Arise Sheffield! | Issue 5 | Summer 2023

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Discover what God is doing in Sheffield

THE BISHOP'S NEW BADGE

Will you be wearing one this year?

THIS UMBRELLA IS FOR YOU

“Church collaboration is reaching a tipping point in the UK. Cities where churches and believers are not working together to serve their city are now in a minority.” - Gather Summit

I recently attended a church unity conference - Gather Summit - at the historic Victoria Hall, along with the rest of the Arise team and church leaders from across Sheffield and the North. It was a beautiful day for Sheffield, in every sense. The weather was warm and sunny, and so was the atmosphere at the conference. Leaders from the churches in every corner of Sheffield joined together to be inspired about what can happen when churches in a city work together.

We heard about Lincoln, where the NHS has funded a network of different

Beth Craggs, Editor

churches to run Nightlight Crisis Cafes, which have had a huge impact on local suicide rates. About Stoke-on-Trent, where churches started a Civic Prayer Breakfast that radically changed the way civic leaders saw their city, and the role of churches within it. About Manchester, where Mayor Andy Burnham sees churches as essential partners in transforming the city.

Groups like Arise are rising up all over the UK, as more and more believers choose to step out in faith and work together to meet the needs of their communities: we are not alone. But at the same time, what’s growing here is something unique, shaped by you, Arise community. Arise is here to support you to live your faith more freely. This edition is full of stories of believers like you who are

praying together, sharing their faith, and serving local needs together.

Scan the QR code below to watch a video about Sheffield that we shared at the Gather Summit (or visit bit.ly/ Sheffield-welcome).

Thanks to the generosity of 71 local believers, we'll be prayerwalking our city together in March 2024, but we need at least 150 Arise Supporters to guarantee the future of citywide prayer and mission through Arise.

Visit www.AriseSheffield. org/yes to find out more about how you can become an Arise Supporter today.

News, story ideas, suggestions, feedback? We'd love to hear from you: hello@arisesheffield.org

Thank you!

First and foremost, thank you, Arise community, for all the amazing ways that you are praying together, serving together, and sharing the good news together in Sheffield. You're the inspiration for this magazine! Thank you Sheffield Leaders in Prayer - your commitment to collaboration is transforming our city. Thank you also to each of our advertisers for your generous support, and to everyone who has worked so hard to bring this edition to life:

Writers: Janet Ayres, Michelle Brown, Beth Craggs, Phillip Dolby, Joanne Gilchrist, Rachel Hall, Giles Holloway, Lydia Rolley, Hannah Sandoval, Billie Thaw, Rachel Turner, Fiona Walton, Catherine Wiffen, Ben Woollard.

Contributors: Jordan Betts, Charlotte Codina, Matthew Gavins, Jonathan Haigh, Chris Jeavons, Tom Lee, Rachel Longbottom, Connie Tsang. Advertisers: Be Creative, Church Army, Sheffield Pregnancy Counselling Support, The Filling Station, The Station Gym. Cover Image: Tom Rolley. Additional Photography: Benjamin Elliott, Jake Fields, Kinder Kalsi, Tom Rolley, Hannah Soar, Diocese of Sheffield. From Unsplash: Felipe Bustillo, Jimmy Dean, Benjamin Elliott, Ruvim Noga, Simon Maage, Marek Piwnicki, Craig Whitehead, Kerstin Wrba. Lead Designer: Ben Ashworth. Additional Design: Beth Craggs, Jack Mather. Proof-reader: Roger Hoyle. Coordinator: Nicky Sandell.

Arise Sheffield - Powered by Together for Sheffield.

THE CHURCH UNLEASHED:

W HAT HAPPENED IN MARCH?

EVERY CHURCH IN SHEFFIELD SENT A POSTCARD inviting them to join in with Arise.

4 PRAYER NIGHTS ONLINE

HUNDREDS OF BELIEVERS FROM ACROSS SHEFFIELD SENT OUT for the Arise:March Launch, Celebration, and public Good Friday service

3000 REAL EASTER EGGS & EASTER CARDS shared with churches and small groups to help believers connect with their local communities

PRAYER-WALKING

12 GROUP PRAYER-WALKS

5598km TOTAL DISTANCE PRAYER-WALKED

864 TOTAL NUMBER OF APP PARTICIPANTS

172 TOTAL NUMBER OF PRAYER REQUESTS SHARED THROUGH THE APP

HOW HAS ARISE:MARCH AFFECTED YOU?

53%

"I feel more connected with my fellow Christians around Sheffield"

69%

"I feel like I’ve done something practical for our city"

28%

"I offered prayer for people more than normal"

33% "It’s strengthened my faith"

25%

"I feel more confident offering prayer for others"

66%

"I feel more connected with my local area"

15%

"I feel more confident sharing my faith with others"

Of Foxes & Friendship

WHAT ARISE:MARCH MEANT TO ME

by Michelle Brown

Michelle has lived in Sheffield since 2017 and came to faith here in 2021. She is part of the community at Hillsborough Methodist Church. She enjoys running, reading, photography and embroidery, and spending time with her family and her three rescue cats.

My first time prayer-walking the streets of Sheffield, I didn't know what to expect. Would it make a difference? Would I know what to say? Would I feel silly? Would I hear God, and feel His presence? Profound and trivial alike, I was full of questions, and even a little nervous.

I needn’t have worried. Walking the streets of Sheffield, my words, entreaties and hopes for the city and its people just flowed. It’s been a conversation with

God, yet also a conversation with the city itself. Slowing down, consciously focusing on a place and what the people there might need, has brought a much deeper communion with places I thought I knew.

Prayer-walking makes our everyday places holy. I walked our streets in prayer almost every day in March, even if it was just going across the road to feed the urban foxes. My surroundings have informed my prayers; in my fox-feeding prayers, for example, I pray

for the green spaces of our city, all the little wild creatures who make their home there, and for God’s wisdom in our stewarding of his creation. In the city centre I’ve prayed for the homeless; for them to be safe, to feel God’s love and comfort, to find shelter and food and better circumstances, and for them to be treated with dignity, respect and empathy as our fellow human beings.

On Mother’s Day, I was in the city centre with my mum and my sister. By the tram stop, a homeless woman sat huddled in a blanket. We spoke with her and gave her some money. She said she suffered with anxiety, as I myself do; I cannot imagine how much worse it must be to suffer an anxiety disorder while homeless, exposed, with no safe place to go and hide yourself. Before meeting this lady, I had always felt too shy to talk to people and offer prayer, but at this moment I felt compelled. Before our tram arrived, I ran back and asked her name, and if it would be ok to pray for her. She asked for prayer for herself and her partner, and asked for our names so she could pray for us too. She held my hand for a moment and thanked me, and I’ve prayed for her ever since. I wish I could do more, fix the social systems that fail the poor, help this woman and others like her find permanent shelter. But she felt seen, and she was moved by my offer of prayer, and that means something in a world where the homeless are too often treated at best as invisible

and at worst as human litter. I won’t soon forget her, and I know God won’t either. This encounter was just one of the experiences that brought home to me anew how lucky I am. Even a cursory read through the posted prayer needs on the Arise:March app revealed souls crying out for help: parents with sick children, lonely people, people struggling with their mental health, addiction, poverty, bereavement. In my specific prayers over these needs, I felt overwhelmingly reminded to thank God for my many blessings, to remember that there but for His grace go I, and to be ready and willing to hold out a hand to help suffering people. And although I don’t know most of these people, and they don’t know me, the prayers I say for them nonetheless link us in a deep and holy way; every voice lifted in prayer for a stranger is reaffirming that we all matter; we matter to each other and we matter deeply to God. It’s the empathy and inclusion of Jesus’ perfect example; we love because He first loved us. For those struggling, there can be comfort in knowing that they are not crying out into a void; strangers all over Sheffield are begging God’s strength, comfort and peace in their name. For me, it is the highest, most beautiful

expression of our faith, and when I look at the Arise:March prayer map I see a golden web of our love and His grace covering Sheffield; tangible and solid enough to hold it in my hand, and constantly growing, brightening, strengthening. Even the deep snow we experienced for a couple of days brought an opportunity for deepening my practice. Unable to physically walk far, I prayed first for the most vulnerable: those unable to get out to buy groceries, or whose carers might be unable to get to them in the adverse weather. Then I got out my Arise app, prayed through the prayer needs, then picked out some streets and areas not yet lit up and prayed over them systematically. Again I felt my relationship with my city deepening as I turned my thoughts to areas I have never visited.

I will remember forever two prayer-walks in particular. On the first, I was praying over Langsett Crescent as I walked to Thursday craft group at St Bart's Church. After praying over the houses and their occupants, I turned my attention to the green space on the other side, between the Crescent and the main road. I thanked God for the beauty of the emerging Spring shoots and blossom, and asked His

"I had always felt too shy to talk to people and offer prayer, but at this moment I felt compelled."

blessing on all the little birds and creatures who call it home. At that moment, and within a space no larger than a couple of metres square, I saw a wren, a thrush, and a pair each of goldfinches and collared doves. It made me so happy to see so clearly that God heard my prayer, and of course to see the infinite beauty of his creation.

The second memorable moment came on one of my mini prayer-walks, crossing to Capel Street to feed the urban foxes. As I turned around to head home, the power poles across the road were lit in such a way that all I could see was a wooden cross against the sky. Just another reminder God is all around us, sometimes just waiting to be noticed.

At the Arise:March Launch Evening, we’d been seated with others in the same postcode, and our table had connected immediately. Before the evening ended, we’d exchanged numbers and set up a WhatsApp group, inviting others from our area to join as well. Three weeks into the Arise prayer-walking, I screwed up the courage to invite this group to a prayer meeting at my home. There were eight of us (plus my cat Dmitry!) crammed into the living room, and spare chairs had to be unearthed!

We shared fellowship over tea, coffee and cake. Three of the guests I’d never met in person before - and I’d been so nervous, but I needn’t have worried. Our prayers flowed continuously, seamlessly switching between us; after a time of spontaneous prayer, we turned our attention to the local prayer needs posted to the Arise:March Prayer app. As we prayed together, I felt again the magnified power of praying with others; I felt almost euphoric as the Holy Spirit came among us; and I felt again the sense of a great shift, that God is working in our community, that things are changing, that He has great things in store and that people who have never known Him – just like myself a few years ago – are starting to feel His presence, His peace that transcends all understanding, and slowly opening their hearts to let Him in. The response to the prayer banners suggests this too, as lots of the prayer requests asked for a sign from God. As my minister - Rev Michellepointed out, though, the Arise banners saying ‘Our church is praying for you, what can we pray?’ could not actually be a clearer sign!

It was interesting too to hear about everyone’s experience of prayer-walking. The very busy Rev Michelle, who takes care of three churches,

shared how she had adapted prayer-walking into prayer driving, as she went between her many responsibilities; I felt very inspired that even someone so incredibly hardworking found a way to fit in extra prayers. Others had systematically covered all the cul de sacs nearby, reasoning that such streets, not being en route to anywhere else, would be easily missed.

Jo from St Thomas Crookes, for example, shared how prayer-walking reminded her to see the Sheffield streets the way Jesus would – not as messy places or the homes of difficult neighbours, but as ‘places where people dwell and have family and experience joy and pain’, letting herself feel some of His love for those people, whether she knew them or not.

Sarah from Wadsley Parish Church told me how Arise has helped her feel emboldened to share her faith; she described talking to people feeling frustrated with the council, commiserating and praying with them about it, sharing prayer as an action point when people feel helpless and impotent.

Mick from St John’s Owlerton shared two really powerful stories about people he met while prayer-walking. During the first Arise prayer-walk, in 2021, Mick encountered a care worker in some distress; we don’t know why, but of course this was in the immediate aftermath of a devastating pandemic, so it’s perhaps not too difficult to imagine. He offered the lady a Gideon Bible, with signposting to helpful support services listed

"What I take away most from this amazing month is a renewed appreciation for the power of prayer, for God moving in our lives and for our beautiful, loving, Christian family in Sheffield."

inside in addition to the New Testament; the lady thanked him, saying that God had sent him her way that day.

This year, Mick was prayerwalking with his wife in Loxley when he encountered a family. He stopped to speak with the father, who was fixing a car aerial, and discovered that the man’s father had just died, and his mother a few months before that. Mick listened as the man poured his heart out for the next twenty minutes; he told me it seemed to help the man to express his feelings with a stranger, someone who wasn’t involved but would just listen without judgement. Such a powerful example of God using us to provide comfort and support where and when it is needed.

I’m going to finish by talking

about the emPower service held this time at my own church, Hillsborough Trinity Methodist. This took place on 26th March, near the close of our month of prayerwalking, and was a jubilant, celebratory affair. After several rousing songs led by the emPower worship team - including a resounding Amazing Grace (‘And that’s how it should be sung!’ my friend Helen said to me straight afterwards) - we assembled once again in our postcode groups for area-specific prayers. Then it was time for a presentation led by pastor Sallie Wilson of Elim Pentecostal Church with the amazing stories and statistics from a month of prayer-walking. As of that service, still with a week of prayer-walking to go, 55% of Sheffield had been covered

in prayer, with 775 Sheffield Christians using the app. It was incredibly inspiring to see that glowing golden map up on a big screen, and we gave joyful thanks to God.

What I take away most from this amazing month is a renewed appreciation for the power of prayer, for God moving in our lives and constantly speaking and acting through us if we would just notice, for our beautiful, loving Christian family in Sheffield, and for the compassion and selflessness of these same Christians, tirelessly walking the streets of our city, praying not just for friends and neighbours but holding before Jesus people they do not know and will never meet; Amazing Grace, indeed, in action.

Jhonnar Lugo

INTERVIEW WITH AN

EVANGELIST

As told to Phillip Dolby

How long have you lived in Sheffield?

Seven years.

What do you love about the city?

The people are very friendly. I love how green it is, with its beautiful Peak District nearby. I love that you can live here in a very relaxed way, the traffic is not too bad.

Where are your favourite places in Sheffield?

Jhonnar Lugo, 37, is a Minister-in-Training at the Well, Sheffield, and the Well at Woodseats.

Originally from Venezuela, his responsibilities here in Sheffield include coleading the Well's special outreach programme, Spirit Cafe, and he is an Evangelist Champion, involved in coordinating volunteer teams and youth work.

He loves Sheffield, and currently lives in the Woodseats area, where he is establishing roots in the local community.

He longs for Sheffield to see revival and the city to be transformed by the power of Jesus.

For walks: the Peak District, Graves Park, and the Botanical Gardens. To visit: the historical city centre is great.

When and how did you come to faith in Jesus?

I was born into a Christian family but I had my first real encounter with Jesus at the age of 13 when I decided to fully give my life and my devotion to him.

Tell us your testimony in fewer than 7 words.

Saved by grace through a healing miracle.

What are you most thankful to God for?

For experiencing his daily faithfulness and overwhelming love, and for the opportunity to serve and proclaim his name in the UK.

Where and how do you share

your faith with others?

I really love street evangelism and to see people have real encounters with Jesus on the street.

Are there things you find yourself saying as you communicate faith to others?

Yeah, in the hard times, I often say to myself God is sovereign and he is in control of absolutely everything. In the end, everything will work for good, because it will be for His glory.

Is there a particular story of leading someone to Jesus or communicating the gospel that you remember fondly?

One day a lady at a bus stop let us pray for her. As we prayed suddenly she started to feel emotional and started to cry. We told her that she was meeting the real Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. It was a great experience to see that lady experiencing God's love on the street.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn how to communicate the Good News with confidence?

Learn how to share the simple gospel. Use your own history and testimony and share it with faith and conviction of what God has done in your life.

BEAUTIFUL FEET

by Rachel Turner

Rachel has lived in Sheffield for 10 years and loves being part of the church family at Christ Church Endcliffe. She home educates her four children and loves walking in the Peaks, reading, baking and gardening.

From top teams such as the Blades, the Owls and the Steelers, to a vibrant local sports scene, Sheffield has a lot to offer those who love sport. We know that sport and exercise are good for our physical, emotional and mental health; and that they can create places of belonging and community, so it's not surprising that believers across the city are making the most of the opportunities that sports offers to build relationships and share the good news of Jesus.

On a Monday afternoon in Chapeltown you’ll find a hive of activity as the Methodist Church prepares for one of their busiest activities of the week: turning their Worship Sanctuary into a four-lane bowling alley. Members of the Bowling Club play indoor bias carpet bowls, mölkky, boccia, and wooden skittles. At the other end of the room, a social café offers crafts, board games, and table games. When asked about how the vision for the Bowling Club came about, Jill

How believers in Sheffield are using sport and exercise to share the good news

Pullan (Minister, Methodist Church Chapeltown) said, “We wanted to address some of the social isolation issues and integrate more effectively with the needs of our community. I wanted to equip and encourage our pastoral leaders to care for those with dementia because it is so prevalent. We had a link with an organisation called Enrichment for the Elderly and did a lot of dementiafriendly training with them, which led to doing some training with business leaders in Chapeltown. It was out of this meeting that the idea for the Bowling Club came, having been inspired by a church in Lincoln that ran a similar project.”

The Bowling Club is accessible for people with dementia and mobility problems: boccia was developed initially for people with cerebral palsy or recovering from strokes, or any impairment that affects arm or hand mobility. Today it's played across the world by people of all abilities.

Members of the Bowling Club come to play games and build friendships. At the end of the session, members are awarded trophies for all sorts of things - from sporting excellence to being the best friend of the week - and there’s also an opportunity to share something of faith. Jill explains, “We share a thought for the day, which might be something to do with positive mental wellbeing or it might be more explicitly Christian such as a Bible verse or testimony. We do some singing and then we share in prayers, and the members of the club share who they want to remember in prayer.”

For those feeling lonely, or struggling to get out, a club like this is a lifeline. For many of the attendees, it is the

highlight of their week. It also provides a support network for carers, as they can meet up with other carers and bring their loved ones to a safe, welcoming, and friendly environment.

“A number of people have said that as their spouse's or partner's dementia gets worse, this is a great place to come because they can engage in a sport where you can chat and talk and laugh - but you don't have to - and you can still engage in that activity together, even when language is very difficult.” The project has been such a success that they have secured funding from Sheffield City Council, and the team now trains other groups across the city to run dementia-friendly bowling clubs.

"We've got more overlap now between Bowling Club and Sunday worship than we've ever had, and some members are inquiring about the Alpha course."

As relationships are built and members see love in action, some people have started to want to discover more about Jesus, or have joined the church. Jill says, “We've got more overlap now between Bowling Club and Sunday worship than we've ever had, in the four and a half years that we've been running it. And now, some members are actively inquiring about the Alpha course, or membership process.”

The fun doesn’t stop at the end of Bowling Club on Mondays in Chapeltown: a few hours after the doors have closed for bowling, they are open again for Keep Fit. Led by energetic 80-something Kath Grierson, the group meets for a 40-minute workout, followed by cake. Kath has been leading the Keep Fit group for 45 years – first at the former Warren Chapel and now at Chapeltown. “It’s all about the friendships,” says Kath, “we’re here when people need us most and we cheer people up. We welcome people in – everyone is welcome. Sometimes you think, ‘Do I really want to go?’ but it’s always worth it.”

Just down the road, also on a Monday night, you’ll find a Forge Youth project in Shiregreen. Forge Youth looks to make a positive difference and share faith with children and young people across the city. They run a number of projects - including sports initiatives - and on a Monday night, the team runs a free football session that is open to all 11-18s. Chris Nall (Manager), says “We organise

football for whoever attends the session and never quite know what the session will bring! We look to build relationships with the young people that come along.” As well as the physical and emotional benefits of playing sport, Forge Youth want to invest in the young people and build their confidence: the team is always ready to chat about faith or what is going on in their lives.

Forge Youth also runs a 5-a-side league on a Friday night, “We have a football league, where we take the administration out of the way so that young peopleor church youth groups, or whoever - can come down to enjoy football. We want to try and show what football looks like with God at the centre,” explains Chris. “We start each session with a prayer thanking God for the young people and asking for Him to keep them safe. We try and make sure that it’s a place where everyone can enjoy the game, so each week the teams can get an extra point for fair play. That means that over the course of the season, a really good team can still lose the league

if their attitude is poor. It shows what is important to us, and helps as we try to create an atmosphere where everyone can enjoy football.” There are also opportunities for young people to develop their leadership skills and confidence by helping lead teams and referee games.

Forge Youth also use the endof-season awards ceremony as an opportunity to share a more direct message about faith with the large number of young people who come from unchurched backgrounds, while they also celebrate the teams’ achievements.

One of the challenges for any project like Forge Youth is finding enough people to help, “Post-pandemic it has been especially hard,” says Chris, “I think a lot of people think they need to be supersporty to be involved in sports ministry but actually we just need people who want to make a difference in the lives of young people. Sport is just the thing that provides the opportunity to get to know young people, teach lessons and build confidence.”

Heading west to Hillsborough, we find

another football session happening on a Monday evening. The men’s football group at Emmanuel began last Summer with James and his friend Matt having a vision for sports ministry. They found that a group of men at their church were keen to join them. James recalls meeting to pray at a pub, “We felt that God was saying that we need to meet with men and share the Good News with them. And what better way to do that than through sport?”

James and the team went on to meet in Hillsborough Park, putting invitations out through social media, “We said, ‘There are five of us guys going to the park. We're going to pray together at the start and just play football together if anyone wants to come and join us.’ I didn't think that the Facebook way of doing it was going to work - and I didn't think anyone was going to come if we asked them to join us from the side of the pitch - but

amazingly that first night, five guys showed up.”

The group has gone on to meet every week, seeing a regular group of 12 to 15 people coming along. As the weeks went by, James and the team decided to do more than just pray at the start of games. “Slowly, we started introducing a bit more faith into it, so we now have a fiveto ten-minute slot before we start playing football. We do different things: sometimes we’re reading a passage from the Bible and asking what they think, or we might explain some basics of faith like who Jesus is, or how the Bible came to be. Sometimes we pray for each other or share testimony. There are some people who aren’t interested, but others have wanted to find out more and have been very open to talk about their lives.”

When Summer came to an end and the team wanted to carry on, they made enquiries

with various floodlit pitches. “We tried around ten different places and everyone came back saying they were full. It felt like we were going to have to stop for the Winter, and we were disappointed that we were going to lose all our momentum. The team met up and we prayed about it and felt that we were being prompted to get in touch with the pitch in Hillsborough again just to see if anything had become available. They emailed us back the next day to offer us a slot – on the same night that we usually played. That was a real highlight for me, just to see God answering our prayers and providing what we needed.”

Over the past year, this fledgling idea has seen the group share something of Jesus with over 40 people. Some come only once, but many have returned. Several men have come along to Emmanuel’s Alpha course and to the carol service at

Christmas. James reflected on what he thinks makes it work. “A lot of people think, ‘I'm not an evangelist or a missionary so how do I tell people about Jesus?’ It can be seen as unprofessional at work but if you've got a hobby or something that you're passionate about you can easily start a group around it and get people together. It's about removing ourselves from the church building and getting out onto the pitch.”

Another church that runs men’s football is Christ Church Endcliffe. On a Friday night at Goodwin Sports Centre, a group of men from the church and their friends have been meeting up for a kickabout for over ten years. Martyn Lorimer says, “It’s been a place where we can easily invite people along. We have dads and their sons playing, international students, a bunch of men from church and their friends. We’ve had people from all over the world come to play: football is such a global game that it’s easy for people to join even if there is a language barrier. Beyond our Friday night sessions, we’ve been able to take part in Ambassadors Football World Cup and Euro tournament days, where we play with other teams and someone often gives a message. We often find that having played

football with people, we can invite them along to Christmas and Easter events.”

With Sheffield famed for being the Outdoor City, perched on the edge of the beautiful Peak District, it’s no surprise that another church group capitalises on this reputation to help grow their community. Alex Griffin (Lead Pastor, Sheffield Vineyard Church) explains the concept of ‘Peaks and Pub’: “It’s very simple, we meet at a certain point - often where there's a bus stop or a train station - and we go off and walk around for a couple of hours, and then we go to a pub. We just chat about anything, really: the news, life in general, and if people want to ask us questions we won't avoid them.”

“We've always had some really good conversations. And what we really like about it is it's easy to invite people along to, it’s really accessible. All you need is some good boots and a coat and a packed lunch. No-one thinks it’s weird because it’s just a thing normal people do. It’s a great way to connect with people who think that going along to church is really weird, or that going to people's houses to have dinner is really strange. The Peaks are really beautiful and the pub is a British institution, so we're just maximising on what's already

been provided to us over the last couple of hundred years.”

Following on from their Peaks and Pub, Sheffield Vineyard have baptised a number of people in rivers in the Peaks, “It’s great,” says Alex, “because when you do a baptism in the middle of the Peak District, it means that whoever's walking by gets to see what you are doing!”

In a world that is increasingly fractured and where people are often looking for community, sport is an easy invitation that allows people to build relationships. Perhaps this snapshot might inspire you to get involved in starting or supporting a similar project to connect and serve your community, and share the transformational love of Jesus.

REFLECT:

• How might your church use sport or exercise as a way to build relationships, serve your community, and speak about Jesus?

• What opportunities are there for you as an individual to join a local team and be a light for Christ there?

• If you’re not so keen on sports, what other activities do you enjoy that could offer an authentic way to build relationships with people in your community?

Enquiries about attending the Bowling Club are by referral to Jill Pullan ministerchapeltownmethodist@gmail. com

If you would like to find out more about supporting the work of Forge Youth please contact Chris Nall chris@forgeyouth.com

"A lot of people think, 'I'm not an evangelist or a missionary so how do I tell people about Jesus?' If you've got a hobby, though, you can easily start a group around it and get people together."

LEADERS TAKE THE PLUNGE

with MESSAGE YORKSHIRE & HUMBER

John: “Let us do a fundraiser!”

Janet: “Yes, good idea.”

John: “It must be really cold.”

by Janet Ayres

Janet has worked with the Message Yorkshire & Humberside Team for 4 ½ years and is currently the Operations & Enterprise Co-ordinator, managing all things day to day in the Hub. She lives in Chesterfield with her husband, two boys and an over-excitable Labrador. Janet serves on the Leadership Team of Redeemer King Church. Contact her at yorkshire@message.org.uk

Janet: “Let us invite our friends to take part!”

“Great idea,” said 23 church and ministry leaders. And so began the idea for our personal fundraiser for 2023. On Tuesday 20 th June at 6am, we began our Ice Plunge Interviews fundraising challenge. John Lawson (Team Leader) and I (Operations and Enterprise Co-ordinator) hosted 10-minute interviews, on the hour, every hour for 24 hours in a very, very cold pool of water.

We heard inspiring stories about what is happening locally: ideas and dreams springing out of lockdown; youth work; men’s groups supporting and discipling each other; and much more.

One thing that carried across all the interviews and really struck us is how local leaders are really championing

each other. The partnering of churches and ministries across Sheffield in order to support and pray for each other and their communities has blown us away. Transformation is no longer restricted to own backyards, but seen from a city-wide perspective – “what can we do to help you?”.

The sharing of ideas and projects and dreams has left some people commenting how they hadn’t realised all this was happening. We pray that what started as a crazy idea while staring at a baptistry pool in reality brings more people and churches together for the Gospel, and that the well that is springing up within the city bursts out into the outskirts and surrounding areas as one church gathers together for one purpose. We feel so privileged to be able to play a part in it.

We’re already harnessing some ideas for the next crazy Kingdom collaboration opportunity so do let us know if you would like us to keep you informed.

Visit bit.ly/ice-plunge to read the full article and watch the interviews.

LYDIA ROLLEY

by Lydia Rolley

Lydia is a recently retired occupational therapist and systemic psychotherapist / family therapist. She has her own lived experience of CFS/ME and when diagnosed many years ago, she was given no support or guidance. She rarely talks about her experience, but it has fuelled her desire, over the years, to work collaboratively and enable people in their recovery journey.

Sheffield has been her home for many years. She loves spending time with family and friends and exploring all that Sheffield and the surrounding beautiful countryside has to offer.

Lydia is married to Mick and lives in Shirecliffe. She can be contacted at thefatiguebook@gmail.com

You know how the Lord sows a seed of an idea in your heart and mind? Perhaps through Scripture, a prophetic word, or a growing desire. You then have a choice: to either water that seed and cooperate with Him to bring that idea to fruition, or not. Sometimes the seed can lie dormant for a while, being watered by faith and patience until the right season.

That was my experience writing The Fatigue Book I am not a writer, but still the Lord helped me to use my skills and experiences to share my faith throughout the writing, editing and publishing process. Here’s what happened.

About five years ago, I sensed the Lord wanted me to write a book. It seemed

an impossible task as I have always struggled with spelling and grammar, but ideas kept coming at random times, for example in the shower or in my dreams.

A few years later, in 2020, I retired from the NHS as an occupational therapist and family therapist/systemic psychotherapist, having spent the previous fifteen years working in fatigue management. With the added restrictions of the pandemic, I had space in my diary to water that seed of an idea.

Initially, it was a battle. I couldn’t seem to put my ideas onto paper. I longed to see the end product without all the blood, sweat and tears. I wonder how many other seeds I have let wither in my life when the going got tough.

To make it through, I enlisted prayer support and accountability, as well as a proofreader. I started working with my daughter, Rachel, who is a talented illustrator. Little by little, sentence by sentence, chapter by chapter, the book developed.

I completed the initial draft and invited various professionals and people affected by long COVID or CFS/ME to review and comment. A dear friend and colleague read the manuscript and offered to write the foreword for the book. Her words move me to tears every time I read them. This is what she says:

Lydia’s faith is an incredibly important part of who she is as a person, and what guides

The Fatigue Book

by Lydia Rolley

The Fatigue Book is a practical guide to managing chronic fatigue, whatever its cause, to enable recovery at a pace that works for the individual.

Author Lydia Rolley brings her unique joint training and experience in occupational therapy and psychotherapy at a specialist NHS fatigue clinic to provide an approach that recognises physical, mental and emotional/social needs suited to the individual. The book contains 100 proven fatigue management tips drawn from the author’s personal and professional experience and is suitable for people of all ages affected by long COVID, CFS/ME and other chronic conditions, and for their family and friends.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that, at the beginning of March 2021, over a million people in the UK had reported symptoms associated with Long COVID (also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome or Long Haulers). By April 2022 this number had risen to 1.7 million people in the UK – 2.7% of the population. More than half of these people reported that their ability to undertake their day-to-day activities had been negatively impacted by their symptoms. Fatigue is the most dominant and widely reported symptom.

Long COVID is a relatively new condition, but Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ ME) has been around for a long time. Countless people of all ages suffer from this condition, which has often been misunderstood, overlooked and underresourced. Despite some of the reported differences between these two conditions and the many unknowns of long COVID, there is a significant overlap. Both these relapsing and remitting conditions present with fluctuating, ongoing, profound and debilitating fatigue – chronic fatigue.

The Fatigue Book – chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID fatigue: practical tips for recovery by Lydia Rolley. Illustrated by Rachel Alice Leggett.

Published by Hammersmith Health Books (October 22).

her in her life. To those who know her, this faith shines through in all that she says or does. I am not a Christian, and nor do I hold a faith. However, knowing Lydia and seeing how her faith guides her to make such a difference to people’s lives, makes me curious about there being a power higher than ourselves which can heal and guide us in our darkest moments.

When we worked together, Lydia would often talk about

people having little hope at the start of their journey with chronic fatigue, and how it is important at that time for us to ‘hold the hope for them’. It does not matter in reading this book if you have no faith, or a different faith, all I would encourage of you is to be open to what she has to offer. If nothing else, maybe you can let Lydia’s faith in her God hold you now in your current uncertainty, and as a scientist practitioner I can hold the

scientific faith that these methods can and will lead to your recovery, if applied with patience, determination and courage.

Her foreword is a powerful reminder to me that people observe our lives: that through us they can be drawn closer to God. My frequent prayer is that as Christians we would ‘let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’.

(Matt 5:16)

When it was finished, I sought a secular publisher for The Fatigue Book

To my astonishment, it was accepted by the first publisher I approached, despite the book containing Scripture references and crafted prayers! It is now available around the world: on library shelves in South Africa and even in some countries that are officially closed to Christianity. As I write this article, I’ve just had the news that The Fatigue Book has been reprinted. Praise God!

FOR REFLECTION:

• What seeds from the Lord are you watering in your life? In what ways can they help as you let your light shine?

• What might hinder their growth?

• What might help their growth?

• Who can support you in this process?

Illustration: ‘Be Kind To Yourself, by Rachel

Author photo credit: Photo by Hana Soar Photography

Alice Leggett’

"I am not a Christian, and nor do I hold a faith. However, knowing Lydia and seeing how her faith guides her to make such a difference to people’s lives, makes me curious."

FAITH AT HOME does not mean FAITH ALONE

by Joanne Gilchrist

Joanne Gilchrist has lived in Sheffield for 9 years, ever since her husband took a role at The Oakes Holiday Centre. She has three fabulous daughters who inspired her to create the God for Kids app and write the Animals of Eden Valley books. She founded the charity Ruach Resources in 2019, has a Graduate Certificate in Theology, Ministry and Mission and loves singing, cross stitch and Christmas!

When you hear the phrase ‘Faith at Home’, what does it make you think? If you’re a church leader, do you shrug it off as irrelevant? After all, it is the opposite of ‘gathered church’, isn’t it?

Over the past decade, ‘Faith at Home’ has grown as a concept but it didn’t come from parents; it came from church leaders - specifically,

children’s workers. Frustrated that children’s spiritual development was being whittled down to one hour (or less) on a Sunday morning, children’s ministers have been trying to encourage parents to play an active role in their children’s spirituality every day of the week.

I am sure better minds than mine can give a detailed analysis as to why the trend is growing… I imagine the decline of church attendance combined with the decline of Christian habits in mainstream media, literature and schools have something to do with it. Throw a pandemic into the mix and suddenly ‘Faith at Home’ is no longer a concept but a very present reality. With mixed reactions.

To someone like me, who creates faith-based resources for families, it’s an exciting opportunity. Simultaneously, for me as a parent, it’s utterly, utterly overwhelming.

I know that I shouldn’t outsource my children’s spiritual development to that one hour on a Sunday morning. I know it’s not enough; not enough time to teach everything about Jesus

and the Bible and spiritual disciplines and Christian values while at the same time giving them space to ask questions and develop their own personal relationship with God - fervently praying they even want to have a relationship with God. I know this is also my responsibility as well as nurturing their spiritual gifts, equipping them with the armour of God, teaching them to pray and study the Bible and hear God’s voice and be generous and practice kindness and share their faith with friends and prepare them for relationships etc. etc. etc. (Oh, and by the way, make sure you don’t try too hard or you might put them off completely or be accused of forcing them to follow your faith). All this on top of keeping them well fed, warm and - reasonably - clean.

It is no surprise that parents get utterly overwhelmed by the irrational fear that their children’s eternity and spiritual development rests 99% on their shoulders.

Sometimes, it’s just too much. As a culture, we are highly individualised and independent. We don’t function in communities

nearly so much as other cultures or even as much as we used to in the UK. So the concept of ‘Faith at Home’, when received by someone living in a culture like ours, translates as “It’s all on you. Don’t mess up.”

It’s terrifying.

I’m sure it’s not supposed to be. On their own, words like faith and family and home are lovely, comforting words that ought to spark joy. Put them together and it’s a bubbling cauldron of emotion. How can we dial down the pressure and bring back the joy, not the fear?

I am passionate about faith and children. I am inspired by Psalm 78:5-7 that tells us to teach the next generation and be so prepared that even those who are not yet born will know God. I love that the greatest commandment to love the Lord our God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) is firmly planted to grow within families.

I also believe that the Biblical view of family does not mean that the responsibility falls on just one person, be it Mum, foster Dad or Grandparent. I think that’s an assumption we take on ourselves because of our individualised culture.

As parents, we sometimes forget that we are a part of a body, a community of believers both locally and

globally. In fact, church communities are one of the few places where we can still experience this. Sometimes we do it well, sometimes not, but that is the nature of community.

Our family recently joined a new church. We visited lots of local churches, but we stayed at this one because of the value they actively place on community. They don’t claim to be perfect but they prioritise being together. My heartfelt response was, “Maybe we don’t have to do this alone, after all.”

The trend of ‘Faith at Home’ is a good one but it can become very one-sided when it’s considered separate from the rest of Church. Instead, what if it’s as embedded in church life as much as the commandment to Love the Lord your God is embedded in family life?

How can your church support grown-ups to nurture children’s faith in the home?

First, recognise people are already doing it and give them praise. When a grown-up lives a life of faith in Jesus, they are already modelling that to their children - even if it’s in small ways - so why not tell them ‘well done!’ from time to time?

Second, encourage adults to open up their walks with Jesus for their children to see –whether it be praying out loud, or sharing their testimony, or letting their child watch them during a quiet time. The Parenting for Faith course calls these ‘windows into faith’.

Third, show that children are your priority too. Recognise that kids are not just adults in waiting, watching at the side-lines, the church of the future. Instead, children are the very present, active, faith-filled, God-connected children of the church today. Their prayers are just as effective, their needs just as important and their value just as priceless.

Finally, be practical and resource your parents and carers. I am not the only organisation in the UK with a heart for children and their grown-ups – see also Parenting for Faith, Faith in Kids and GodVenture – but I am local to you. I live in Sheffield and would love to speak to your church and your children to share my resources and experience with you.

Over the summer, I plan to run practical workshops to make it easy for parents to develop their own ‘faith at home’ journeys. Can I run one for your church too?

"Maybe we don't have to do this alone, after all."

WHY YOUR WORK MATTERS TO GOD

Hannah Sandoval

Hannah Sandoval is the Lights for Christ (Discipleship) Enabler for the Diocese of Sheffield. In her spare time you might find her playing her harp or in one of the many rock climbing gyms in Sheffield

Contact Hannah at Hannah.Sandoval@ sheffield.anglican.org

Hannah Sandoval interviewed LICC’s Tim Yearsley ahead of ReWork Conference on Saturday 17th June – a one-day event for followers of Jesus in the first decade of their working lives.

Hannah: So Tim, right now you’re working as Head of Innovation at the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, where you support young adults to live out their faith in everyday life. But can you tell me about a time where you worked outside of a faith setting?

Tim: My first ever job was working as a chip boy at the fish and chip shop near where I lived. It was an amazing learning experience. Not least because I was so good at it, and did so many hours that even at £3.20 an hour, I was earning more than I knew what to do with.

I didn't have any free time because I was working all the time or at school. And what

I learned was, if you have loads of money, but no one to spend it with or no free time, then you're still miserable.

Hannah: That’s true.

Tim: So I learned a lot about working. And the trials and tribulations that go with it.

Hannah: And how did you see God in that?

Tim: Well, I was part of a church youth group at a time, which was full of great people. And I learned a lot. And it really helped me figure out lots of things about my faith and how that was personal to me. But I don't ever recall being at a church youth group meeting where we talked about work, or even our studies at school. So I ended up keeping my Christian life and the rest of my life very separate. I don't think I did see God in my work - I just showed up because my mum told me I had to get a job.

Looking back on it now, I

think I have a very different perspective. I do see that actually, the work I was doing was meaningful. The people I got to relate to were interesting human beings with dignity and worth, who were all doing their best with what they had. I could contribute, both to the workplace and also through the work I did. I was a small part of the entire chain. But the end of that chain was giving families or giving busy working people a nice meal they could enjoy at the end of a long day or a long week.

Martin Luther says when we pray ‘give us this day our daily bread,’ we're actually praying for the weather; we're praying for the farmers, we're praying for the distributors, we’re praying for the bakers. There are loads of moving parts that go into providing for us on a day-to-day basis, that go into God's provision for us. My work was part of that and I think it mattered to God.

Hannah: Tell me about ReWork.

Tim: I’m really excited about ReWork – it’s a day event that we run for young adults in the first decade of working life. We want to inspire young Christians to see how their faith speaks into what they do during the week. Often, we know what our faith looks like in the four hours a week we spend doing church stuff or in a small group; we're less sure of what our faith looks like in the forty hours a week we spend at work. ReWork is about inspiring us to see that actually our faith does connect with the work we do, and we can thrive in our work

as part of what it means to be human beings made in the image of a worker God.

To put it another wayfollowing Jesus isn't just about filling up our leisure time with Christian activitiesit's about infusing everything we do with a sense of purpose and meaning as we get done in the world what God wants done in the world - like giving people their daily bread. At ReWork, we want to equip people with that vision, but also with the practical tools to be able to make a difference with God in their day-today work. In the Sheffield conference, which happened in June, we built on the work that the Diocese of Sheffield has been doing around creating a Personal Rule of Life, as well as some of LICC’s recent findings in our spiritual practices research.

Hannah: What does a ReWork day look like?

Tim: As soon as you arrive at ReWork, you're given a doughnut. If that isn't a good start to a day, I don't know what is! But even better than being given doughnuts and coffee is that you're going to hang out for the day with like-minded young adult Christians who are asking these same questions. It's a great place to share learning, bounce off one another's

experiences and figure this stuff out together.

There are a couple of talks from the front, discussing what it means to see our work as something that matters to God, and how to show up on Monday believing it. There are also Christian mentors available on the day to meet with the participants so they can have conversations about how this really works in practice.

I think one of the church’s best kept secrets is all of these working Christians who have been doing amazingly faithful, good work in their careers over decades. And many are sitting in pews on Sunday mornings, not connecting the dots between their years of experience in the working world and their years of experience in the church world. So, what we want to do at ReWork is create a space where older Christians can come and offer some of their wisdom and experience to the participants as they wrestle through some of the questions that are going to come out of the content we'll be sharing from the front.

To find out more about ReWork days and other resources from LICC, visit www.licc.org.uk/.

How many churches are in your local area?

Design: Jack Mather

Jack Mather is a freelance graphic designer, who has recently returned home to Sheffield after his degree at the University of Gloucestershire. He's open to new work and can be contacted through www.matherstudios.co.uk

Do you know your LACs?

Local Area Committees are a great way to engage with the needs of your local area. The pins mark locations of Sheffield churches: which LAC is your church in? Do you live in the same one?

Local Area Committees (LACs) are a way to help involve local people in decisions about their local area. There are seven LACs in Sheffield, each made up of three wards in a similar area.

Each LAC has a Community Plan that sets out your area's priorities and how they will be tackled.

Find out more about the Community Plan for your LAC - and register for updates from your LAC, using the QR codes, or by visiting bit.ly/sheff-lacs

Central Broomhill and Sharrow Vale, Hillsborough, Walkley and City wards.

East Darnall, Manor Castle, Park and Arbourthorne and Richmond wards.

North Stocksbridge, Stannington, East Ecclesfield and West Ecclesfield wards.

North East

Firth Park, Southey, Shiregreen and Brightside and Burngreave wards.

South Beauchief and Greenhill, Graves Park, Gleadless Valley, Sharrow and Netheredge wards.

South East

Woodhouse, Birley, Beighton and Mosborough wards.

South West

Dore and Totley, Fulwood, Ecclesall, Crookes and Crosspool wards.

Episode 7

Tell me the Old, Old Story

by Giles Holloway

Giles Holloway is the leader of King’s Centre. He has a passion for seeing Sheffield transformed into the prosperous, creative and beautiful city it is called to be through its people coming to know how prosperous, creative and beautiful they are as God’s children. He focuses on getting others praying, sharing their faith and caring for their community. He is very fortunate to have a wife and three wonderful kids and when the weather is right he can be found riding his bike around the peaks or hitting a golf ball in the vague direction of the green.

all love. Whether it’s sports stars like Tiger Woods or Ben Stokes - or musicians and actors who fall from grace and then reemerge in later years to become national treasures – we all love a redemption story. Year after year, Shawshank Redemption tops critics' and individuals' greatest films list, despite being a gritty, hard-to-watch film; the feeling of relief at the end when justice is seen to be done lifts the soul and leaves a broad smile on your face. Now for a confession. I am old enough to remember singing this hymn at chapel when I was little.

1 Tell me the old, old story Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love. Tell me the story simply, As to a little child; For I am weak and weary, And helpless and defiled.

stories, before looking for an opportunity to tell yours and God’s story. Redemption describes a large part of that. Redemption means being saved from our sins, but there is a wider meaning in society of regaining something which was lost, like the stories of the lost coin, sheep and son in Luke 15. So the idea of being part of God’s broader mission to bring about His kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven is also part of the redemption story. Hence, verses 1 and 2 of this old favourite hymn can help us…

Verse 1

They say the old ones are the best! In the case of the gospel story, they are right!

It is the oldest story in the book: from day one of the Fall, God has been working to redeem humanity and the planet. There is something about redemption that we

2 Tell me the story slowly, That I may take it in –That wonderful redemption, God's remedy for sin. Tell me the story often, For I forget so soon; The early dew of morning Has passed away at noon. The last article I wrote I encouraged everyone to listen to other people’s

It is an old story and it may seem hidden to many, but it is just as powerful and compelling as it’s ever been. Read Ephesians 1:11-14 for a quick reminder of what Jesus has done for you. Jesus literally paid with his life to redeem your life from the back of a dusty shelf in the pawnbroker’s! We need to be reminded of the magnitude of what Christ has done for us and once again be refreshed with the truth that nothing now stands in the way of God’s love for us.

We also need to be able to communicate it simply to others “as to a child”. One of

the best ways to do that is to tell our own story. Our church recently had a weekend away together in Derbyshire. One of the best things we did was listen to a broad range of testimonies from members of the church. As a result people were literally in tears hearing how faithful God had been in so many difficult circumstances and how He had brought good out of them in such beautiful ways. In fact, at least one person described themselves as being “born again” as a result of what the Spirit was saying. Now ww is good storytelling! Can you tell stories about your life with God in the mix? In my experience, some are naturals and others could do with practice! Here’s a simple template:

Verse 2

Verse 2 has an English word in it which people keep telling me is unwelcome and out-ofdate: “SIN”. It is unwelcome because society says that as long as our actions don’t intentionally hurt anyone else and it pleases us then it is not wrong. So when the word “SIN” is heard, phrases

like “Who are you to judge?” and “Who gave you the right to set the rules?” are quick to follow. To that we can quickly assert, “Indeed no one has appointed us as judge and we don’t set the rules” – even Jesus did not come to condemn but to save (John 3:16-17). However, when we tell our own story of redemption, we mustn’t miss out the first half of the gospel! We need to make clear that it was only when we truly came to the end of ourselves and admitted to God that we were unable to do it on our ownand that we are sorry for our actions (repentance) - that Jesus could lead us out of the pit through faith in Him, and belief in what He will do in our new life.

If the word ‘sin’ sounds oldfashioned, that is because it is! It is the old English word used to describe an arrow that falls short of its target. In fact, that is a really good image for how we should imagine sin, because whatever we have done, even if we think we’re one of the good guys, we have still fallen short of the glory of

God (Romans 3:23) that He intended for us in living right. There is no one righteous –not even one (Romans 3:10).

Pointing out the sins of others doesn’t always go down very well. However, if we tell our own story of redemption, we can happily speak of our own sin, and that brings humility, openness and vulnerability to the conversation. It also then gives us the opportunity to speak of God’s grace when He rescued us from the pit we were in. He forgave us and gave us new life so that others might put their faith in Him, just as David declared (Psalm 40:1-3). The second verse captures how God deals with our sins quite beautifully with “The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.”

So, when you get the opportunity this summer to speak deeply with a friend –perhaps round a campfire, or on holiday, or over a brew - why not tell them the old, old story. But don’t leave it half-baked, tell it warts and all; it may be a story of how you came to faith, or it may be about how God rescued you from financial ruin, or a medical emergency, or depression, or mourning the loss of someone close. Then tell of how Jesus entered the situation and rescued you and brought you out of the pit. Everyone loves a redemption story, and when they have finished listening you could give them the opportunity for Jesus to pull them out of any mire they might be wallowing in. If I was sinking, that’s what I would do!

Redemption

Before Jesus intervened

After Jesus intervened

Crisis Believe Denial Repent Despair

HALLOWEEN? Who's afraid of

by Ben Woollard

As October unfolds, we're greeted by a cultural event – Halloween – which often stirs mixed feelings among us Christians. Now is a good time for us to think about our own response to this event. Believe it or not, it can become a unique opportunity for connection, conversation, and reflection

Remember what the Apostle Paul taught us: our actions –no matter how simple – can transform into acts of worship when done "for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). So, instead of reacting on impulse, let's take some time to think it over, pray about it, and seek God's guidance. This approach becomes

even more crucial when dealing with something –like Halloween – that's often wrapped in shadows. Halloween means different things to different people. Some might want to keep their distance, others see it as a chance to share the Good News, and many work to light up the traditional darkness of the event. Despite these varied perspectives, there's a common thread – making the most of opportunities to strengthen connections, promote goodness, and share hospitality.

I remember once, during a church-arranged trick-ortreat event, an elderly lady outside our designated path invited us in for treats. She was looking for connection. It was a lightbulb moment for me: Halloween can indeed be a platform for unity and

2 1

hospitality.

As Brits, we're still figuring out how we feel about Halloween. This gives us a unique chance to help shape that narrative. Here in Sheffield, our church community can use this event as a stepping stone to promote unity, spark conversations, and share God's love.

This year, we’d love to invite you into two initiatives for Arise:Hallow: 'Wear Your Faith Fortnight' (22 October – 5 November) and 'Streets of Light' (30 October – 5 November). The first one encourages us to wear our faith proudly and inspire those around us. The second asks us to turn our homes into beacons of hope and love during the Halloween season. As Halloween creeps closer, here are some questions to consider:

3

How

Together, let's journey through these cultural crossroads with a spirit of boldness, creativity, and purpose. Remember, we're guided by the wisdom of God, with our eyes always set on glorifying Him in all we do.

Ben is CEO of Together for Sheffield, and leads the Arise Sheffield team.

How can I express my faith during Halloween?

How can I be part of 'Wear Your Faith Fortnight' and 'Streets of Light' to spread hope in my community?

can Halloween start meaningful faith-based conversations within and beyond my immediate circles?

"...there's a common thread: making the most of opportunities to strengthen connections,

promote goodness, and share hospitality."

HALLOWEEN! Coming to Sheffield this

Arise:Hallow

22 OCTOBER5 NOVEMBER

What would it look like for us to live lives of such hope that our friends and neighbours would be filled with curiosity about it?

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” -

1 Peter 3:15-16

We’re living in an exciting time for Sheffield. As we continue to Arise together to pray for our city, we’re hearing more and more stories of people from every part of Sheffield being drawn to find out more about Jesus.

One believer told us last week, “I had a conversation with one of my work colleagues about my faith, months ago. We hadn’t discussed it at all since, but then, the other day I got a text from them out of the blue saying they’ve been having vivid dreams about Jesus, and that they’d like to talk to me about faith.”

Messages like this have been coming through almost every week, as people in Sheffield look for someone to talk to about their new-found interest in Jesus.

Some of these dreamers already know who they can talk to: a friend or work colleague, or even their local gym (see the Good News section). But, according to the Talking Jesus report, a third of adults who aren’t yet Christian say they don't know, or aren't sure whether they know, a practising Christian. Who can they turn to with questions about faith?

At Together for Sheffield - the charity that powers Arisewe’re working to embolden believers and connect churches so that every person in Sheffield can come to know and experience the love of Jesus. That’s a big dream. What’s a good first step to making it a reality? Letting the people around us know about our faith.

Through displaying signs of our faith when we’re out and about - with Wear Your Faith Fortnight - and also while at home - with Streets of Light - we’re letting our friends, colleagues, and neighbours know that they can come to us with their questions about Jesus and faith.

Wear Your Faith Fortnight

With Wear Your Faith Fortnight, we will be wearing symbols of our faith for two weeks around Halloween.

Here are three ways you can join in (and two of them don’t cost anything!)

1. Ask your church leader to request their free Hallow pack.

It includes pin badges for clothing and bags, and waterproof stickers for water bottles, laptops, and cars, plus goody bags to give out to neighbouring trick-ortreaters. Ask your church leader to email hello@ arisesheffield.org to get started.

2. Check your cupboards. You might already own something that you normally only wear to Christian events: this is a great opportunity to dust it off and try wearing it during your everyday life, knowing that hundreds of other believers across the city are joining in as well.

3. Treat yourself.

If you’d prefer to buy something new, you could visit the Christian bookshop in the Moor Market, or go online to one of the many shops selling wearable signs of faith (Click the ‘Shop’ link on the Arise homepage if you’d like to support Arise at the same time).

Streets of Light

With Streets of Light (30 October - 5 November), we’re joining in a home-grown and growing national campaign to light up a window with a message of light, hope and love for a week over Halloween.

At a time when so many households celebrate darkness, this shares a powerful message with neighbours and passersby. You can start to prepare now by taking a look at the Design Inspiration' section on www.streetsoflight.co.uk

Bishop’s Badge Competition

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”Matthew 19:14

In partnership with the Diocese of Sheffield, we’ve been inviting children and young people from across the city and wider Diocese to design a badge that shares something about their faith. Teachers, parents, and children’s workers have been exploring the question ‘What does your faith look like?’ with children and young people and the responses have been beautiful!

As we go to print, the competition is about to close, and hundreds of children have taken part. One design will be made into pin badges and given to believers across the area. Two more will be made into stickers. Scan the QR code (below) to see the winning entries, or visit bit.ly/arise-bbc-results

Arise:Hallow (22 October - 5 November) is a great opportunity for us to shine with hope together, as believers across Sheffield.

"Last year during Streets of Light, we received a card through the door thanking us for bringing light in dark times from 'a passing neighbour', which encouraged us."

"There's something about unity that attracts the Holy Spirit."

- Dr Mary Healy, On Pentecost

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

- John 13:35

by Billie Thaw

Billie Thaw grew up in Sheffield. She then trained as a PE teacher at Exeter University, where she met her husband Dan. They both taught in the Bristol area for six years before moving back to Sheffield 27 years ago to set up The Oakes. They have three adult sons and a teenage daughter and attend Christ Church Fulwood.

Contact Billie at billie@oakes.org.uk

The Oakes celebrates a milestone

The Oakes turned 25 in May!

‘How can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed?’

Romans 10:14

The Oakes Trust purchased the site on 12th May, 1998. This means we are celebrating our 25th Birthday this Summer!

During this time, over 30,000 children and young people have heard the message about Jesus in a relevant and engaging way as part of a fun-filled activity holiday.

Hundreds of groups have visited from Sheffield churches and local schools and many others have come on our ‘’open camps‘’, available to all during some weekends and in the school holidays.

Over 300 young adults have joined our ‘Impact Team’, taking part in our gap year training programme, designed to give opportunities to share Jesus, serve Jesus and grow in Jesus, and many of these young leaders have come from the Sheffield area. Many

"Since May 1998, over 30,000 children and young people have heard the message about Jesus as part of a fun-filled activity holiday."

more have joined our ‘Support Team’, teenagers aged 15+ who come to help out, learn on the job and share the load at busy times.

As we look back, we want to say a massive thank you to God for his incredible faithfulness, but we also want to say thank you to the many Christians of all ages from across the city who have helped to make The Oakes possible.

Over the last 25 years we have received regular prayer, financial and volunteer support from 10 Sheffield Churches and hundreds of individuals and families, and each one has been a massive encouragement to us. Since the very beginning, 40% of our annual income has come from supporters. In addition, our permanent team are all supported by their churches and network of friends, as The Oakes does not pay any salaries. This support has enabled us to keep our camp fees as low as possible and continue to improve our

facilities.

We have been marking our 25th Anniversary in a variety of ways:

25 Hour Prayer Event

Over 200 people were involved in our 25-hour prayer event in May – either via Zoom or at our live celebration on the Friday night. Eleven countries from across the world were represented, praising God together for all He has done at The Oakes. A little glimpse of heaven!

’Visual Story Videos’

Two years ago, we published our book, ‘A Story to Tell’ (available through 10ofthose.com). We have now created a long and short video version of The Oakes story, and these went live on our website on 12th May. These have been produced to inspire, encourage, and most importantly, glorify God for all that he has done and continues to do at The Oakes.

Team members would love to share these with your church, small group or youth group. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a visit.

Family Fun Day

On Saturday, 10th June, we hosted our annual Family Fun Day. This year it was an extra special event as we were using it as another opportunity to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. In addition to all the usual fun, we hosted two Thanksgiving Services to praise God for his faithfulness and goodness. We served 650 ice creams and gave away 2,000 pieces of cake! It was a wonderful day.

If you would like to make a booking, become a prayer partner, or support the ministry through a gift, please go to our website (www.oakes.org.uk).

If you would like to volunteer, maybe with maintenance, gardening, catering, housekeeping or administration, please contact karen@oakes.org.uk

Residential camps are an incredible way to share Jesus with children and young people. We would love to see more gospel focussed centres established in Yorkshire, the UK and beyond. Please pray with us as we seek God’s guidance for the way ahead. Thank you so much to the Christians of Sheffield for your partnership with us, we are truly grateful.

Connect with the Community

Arise is on your favourite social platforms: search 'Arise Sheffield' on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to join in.

by Phillip Dolby

Phillip Dolby is a freelance journalist, editor and PR consultant based in Sheffield. His specialist subjects include: local and national news, politics, the arts, religion and international development. He loves the adventure of working in the media industry and wants to use his voice to speak up for the poor and disenfranchised.

Website: phillipdolby.com

Twitter: @PhillipDolby

war, persecution, or

repression is daunting to even think about. And when refugees and asylum seekers first arrive in the UK – many after a perilous journey – most are simply looking for a safe place to live, and a fresh start, so they can rebuild their lives.

Welcoming the stranger…

A Sheffield Christian charity is helping destitute asylum seekers do just that, by offering basic, temporary accommodation, pastoral support, and signposting to services which can help their guests get back on their feet.

The Open Hands Project started in 2007 when a group of Christians at St Thomas Philadelphia witnessed the difficult circumstances destitute asylum seekers were struggling with. Many, if their claims were refused by the Home Office, lost their accommodation and basic financial support and were not allowed to work or provide for themselves.

Chair of the charity, Jonathan Bennett, says he and his church small group at the time felt compelled to do something to help, and be part of the answer to the problems destitute asylum seekers faced.

He told Arise: “As Christians we are driven by God’s love to reach out to the least, the last and the lost. Destitute asylum seekers definitely fall

into that category. And we feel that whatever your political views may be, we have a responsibility to care for the needy.

“The Bible says in Deuteronomy that God calls the people of Israel to treat the stranger with open hands - i.e. with generosity. And that’s what we seek to do.”

The charity – which has many of its guests referred to it by secular organisation Assist –currently runs three houses. A house manager, who volunteers for Open Hands, calls in at the property once a week, or once a fortnight, to check in with the guests to ensure all is well and to offer a listening ear.

Read more about the Open Hands Project - how it's supporting refugees, and how you can help - on the Arise Stories blog: scan the QR code below or visit bit.ly/arise-open-hands

Sheffield Christian charity the Open Hands Project is playing its part in helping destitute asylum seekers find a safe place to live.

Fleeing

political

Generations Z and Alpha: the Prodigals?

LUKE 15:11–32

Generation Z - the name for the generation of people born between 1997 and around 2012

Generation Alpha - the name for the youngest generation: born between 2012 and around 2025

by Fiona Walton

Fiona Walton works for Christians & Sheffield Schools (CaSS). She also teaches and is the Open the Book Training and Development Officer for Yorkshire. Contact her at fiona.walton@cass-su. org.uk

I once took 30 garden snails into an infant classroom. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d recommend it (especially if you are being interviewed) but let me tell you they go off in every conceivable direction surprisingly quickly (and that’s just the snails!).

My thoughts about the Parable of the Lost Son have been rather like those snails. This article is an attempt to impose order on my

gastropod-like thoughts and to share just some of those silvery trails with you.

I have found the parable to be a Tardis – a spacious container. It is filled with invitation and welcome, refreshment, resonance, risk, truth and challenge, possibility and help, inspiration and reassurance, amazing grace, a place of security and shelter. And a perfect Father. Things our children and young people

“No one gave him anything”

are looking for.

The parable features two young men, and it has much to say to young people today, and to those who love them and hope to minister to them. As I talk to people working with the next generation –who observe what young people say about themselves and to each other - it seems to me that many echo the circumstances and hurt of the younger son in the parable. They are sitting among filthy ‘pigs’ in a ‘far off’ place of extreme famine. Many are hurting or in need. Others are angry, like the older son. They are sick and need a doctor.

“he began to hurt” (Luke 15:14)

Maybe their pain is to do with exam pressure, failure, anxiety, unrealistic expectations, to do with a boyfriend/girlfriend, county lines (‘hired themselves out’, Luke 15.15), grooming, bereavement, loneliness, abuse, with their identity, shame, cannabis use, pornography, maybe it is the comparisons and pressures of social media, cyber bullying, lock down left overs, sexting or perhaps just something someone has said to them. Many are struggling with their mental health. They don’t feel ‘good enough.’

“The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.” (Luke 15:19a)

Dillon Smith (aged 22) in his article, ‘7 habits of Generation Z Your Church Might be Ignoring’ (https://bit.ly/AriseGen-Z) identifies that this

unique generation have grown up viewing themselves as a brand. (Thank you TikTok, Youtube and Instagram.) This means they can be selfabsorbed and they market themselves on social media as though they are celebrities. This is a lifestyle that can be exhausting and often leads to disappointment, feelings of inadequacy and an acute awareness of their own shortcomings. What do we, the church say to them? How do we say it?

Back to the parable: the young son felt isolated and initially thought that there was no help available to him.

“no one gave him anything” (Luke 15:16)

Are we, the church, offering young people any help? There is much work to be done with our young people. Do they see us as a possible source of help? There are no (or very few) young people in many churches – Scripture Union believe 95% of children and young people have no contact with Christians. If we believe we have something to offer them and that it is important to serve them we need to go where they are: into schools.

This is the vision of CaSS (Christians & Sheffield Schools) – to see children/ young people served and supported in schools. We believe there is a role for school chaplains to do life with children

and young people where they actually are – to walk alongside them in their world. CaSS offers practical, threeday School Chaplaincy and School Ministry Courses for people interested in becoming a school chaplain. (Contact me – fiona.walton@ cass-su.org.uk –to find out more about how to join the next one, which starts in October.)

The younger son in the story has options: he has a home to return to. There is both a back-againstthe-wall feeling, and an element of self-preservation in going home – he is prepared to work and he wants to be fed. He anxiously rehearses his speech - take me or use me as a hired worker and give me food. If he is surprised to be taken back as a son, surely he is shocked to be fed the prized, fatted calf! Do our interactions with or about young people surprise them or confirm their views?

“The father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:22–24)

No doubt (?) young people would receive a warm welcome if they rocked up at a church, but as previously

"95% of children and young people have no contact with Christians... we need to go where they are: into schools."

stated 95% of our young people have no church background or contact so are unable to ‘return home’there is no relationship to rekindle. How can the church be a bigger part of their life?

“I will set out and go back to my father” (Luke 15:18)

Controversial statements/ questions alert:

• Does the church need to try something different in respect of our young people? Is what we are doing working?

• Are we serving young people where they actually are (school) or where they would like them to be (church)? Does the church need to employ more schools’ workers and school chaplains, rather than more youth workers?

• Are Christians answering the questions that young people are asking or are we following our own agenda?

• Are we trained to understand or help young people with the problems they are facing and the lives they are living?

CaSS, alongside others, is working hard to offer training to help resource those working with young people and the many challenges they face. Workshops at Joined Up Conferences have tackled

difficult subjects, such as County Lines, Pornography, Bereavement, Risky Relationships, Identity and ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences). We cannot bury our heads in the sand about these topics. Find out more at www.joinedupconference.com

Generations Z and Alpha often do not even know any stories or words from the Bible. CaSS works with Bible Society’s Open the Book to train teams of storytelling volunteers. They don costumes and using a script, share Bible Stories in primary schools during collective worship. Through this ministry young school pupils hear the Father’s words. Find out more at www.biblesociety.org.uk/getinvolved/open-the-book/

CaSS also works with Prayer Spaces in Schools, so pupils are offered safe, spiritual, soul

feeding, reflective spaces and time. Find out more www. prayerspacesinschools.com

These lost generations need to be found. Their dead need to be raised. They need to know they haven’t burnt their bridges. They need to understand forgiveness. That they can be known as sons, not hired-out servants.

Let’s serve them and guide them home.

QUESTIONS

• How could you tell the next generation they are good enough and celebrate with them, like the father in the parable?

• Are most of the young people in your church from church families? How will you reach others?

• Has this article challenged you (the snail thing doesn’t count!)? How?

Christians & Sheffield Schools (CaSS) run a resource hub on their website. It is full of resources and useful links.

www.cass-su.org.uk

"Are we serving young people where they actually are, or where we would like them to be?"

You are invited!

Unite with fellow Christians at Christ Church Dore Community Centre for a night of praise and worship. We will be joined by Scott Lavery who will be leading us into Gods presence. Join us for friendly fellowship, wonderful worship, and powerful prayers. No d i i n or tradition, all are welcome. Rekindle friends. Don't miss out - see you there!

Stepping up to end youth unemployment Ascend

by Catherine Wiffen

Cat has been in Sheffield since 2005, a wannabe Northerner and all round lover of the Steel City. Part of the church family at All Saints Totley, mum to 4, wife to Sam and co-waffler on the Plumbline Podcast.

At Ascend, we are on a mission to end youth unemployment in Sheffield. We work with local employers and Christian mentors to create a support network around each young adult on our programme. Since the last edition of Arise! magazine went out, Ascend has reached a huge milestone. A milestone that those of us on the team only dared to whisper, and even then, only to one another. Our whispers finally changed into shouts of joy as we celebrated our first cohort of young adults in Sheffield moving from unemployment into work. We took them for

a slap-up meal of burgers and chips (their choice) and created a space to be able to congratulate them on all they have accomplished. We gave them certificates, affirming three strengths that we had noticed about each of them during their time with us, and we spent some time reflecting on their Ascend journey – think ups and downs and you’ve got it!

What sets us apart from other employability schemes is that we start with a solid foundation; every young adult is made in the image of God, all are worthy of dignity, there is no situation beyond help –even in the deepest pits we

find our Maker, and all the world and everything in it is His. Because of this, when we meet our young adults, we’re ready to hear their stories, we’re interested in their dreams, and we remind them that they don’t just need to fall back on ‘retail’ as an answer because that passes the test in the Job Centre. We look to match our young adults with employers, to open their minds to what could be, encouraging them that doing something is always better than doing nothing.

They start by doing a twoweek work trial with us and join some employment training with our team. A structured, robust and – most importantly –holistic approach is taken to training. They are gaining valuable skills such as CV writing and interview technique as well as exploring who they are and what they’re made for. One of our young adults once said to me: ‘I’ve never heard the word introvert, now I understand why I am like I am’. These sessions are truly life-giving and transformative.

We also pair each Ascender with a Christian mentor, who meets regularly with them, providing a safe and open space to listen and reflect. Mentors may also help mediate with employers if issues come up in the workplace, and some invite their mentee into other community activities. One young adult who finished his placement over a year

ago still plays football with his mentor’s church group every week! It’s so rewarding to work closely with a young adult like this. We’re always looking for more volunteer mentors: we offer full training and support to help you feel confident as a mentor. Please get in touch (details at the end of the article) if you’d like to find out more.

At its heart, Ascend wants to extend to young adults in Sheffield the common graces that God gives us. In the majority of cases, our young adults have experienced the collateral damage of our broken world. We believe that God always brings order out of chaos and one of the ways we see that manifested is through the gift of work. As Adam and Eve were given the garden to tend, we see that that is as a direct result of God bringing it to creation through his ordering of the chaos we read about in Genesis 1. Work is a good and gracious gift.

Some of the funding for Ascend comes from Sheffield City Council and other secular charities, but we’d really love to grow it to a point where it can be completely funded by Christians who support the entire vision of Ascend. Already, some churches and individuals in Sheffield have committed to giving regularly to support the work of Ascend. Could you and your church add Ascend to the list of local causes you support?

Before we left our celebration with our first cohort, we gave each of them the opportunity to reflect on who they were before Ascend and who they are now. The common theme overwhelmingly was that they found acceptance and a community of people invested in their well being. For nearly all of them, this was a first-time experience. Of course, our longing for community and acceptance points to the reason God instituted the Church; it is amongst his people we will come to fully know and be known. The last words our young adults heard from the Ascend team were, ‘Consider Jesus’. We pray expectantly that God will use Ascend to grow his Kingdom. These are our new whispers: let’s hope one day they will turn to shouts of joy too.

If you’re interested in partnering with Ascend, you can do so in three ways: praying with us, mentoring for us and giving financially to us. If you’d like any more information, please contact: catherine@ togetherforsheffield.co.uk / 07526721115.

THREE WAYS TO PRAY FOR ASCEND:

• For our young adults to keep building meaningful relationships with our team

• For employers to be open to a different way of recruiting and partnering with us

• For the team to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

"They've found acceptance and a community - often for the first time."

More BLOKES saying ‘yes’ in S17

While picking up spoil at a home landscaping project, Steve - a heavy goods truck driver - jumped out of his wagon, shouting, “Aren’t you a Christian, David? Can you tell me about it?”

David - a digger driver and landscape gardener - led Steve to a commitment to Christ in a matter of moments and suggested Steve follow up by joining the BLOKES WhatsApp group & visiting a local meeting in S17. The BLOKES meeting now has 64 men who regularly interact, with many saying “yes”

to Jesus for the first time. Revival, is this what it looks like?

One of the organisers of BLOKES - Matthew Gavins - said; “We’ve been seeing men from all walks of life, but especially somewhat overlooked tradesmen, open and accepting of Jesus, and saying ‘yes’ on an almost weekly basis. The group talks to these men on their wavelength, in a way they can grasp in gritty and real terms all can understand, in a neutral location with lots of tea and pizza too! We often

Uplifting day for women in Sheffield

In an uplifting display of unity, women from across the region congregated for a conference at the Rock Christian Centre. Centered around empowerment, faith, and discussing issues like domestic violence, the event was a unique place

for women across the city to connect.

With Josephine Kobusingye and the RCC Worship Team guiding the attendees, the conference featured insightful talks, interactive workshops, and stalls offering resources and services from the Matlock

use short Bible Project videos with incredible results.”

This novel group is discipling men at all stages of faith, or seeking faith, and getting to men who’ve never been reached by a traditional church. Their favourite question? “Heaven – yes, no or maybe? Can I show you “the Way”?”

Please pray for the group, and contact them if you’d like to visit or set up your own local “BLOKES” group where you live. Find out more at www.

BLOKES.church

Christian Bookshop, Sheffield Afro-Caribbean Mental Health Association, Jericho Road Project, and more. A true celebration of unity, strength, and faith, the day served as a beacon of hope in tackling serious issues and fostering mutual support.

Joy and Fun as churches work together in S17

story-reading, picnics and plenty of inflatables for the whole community to enjoy

Gospel in a spirit of unity and collaboration.

As we go to print, churches and Christians from across S17 are getting ready for the Joy Fun Day on Saturday 24 June. It’s advertised as ‘a free gift from Christians and churches to our community in S17’. There will be a public

This is a huge undertaking, where over six local churches from different traditions and denominations are coming together to serve and bless their community. Representatives from each church have been meeting to pray together for over a year now, and recently made a public commitment to work together in sharing the

Scan the QR code below to read an update about the Fun Day on the Arise Stories blog.

If you would like to see something similar happen in your area contact ben@ togetherforsheffield.co.uk

It was only an umbrella...

interesting. After dropping my lad off at his classroom, I braved the elements again and set off on my short walk home. As I was walking across the yard, I saw one of the school mums pushing her toddler in a pram getting absolutely soaked. Today unlike most days, I'd come prepared and brought two umbrellas. So, I offered her my spare one, she refused at first but as I insisted, she gratefully accepted the reprieve from the rain.

Chris Jeavons - a church leader in Hackenthorpeshared this story at Sheffield Leaders in Prayer in June:

"School runs can be fun at the best of times but when it's chucking it down with rain, it makes it all the more

The next day her partner came up to me and said, 'Thank you for lending my Mrs your brolly' and tried to give it back. I said, 'Don't worry about it: you keep it.' The conversation continued... 'You go to that church don't you?'.

'Yes, I do', I said. 'Can I come one day?', he asked. 'Yes for sure, you are always welcome, it would be great to see ya', I replied, and told him the times of our Sunday morning service.

I didn't really expect him to show up, but sure enough a couple of weeks later he turned up on his own. He had been to church as a child, but his partner had never been to a church. She wasn't keen on the idea of church but started to attend our toddler group, then eventually our monthly Messy Church, now they have both done Alpha and have decided to follow Jesus and are now part of our church family... all because I gave someone my umbrella. (If only it was always that easy)....

Friendship Festival for families from Hong Kong

Kong people migrated to the UK. The Friendship Festival is all about building friendship: for the newcomers to spend a day having fun and joy together, meeting friends, and building their social network.

siu mai, fish balls, polo bun, egg tart and milk tea.

Sheffield Chinese Christian Church partnered with UKHK to organise the Sheffield Friendship Festival on 17 Jun 2023.

Connie Tsang tells us, "In the past 2-3 years, there was an increased number of Hong

"The event turned out to be a huge success: over 450 people participated. We planned lots of activities for children, such as origami, drawing workshops, Chinese checkers and Chinese chess playing groups, face painting, bouncy castle, and carnival booth games. We also offered traditional Hong Kong snacks which many will be missing from home such as

"We were also pleased to have different organisations and service providers participating in the event, such as the NHS, South Yorkshire Police Force, and Council Employment services.

"We hope that through all this we can help to make the new Hong Kongers feel welcomed and to connect them with community and services. This event was a great outreach opportunity: we opened the doors to believers and non-believers. It was a great channel for them to learn more about our church."

Lives transformed by Alpha collaboration in Shiregreen

Charlotte Codina tells us, "In January this year we began an Alpha course in Shiregreen Sheffield, pulling together a crowd of guests, supported by teams from two churches.

"Pastor Isaac and the International Church and Worship Centre (ICWC) kindly hosted a group of us from St Thomas Philadelphia at the former Bellhouse Working Man's Club and provided some wonderful team. Our missional community in Shiregreen, and friends from Network Church Sheffield, Philadelphia provided more wonderful team. It was blessed, collaborative and cohesive time for our churches, serving together in what was so clearly a time of God moving and drawing people to himself.

"As we know, Alpha takes

time and energy and I wondered if I would had enough of it! God blessed us and we found more energy and grace as Alpha continued. Since we finished I have found myself missing the warmth and Kingdom spirit I felt in those weeks!

"Our Alpha guests came mostly from personal invitations - from those on team, friends, family, food bank users, those who we might have met locally and guests brought more guests with them - there were 30 of us the first night and we quickly had to form another group. A hot meal together on cold nights was definitely a winner!

"We gradually added more "extras" as the weeks went on - live worship, the holy spirit evening and some prayer ministry team. It was

Healing for Jonathan Haigh

so wonderful to watch as the room went from a group of people looking a little lost on the first week, to people more confident, knowing God loves them, most of them singing and praying to God by the end.

"More than one person told me they'd thought about suicide prior to coming on Alpha but now feel they have hope! My heart is so thankful for all God has done for us and I'm already hearing asks of when we might run another one! Running Alpha is most certainly a team effort and the prayer and intercession running alongside us were invaluable. I'm deeply thankful for everyone who helped both there and behind the scenes. It's a beautiful thing to receive and share in God's saving grace at work!"

Those of you who know Rev Jonathan Haigh, who has been ministering in Sheffield for well over a decade will know that he always wears two hearing aids… until now.

During the recent Gather Summit in Sheffield - which Jonathan hosted at Victoria Hall - Jonathan was offered prayer for his ears. He’s experienced terrible tinnitus for over a decade. After the prayer for healing he said, “I felt completely different, the buzzing in my head has stopped and the next day I woke up without buzzing in my ears for the first time I can remember. I kept trying to see how low I could put the volume on the telly!”

Jonathan also said “ I felt so spiritually refreshed after

receiving the prayer, and I thank God for his marvellous love and blessing.” It’s now been over two weeks since Jonathan received prayer and he hasn’t worn his hearing aids since!

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." ~ 3 John 1:2

The Reverend Jonathan Haigh is a minister at Victoria Hall Methodist Church in Sheffield city centre, and Greenhill Methodist Church.

Gym members booking in for prayer sessions

God can achieve”

In our previous issue, we introduced you to the Station Gym in Manor, a more deprived area of our city.

The gym has now been open for about six months, and is a hub of community, connection, and spiritual exploration. With the staff team solidly in place and membership goals exceeded, a sense of welcome envelops the place, an outcome fervently prayed for. Tom Lee from City Church - one of the owners of the Gymsaid, “It's a gym for everyone, regardless of background or aspirations - something only

Andy and Wendy Lawley, who stumbled across the gym during an Arise prayer walk, run an Alpha course there. Also, the gym serves as a venue for Ask sessions: an opportunity for individuals to explore their questions about God, and prayer meetings, both bookable through the gym's app for all members. These sessions are proving fruitful. Members are not only attending but actively requesting prayer. One such tale is of a member's son, whose transformative dream of repentance led him to faith. This unexpected journey left his father perplexed, prompting him to seek answers at an Ask and Pray session, where he found made a commitment to follow Jesus within minutes. The story didn't end there. The Alpha course is growing and includes those curious and a few exploring their

way back to faith and some seeking a relationship with Jesus for the first time. Among them was the partner of the man who found faith through the Ask and Pray session, another person on a journey towards Jesus.

Messages of encouragement and prayers from social media users, aware of the gym's Christian ethos, provide added uplift. Intriguing stories of meditations hijacked by visions of Jesus keep emerging from ordinary Gym go-ers, showcasing God's irresistible Grace.

Through all the highs and lows, the exhilaration and the stresses, Phil and Tom, the custodians of the gym, remain firm in their belief: God is the ultimate boss of this gym. Join us in praying for their continued guidance, rejuvenation, and blessings as they cultivate a haven of hope in Manor.

More and more local believers connect through Arise

Believers who connected after being seated together at the Arise:March Launch event have been meeting up to pray together regularly ever since.

Arisers from a variety of S6 churches set up a WhatsApp prayer group, organised a group prayer-walk, and met up in peoples' houses to pray together throughout Arise:March, encouraging each other with stories of connections made and prayer needs discovered.

Another table at the Arise:March Launch connected believers from S12, who are also beginning

to meet together in the Hackenthorpe area.

In addition to the wellestablished S17 group - a meet-up has started in S7, which sees more believers attending every meeting.

If you would like to connect with one of these groups, or if you would like support to start a group in your local area, get in touch with Arise: hello@arisesheffield.org

ARISE AND SHINE

Spoken word from the Arise:March Launch Evening

God Himself trod upon the dust of this earth, With each step he inaugurated, nay birthed, A movement which is the traverse The surface of this globe, to undo the curse that puts all in a hearse, with a message of wholeness, healing and hope.

How beautiful are the feet - his feetWhich bring good news, Gods love brought to the dirt of the reviled, maligned and cast aside,

'Arise and Shine for your light has come,'

He calls to those who need sin undone.

Those beautiful feet of God and man

Jesus

Walked through death

Where our feet no more tread, and on third

Arose like a light in the dawn.

He called His friends and made their feet beautiful too, Sent-feet, beautiful-feet, That carry the Good news upon every street in every nation,

News, good news, of a King who is worthy of all our adoration.

To us here in Sheffield today, The call is the same, To arise and Shine and be on our way.

To step up, to step out and on These feet that tell the story of our everyday.

Feet that wander, feet that stroll Feet that walk from work to home all the time bearing witness to the one who walked first.

How beautiful are those feet

That carry the good news News that says, He is holy, To Him be the glory.

To Him who walked these streets before us and who says, oh come, Come and tread ashes into beauty. Come and claim the land I have bought for you

Let me gather you Sheffield

Land that I birthed

You can come just as you are I came for you as I am

City of Sanctuary, city of Steel

Formed by a furnace, by a turning wheel

You work and you yearn

You forge and you grow

We hear the call

Come and sow, come and reap: take one step at a time and speak

My name.

Now.

May we walk and find walls are crumbling

Homes are opening

Hearts are stirring

Minds are searching and souls are realising that He is the one who set eternity in our hearts.

He paved the path for us to tread So, arise.

Arise

You who are weary, lost or broken

You who are abandoned, displaced or alone

For You who are drained, a word has been spoken

Discover the hope that calls you home

Arise, you who have vision, hope and gladness,

You who can see the joy that's ahead

For in your contentment, you have glimpsed his vastness

Step out in the promises

He has said

Arise all you people, from all walks of life

Arise his bride, made one in Christ

Arise on these streets and recover this city

With the Word

He has spoken, let hearts be open:

'Arise and Shine for your light has come.'

Co-written by Jordan Betts and Rachel Longbottom.

Watch them perform it at the Arise:March Launch Evening on this Youtube clip (starting at 1.19.19): visit bit.ly/arise-spoken-word or scan the QR (left).

Empowering Christians to talk about their own story of faith with con dence

Equipping churches to think about how they connect with the communities around them

Helping dioceses train local leaders in evangelism and mission

churcharmy.org/resources

Praying for Sheffield

With the Arise:March Commissioning Prayer

by Rachel Hall

Rachel Hall has been the Together for Sheffield Prayer Ambassador for over three years. She encourages believers across the city to be connected in prayer. She has a passion for unity and the Church coming together to be a blessing for the city. In her spare time she enjoys the beaches of North Wales, and good coffee shops.

Father God,

You are the Father Almighty, who created the Heavens and the Earth.

You are the Father of Love, who first loved us and showed this love through Your son Jesus.

Help us to cover our city with your love.

Jesus, You brought new life by dying and overcoming death.

By your wounds we are healed.

Help us to discover more of you as we discover the needs of others.

Holy Spirit,

We welcome you and work with you.

Guide and guard our steps as we walk.

Help Sheffield Recover the truth of who Jesus Christ is.

We reflect upon the commissioning prayer spoken by spiritual leaders in our city at the launch this year.

May these words ring in our ears, calling us to press on as we journey together as believers in Sheffield. Championing us to continue to cover our city in prayer, to discover the needs of our city and to be sharing the good news of Jesus throughout the year. In particular, I love the line that says help Sheffield recover the truth of who Jesus is! Amen!

The verse, ‘Arise shine for your light has come’ urges us to pursue Jesus and follow Him for the sake of our city every day.

So let us continue to pray and live out this commissioning prayer this summer. And even though we are entering summer season let’s not take a vacation from Him! When we abide in Him we will bear much fruit!

Arise:Hallow

Save the dates

Arise: Hallow

Shining together in a dark season by wearing and sharing faith.

Arise: Advent

Sharing the greatest Gift with friends and neighbours

Arise: March

Covering Sheffield in prayer, discovering prayer needs and recovering the joy of Easter for our communities

Arise:Christmas

Wear Your Faith Fortnight

22 October - 5 November

Streets of Light

30 October - 5 November

The Big Advent Calendar Giveaway

15 November - 1 December

Candy Cane Sunday

Sunday 3 December

Arise:March Launch Evening

Saturday 24 February 2024

Prayer-Walking Sheffield

1 March - 31 March 2024

City Centre Good Friday Service

Friday 29 March 2024

Arise:March