From the Children’s Minister

I am writing this three days into Holiday Club week and am feeling blessed and full of thanksgiving. God has so faithfully answered our prayers, even the weather has been perfect for us! Seeing the way all the volunteers are serving and the joy and excitement in the children is a wonder. The atmosphere has been wonderful and we’ve had some incredible conversations with some of the children. Monsters Stink was chosen as a theme because when I was praying about what to do this year, I felt a real burden to help equip the children for when they have to face some of the “monsters” of life. With 1:6 children experiencing mental health difficulties, with anxiety being the most common, I wanted to help share the difference knowing Jesus can make but also some of the ways we can look after ourselves and others when we or they are struggling.

Today, we thought about Elijah and how God provided him with water, bread and rest and then gave him a long walk in the outdoors when Elijah wanted to give up. We looked at how God spoke gently to Elijah and reminded him that he was not alone and we talked about the importance of looking for help when we feel low, asking others to pray for us and watching out for others who might be struggling.

Although quite tired, I am excited for what the last couple of days will bring and how God is going to be at work in these precious children. I thank God for each of them and for all the amazing volunteers who have made this week happen.

Rosie Blackett
Children’s Minister

From the Associate Vicar

The beginning of holiday club is only moments away so I encourage us all in the church to be praying. Here are just a few things that you can be praying for:

1. Give thanks for all the preparations that Rosie and her team have been doing over many months to get us to this point.

2. Pray for all the children coming and their families that they would encounter the love of Jesus and have loads of fun as well.

3. Pray for Gods spirit to rest on all the volunteers helping at the holiday club that they would reflect the love of God to everyone that they meet over the coming week.

We look forward to telling you how God has been at work at the Sunday services in a weeks’ time! You can also keep track of how Holiday Club is going by visiting Holiday Club 2023.

Revd Roland Slade

From the Wardens

Summer is here – yes I know the weather hasn’t quite taken this on board. But for many in the church family it brings breaks from school, children home from university, trips to and visits from family. It brings some extra “busyness” and also a break from our usual routine. But God stays constant in all that is happening. Can we use this time to change our prayer pattern, spending more time with God.

Can we pause and take stock? We pray for the upcoming holiday club, for the children attending, their families, for Rosie, Simon and all the helpers. We hope it will be a blessing to everyone connected with it.

Can we pray that God will bless summer for each of us, reminding us of His blessings and His goodness. We have so much to thank Him for.

Richard, Sue, Rob and Lynne

From the Vicar

Dear Friends,

Summer invitations and encouragements
Thank you for your wholehearted support at our annual meeting. Here is a brief update which I trust you will find encouraging and some pointers for the next term, so that some modest changes don’t catch you by surprise or that you don’t miss out on some of our enhanced programmes that others are enjoying (but you might miss if you don’t fix the dates now!).

Prayer Triplets – it is so encouraging to know that we have a hundred or so signed up. We will endeavour to give some feedback during the autumn term if there are specific answers to prayer and, of course, why not all make a booking to come to the September church prayer meeting on Thursday 14th September at 7:30pm.

Church Away at Home: An Open Door for Everyone, Saturday 9th September a date I trust is firmly in your diary. I am grateful to the small team organising this time which is open to all. Making connections with other members of the church family in a relaxed way is good for our life together and an unforced and attractive signpost to visitors and the wider community. Please make an effort to be part of this as fully as you are able.

Bible study with Godfrey 'Going deeper...with Christ' is the exciting title of our now developing day time ministry on Wednesday mornings from 11:15am- thanks to Godfrey and his team. There will be studies in the book of Philippians throughout the Autumn term, to enable us to "Turn up the gospel soundtrack" in our lives. Please see the separate flyer for full details and join an already vibrant congregation of eager Bible students. I am pleased this has started so well and I am encouraging further developments with occasional gatherings in the afternoon – watch this space thanks to efforts from Ruth Totterdell and Lesley Blyth.

From early September we will formally be giving thanks for our financial gifts at each service and signposting opportunities to give – this modest change to the structure at each service is in line with what most other churches would do regularly and has the support of the finance team and PCC. Please give any feedback directly to me please during this trial period of 6 weeks. Thank you for your ongoing financial support of the work of All Saints Church. There are many ways to make contributions now; it is important that these are fully known and explained and held in a context of thanksgiving and worship.

Evangelism through the Local Church. On Monday 9th October at 7:30pm. I am putting on this evening for the encouragement of the wider church -if you are interested in hearing my thoughts (it will directly influence the direction of travel for All Saints - well that is my hope!) then please come along. There will be visitors from the diocese and deanery churches are encouraged to attend. Whilst summer is a moveable feast (I personally hope weather wise it holds off from getting cooler for some time)

I do hope your summer month of August is enjoyable and restful except of course during Holiday club week where hopefully all hands will be on deck or in prayer to support Simon, Rosie and their team leading this week for children and young families.

There are plenty of suggestions for reading that have been offered to you.

Yours in Christ’s service

The Revd Canon Mark Brown

From the Wholeness Team

The Wholeness Team offers ministry at the 9:15am, 11:00am and 6:00pm services each week.  We pray with people seeking healing and wholeness in any matter concerning the body, mind or spirit, as well as those wanting to give thanks to God.  It can be challenging to come out for prayer, but we will try to put you at your ease, listen well, and pray simply, with you or for you.  Anything you tell us remains confidential unless you give us permission to share your concerns with the wider team.  As a team, we can also offer long term prayer support by adding you to a confidential prayer list. 

If you think you or somebody you know would benefit from this, please talk to a member of the team or email   If the prayer request is for somebody else, getting their permission is always a good idea.

If you are reading this and thinking “I would love to be part of this ministry”, it would be great to hear from you.  We are looking to expand the team and would love to see a broader age range and more men involved, across the congregations.  A larger team would mean we could consider how we reach out to the local community with the love of God. 

We would also love to hear from you if you have a testimony of answered prayer which you would be prepared to share at a service.  It is good to share what God is doing and to encourage each other in this way.

Lotta Jackson and the Wholeness Team

From the Vicar

One of the great things about being part of a large and active church family is the benefit of other people’s gifts and talents. It is not just that a problem shared is a problem halved, but that when things are shared in the cause of the Kingdom, the benefits can be exponential! Or, as Ephesians says “more than we can ask, think of or imagine”. If that is the plus side there is also something to be mindful of, namely that we can be complacent or only benefit or share with a few of those within our network or conscious orbit. Here friends, is one, and it is only one, part of the answer; our church away day, at home on Saturday 9th September.

Launched at our annual meeting, the aspiration and prayer is that we can enjoy being together and model something of what a church family can be for each other. We are aiming that those who have joined us in recent months will feel a greater introduction and those who have been part of All Saints for many years will feel freshened and re engaged for the church of today and what it can be for the future.

There is a small planning team preparing various activities and a range of venues and styles of engagement for us all. No surprises that the main event in the early evening is over food and our evening promises to be entertaining and musical with a positive message of welcome and hope, based on Christ’s living word courtesy of yours truly. Please book the date, offer to help, or ask away if you have a question that needs answering to enlist your presence! We really would love to see you there.

If you are able to offer any help or would like to be part of an activity please contact Steph Osman

Yours in His service
Mark Brown

From the Curate

Thank you very much to all those who have prayed for my ordination, for all who are coming to my service tomorrow, and for all who have expressed their support in different ways. It has been an honour to serve as Curate at All Saints so far and I look forward to this next stage of service here as an ordained priest.

Part of the ordination liturgy states that “you cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and power of God. Pray therefore that your heart may daily be enlarged, and your understanding of the Scriptures enlightened. Pray earnestly for the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Whilst the call to ordained ministry in the Church of England is for some, and not all, these words remind us that the Christian life for all of us is only possible with God’s grace and help, nourished by his Scriptures and Spirit. So as your pray for those under God who are called to shepherd his church in this place, let us pray for each other – for his grace and power to be at work in our lives together.

I look forward to presiding at Holy Communion for the first time, at the 11am service on Sunday 2nd July, and to see the new 11am service team of wonderful volunteers commissioned. Do stay for a church lunch afterwards if you’re able to!

With love and thanks,
Simon Oatridge 

From the Children's Minister

Things continue to be busy in the children’s department!

Last week we had the pleasure of the Girl Guiding groups join us for a picnic, the joy of hosting Clifford All Saints’ music concert Tuesday evening, 2 new children join the Christian Union I run at Ecclesall Primary and a handful of new parents and their children join us at Toddlers or Baby Group. 

Alongside this we have been preparing for our June Messy church, planning and leading two assemblies, supporting Clifford All Saints with the upcoming school move from the Psalter Lane site to Ringinglow Road and continuing preparations and advertising of Holiday Club.

There are many aspects of Holiday Club that bring me much joy, one of which is seeing members of the church family come together and use their gifts to help share the love and Good News of Jesus.  Looking out during the week I’m often reminded of 1 Corinthians 12.  We, as the church, form the body of Christ.  Each one of us has been given gifts and each one is important for the body to function well. 

When I look out and see the volunteers at Holiday Club that is what I see - A whole range of gifts coming together through each person and being a blessing to the children who come.  My prayer is that this year’s Holiday Club would see the same again.  If you would like to book on to Holiday Cub then please visit Holiday Club 2023.

If you would like to be part of this and are able to give your time during the week beginning Sunday 6th August or you would like to get involved in a different aspect of the children’s ministry then do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.  If you aren’t able to help then please do be praying for the week and for all areas of our children’s ministry.  God has been so good to us over past Holiday Clubs, we are excited for what He’s going to do next!

God Bless,
Rosie Blackett
Children’s Minister