RIVERSIDE BLOG

Riverside News: August 2022

Featured News:

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Early Bird Discount ENDS IN SEPTEMBER

We are really excited to announce that we are planning a church-wide Weekend Away next year: Friday 19 May to Sunday 21 May 2023.

For al the details and to book your tickets please visit the events page. If you have any questions please contact us.

Watch the trailer video.

GET INVOLVED:
If you would like to join the Planning Team for the weekend please contact us via our website or e-mail info@riverside-church.org.uk

Published: Friday 13 May
Last Updated: Friday 10 June (Booking link added).

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Community Hub Prayer Walks

Our Worship & Prayer Gathering on Sunday 28 August will take place as Prayer Walks in our Community Hubs. Meeting at 3pm and prayer walking until 4pm. Meeting places for each of the Community Hubs listed on the events page.

Published: Monday 11 July
Last Updated: Friday 5 Aug

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Tim Chilver’s Sabbatical

On Sunday 10 July during the service Tim Chilvers gave an announcement that he would be going on Sabbatical during the months of August, September and October. We just wanted to include the details here again in case anyone missed the announcement. Tim has also sent an e-mail to all members of the church.

A number of years ago the Trustees at Riverside adopted a policy on Sabbaticals for the pastoral leaders in the church. The policy simply states that the pastoral leaders of Riverside should take a sabbatical every 7 years for their refreshment and rest.

2020 was Tim’s 7th year here at Riverside which meant that he was due a sabbatical. However, obviously, Covid interrupted things dramatically. The plan therefore is for Tim to take a sabbatical during the months of August, September & October. Tim intends to use this period to invest time in his marriage and family life. He is also planning to press in to God for what the future holds for Riverside. His hope is to also try to get some periods away, alongside potential retreats, mentoring and other refreshing things.

What Is A Sabbatical?
The principle of a sabbatical is similar to that of a weekly sabbath. In some respects, a sabbatical is an inconvenience, that is partly the point. It is a reminder that God is in control. In the same way that the purpose of a weekly sabbath is to stop our work and trust that God is in control, so too a sabbatical is a reminder that God is in control. The church, and the leader, are forced to rely on God! And, as we do so, we will find we grow in our faith as we discover that God is in control.

Why Should Church Leaders Get A Sabbatical?
You might say, why should church leaders get a sabbatical when other people don’t? It’s an important question. Most major denominations have sabbatical policies for their ministers because of the nature of the job. Sabbaticals are not a reward for long service. A Sabbatical is much mor like a pit stop in a formula 1 race, a refuelling for ongoing service. Frankly, the spiritual vitality and freshness of the leader has a direct impact on the life of the church and the people in the church. And so, just as Jesus took time out of the business of ministry to be with his Father, so too leaders need to do the same. A sabbatical is simply an extended time to do that for the sake of the church.

What Will Happen While Tims Away?
Practically speaking, the Leadership Team will carry on leading as normal under the leadership of Judy, Ado, Sarah, Nate, Julian and Ben, along with other staff and key leaders, including the Trustees. Riverside life will continue as normal. The things planned for the summer and next term are exciting, with lots to look forward to! However, it does mean that Tim won’t contactable as normal. However, his email address will be occasionally monitored by someone (on his behalf!) just in case there are any things that might get missed, which will then be forwarded on to other members of the team. Obviously, if you have any questions at all over the next few weeks, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. The best way to do this is via our website contact page or by e-mailing info@riverside-church.org.uk.

Tim would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to take a Sabbatical. We will be praying that God will continue to grow his kingdom in us all over the coming months. 

Published: Tuesday 26 July
Last Updated: Tuesday 26 July

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RPA Summer Update

# ReAct Summer Intentive
Watch Video Highlight

So much fun has been had over the two weeks of ReAct Summer Intensive! More than 60 children came and learnt skills in film making, arts and crafts, production, script work, dance and musical theatre. They have been exploring two stories in the Bible, helping dramatise them (Noah Ark and David and Goliath). The stories plus the way we interact to the children all week shows them that they are part of a bigger picture and that God can give us courage to be brave when we face giants in our lives. The performances at the end of the week gave the children the chance to showcase all they had learnt and an invitation was given to Riverside Church services as well as other Summer events and a free children’s Bible for anyone who wanted one.

Thank you ReAct Young Leaders!
A highlight for everyone at RPA has also been the development of ReAct young leaders. Each year young people aged 15-18 can apply to help with a week and we have seen some incredibly gifted young people through our doors over the years. It is a huge privilege to see children who have attended ReAct for many years apply and become young leaders, facilitating games, providing one on one support for children who may need it and bring lots of fun and joy to the week. We really could not run our weeks without them so a huge THANK YOU!

 # Egg and Spoon with an elephant!
Watch Video Highlight

Thanks to a grant from the celebrating communities fund and Birmingham City Council, during the summer RPA offered two full days of FREE performances of Emler’s Walk and sports day activities for families to enjoy in Moseley and Bournville. It was a delight to watch over 200 people enjoy the days and engage with the shows and activities. What better way to celebrate the Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham than a sack race with a lion or tug of war with a giraffe.

Just one of the many stories:
Whilst speaking with one of the mums at the sports day in Bournville we discovered she had a real passion for theatre growing up, having attended a drama club herself for many years. Her daughters later came along to the RPA ‘ReAct Summer School; they made friends immediately and had a wonderful week. We are delighted to say that the family are also planning on coming along to our ‘Family Fun Day’ run by Sarah Thompson (our Head of Children’s Ministry) and have shown interest in ‘ReAct Weekly’ (RPA after school club). We pray that this family experiences more and more of God’s love for them through the events they are now coming along to. It is a huge delight to see different church ministries of RPA and children’s work coming together and that through children, adults are being introduced to the church family.

Published: Tuesday 23 August
Last Updated: Tuesday 23 August

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The Bereavement Journey

The Bereavement Journey is a 6-session online course for anyone who has been bereaved at any time and in any way. By means of a series of films and discussion groups the course will gently guide you through the most common aspects of grief, enabling you to process the implications and discern next steps. The 6th session is an optional session where faith questions are addressed, where the first 5 sessions are about different aspects of bereavement.

In-Person Course: Starts on Wednesday 14 September. For more information and to sign-up click here.
The deadline to sign-up is 9am on Wednesday 21 September.

Online Course: Starts on Thursday 29 September. For more information and to sign-up click here.
The deadline to sign-up is 9am on Thursday 6 October.

 

Sarah’s Story – Watch Video.

Megan’s Story – Watch video.

 

Published: Tue 16 Aug
Last Updated: Fri 2 Sep

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ReAct Weekly

ReAct Weekly is a fun and exciting after school drama and performance club for primary school ages children, being run by Riverside Performing Arts. It will start on Tuesday 13 September (Term Time). For more information and to sign-up click here for Reception to Year 3 and click here for  Year 4 to Year 6.

Riverside Performing Arts are passionate about making Theatre affordable and proving a safe space for development and having fun. Each Term everyone attending ReAct Weekly will explore different creative skills such as; Characterisation, Story Telling, Physical Theatre, Music, Percussion and more, as well as showcasing what they have learned.

Location: Riverside House, 21 Alcester Road, Moseley, B13 8AR
Pricing: £78 per term (12 sessions).

USEFUL LINKS:
RPA Website – http://www.riverside-performingarts.org.uk/
RPA on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RiversidePerformArts
RPA on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rivperformarts/

Published: Tuesday 23 Aug
Last Updated: Tuesday 23 Aug

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Summer Sundays: 10AM SERVICES ONLY

From Sunday 24 July until Sunday 11 September there will only be one service each Sunday from 10am to 11am. 

10am Services:
24th July – Riverside House
31st July – Riverside House
7th August – Riverside House
14th August – Tally Ho
21st August – Riverside House
28th August – Riverside House
4th September – Riverside House
11th September – Tally Ho

… then from 18 September we will be back to two services (10am and 11:30am).

Reminder: All these dates are available 24/7 via our website.

Published: Monday 11 Sep
Last Updated: Monday 11 Sep

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Welcome Leah & Claudie

What A Year!
It has been a difficult year as we have tried to regain our feet as a church from the last two years. Like many other churches, we have had to re-look at how we do church and, from that, had to make changes. It has, in many ways, been an exciting journey and still is, as we have welcomed Ado (Operations Manager), Jackie (House Manager), and Mark (Events Manager) joining in with Russell (Communications Manager) to make up the Operations Team.

Welcome Claudie and Leah:
However we needed a Finance Manager to complete our Operations Team. We can now say with great joy that we have filled the role and have welcomed Claudie Richardson to the staff team of Riverside Church. This will indeed be an exciting season for us. Claudie is not the only new employee at Riverside. We would also like to welcome Leah Wilson who will be supporting our church family through various administration tasks while assisting the Senior Leadership Team.

Thank you Genny & Martin!
Leah has taken over from Genny Isgrove; whose one-year commitment had expired and could not continue due to other commitments she had. We would therefore like to take this opportunity and thank Genny for her fantastic work and help during this last year. One final thank you also goes to Martin Robertson, who worked in the background and volunteered with our finances. Martin stepped in last year, spending most of his time auditing and restructuring Riverside’s accounts. It has been such a great joy to have him around, and even now, he will continue assisting us as Claudie begins her new role.

Published: Tue 16 Aug
Last Updated: Tue 16 Aug

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"The cat is fat!"

Who knew that pets benefit from debt advice too?! Read this month’s release from Riverside Money Advice to discover about an amazing reaction from someone who walked into Riverside House.

You can read the full story in this month’s RMA Newsbite. To subscribe to RMA Newsbites click here.

Don’t Forget: The RMA Café drop-in runs every Wednesday in term-times from 10am-2pm, at Riverside House.

Published: Friday 5 August
Last Updated: Friday 5 August

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RIVERSIDE ACADEMY

Riverside Academy is a dynamic leadership focused gap year programme for 18-30’s who want to give a year to discover God’s purpose for their lives. Specialising in a chosen track of either Performing Arts, Children’s Work, Youth Work, Worship or Administration trainees will be able to develop and use their gifts and talents within a focussed area of church life.

Alongside their specialist track trainees also have weekly discipleship and leadership training and a mentor from within Riverside Church who will journey with you throughout the year.

We encourage you to watch and share this video.

Applications are now open to join the Academy 2022-23 programme. For further information and to apply online please visit our website.

Additionally, for further information or for a prospectus and application pack you can also e-mail Sarah Auger: saraha@riverside-church.org.uk.

Published: 7 January
Last Updated: 8 July 2022

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Summer Sundays: Youth & Children's Resources

Children’s Church: Groups will be meeting as normal at Riverside House & Tally Ho during the summer. However, there will not be any video or activity packs available via the blog until Sunday 18 September. However, if you need any resourses for ‘Church At Home’ with your group contact Sarah Thomson via e-mail: saraht@riverside-church.org.uk
Note: Children’s Life Groups will not be meeting during the summer.

Youth (Roc Solid): During the summer groups will only be meeting at our Tally Ho Gatherings (14 August and 11 September). Groups will NOT be meeting at Riverside House during the summer but Roc Solid are welcome to stay in the main hall during the service; worksheets will be made available. These worksheets will also be available via our blog.
Note: Youth Life Groups will not be meeting during the summer.

Published: Tuesday 26 July
Last Updated: Tuesday 26 July

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Children's Summer Activities

There has been loads of things happening this Summer for the children and young people at Riverside. You can still join in with:

Summer Fun Day
Thursday 25 August (2pm to 5pm) – A free afternoon of summer fun at Riverside House. Enjoy craft activities, bouncy castle, face painting, ice-cream and more. No need to sign up just turn up and enjoy the fun!

Generations Service
Join us on Sunday 28 August at Riverside House (10am).

ReAct Xtra: Summer Intensive
Tuesday 30 August to Thursday 1 September. Sign-Up

 

And don’t forget…

Energise Holiday Club
Tuesday 6 September – Games, activities, Bible stories and crafts for children in Reception to Year 6.  Just bring yourself and a packed lunch.  Sign-Up

ReAct Play In A Day
Thur 25 October – Sign up page coming soon

ReAct Play In A Day Xtra
Saturday 27 October – Sign up page coming soon

ReAct Weekly
ReAct Weekly is a fun and exciting after-school club for primary school aged children.

# Reception to Year 3 – More info and sign-up.

# Year 4 to Year 6 – More info and sign-up

Riverside Stay & Play
Mondays & Tuesdays during term time. (10am to 11:30am).

Youth Activities
Every Friday during term time.

 

Published: Friday 10 June
Last Updated: Tuesday 16 August

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Calling All Bakers

At many of our public events and meetings we like to provide homemade baked cakes and biscuits for people to enjoy. In particular, this often helps to give newcomers to feel at home and gives them an insight into how we serve together within a loving church family.

To find out more by contacting Sally Adams (07828118357) or Beth Wills (07970715539). Getting involved is a great way to meet others and have fun; bake as much or as little as your time allows

Published: Friday 5 August
Last Updated: Monday 22 August

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Open Lunch: Summer BBQ

On Sunday 14 August the Open Lunch Team invite everyone to enjoy a FREE summer BBQ.  It’s for anyone and everyone and their friends. You’re invited! No need to bring anything and no need to book online. Just come along and enjoy a wonderful meal together.

If you are new to Riverside, please know that the Open Lunch is held at
Riverside House (21 Alcester Road, Birmingham, B13 8AR) on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. If you would like more information please contact Mark Willott on 07818 329 754 or m.s.torrance@gmail.com

Published: Friday 15 July
Last Updated: Friday 15 July

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New Teaching Series

Old-Fashioned Postures For A Brave New World
Sunday 24 July to 4 September 

The world made me what I was. But faith makes me what I will be. The world is different now. And as we try and adjust to our new world, how should we live? Maybe it’s time to rediscover some old-fashioned ways of living that help us to thrive in this brave new world.

 “The ‘cult of me’ is proving very intoxicating and it’s a fast road to nowhere good.”
(Emma Barnett, BBC Journalist)

Published: Tuesday 19 July
Last Updated: Tuesday 19 July

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Riverside Performing Arts: Job Vacancy

Male Actor & Workshop Facilitator: Performing and directing as part of Riverside Performing Arts, leading and planning workshop-based projects. The successful candidate will oversee the promotion and bookings relating to these shows. Within the team role, responsibilities are shared for grant and support raising, set design and writing shows and material.

Further information and Application Form: Visit our wesbsite.

For enquiries: Naomi Woodruff
naomiw@riverside-performingarts.org.uk
0121 442 2586.

Application Deadline: Thursday 18 August (Midnight)

Published: Tuesday 19 July
Last Updated: Tuesday 19 July

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Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common, our discovery of God and his amazing love. 

We are on a journey together to ‘help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers’. 

Upcoming Events:

Full information about all the upcoming events at Riverside Church can obtained from the events page of our website. You can filter via ‘Featured‘, ‘Monthly‘ or ‘Weekly‘ or you can also view ALL events and filter by category using our ‘Church Calendar‘.

Some information in these ‘Riverside News’ blog posts is only available through your ‘My ChurchSuite‘ account. Got questions? Need access? Please click here or e-mail: info@riverside-church.org.uk

‘My ChurchSuite’ is a great resource that we use to keep everyone in our church family connected and informed. We use it for our church contact and address book, serving and ministry rotas, and it is a simple way for everyone to discover and sign-up for groups, teams and upcoming events. You can listen to latest podcasts, manage your giving donations and even more! It is available 24/7 online from any devices or web browser.

If you would like to submit content for ‘Riverside News’ blog posts please complete our ‘Communications Request Form‘ or e-mail: communications@riverside-church.org.uk by 11am on a Friday. Please remember to include any website links, images and full contact information.

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