St Andrew's

Psalter Lane

Church

Weekly Newsletter and Other News

St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church

Weekly Newsletter   

 

Sunday 31st March 

Easter Day 

10.30 am  Holy Communion   Rev Naomi Cooke

Reminder -  the clocks go forward by one hour at 1.00 am!

Collect

God of glory,

by the raising of your Son

you have broken the chains of death and hell:

fill your Church with faith and hope;

for a new day has dawned

and the way to life stands open

in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

 

Reading    Mark 16;1-8

Hymns      StF 298 Christ the Lord is risen today!

                  StF 397  The Spirit lives to set us free (v1)

                  StF 296 Christ has risen while earth slumbers

                  StF 617 Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

                  StF 295 Alleluia, alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord (vv 1,2,5)

                  StF 313 Thine be the glory

 

The service will be live streamed and you can watch it here.

There is a Junior Church activity sheet available here.

 

 

NEXT SUNDAY

Sunday 7th April

Easter 2

10.30 am   Morning Worship    Chris Sissons

 

 


THIS WEEK

 

Tuesday 26th March 

          2.00 - 4.00 pm -  Tuesday Café in Shirley House

The café is for those living at home with memory loss or dementia and their carers.  Hot drinks and cakes, music, memories, singing, stories and more.  For further information ring the church office (0114 2678289) or email office@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk.

                            

Wednesday 27th March

         10.30 am    Holy Communion in Church 

         7.30 pm     Evening Housegroup meeting at 303 Cemetery Road

 

Thursday 28th March 

           7.00 pm  Service at St Augustine’s Brocco Bank Agape Meal, with some Bible                             readings and prayers; followed by the stripping of the Altar. All welcome

 

Friday 29th March

              12.00 noon – 3.00 pm  Good Friday Vigil A service of meditation, readings, music and silence. Musicians: Simon Dumpleton and Emily Bowden. The service will be live streamed and you can watch it here from 12.00 noon.

 

Saturday 30th March

           2.00 - 4.00 pm Junior Church Gathering – Help needed!

                             


NEW! You can listen to a podcast of our recent services here!


Same sex marriage at SAPLC

At St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church, we seek to be an inclusive church, and a place in which every person is celebrated and affirmed.

We are delighted to announce that we have now received consent from both the Methodist Church and the Church of England to use SAPLC for the solemnisation of same sex marriages conducted by a Methodist Minister according to the rites of the Methodist Church, and we have made an application for the church building to be registered for such occasions.

We welcome enquiries from anyone who is considering getting married and who would like to explore this further. Please contact the Revd Naomi Cooke:  minister@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk 


 
If you would like to support the ongoing work of St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church, you can do so by clicking on the button below.

You can also donate by BACS: Sort code: 05-08-08 Account Number: 36930499
or by cheque payable to: St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church, and posted to St Andrew’s Church Office, 31 Psalter Lane, S11 8YL.

 

Don't forget to Gift Aid your donation if you can, as this will increase the amount we receive by 25%!


Lent and Holy Week

 

Lent Housegroups

The evening group will be following the ‘Lights for Christ’ Tree of Life online Lent course at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 27th March. We meet in members’ homes. If you would like to join us please contact Janet Loughridge Tel. 258 4164  email janet.loughridge.45.@gmail.com

 

 

Lent - Unbound Love  The Methodist Church has created a Lent campaign called Unbound Love based on Charles Wesley's famous hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Singing the Faith 503) which talks about Jesus as 'unbounded love' – a kind of love that cannot be contained, that works in our lives and in our world to free us and heal us. Unbounded Love is the theme of the Methodist Church Lent campaign in 2024 – holding together our commitments to be a justice-seeking church, and a people who experience and proclaim the good news of God's uncontainable love.

District Communications Officer, Sam Roberts has created some social media resources which can be found here
They will be shared on the district channels from Sunday 18th February - look out for them on our social media too!

 


 

Action for Children - Count your blessings through Lent  Lent is getting very close. We know some of you are keen to take part in Count your Blessings, daily reflections and short stories about our work with opportunities to make small donations during Lent. The leaflet (4 pages) is available here

We can print copies in the Church Office – please ask Janet Loughridge if you would like a copy.

 

 

Count your blessings with Christian Aid  This Lent, Christian Aid is also encouraging you to count your blessings, and make 40 small steps towards a more just world. Journey with us and learn how our partners bring dignity, equality, justice and love to our global neighbours. You can find the leaflet (9 pages) here.

 

 

 

Thursday 28th March

Maundy Thursday

7.00 pm  Service at St Augustine’s Brocco Bank

Agape Meal, with some Bible readings and prayers; followed by the stripping of the Altar. All welcome

 

 

Friday 29th March

Good Friday

12.00 noon – 3.00 pm  Good Friday Vigil 

A service of meditation, readings, music and silence.

Musicians: Simon Dumpleton and Emily Bowden

The service will be live streamed and you can watch it here from 12.00 noon.

 

 

Sunday 31st March 2024

Easter Day   

10.30 am  Holy Communion   Rev Naomi Cooke

Reminder -  the clocks go forward by one hour at 1.00 am!

The service will be live streamed and you can watch it here from 10.30 am.

 


NOTICES

 

Methodist Women in Britain Easter Offering Each year, the Methodist Church makes available Easter Offering envelopes for donations to its World Mission Fund. This honours a tradition begun by women in Manchester who in 1883 collected £32 for missionary work overseas from 'Christmas pennies' at family gatherings on
Christmas Day. Methodist Women in Britain maintains the tradition and each year plans a
themed service or services in each Methodist District at which the collective offerings are
dedicated. The Sheffield one is at Totley Rise Methodist Church on Sunday June 2nd at 3.00 pm .
The theme is 'Let Justice Roll' and the speaker will be Jenny Carpenter.
Please take an envelope and, when filled, put it in the collection plate either on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday, making sure to gift aid your donation if you can.

 

Friends of the Holy Land - Bring Hope & Healing on the journey to Easter

The crisis continues. In Gaza, 820 people are living in two churches, sheltering from bombs. In the West Bank, 80% of Christians have lost all their income. During the 40 days of Lent, we invite you to do whatever you can support our friends in the Holy Land. Take action during Lent. Here’s how:

Write to your MP - find your MP’s contact details by typing in your postcode at  members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

Write an email or letter to your MP in your own words, asking them to call for an immediate ceasefire, request a meeting or write a letter about this to the Foreign Secretary, or raise your concerns as a question in parliament.  

Take time to pray for the conflict to end

Over Lent, we will be publishing a series of Lenten Reflections that can be used to guide our prayer over the Lent season. Click here to read them online.  

Donate to our Hope & Healing Fund:

We have set up a special fund to help the Christian community in the Holy Land endure this crisis and become more resilient. In this ever-changing situation, the fund will continue to meet emergency physical and emotional needs identified by our on-the-ground contacts. The fund will also help the community sow the seeds for a more sustainable future whenever a ceasefire is achieved. Could you add £40 to the fund? - £1 for each day of Lent? Click here to donate.

 

 

Annual Church Meeting

The Annual Church Meeting will be held on Sunday 21st April after the morning service, in church.
Please consider standing for election as a Warden, Steward, or as a member of the Ecumenical 
Church Council.

It is particularly important that we find someone to join the team of Stewards and Wardens to replace Caroline Cripps. The post is open to all Joint and Anglican members. Please think seriously about whether you could fill this position, which is vital to the life of the church. If you wish to stand, or would like to find out what is involved, please speak to Naomi or the current team (Caroline Cripps, Julie Jordan Brown, Alastair Morris, Mary Mitchell)

 

Revision of the Electoral Roll  The Electoral Roll has to be revised prior to the Annual Church Meeting which will be held on Sunday 21st April.

If you are not already on the Electoral Roll and would like your name to be added or if your details have changed in the last 12 months, please fill in a form from the Narthex or alternatively contact Judith Roberts by email: robertsjm4@googlemail.com or by telephone: 2361531. Membership is open to anyone who is baptised and lives in the parish or who has attended the church regularly over the last six months. Completed forms should be returned to Judith no later than Sunday 31st March.

In order to vote at the Annual Church Meeting or to hold office in the church you must be either on the Electoral Roll or a Methodist Member.

 

 

Easter Saturday Junior Church Gathering  The Junior Church Team would love some volunteers to help with a junior church gathering on Easter Saturday (30th March), 2.00-4.00pm family afternoon at church/in the garden with egg hunt, Easter garden making and more! Contact Rachelamymorris@gmail.com for more info / to volunteer.

 

Inter Faith Network Funding IFN has been a beacon of unity, promoting understanding and cooperation among different faith communities across the UK. This vital work is under threat. The Secretary of State for Communities, Michael Gove, wrote to IFN on 21 February that he had decided to withdraw £155,000 of funding pledged in July 2023.

Please sign this petition calling upon Michael Gove to reverse his decision and provide the funding pledged to Inter Faith Network in July 2023. Let's stand together for unity and mutual respect amongst all faiths in our country.
 

 

Repair Café at SAPLC 11th May - Help needed!  The SAPLC Eco Group is planning to hold a Repair Café on 11th May as part of the Sheffield Environment Weeks - and we need YOUR help!

Are you a whizz at woodwork or a sewing superstar, a hi-tech tinkerer or brilliant with bikes - or do you know someone who is?

Help us to breathe new life into worn-out small appliances, furniture, clothes and more. If you can help out, we would be very grateful – please contact Caroline Cripps (Tel 258 8932, email cripps@uwclub.net). Refreshments will be served.

 


Postage stamp collection for the Bone Cancer Research Trust  If you receive post with stamps, would you like to save them to help raise funds for the Bone Cancer Research Trust? There will be a box at church to place them or people can give them to Pat Rogers and they will then be sent off.  Apparently modern stamps are much more valuable than older ones! (Older stamps are pre 2008) Stamps need a border of a finger width (1 cm). Foreign stamps are accepted but please keep these separate. (Channel Islands and Isle of Man count as foreign.)
They will be helping a good cause and be a little bit of recycling.

 

SAPLC Church of Sanctuary project Following the launch by Rev Inderjit Bhogal on 17th September of the SAPLC Church of Sanctuary project, we acquired copies of his book Sanctuary: the hospitality of host, guest and stranger. Copies of the book are available in the narthex, costing £3.00 . Please buy a copy and read it to support our Church of Sanctuary project.

 

 

All We Can Loose Change Appeal

 Thank you so much for all your donations to All We Can. The collection bowl will be out during Sunday service so please bring along any small change. Thank you again.

 

 

Clifford All Saints School

Community monthly prayer group If you are unable to attend but would like to share a prayer request for the group please click here

The Psalter Lane building is now closed, and the whole school is at the Ringinglow Road site. The Morris School window - originally one of the pair in old St Andrew’s, of which the one in the narthex is the other - has now been installed in the Ringinglow Road building and looks wonderful. There is a photograph of it on the board in the narthex. 

 

 

The Tuesday Café The café is open every Tuesday from 2.00 - 4.00 pm in Shirley House.  The café is for those living at home with memory loss or dementia and their carers.  Hot drinks and cakes, music, memories, singing, stories and more.  For further information ring the church office (0114 2678289) or email office@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk.

 

 

SAPLC Jigsaw Library  Do you love doing jigsaws? Do you have a collection of completed jigsaws that you'll never use again? why not donate them to our Jigsaw Library and borrow a new one at the same time! - No charge but donations towards church funds are welcome!

 

 

Regular Giving to St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church  If you do not give to the church through the envelope scheme or by bank standing order, please have a word with Rodney Godber (tel 0114 266 3893) who will explain how this makes your giving to the church easier and more beneficial. If you would like to join the envelope scheme, please contact Janet Loughridge (tel 0114 258 4164)

 

Car Parking  If you are parking at church, please take care not to park directly opposite the yellow lines marking the path towards Shirley House and Southcroft, as this blocks pedestrian access for people coming to church from Southcroft

 

 

Methodist podcast  Have you discovered the weekly Methodist Podcast? Available here and on most audio streaming services. Half an hour of inspiring stories, emerging ideas and latest news from across our national church. 

 

Sheffield Interfaith news Visit the Sheffield Interfaith website for news on what they are doing.

Please also note this post about getting the Zoom links for their events.


EVENTS

 

District Gathering 20 April from 9.30 am

Registration is now open for the Spring Gathering. The focus for this gathering, 'With God's help I will - care for myself as I support others', is on how to be a leader (in any capacity) through this season of great change and uncertainty without running yourself into the ground!
Our keynote speaker is Revd Nel Shallow, and in the afternoon she and others will be running workshops exploring the topic in more depth.
Lunch will be provided, so advance booking is essential!

Full details can be found on the poster in the narthex, and places can be booked here:
There will also be market-place stalls including the Cornerstone bookshop from Chesterfield, Good Taste, the Fairtrade shop in Sheffield, and the Christian Publishing Company, plus others.
Volunteers Needed To ensure a warm welcome to the Sheffield Circuit, we are in need of a Hosting Team. If you feel able to help, please contact the Circuit Office, Email:admin@sheffieldcircuit.org.uk. If you are volunteering and want to join in with sessions when not on duty that’s absolutely fine. If you want to join in with the workshops or would like a free lunch you will need to register. More details and booking information can be found on the poster in the narthex.
Singers Wanted We are looking for singers who are reasonably confident in singing in harmony to help lead the opening worship for the District Gathering on 20th April.
Words, music (for those who read) and audio files (for those who learn by ear) will be provided for you to learn and practice your part in advance. There will be a short rehearsal at 9.00 am and the worship will be finished by 10am if you are not planning to stay for the whole day.
If you would like to be part of this group, please contact Katrin Hackett,
Email: katrin@sheffieldmethodist.org by 25 March.

 

Taize Event in Sheffield Brother Jean-Patrick, who is the link brother to the UK, is coming for a visit in April, and will be in Sheffield for an afternoon, on Saturday 20th April. We will be hosting him at St Mary's Walkley, where he has kindly offered to lead a reflection, as well as having some time for discussion, silence, a shared meal and evening prayer. We would love to have as many people there as
possible, all are welcome. There is a sign up sheet with more information
here.

 

The Messiah Holymoorside and Baslow choirs are joining to sing The Messiah with orchestra and soloists at Methodist Victoria Hall, Norfolk St on Saturday April 27th 7.00pm. Tickets £15.00 from katepinder83@gmail.com or tickets @baslowchoir.co.uk or 01142360820

 


Foodbank and Baby Basics

Firvale Foodbank and Baby Basics are still desperately in need of help, so that they can help the most vulnerable members of society. If you are able to give anything, donations can be dropped off at the following addresses – why not combine donating with your legal daily exercise? 

Food Bank

Donations can be left at the rear of 16 Edgehill Road, S7 1SP or in Church. Fir Vale continue to take referrals and just under 100 people are being supported. Food and cash donations are welcome. Food is especially welcome. The Food Bank particularly need pasta, rice, UHT milk, toiletries and toilet rolls, but are ever grateful for canned goods.

 

They need

  • Baked Beans
  • Canned Tomatoes
  • Pasta/rice
  • Toothpaste
  • Canned meats/fish

If you would like to give cash, you can donate here, or you can send a cheque made out to St Cuthbert’s (write Fir Vale Food Bank on the back) and send to Joe Dey at 16 Edgehill Road, S7 1SP, who will hand it over when he delivers to the Food Bank at St Cuthbert’s.

 

Baby Basics 

 

Gifts, especially nappies, toiletries and hand-knitted items (cardigans and jumpers for 2-5 year olds rather than babies if possible), and the following items for 2-5 years are always in short supply: pyjamas, underwear, socks, tights and warm trousers/jogging bottoms for boys and girls. 

 

At the moment, they really need 0-3 month clothing, baby socks and scratch mitts, 3-6-years clothing, baby wipes, nappy cream, cotton wool, 0-2year toothpaste and brushes, kids shampoo & conditioner for afro/curly hair.

Donations can be left in the basket at 51 Barkers Road, S7 1SD or in Church; cash donations should be put through the letter box. If Pat is away she will remove the basket from her front door step and she asks that items aren’t left at her door if the basket is not there. If you have something you can put through the letter box, that would be alright. The Facebook page also has information about donating via their Amazon wishlist. Donations can be left in the box at 51 Barkers Road, S7 1SD; cash donations should be put through the letter box. Pat would be able to collect donations if you cannot get them to her – telephone her on 2014881 if you would like to donate this way. You can also now donate online.

 

We are grateful to all the very kind people who are taking these donations to where they are so desperately needed. 

 

 


Help Needed!

(Not necessarily an accurate representation of a Working Party!)

 

A message from John Cripps:

'Many thanks to everyone who helped at the Working Party on Saturday 2nd March. The next Working Party will be on Saturday 6th April. Do come along and help – even an hour can help make a great difference to the appearance of the church grounds, which we can all enjoy. More volunteers would be very welcome!    
Everyone is welcome to carry out gardening tasks at other times convenient to them.  The compound has a new lock and that and the tool box have combination padlocks.  Please ask me (01142 588932, 07914 290016, cripps@uwclub.net) if you want to know the combination and if you open either lock, please take care the combination is set correctly before closing it. The tool box contains the mower, strimmer and some small tools and there are additional tools in the cellar.'

 


The Green Box

Calling all potential climate activists!

Action needed please!

 

Stop Killing Our Rivers

Our rivers are dying - will you send a powerful message to both Government and the intensive chicken industry?

Factory chicken farming is fuelling the crisis. Millions of birds are crammed into industrial units near our rivers producing huge volumes of polluting chicken manure. Spread as fertiliser on nearby fields, the phosphate in the manure can leech into rivers, causing algal blooms which starve the river of oxygen, killing precious habitats for wildlife like otters and kingfishers. The situation is dire: the Environment Agency reports ‘unacceptable levels’ of phosphate in over half of English rivers.

We urgently need your help to ask UK Governments for:

A ban on new intensive poultry units

Support farmers to exit this damaging industry

Action to reduce chicken consumption to more sustainable levels

Sign the petition here.

 

Congratulations to Bents Green Church on receiving the Bronze award.

“As part of our commitment to caring for God's creation Bents Green Care re-wilding the "Knowle Lane" part of our garden. We have planted some wildflowers to encourage bees and butterflies and we are letting most of the grass grow to see what flowers will emerge. We realise it doesn't look as neat as it did in previous years but we hope you enjoy seeing what happens when nature is allowed to take over and maybe you might like to try doing the same in some part of your own garden?”

'Ways of Water' - Millennium Gallery until Sunday 12th May

Ways of Water explores local water infrastructures, from historic wells to expansive reservoirs across sites in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The exhibition follows the historic and contemporary implications of the Sheffield cholera epidemic of 1832, which emerged because of unsanitary water conditions.

Discover film, photography, sculpture and archives exploring the different scales and effects of wells and reservoirs, juxtaposing sites of community action with larger water infrastructures. Within these sites and structures is a focus on memory and monument. How do we remember past events, culturally? What objects, rituals and beliefs maintain personal and collective memories? How can the past inform future action?

Water is central to human and planetary survival. As a crucial life-sustaining element for every living organism, it needs maintenance and care, as does remembrance. This exhibition highlights these themes and invites visitors to consider their relationship to water, health, memory and loss on both a local and global scale.

 

 

City of Rivers Exhibition - Weston Park Museum until Sunday 3rd November

Sheffield is a city born from its rivers, sculpting the landscape and powering the industries that made it prosper. Today, they're the arteries that flow through the urban sprawl, continuing to shape the character of the city and our lives in it. From vast reservoirs and cascading weirs to the brooks that trickle through our many green spaces, they also provide a home to a rich abundance of local wildlife. City of Rivers brings together stories, objects, artwork, film and photography to chronicle Sheffield's relationship with its waterways. Drawing on contributions from people across the city, it reflects on our connections to them in our work, leisure time and our impact on the natural habitats they represent. Find out more about the exhibition in Sheffield’s Now Then magazine.

Sign up to The Big Plastic Count

For one week in March, thousands of people around the country are going to count their household plastic waste and submit the data to the UK’s biggest investigation into household plastic waste.

The evidence will put pressure on the UK government to push for an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty to end the age of plastic for good.

The plastics problem is still with us. Together we can convince the government to act.

Sign up to take part here

 

We all want to care for the planet, but can’t do everything at once. Here is the next in a series of tips to think about. Some can be done today, some this month, and some will not be for you. But remember - everyone can do something!

 

Eco Tips

March 

Join (or start) an eco-group in your church/town/village to be part of the renewal of Christ’s creation. Community environmental groups need the hope that Christians can bring. SAPLC Eco
Group would be VERY happy to have some more members!

 

For more practical ways to enjoy, nurture and defend nature, sign up to A Rocha UK’s Wild Christian email: arocha.org.uk/wild-christian

See the Eco Group page for more Green news!


This page contains information about upcoming services and events and groups that we support.

Please contact clare@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk or janet.loughridge.45@gmail.com if there is anything you would like to see or to add, or anyone you would particularly like us to pray for.

 

Because we are back in church for Sunday morning services, this Newsletter will be more like the Notices that we used to hand out each week, but will continue to be emailed instead of being printed to hand out in church. This will be better for us as an Eco-Church. There will be printed copies in church,  but only for people who cannot receive the emailed newsletter.

We will be live-streaming our main Sunday morning services, for those people who aren't able to join us in church.

All contributions, serious or light-hearted, would be very welcome!

 

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