Dear friends,
The week began with taking a service in prison on Sunday morning. Normally this is fairly routine but the chaplain team member (and key holder) due to go in with me rang at 7.30am to tell me he was ill. Then 'plan B' failed and when we (myself and two helpers) finally got access with the help of a Muslim chaplain we found a crowd of prisoners waiting to access the chaplaincy centre. We started 15 minutes late and had to finish on time. However, it turned out to be a good meeting with positive feedback afterwards.
From there I rushed to pick up Doreen and head off to Yelvertoft where, to my joy, I found sitting in the congregation the wife of the man whose funeral service I had conducted last week. It was a precious time. Various people rose to the occasion and had undertaken all the tasks that needed to be done and more. They're a great bunch.
On Monday we held our Sunrise Ministries trustees meeting in London and welcomed three prospective trustees. It proved a helpful and supportive meeting and we ask your prayers as the three prospective trustees reach a decision over the coming days.
On Tuesday morning I took a school assembly at Yelvertoft. The children (and staff) respond well! During the coffee break that followed there was some positive comments in the staff room about that recent funeral service. This was followed by meeting with the first builder as we seek estimates for essential alterations to the chapel at Yelvertoft. We don't really have the resources to carry out this important work so we are proceeding in faith. In the afternoon we had a good choir practice in the prison (more encouraging comments about Sunday morning).
On Wednesday I had two meetings at the Arthur Rank Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. The first of these was a meeting of the Editorial Team for Country Way. The current issue is now available and is a super edition. We are moving towards making this available on-line but I think a year's subscription for £9 makes this a super Christmas present for any Christian living or worshipping in the countryside. You can see a back copy at http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1vaee/CountryWayIssue59/resources/index.htm in which you will find an article that I wrote about Youth Alpha in the countryside.
You can sign up to receive copies for yourself or as a gift for someone else through the Arthur Rank Centre website, but if you do intend to do so please let me know as well. I am always happy to arrange your subscription for you.
The second meeting was of the Churches Rural Group. This is a body of people from national Churches and some rural mission networks, basically concerned for the way in which churches interact with the issues affecting the wider rural community. I am the current chair person of this group. Our guest on this occasion came to talk about the work of ACRE (Action with Rural Communities in England) which is an umbrella group for the regional rural community councils. It was a helpful time. Our next gathering will review rural poverty and food banks. But this is not just a talking shop; it is a springboard for actions in all the bodies represented.
The latter part of the week revolved around a three-yearly hospital check up that involves a colonoscopy. This follows the removal of a small growth four years ago. It's not as unpleasant as might sound but it takes out a couple of days. The result of the examination is that all is clear. While slightly incapacitated I made some adjustment to our websites which has interrupted emails. Getting them working normally has been a challenge but finally we are back at barry@ruralmissions.org.uk
The week ahead includes the Sunday meeting at Yelvertoft and convening a Church and Countryside conference for Chichester Diocese at Steyning. The main speaker is Bishop Mark Rylands who kindly told me that much of what he knows about rural evangelism was learned from me! I think he is being over generous as he served as a diocesan evangelism adviser for many years through which he would have developed a wealth of knowledge. However, it is good to know that our ministry is fruitful.
The hope at the moment is to spend a few days in Sussex, either on my own or with Doreen. I am also seeking to organise a regular 24 hour break at least once a fortnight to enable me to catch up with the essential reading element of the research degree. In order to do that I will book accommodation at one of two possible colleges where I would have access to their library. I value your prayers as I seek which is the best route and try to organise funding.
Finally, I have today written two Pentecost related items on the Reflections Blog (barryosborne.blogspot.com). We desperately need revival in these days. I encourage you this Pentecost not to allow yourself to be drawn away by a focus on the church (It's not our birthday) but rather to pray that you and your church will experience a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit that brings honour to his name and others to faith in Jesus.
Barry
The week began with taking a service in prison on Sunday morning. Normally this is fairly routine but the chaplain team member (and key holder) due to go in with me rang at 7.30am to tell me he was ill. Then 'plan B' failed and when we (myself and two helpers) finally got access with the help of a Muslim chaplain we found a crowd of prisoners waiting to access the chaplaincy centre. We started 15 minutes late and had to finish on time. However, it turned out to be a good meeting with positive feedback afterwards.
From there I rushed to pick up Doreen and head off to Yelvertoft where, to my joy, I found sitting in the congregation the wife of the man whose funeral service I had conducted last week. It was a precious time. Various people rose to the occasion and had undertaken all the tasks that needed to be done and more. They're a great bunch.
On Monday we held our Sunrise Ministries trustees meeting in London and welcomed three prospective trustees. It proved a helpful and supportive meeting and we ask your prayers as the three prospective trustees reach a decision over the coming days.
On Tuesday morning I took a school assembly at Yelvertoft. The children (and staff) respond well! During the coffee break that followed there was some positive comments in the staff room about that recent funeral service. This was followed by meeting with the first builder as we seek estimates for essential alterations to the chapel at Yelvertoft. We don't really have the resources to carry out this important work so we are proceeding in faith. In the afternoon we had a good choir practice in the prison (more encouraging comments about Sunday morning).
On Wednesday I had two meetings at the Arthur Rank Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. The first of these was a meeting of the Editorial Team for Country Way. The current issue is now available and is a super edition. We are moving towards making this available on-line but I think a year's subscription for £9 makes this a super Christmas present for any Christian living or worshipping in the countryside. You can see a back copy at http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1vaee/CountryWayIssue59/resources/index.htm in which you will find an article that I wrote about Youth Alpha in the countryside.
You can sign up to receive copies for yourself or as a gift for someone else through the Arthur Rank Centre website, but if you do intend to do so please let me know as well. I am always happy to arrange your subscription for you.
The second meeting was of the Churches Rural Group. This is a body of people from national Churches and some rural mission networks, basically concerned for the way in which churches interact with the issues affecting the wider rural community. I am the current chair person of this group. Our guest on this occasion came to talk about the work of ACRE (Action with Rural Communities in England) which is an umbrella group for the regional rural community councils. It was a helpful time. Our next gathering will review rural poverty and food banks. But this is not just a talking shop; it is a springboard for actions in all the bodies represented.
The latter part of the week revolved around a three-yearly hospital check up that involves a colonoscopy. This follows the removal of a small growth four years ago. It's not as unpleasant as might sound but it takes out a couple of days. The result of the examination is that all is clear. While slightly incapacitated I made some adjustment to our websites which has interrupted emails. Getting them working normally has been a challenge but finally we are back at barry@ruralmissions.org.uk
The week ahead includes the Sunday meeting at Yelvertoft and convening a Church and Countryside conference for Chichester Diocese at Steyning. The main speaker is Bishop Mark Rylands who kindly told me that much of what he knows about rural evangelism was learned from me! I think he is being over generous as he served as a diocesan evangelism adviser for many years through which he would have developed a wealth of knowledge. However, it is good to know that our ministry is fruitful.
The hope at the moment is to spend a few days in Sussex, either on my own or with Doreen. I am also seeking to organise a regular 24 hour break at least once a fortnight to enable me to catch up with the essential reading element of the research degree. In order to do that I will book accommodation at one of two possible colleges where I would have access to their library. I value your prayers as I seek which is the best route and try to organise funding.
Finally, I have today written two Pentecost related items on the Reflections Blog (barryosborne.blogspot.com). We desperately need revival in these days. I encourage you this Pentecost not to allow yourself to be drawn away by a focus on the church (It's not our birthday) but rather to pray that you and your church will experience a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit that brings honour to his name and others to faith in Jesus.
Barry
