Plexus SCL Magazine

PLEXUS s a tool to help God’s people in Sheffield know what is going on in the city. We cover news items, current affairs, discussion points and comments from across the area.

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Articles

 Get a flavour of the magazine from the  articles below:

April 2010

 

Children – It’s a Messy Business!

What a fantastic Job! I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but to be paid to study the bible and teach it to young people, who you also get to “play out” with, is something I look forward to every day as I walk up the hill to Christ Church Fulwood. I’ve been in my Job now for almost 20 years (I’m now on my third vicar), something I consider a great privilege. There is nothing better than to see young people grow to understand the gospel, accept Christ as their Lord and saviour and go on to love and serve him for the rest of their lives. Most of the young people at Christ Church move away to university, which is sad in one way, but I’m often encouraged to here of work and ministries they are leading or have become involved in elsewhere.

What have I learnt over the years, and from the experience of living alongside so many children and teenagers? I guess it’s to stick to the basics. Bible study, Prayer and Church….Gareth Wroe. Fulwood. Sheffield.

[to read the full version, contact us for your copy of Plexus]…

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An interview with the new Bishop of Sheffield

Steven Croft began his ministry as Bishop of Sheffield on 12^th May.  At the end his first six weeks in post, Plexus asked the new bishop some searching questions as he begins to get to know his new diocese. 

Tell us about your spiritual journey to date

I was born and brought up in Halifax and part of the generation sent to Sunday School as a boy.  I came to a living faith as a teenager as part of a church youth group.  I first became aware of a call to ordained ministry when I was 17 but had to grow into that call and was ordained in 1983.  Since then I have served 13 years in parish ministry in Enfield and Halifax and 13 years training and enabling others in ministry in Durham and then with Fresh Expressions.  I’m still learning and growing not least through coming into this new role. 

What’s your assessment of the Church in the UK at the moment

I think we’re navigating through a time of immense change in our culture.  We need to be full of hope and learn to centre our lives again on being more like Jesus. 

What’s your experience so far of the church in Sheffield and South Yorkshire?

I’m aiming to visit every deanery by the end of November and every clergy person by Easter next year.  So far I am finding lots of really good things – but there are no shortages of challenges as times change around us. 

Tell us a bit about your work with Fresh Expressions

The Fresh Expressions team work across every diocese in the Church of England and across the whole of the Methodist Church and, from May this year, across the URC.  The teams aim is to encourage new forms of church for our changing culture as a normal part of church life everywhere in the country. 

The work involved visiting lots of different projects, listening, asking questions, telling the stories back to the church and passing on the lessons learned.  We were also involved in developing training across the country (more at www.freshexpressions.org.uk)

 And finally what are some of your hopes in this new role?

I hope that the Diocese of Sheffield will continue in its journey to grow more like Christ and will bear fruit in terms of a growing number of Christians in South Yorkshire and the transformation of our society.  

Steven Croft’s new book, ‘Jesus People:  what next for the church?’ was published by Church House Publishing in May.  You can follow Bishop Steven’s journey round the diocese on Twitter or at www.sheffield.anglican.org

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December 09

‘God’s Gift – Our Present’

In the centre of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, set in brass, an inscription states “The Past is our Present to your Future.”

Whatever our past is, it will dictate much of how we live in the present and how we deal with our future. We all want to make our days significant, living out our present to make a good future. This is the only time we have.

Carl Barth, theologian and lover of Jesus wrote about Jesus being Lord of time. * He explains that as we look at Jesus; past, present and future, and ‘from the standpoint of the three dimensions of every concept of time, his time is not only the time of man, but the time of God, eternal time… he not only is in time and has time like other men, but he is also Lord of time.’

If you, like most of us, struggle with the whole concept of ‘time’, then let us settle on this thought: ‘This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.’ [1 John 4 v9]

Starting at Christmas, we look back to the moment when the Christ-man came to earth, a gift wrapped in swaddling clothes and in a manger. His life, worked out over 33 years – was God’s gift to us – his present – and wrapped up in his death, we find our future. It’s the whole package – You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died …. [Romans 5 V6]

So this Christmas, let us thank God for the truly wonderful gift of Jesus. Let us put this ‘present’ from God in the centre of our time; our ‘here and now’ and know that our future is all wrapped up in Him too

Happy Christmas and a Blessed New year from the team at Sheffield Cross Links

*Carl Barth. Church Dogmatics 111.2  p464/i.2.3.the Doctrine of Creation

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September 09

THE SPIRIT LEVEL

A musician once posed the question, “Which is better, to play the right note at the wrong time or the wrong note but with the correct timing?” It doesn’t seem like either would be pleasant to hear, but as the musician explained, a note – any note – at the wrong time is a much more obvious error in an orchestra than a wrong note played within the perfect rhythm of the song.

Keeping in step with the Spirit is like that. It is to hear and agree with God’s timing, to walk in sync with God’s will.

It requires, admitting that we don’t have or understand, perfect timing. We must therefore, be constantly referring to the one in charge, adjusting our speed to the tempo God has set. This is further exemplified by God’s use of a “plumb line,” to determine how upright His people truly are in His sight. “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people.” Amos 7:8 (NIV) and some of the articles in the magazine this time, talk about the issue of balance and alignment, of walking the straight line of the Spirit. Christian maturity depends on this.

There are many messages coming from society and it’s so easy to be influenced by our culture and community. We may think, “Oh this must be level, this must be plumb”. But a mature faith is able to distinguish between what pleases God and what doesn’t, giving indication of the level of the Spirit at work in our lives.

Ephesians 4:13& 14 gives the plumb line of God’s plan – ¹² to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

In these challenging days, there is a desperate need for Godly maturity, for the people of God to ‘grow up’ into the fullness of Christ. It is essential to get our life’s priorities aligned with the priorities of Jesus. It is only by reference to Him that we can see when we are truly aligned with Him.

Romans 8:29 says that God’s primary purpose for our existence is that we may be conformed (in line) with the image of His Son. What a project for God! What a goal for us!

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2008

In The Summer Edition of Plexus

Hope Teams at Gleadless Valley

On April 5th over 140 people braved the weather and gathered at Holy Cross Methodist Church in Gleadless Valley. It was a big encouragement to the churches there to see so many people and to worship together.

To read the full article, please contact us to subscribe to the magazine

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Community Bible Study Answers Questions

Do you ever ask yourself the question “How does the Old Testament and the New Testament fit together?” or “How relevant is it for a believer to study both the Old Testament and New Testament?” Do you tent to read mainly the Gospels and the Epistles? This was my experience before joining Community Bible Study [CBS].

To read the full article, please contact us to subscribe to the magazine

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In The Spring Edition of Plexus

From London to Sheffield

In August 2006, whilst at the Mission to London conference, I was standing among some of the greatest speakers in the world such as Benny Hinn, Maurice Cerullo and Miles Monroe. It was there that the Lord spoke to me “to get out of the shadow of great leaders and start to lead!”

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Celebrating Diversity

Highfield Trinity Church, London Road is in the inner city district of Sharrow. We have just embarked upon a major refurbishment programme which begins with repairs to the roof and spire and concludes with improvements to our meeting rooms to provide office space for community groups and a venue for local organisations, many of whom already meet here.

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