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Resources Centre

Last Updated on Monday, 14 February 2011 11:56

Development Day 2010 - Resources on the road with Kathryn Bliss and Liz Fell.

Resources Centre

Church House
95-99 Effingham Street
Rotherham
S65 1BL
Tel 01709 309105
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The Diocesan Resources Centre is a lending library and is available to be used free of charge to everybody living within the Diocese of Sheffield.

We have over 1800 members and over 11500 items available to be borrowed.

There are quite a variety of items available to be borrowed which include: Books, CDs, DVDs, Puppets, Videos, Cassette tapes, Equipment, Parachutes, Godly Play boxes, Posters, Icons, Garden Games, Slides and Display materials.

Our aim is to provide a ‘full package’. So for example if your aim is to create a special service from scratch we can provide a talk/sermon, hymn books/CDs, drama scripts, prayer books, visual aids eg puppets, balloons, posters and display materials.

If you are organizing a church fete we can provide: garden games, gazebos, display boards, badge makers, playchutes and microphones with amplification etc

If you are trying to raise money for your church or organization we have a PC available in the Resources Centre which can be used to access the Directory of Social Change Trustfunding Website. This must be booked in advance.

Why not have a trip to the Resources Centre with your Mothers’ Union Group, Sunday School or Youth leaders? We will provide drinks and hope to make your visit enjoyable. Maybe you would like to combine the visit with a business meeting? Why not book the Boardroom or a smaller room for your School Inset Training Day or church meeting and have a brief look round the Centre.

The Resources Centre is always updating its stock so do check each month to see our new purchases

Latest additions:

The Centre is not always staffed to it is always advisable to ring first.

Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 9.30 – 16.30

If our opening hours are incompatible with your working schedule we are willing to make arrangements to enable you to borrow or return books.

Liz and I very much look forward to meeting you

Mrs Kathryn Bliss
Resources Centre Administrator

RESOURCES POLICY

The Centre's Purpose:

To offer support to parishes and schools in the diocese, by making available materials for evangelism, for
worship and for the training and formation of Christians of all ages.

The Centre's Aims:

To maintain a varied collection of books, videos, CDs, DVDs audio tapes, slides, posters, equipment and similar resources, both for reference and for borrowing.
To provide information about current events in the diocese.
To provide facilities, expertise and advice, and materials for individuals and groups.
To make itself and its services more widely known.

SERVICES

The Book Collection

There are three collections of books; one for children (approx 0-11); one for teenagers (approx 12-16); and one for adults (17+). Books are arranged in order of subject, according to the Dewey Decimal classification system used in most public libraries. There is also a small collection of books for reference only; these all have large notices and red labels on their spines to indicate that they aren't to be removed from the Centre. Some reference-only books (including spare copies of especially popular titles) are kept on the main shelves.

Journals, Magazines and Reports

Various periodicals cover theology, children youth and adult education, church administration, evangelism, worship, retreats and current issues. We also keep copies of all General Synod papers; these will be held for a minimum of a year.

Video and Audio Tapes, CD's, DVD’s, Slides, Filmstrips, Posters, Icons etc

Videos and DVD’s are at present arranged alphabetically by title in three sections: children, teenagers and adults. A feedback sheet is provided for comments on videos, all borrowers of videos are asked to complete one (per video) to provide information for other users. There are several collections of slides film-strips, posters and icons which can be viewed on request.

Godly Play Boxes, Fresh Expressions/ Spirituality Resources, Artefacts etc

We have a large selection of Godly Play boxes available to be borrowed. In the Centre as well as posters, CDs and DVD’s of ‘background’ music we have boxes full of materials, feathers, pebbles, shells etc etc and books with ideas for alternative forms of worship. We also have lots of books and artefacts for Christianity and other world faiths.

'Hardware'

The 'hardware' stock includes such items as slide, video and overhead projectors, an audio cassette and voice amplifier, CD player, flipcharts, display boards and badge makers. A full list is available.
Visitors may also use the photocopier for a small charge to cover materials used. Users of the photocopier are asked to be careful to note the restrictions imposed by the law of copyright.

PROCEDURES

Opening Times

We are open Mondays to Fridays, 9.30am to 4.30pm and occasionally at other times e.g. Open Days and Workshops. A member of staff is usually available to deal with enquiries and requests; if not, help can sometimes be obtained from staff members in the Training Department. During Christmas, Easter and summer holidays the Centre may occasionally be closed to visitors – we apologise for any inconvenience caused. It is always advisable to ring first, especially if it is your first visit to the Centre.

Booking in

In order to keep a record of the Centre's use, visitors are asked to sign in at the desk on the left inside the entrance door. This is for all visitors (including Church House Staff) and for all forms of use including 'just looking'. The Centre's resources can be used by all parishes and schools within the Diocese of Sheffield. New users are asked to make themselves known to a member of staff who will explain the necessary procedures, and to complete a registration card.

Borrowing

All resources borrowed MUST BE SIGNED FOR, in the loans register, AND RETURNED WITHIN FOUR WEEKS (TWO WEEKS FOR PACKS AND VIDEOS). If unforeseen circumstances make this impossible, users should telephone to find out whether the loan could be extended; normally it will be, unless someone else needs the resource in question. If items are returned outside opening times, they should be left in the box under the pigeon holes in the front office, or in the red plastic box near the loans register in the Centre, and a form attached to indicate who has returned the item and when.

A TOTAL OF 5 ITEMS ONLY MAY BE BORROWED BY MEMBERS. If this causes a problem please have a word with a member of staff.

Loss or Damage

Users are expected to pay for or replace any items lost or damaged whilst in their care.

We hope you enjoy your visit and find the Centre helpful please do ask if you require any assistance

Suggestions and Comments

These would be welcomed, in respect of any aspect of the Resources Centre's policy, services and/or procedures. Funding is limited, but we are keen to use the available funds on materials that the Centre's users want and need.

Kathryn Bliss (Resources Centre Administrator)
Resources Centre
Sheffield Diocesan Church House
95-99 Effingham Street
Rotherham S65 1BL
Tel: (01709) 309105

February 2012 Resource Review by Revd Canon John Thomson, Director of Ministry

James Lawrence, Mentoring Matters: Identify, Equip and Resource Mentors (Warwick: CPAS, 2011)

There’s been lots of work done on leadership development for churches and CPAS with their Growing Leaders Course has been part of this. They now add this excellent user friendly resource on mentoring to further enrich Christian discipleship and ministry at ground level. Mentoring involves helping a less experienced disciple or leader grow through their relationship with a more mature practitioner. The resource pack enables a parish or a deanery to set up a training course to equip mentors to exercise their role reflectively and fruitfully. The pack is divided into three sections. Part one, Getting Started, shows how to establish a church-based mentoring network. Part Two is an 8 session training process for mentors covering a wide range of material using biblical and contemporary insights. Part Three is a resource guide. There is a CD-ROM included. What I liked about the pack was its easy layout, its clear approach and the sense that it could work in any parish or deanery. It also fits within our diocesan vision and strategy since it is all about building up sustainable Christian communities, deepening discipleship and expanding ministry. We have a copy of the course in the Resources Centre so if the upfront cost is too high, why not borrow it from there.

January Book Reviews 2012

January 2012 Book Reviews by:

Revd Canon Mark Wigglesworth, Director of Mission and Pioneer Ministry and

Revd Canon Dr John Thomson, Director of Ministry

Jim Currin, Sharing Faith the Jesus Way

(Abingdon: The Bible Reading Fellowship)

ISBN 9 7781841 018621 £7.99 pp. 172.

Jim Currin has been a Church Army Evangelist since 1979 and is currently Secretary for Evangelisation at Churches Together in England. He has vast experience of leading missions as well as training people in evangelism. He has written articles, a number of Grove booklets including “The 360 Gospel of Jesus”, which introduces some of these ideas and the website www.jesus360.org.uk which provides support material for the book.

The book is written for those who have struggled to know how to share their faith. It is presented in a very practical and down to earth way with good real life examples and each chapter includes practical exercises to explore with a friend or wider group.

Jim’s basic premise is that by looking at Jesus’ encounter with people in the gospels we can develop a model for our own encounters with people. Jim suggests that Jesus responded to the whole person and his response could not be predicted.

Jim develops a model of encounter which seeks to bring our story, God’s story and the story of the person together so they speak to each other. The three being connected in a triangular relationship. Our encounters with people involve listening to their story and bringing our story and God’s story to bear on it.

His chapter titles give a good indication of his approach.

• Jesus accepts you as you are.

• Jesus respects the other person and sees their need.

• God’s love is the key to the gospel.

• Prayer, care and share good news.

• Accompany those who follow Jesus

• Your journey, going on with God.

At the end of the book Jim collects 50 things that Jesus said to different people at different times in the 4 Gospels, these are all things that could have been an answer to the question “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”. One observation he makes that is a challenge to some evangelists, and a liberation for many, is that the word ‘repent’ appears in only one of them!

I highly commend this book to anyone who is wanting to think more about sharing their faith with others. It could be used by bible study / fellowship / cell groups or for a sermon series. Jim provides notes for a 6 week sermon series on his website.

Mark Wigglesworth,
Director of Mission and Pioneer Ministry

Claire Pedrick and Su Blanch,

How to Make Great Appointments in the Church:

Calling, Competence and Chemistry (London: SPCK, 2011)

This book is for all involved in appointing a new vicar or member of staff. It deals with section 12 meetings, the roles of patrons, archdeacons and dioceses, auditing your parish and examples of interviewing. For those praying about a new role, It’s worth reading to help you prepare for the new world of interviews and presentations.

Two things are happening at the same time. On the one hand the number of available stipendiary clergy is set to fall over the short term as retirements outpace ordinations. Yet on the other hand, the rigour expected of the appointments process has risen. Candidates and those making appointments have a much more demanding process to engage with. Perhaps, though, this is a good thing, since if there are less people available for posts, then it is even more important that the match between person and role is right. Of course no system is watertight and it remains a discernment process to be infused with prayer and careful judgement. At its best this means that those appointed have the confidence of their receiving community and have themselves prayed themselves more fully into their new vocation.

So how can those making appointments and candidates best prepare themselves? Well this is where Claire Pedrick and Su Blanch provide us with an easy to read, clear and wise pathway. Their company, 3D Coaching, has road tested this material with dioceses, candidates and other organizations. They focus good practice but emphasise that this is not just about process but also about listening to God. The title holds the clue. To make a great appointment attention should focus on the themes of calling, competence and character. Without these the outcome will disappoint everyone if an appointment is made. They trace how those involved can get ready, what the discernment process involves, the way selection takes place and how to manage transition.

And lastly a plug: We’ve invited Claire to lead a session called Moving On on 1st May. If you are a curate or someone considering a new role, book that date and come along. Flyers will be out in March.

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Resources Centre