Welcome Sunday 6 September 2015 Crossroads Mission Next week a team of 19 Bishops from across the north of England will spend four days in the Diocese of Sheffield in the Crossroads mission. The team of Bishops will be led by the Archbishop of York. Many of the Bishops are bringing small teams with them to help in the various events. Over 200 special events are taking place across the Diocese over the four days (not including all the Sunday services at which the Bishops will speaking and leading). More than 100 parishes are involved in some direct way with the mission. We are being held in prayer across the whole Diocese and across the world. The aim of the mission is to share the Christian faith with love and imagination in many different places. Jesus compared sharing the good news of God’s love with sowing seed. That’s exactly what we will be doing. Everyone across the Diocese is warmly invited to the Cathedral for the commissioning and launch service on Thursday 10 September at 13.30. Everyone is also welcome to the final event in Minster Square in Rotherham at 16.00 on Sunday 13 September. Please pray for these four days of mission, that God will bless this time in special ways. Bishop Peter and I will be out and about at various mission events during the four days. We look forward to seeing you. The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft The Bishop of Sheffield A prayer for the mission Loving God, This world you love stands at the crossroads. Help us help others to discover your Way to know your Truth and to share your Life in your dear Son, Jesus Christ. Inspire us by your Spirit to sow the good seed of the gospel throughout this Diocese with imagination and compassion, that many will come to know you and many will be strengthened in their faith, Through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Please remember in your prayers: Her Majesty the Queen as this week she becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history The Anglican Diocese of Sialkot (Pakistan) All refugees seeking to escape from areas of violence and conflict St James Church, Doncaster Crossroads: Northern Bishops’ Mission ____________________________________________________________________ In Residence from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 August is Canon Keith Farrow. The Cathedral clergy are always very happy to make arrangements for individual conversations with people, or to hear Confessions. Please ring the main Cathedral switchboard (0114 275 3434) or the Canon in Residence mobile (07534 653 333) and we will ensure that one of the clergy rings you back within 24 hours. The new term for Godly Play starts this Sunday 6 September. We will meet every Sunday until, & including, 18 October when we break for half term. We welcome all children aged 3-11 years for a story, wondering, art & craft, prayers & a simple feast of juice & biscuit. Please bring your children to the Hilton Room (which is through the café & white door beyond) during the first hymn & collect them during the Lord’s Prayer. There will be Sacred Play for children in year five and above, with more opportunity for in depth wondering & discussion, on Sundays 13 September, 11 and 18 October. Mothers' Union Branch Meeting, Monday 7 September, a visit to Bluebell Wood Hospice. Meet in the Cathedral car park at 09.45 for lifts to the Hospice. Unfortunately numbers are limited. There will be no Holy Communion service at 10.15, but there will be a celebration as usual in the Cathedral at 12.30. Crossroads: Northern Bishops’ Mission, 10 - 13 September. Timetable Thursday 10 September at 13.30: Commissioning Service at Sheffield Cathedral for Bishops and their Mission Teams. Friday 11 September at 13.30: Launch of OASIS (www.oasissheffield.org.uk) - a shoppers/business lunch at Victoria Hall Methodist Church. Saturday 12 September: Prayer Pilgrimage in the City Centre - starting at the Cross outside the Town Hall, including the Heritage Day at Sheffield Cathedral, a visit to the Moor Market, and the new 24/7 Prayer Room at St Phillip’s Church. Sunday 13 September: At the 10.30 Eucharist we will be welcoming Bishop Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport who will preside and preach. The mission will conclude at 16.00 with an open air event in Rotherham town centre. For more information please visit www.sheffield.anglican.org/crossroads-mission. A Special Date for your Diary. Saturday 12 September between 11.00 – 16.00 sees the return of our spectacular annual Heritage Open Day event, when the Cathedral will be welcoming thousands of visitors to our family-friendly day, celebrating the history and heritage of the city of Sheffield and its Cathedral. This year we will be celebrating ‘Sheffield Past and Present’ with Living History displays and re-enactments, Medieval and Tudor characters together with demonstrations of traditional skills, crafts and music which are still going strong today. From stone carving to a brass band, from sword dancing to falconry – and trips up the bell tower! – this is not to be missed! Friends of Sheffield Cathedral AGM. The Friends will be holding their 18th AGM in the Nave on Sunday 20 September 2015 at 17.15 after Choral Evensong at 16.00. Anyone interested is invited to attend though only members are eligible to vote. Application forms to join the Friends will be available at the meeting or can be downloaded from the Cathedral web site. New members are very welcome. Please send any queries to the Hon. Secretary via the Cathedral Office or by e-mail: [email protected] Lady Arbella Stuart – the Queen that Never Was, Friday 25 September at 19.15. Join us for an evening of history, drama and music at Sheffield Cathedral to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Lady Arbella Stuart, granddaughter of Bess of Hardwick, and regarded by some as the true heir to Queen Elizabeth I. The evening includes a talk by historian David Templeman on the Life of Lady Arbella Stuart, a dramatic interpretation of her life, featuring the characters of Lady Arbella, Bess of Hardwick and Mary, Queen of Scots, and live period music from the Doncaster Waites, all in the unique setting of the Cathedral Nave and the Shrewsbury Chapel. Sheffield Cathedral (then Sheffield Parish Church) would have been very familiar to Arbella Stuart, who visited regularly as a child and later as an adult. Her uncle, Gilbert (7th Earl of Shrewsbury) and her aunt, the Countess Mary, are buried in the Shrewsbury Chapel vault, as is Arbella's mother, Elizabeth, Countess of Lennox. Sheffield Cathedral, in partnership with Sheffield Manor Lodge, is proud to present this event to honour Arbella's memory on the date of the 400th anniversary of her death. Tickets £12/£10 concessions (60+) are available online rom www.sheffieldcathedral.org or in person from the cathedral shop. For further information phone 0114 275 3434 or pick up a flyer from the Welcome Desk. Sheffield Cathedral Seniors’ Action Team Afternoon Tea events, 14.00 in the Town Trust Room. The first event will be on Thursday 8 October with a talk by Canon Keith Farrow ‘Maundy Thursday: The Inside Story’. These events are relaxed, informative and fun, all seniors are very welcome to join us. For catering purposes please ensure you let us know you will be coming by contacting the Cathedral Office on 0114 275 3434 or send an email to [email protected]. London Concertante Concert ‘Vivaldi and Bach Violin Concertos by Candlelight’ on Friday 16 October at 19.30. To book your ticket please call 0333 666 3366 or visit www.concerts.ticketsource.co.uk Do you love singing? Would you like the chance to sing in the wonderful surroundings of Sheffield Cathedral? Well here’s your chance! In partnership with the Friends of Cathedral Music, we’re holding a special event on Saturday 17 October and inviting local singers to come and join us for a day of workshops and singing practise culminating in the unique opportunity to sing at Choral Evensong along with the choirs of Sheffield Cathedral and St John’s Ranmoor! During the day you’ll be working and rehearsing with BBC TV’s Simon Lole and the Cathedral’s own Director of Music Neil Taylor, so there’ll be plenty of chance to hone your singing skills and learn a little about what makes the tradition of English choral music so special. The day starts at 11.00 and finishes with the combined choirs singing Evensong together at 16.00, to which all your friends and family are warmly invited to see and hear you sing this ancient traditional service of worship in the glorious surroundings of Sheffield Cathedral, the oldest building in Sheffield still in daily use. No experience necessary, just an enjoyment of singing! The cost for the day is just £15 (£3 for students). For singers aged 16+. Make sure you book today as places are limited. Application forms are available from the Cathedral’s website (www.sheffieldcathedral.org/whats-on/2015/10/17/choral-singing-workshop-and- evensong/) or by calling the Cathedral Office on 0114 2753434. The closing date for participants is Saturday 12 September. The night of the Snow Dragon approaches… Billy has everything a young goat could need – and more besides. On New Year’s Eve, Billy’s parents tell him about the legendary Snow Dragon, who will bring him even more goodies during the night. But when Billy bumps into some wolves in the woods, New Year’s Day seems a long way off.