail of what this may look like as, at the time of writing, we have no knowledge of any potential second waves of Covid-19, how Government advice may change, of the effect of local lockdowns etc. We will keep everyone updated and we appreciate everyone’s patience, love and support as we try to carefully pick our way through this difficult situation. The Leadership Team Frodsham Methodist Church Dear Friends,
As a church community we seek to encourage and enable each other in our worship, discipleship and fellowship. The last sixteen weeks or so have presented a challenge and we’ve tried to respond to this challenge through our notices, the weekly printed service, the online service and by keeping in touch with each other by telephone. You will all have read the news that places of worship may open from 4th July. I am asking us all to share with each other and to communicate to your pastoral friend about our hopes and concerns about returning to our church building. So far, the response was overwhelmingly one of caution. I share this caution. I know also how much we long to be back together again. Our primary concern will always be the safety of our people both those who lead us and those who share in worship. We have a number of challenges:
The Church Leadership Team (CLT) will work to prepare the church to be ready for when we might use our building again so that when the time comes, we will be ready and able to respond rapidly. Please be assured that we will be diligent in this work. In a rapidly changing situation we will endeavour to keep everyone informed as things continue to change. I am honoured to share in ministry with you all. Stay safe but know that whatever happens, we are safe and secure in the love of God which will never let us down and never let us go. Grace and peace. Andrew Rev'd. Andrew M Emison Methodist Minister, Frodsham & Norley. North Cheshire Circuit. The Conference is the governing body of the Methodist Church in Britain and meets annually to discuss matters affecting the life of the Church, the nation and the world. The Methodist Council has agreed that the Conference cannot meet as planned in Telford in June and has decided that it will meet virtually this year.
Conference sessions, including the Induction of the President and Vice-President, and Reception into Full Connexion, both of which will take place on Saturday 27 June, will be streamed live as usual. |
News & NoticesTo receive a copy of the weekly Church News & Notices electronically, contact us here.
It is normally distributed by e-mail on a Thursday and is available in Church each Sunday and throughout the week.
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