St. Margaret's United Reformed Church - South Shields

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News Update                       September 2026

Keeping you informed with the latest news from around the URC

URC calls for reflection following public scrutiny and death of Jason Arday

On behalf of the URC, Karen Campbell, Head of Global & Intercultural Church, and Neil Thorogood, General Assembly Moderator, called for reflection following the death of Professor Jason Arday who was found unresponsive at an address in London on 14 August. The academic had faced intense public scrutiny amid allegations of plagiarism concerning his academic work. Karen and Neil spoke on Premier Christian Radio about the URC’s response to Jason’s tragic death and drew upon John 8:7. A recap of the interview on Premier Christian News included a powerful prayer written by the Revd Andy Braunston, Minister for Digital Worship. Read highlights of the interview.
Image: Jason Arday. ConiferousForest19/CC0 1.0 Universal.

URC returns to Greenbelt for 2026 festival

The URC will once again join festival goers at Boughton House in Northamptonshire for the 2026 Greenbelt Festival, taking place 27-30 August. Sunday evening worship along the theme of “Upside Down Magnificat” will feature the Revd Neil Thorogood, General Assembly Moderator, and will be livestreamed on the URC’s YouTube Channel from the URC’s Table venue run in partnership with Trussell. More than 65 brilliant volunteers assist with the URC’s contribution at the festival to offer radical, low-cost hospitality, nurturing intergenerational faith and creativity. The URC has partnered with the festival’s organisers since 2016, and at the 2026 meeting of General Assembly funding from the Discipleship Development Fund was agreed for another three years. Watch the URC at Greenbelt Sunday worship service. Learn more about the URC at Greenbelt.

Racial Justice Advocates back Windrush petition calling for change

The URC’s Racial Justice Advocates are urging members of the URC to sign a petition calling for the Windrush Compensation Scheme to be taken out of the government’s hands. Backed by members of Hillsborough Justice and Grenfell United, the petition highlights how, in comparison with other high-profile compensation schemes, Windrush victims are not eligible for free legal representation and many are being denied compensation. Read the full story and find out how you can support the campaign and sign the petition.

URC Youth launches moderator’s blog

Kacie Hodgson, Youth Moderator, and Alex Clements, Youth Moderator-elect, are taking the denomination on a journey. The duo is embarking on their Mods on Tour project and will be sharing details of their journeys and day-to-day work in the new, Youth Moderator’s Blog. If you would like to invite Kacie and Alex to visit your church, please email them to see what might be possible. Read the blog.

New CfL Jamaica partnership launch 

Join the Commitment for Life (CfL) team on 24 October at Northgate URC in Darlington for the launch of the justice programme’s partnership with Jamaica. The event takes place from 5.30-7.30pm and promises an evening of fun activities, food, music and speeches. For full details, please email Suzanne Pearson, CfL Programme Assistant.

A church with people at the margins

Churches were encouraged to consider how their buildings, relationships and existing activities can become places where communities and faith can come together at the third A Church with People at the Margins webinar, themed “places to meet”. To catch up on the webinar, ideas and suggestions explored see this round-up. 

Joyful URC patchwork banner planned 

A unique craft project aiming to celebrate “the wonderful diversity of the whole Church” will be shared with every local congregation this autumn. The “Ever Joyful” patchwork banner is the vision of the Revd Samantha Sheehan, chaplain to the General Assembly Moderator, the Revd Neil Thorogood. She hopes that the large, quilted artwork will contain 15 panels, made up of fabric squares from each congregation across the UK. Launching the initiative, Neil presented the very first square to the outgoing Moderator, Catriona Wheeler, at this year’s General Assembly, held in Swanwick, Derbyshire (pictured). Packs, including the fabric squares, will be sent out in October with an invitation to decorate a single square with words or an image that reflects whatever “makes you joyful in the life of your congregation”. Additional tips and information will be included, with a pre-addressed envelope for returning squares to Northern Synod Office by 1 December. It is hoped that the final artwork will first go on display at General Assembly 2027. For more information, please email Samantha.

Synod news

East Midlands

A service celebrating Vicky Longbone, a Church Related Community Worker who has served Ashbourne Road and Mackworth United Reformed churches and the Derby A2C project, has been held to mark her retirement. Vicky’s ministry has enabled many people to have contact with church, meet others, improve their wellbeing and to grow in confidence. 

Thames North

A very special guest attended the launch of the Revd John Danso’s latest book Trees in the Bible: Meditations and Prayers which launched at Grange Park URC. The guest speaker was Her Excellency Mrs Sabah Zita Benson, High Commissioner of Ghana. Both the Moderator and the Synod Clerk attended the event. John’s book explores the meaning, significance and symbolism of trees in the Bible and is available for £8.99.

National Synod of Scotland

Congratulations to the Revd Margaret Higton who was ordained and inducted to Giffnock URC in Glasgow in July. The service was attended by the Revd Lindsey Sanderson, Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland, who welcomed family, friends, fellow students and members of the congregation.

West Midlands 

Two hundred years of witness and worship were celebrated at Dovaston URC last month. On 16 August, more than 60 members, friends and visitors — including four of the great-great-great grandchildren of Robert Cambidge who founded the chapel, and two of his great-great-great-great grandchildren — gathered at the church to mark its bicentenary. Special memories were shared, the history of the chapel explored and live music enjoyed at the event.

Gratitude for Middle East appeal

The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre, which works with children who have life-changing injuries due to the ongoing bombing in Gaza, has expressed thanks for donations received from the Middle East Justice Appeal. The appeal is an initiative between All We Can, the Methodist Church in Britain and the URC. Learn how you can make a donation.

New Resources Hub and Helpdesk

The new United Reformed Church Resources Hub is available to equip your church with practical tools, guidance and inspiration to help your ministry thrive and grow. There is a video showing how to use the hub as well as a staffed Helpdesk. For all you need to know, check out the Resources Hub.

Mission revisioned at CWM Europe assembly

Church leaders, theologians, young people and mission practitioners from across Europe gathered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in July for the Council for World Mission Regional Europe Assembly, hosted by the Protestant Church in the Netherlands under the theme “Revisioning Mission.” Representatives from the URC, and other member churches reflected on how the church is called to bear prophetic witness in today’s rapidly changing world. The gathering also provided space for strategic discernment on how churches can renew their participation in God’s mission. Learn more about the meeting.

Share your good news

If you have a good news story that can inspire, raise hope or show God’s work in action then please let URC Communications know. We would love to help share your news across the denomination and in local news outlets. Email the URC Press Office, or call 07976 753 950 or 07342 883 954.

Gift subscriptions to Reformed magazine

Give a friend or loved one the gift of Reformed. Simply choose from one of the three different subscription types: digital, printed or both, let us know their details and the date you want the gift to be sent and Reformed will do the rest. Your recipient will be sent an email with your message and a coupon code giving them a year’s access to the magazine. Learn more about Reformed gift subscriptions. If you have any queries, please email the team. From £18 per year.

Please order online using the URC Bookshop’s easy-to-use website www.urcshop.co.uk or by calling 020 7916 8629.

URC water bottle, made from recycled water bottles — Available in blue or green (while stocks last), this 500ml water bottle is made from recycled plastic water bottles. £4.99 +p&p.

URC logo polo shirt — A blue, lightweight, breathable polo shirt with the URC logo in white. ideal for those wanting to show that they work for or are associated with the URC. £12.99 +p&p. (Tim Meadows not included!) 

A larger belonging – the 2027 URC Prayer Handbook is available to preorder, with deliveries from late September. The handbook features prayers of many kinds: for corporate worship and private devotion, of praise and thanksgiving, confession and intercession, for ordinary days and difficult seasons. Together they reflect the richness and diversity of the church’s prayer life. £6.99 +p&p.

This beautifully illustrated Advent Calendarfeatures a Nativity scene surround, with a large sheet of characters from the Nativity Story which children colour in, cut out (with the help of an adult for younger children) and build up over the days and weeks leading up to Christmas.
Each kit comes with a 89cm x 21cm card surround, folded to A4, the sheet of characters and and A5 humorous story book all about the first Christmas. £3 + p&p.

A range of gifts for book lovers are available, visit urcshop.co.uk/books.

Resources

Feast of Creation in Christ

The URC’s Digital Worship team has created free Worship Notes resources for The Feast of Creation in Christ, celebrated annually on the first Sunday of September. It marks the start of the ecumenical Season of Creation, praising God as Creator and honouring the mystery that all things were made and sustained through Jesus Christ. Access your copy here.

Free Season of Creation resources

Churches are invited to join the global ecumenical family in marking the Season of Creation from 1 September to 4 October, uniting in prayer and action to care for Creation. Free resources are available from Season of Creation; EcoCongregation Scotland, and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

What’s On

People’s Emergency Briefing

Yourchurch, the online URC congregation, is screening the People’s Emergency Briefing, a 50-minute documentary film, hosted by TV nature presenter Chris Packham on 4 October at 6.30pm. The grassroots campaign calls on the UK government to broadcast a prime-time, televised national emergency briefing on the climate and nature crisis. The film will be screened on Zoom, Meeting ID: 965 1457 5443.Nearby screenings can also be found.

Safeguarding webinar series

Three Zoom workshops are offered by the Safeguarding and Children’s, Youth and Intergenerational Discipleship teams focusing on supporting all-age communities. Growing Intergenerational Communities takes place on 8 September. Developing Spaces for Under 5s, on 13 October, and Supporting Faith Development in Young People, on 10 November. All start at 7.30pm. To join, please email Emma Pearce, Safeguarding Coordinator.

Navigate conflict and build peace with Place for Hope courses

Place for Hope, which the URC has entered into a five-year partnership with to help local churches become peacemakers who navigate conflict well, has three upcoming courses: 3 October: London Responding to Polarisation, a one-day course which equips learners to understand and respond constructively to growing polarisation within churches and the wider communities they serve; 21 October, Glasgow: Rebuilding Faith Communities: Post-Incident Recovery and Culture Change, 
Designed for those leading or supporting faith communities after a serious incident, this course focuses on restoring trust, strengthening relationships, and creating safer, healthier cultures; 22 October, Edinburgh: One Body, Many Voices: Peacebuilding in Diverse Communities, designed to support faith and community leaders foster inclusion and respond effectively to conflict in diverse congregations. Book here and find more information.

Lay Preachers’ training workshop

Commitment for Life (CfL), the URC’s world justice programme, is hosting a Lay Preachers’ training workshop in Darlington from 23-24 October. At the workshop, training will be given on how to lead a CfL service along with information about the programme and the partner countries it supports. For more information, please email Suzanne Pearson.

Rural mission and ministry

The Arthur Rank Centre’s Rural Mission and Ministry course runs over two days and will next take place on 10-11 November, 5-6 May 2027, and 13-14 October 2027. This course provides space for reflection, fresh ideas and practical tools, as well as time to connect with others in similar contexts. For more information, see the Arthur Rank Centre website.

Recruitment

For full details of all the latest job and volunteer opportunities, see www.urc.org.uk/jobs

Volunteer opportunities

Safeguarding Committee — Convenor
We are seeking applications for the Convenor of the United Reformed Church Safeguarding Committee, you must be a member of the URC.

URC representative on World Day of Prayer National Committee
We are looking for someone with a passion for prayer and ecumenical unity

Job opportunities beyond the URC

Deputy General Secretary — Programmes
Council for World Mission
The DGSP role is to integrate and provide leadership, guidance and support to the CWM programmatic agenda, working closely with 36-member church denominations. Closing date for applications: 20 September

General Secretary — The Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) is recruiting a General Secretary
The General Secretary supports the Executive Committee of CCME and organises the advocacy of the Churches around policies on migration and refugees at the European level. Closing date: 30 September.

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The United Reformed Church
Church House, 86 Tavistock Place
London, WC1H 9RT
Tel: 020 7916 2020
Email: [email protected]

The United Reformed Church was created by church unions in 1972, 1981 and 2000, facilitated by Acts of Parliament passed in each of those years. It has a number of associated bodies: The United Reformed Church Trust (URC Trust) is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales (Registered Number: 135934); it is also a registered charity (Registration Number: 1133373). The United Reformed Church Ministers’ Pensions Trust Ltd is a limited company registered in England & Wales (Registered Number: 2821011). The United Reformed Church Retired Ministers’ Housing Society Ltd. is a registered Community Benefit Society under the Co-operative & Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Number 15986R). The Registered Office for all the aforementioned bodies is Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RT. 

St. Margaret's United Reformed Church - South Shields

URC News update

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