Sunday, February 7, 2016

Church Action On Poverty - Hunger Lunch on Sunday 7th February after the morning service at Wisewood. We will be serving soup and a bread roll from 1:00pm approx. Please support this event with your prayers, donations but, better still, join the fellowship. Dorothy.

The Compass Course will be continuing on Monday afternoons (at 2:00pm, in the Vestry) and evenings (at 7:00pm, in the Owlerton Room) on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th February and 7th, 14th and 21st March. These sessions are open to everyone, not only people exploring becoming Members of the Methodist Church and you only need to attend one session (both sessions will cover the same material). If you would like more information, please speak to Katie.

Songs Of Praise. You are all invited to the TV recording of Choir of the Year competition in Sheffield: 'Junior School Choir of the Year' on Saturday 27th February 2:30-6:30pm and 'Senior School Choir of the Year' on Sunday 28th February 2:30-6:30pm, at Sheffield City Hall, Barkers Pool, S1 2JA. Tickets are free. Deadline for ticket application: Thursday 11th February. If people want to tell me how many tickets they want, I can fill in one form for everyone. I will also print a few forms for people to take away if they want. Becca.

Film 'The Theory Of Everything' (12A) will be shown on Friday 12th February at 7:00pm, in the church hall. You are welcome to bring drinks and snacks, but no alcohol is allowed on the premises. Ages 12-16 to be accompanied by an adult, please. There will be an opportunity to discuss some of the themes later on Tuesday 1st March at 7:30pm. Invite your friends! Katie & Becca.

Wesley Guild will restart meeting on Monday 15th February at 2:30pm when the speaker will be Rev. John Peacock. You are all invited to join us then and at all subsequent meetings. John G.

Bollywood Night fundraising event on Saturday 20th February 6:30-10:00pm at St.Polycarps Church, Wisewood Lane, S6 4WA incl. a 3 course veg meal, outfits to get changed if you want to, a short talk about Church Army, Bhangra music, dancing and a raffle! Tickets are £15 p.p. (over 12's) available on https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/bollywood-fundraiser-tickets-19596545796 or from Kinder.

Lyceum Pantomime Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs on Friday 16th December at 7:00pm. All tickets are for seats in the front stalls and cost £17 each. Tickets should be paid for by Sunday 21st February 2016. Cliff.

Spring Concert in memory of Heather Hoyland, in association with Bradfield Festival of Music, will take place on Saturday 5th March at 7:30pm at Wisewood Methodist Church. Taking part: Cantamus Senior Ensemble, City of Sheffield Senior Schools Orchestra and Austonley Brass, with Gerry Kersey from BBC Radio Sheffield as Master of Ceremonies. Full details are on the notice board and there are leaflets on the welcome desk, in the entrance hall.

Charity Bags / Carrier Bags. We are very short of charity bags which would be useful for the kitchen bins. Also, any ordinary carrier bag you can spare will be useful for a variety of uses. Can you help, please? Pat S.

Has Anybody Got Spare Beds/Sofas that they can offer to Becca's wedding guests who may need overnight accommodation for 29th and/or 30th July? If you can help, please speak to Becca. Thank you!

Sheffield Churches Council For Community Care are in need of more volunteers who can help with: friendly visiting (spend time chatting with older people, once every one or two weeks) and one-off tasks i.e. shopping, sitting with someone whilst their carer goes to a medical appointment, accompanying someone to an appointment, moving furniture within a house to enable easier mobility, emergency care of a pet, checking in on someone when they have been discharged from hospital etc... If interested in helping out, please visit www.scccc.co.uk / call 0114 2505293.

Prayer Group Report

We read from Mark's gospel about division - chapter 3,  from verse 23: 'If a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot stand...'.

The sexuality debate has caused a great rift within the Anglican church and the African branch of the church is considering splitting from the main Anglican church. We prayed for the Archbishop of Canterbury and for the African bishops, for unity within the church.

We prayed for countries torn apart by war and for the people affected. War is most often caused by a mixture of opposition to those in power or rivalry between ethnic or religious groups as in Iraq where there is constant disagreement between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Christians are also having a particularly difficult time in Iraq at present. A concert to raise funds to help alleviate their plight was held recently at Sacred Heart church - we gave thanks for that. We prayed for the hope of better things to come for all areas of conflict as we prayed for a unity of human spirit for people to come together whatever their religion or beliefs and seek peace.

In Geneva 'the powers that be' are meeting to discuss the possibility of peace between opposing factions and government in Syria. At present there is a feeling that medics and hospitals are being targeted by Syrian government forces and many aid agencies have had to scale back their operations as a result of increasing attacks.  

Over the past few years, millions of people have fled their homes in the Middle East to refugee camps in nearby countries or to Europe. Many are drowning in the Mediterranean sea as they try to reach Europe in overcrowded or unseaworthy boats, yet a huge number are still making arrangements to escape war in this way.

We prayed for peace and that people may be united in making a new start. May the world learn to live more like Jesus to bring harmony instead of death and destruction. 

In this country it has come to light that the work of the 'Care Quality Commission' has been outsourced to a private American company. Many of the existing experts who work in this field have decided to quit their posts as new contracts now offer less than half their present salary. This will leave a huge gap in the inspections of quality of care for the elderly and disadvantaged who will then be more at risk.

We prayed for agencies caring for the terminally ill, for carers under great stress and those they care for, for the bereaved and the anxious and those in any kind of distress. 

We remembered in prayer Elsie Pix who will be celebrating her 104th birthday on 8th February. Many congratulations.

Lord strengthen us. May we be one in the love of Jesus and encourage one another.