An Enjoyable Week

Apart from those times when the set subject for a school assembly is bizarre taking assemblies is a real treat. Last Monday at Lubenham the set passage was on John the Baptist.  This provided an opportunity to tell the children a little more about my own faith journey.  The children sat with their coats on in a cold hall and you could have heard a pin drop!  It was my last assembly there this year.  I have one other duty to perform there providing Rudolph and team can get me there on time!

Thursday I travelled to Winchester to make my presentation and be interviewed related to an application to do a part time MPhil research degree.  The  aim is to undertake a critical examination of how the task of evangelization is understood and practised in rural Britain, with particular attention to the need for appropriate contextualisation.  I was complemented on my presentation, asked several challenging questions and then received a positive response.  The work will start in February.  If anyone wants to know more details please feel free to contact me.  All rail connections worked with uncanny perfect timing almost as if they had been scheduled around my movements!  That's a first!

The YP raised enough for 31 goats in just two hours!

On Friday Doreen and I went to Yelvertoft to prepare for this weekend's events.  Then this morning an early start got us to Yelvertoft ready to support our YP who were running a Fund Fare to purchase goats for needy families in Malawi.  This is being done in association with Torch Trust for the Blind.  There are high numbers of people blind or partially sighted and a pair of goats can become a big step towards self-sufficiency.  The YP raised just short of £200 through various activities with a further £300 plus coming as donations prompted by this event.  We had a lot of fun for a really good cause.


Dr Gordon Temple, CEO of Torch Trust, is a member of my ministry team at Yelvertoft and was scheduled to take the service on 12th December.  However, while he was abroad in Malawi we had to reschedule this weekend's activities.  Instead of a normal Sunday meeting we have a special "Christmas Warmer" with generous hospitality and chosen favourite carols combined with a "Toy Service" with toys going to families in Malawi affected by blindness.  With immaculate timing Gordon - not knowing what was planned - asked if he could show a video of his recent visit to Malawi!  I love it when God's plan comes together!


One sad item this week is that my 1997 Astra is poorly.  It might just be a cold but could be far worse.  Returning from Yelvertoft on Friday it developed symptoms of a computer failure.  On the way back from Scotland the previous week I had been telling her how amazingly fit she was despite having 110,000 miles on the clock.  She will be admitted to "hospital" on Monday when I hope for a diagnosis and prognosis.


Typically in this period before Christmas engagements are fewer.  The only special items are Tuesday's final practice for the prison Christmas Concert which takes place on Wednesday evening.  The next Sunday it will be Theddingworth's Christmas Special in the evening.


Thanks as always for your prayers and support.  Both are appreciated and we thank God for those whom he moves to stand with us in our ministry.  If you would like to see this year's Christmas reflection it is on my other blog at barryosborne.blogspot.com.

The Weekly News

Well, we made it back home OK last Wednesday from Scotland.  It took Douglas and me two hours of hard work just to clear enough of the snow from the driveway to get the car out.  The journey home took longer than normal because of the road conditions but there were no mishaps.  It was amazing to see large well established trees bending low under the weight of snow.  I wish I had some pictures to share.

The few days we had spent with our friends in Falkirk were precious indeed and had a feel of completeness about them as we had recorded 21 songs.  I am often asked for CDs after performances so this provides an opportunity.  The plan is to produce perhaps two CDs, the first being called "Treasured Gospel Songs".  Willie Munro provided the accompaniment.  You can hear a sample by going to my facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=696458192) provided you have speakers connected or your sound switched on.  Technically it is not perfect but I enjoyed myself!

On the Saturday (day we arrived) Doreen and I joined Willie and another friend, Ina, at a Gospel Praise Meeting.  It is many years since we attended such an event and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.  There were songs to clap along to, congregational praise items, and various musical items by invited guests where we could join in.  Doreen sang heartily and I enjoyed adding either bass or tenor lines.

On Sunday we were snowed in and meetings were cancelled.  We started the recordings and also enjoyed time with Douglas and Marlyn (Willie's son and daughter in law).

The last few days we have spent preparing for the decorators who come on Monday to redecorate the kitchen and dining room after the chip pan fire a few weeks ago (did I tell you about that?  Nothing too serious.)  In the process I have had to throw away a quantity of old correspondence and other documents recording some of my ministry activity since 1988.  I am not very good at parting with such items as I am aterrible hoarder.  It was encouraging to find so many warm messages of thanks from churches across the denominations - especially those that followed away-days.

This coming week
Sunday 5th December - Yelvertoft Congregational Church

Monday 6th December - School Assembly, Lubenham, Leicestershire

Tuesday 7th December - Gartree Prison (one week to the Christmas concert).  In the evening Doreen and I will enjoy the Torch Trust Christmas Dinner for staff and volunteers.

Thursday 9th December -  Presentation of my Research Proposal at Winchester University.  Please pary for wisdom to be given me.

Saturday 11th December - the YP at Yelvertoft are holding an event to raise money to buy goats for very poor families in Malawi affected by blindness or partial sight loss.  £36 buys two goats.

Sunday 12th December - Yelvertoft Conversational Church holds an informal Christmas Warmer service heavy on hospitality.  Please pray for other folk from the village to join us.

As always thanks for your prayers and practical support.

Clever electronics

I'm in Scotland snowed in at present but expecting it to clear in a few days sufficiently for us to return home.  Meanwhile we made a start recording some Old Fashioned Gospel songs with our good friend Willie Munroe on the Clavinova.  It's a clever instruments and can somehow split my voice into three part harmonies.

The plan is to prepare a CD before Christmas.  I'll try to put a sample on the Facebook page but please don't download it.

I'm back under the duvet!

Curious networking

Last Monday I had arranged to meet Captain Gordon Banks and Canon Penny Horseman (both Church Army Officers) at Hothorpe Hall which is not far from home.  The purpose was to discuss the possibility of holding a rural mission consultation in Penny's part of the world.  We had a useful conversation but as I was about to leave I spotted Peter Graystone - also with the Church Army - who has recently taken over as director of the Christian Enquiry Agency (of which I am a Council members).  The previous week CEA launched its new website (www.christianity.org.uk) but I was unable to be present as I was attending a funeral.

Having Peter at Hothorpe Hall made me realise how useful it would be if I could set up a meeting for him with Jeff Bonser (a former CEA Director) who lives about five minutes from me!  Various telephone numbers were being swapped when someone tapped my arm and said "Nice to see you!"  This was Major David Botting of the Salvation Army who was, I learned, also running an event in Hothorpe Hall.

David and I worked together on writing "Time for Action" about the pastoral care of people who have been sexually abused.  As soon as I finished with Peter I hunted down David and discovered he was there running an event for Salvation Army Chaplains that work in their Care Homes.  Chatting with him I discovered that there was a possibility that the SA would be interested in knowing that I had already networked the training department of the Congregational Federation, someone concerned to develop chaplaincy training for the AOG, and St. Philip's Centre in Leicester which was just developing such a course.  So contact details were passed on to David.

That evening I attended the Harborough Churches Together Forum where Jeff Bonser announced that he had  been enabled to meet up with Peter Graystone from the Christian Enquiry Agency who had told him of an important series of programmes the BBC will be running during advent.  Even more networking!

You might like to ponder which of the gifts and ministries such networking gifts fits!  I think it must be "Helps".

Yet another funeral service yesterday - this time for Ken, a dearly loved member at Yelvertoft Congregational Church.  During the refreshments that followed I met for the first time a neighbour of Ken & Joan who put herself out to tell me that she loves to read the pieces I write for the Parish Magazine.  Even that could have been a bit of useful networking.  There were also encouraging comments about the ministry at the Remembrance Service the previous Sunday.

Coming Up
This Sunday 21st I am taking the Family Service for Goodwood Evangelical Church on the outskirts of Leicester.  John Harris will be at Yelvertoft.

On Monday 22nd I will be taking a school assembly at Lubenham, Leics.

On Tuesday 23rd I have a school assembly at Yelvertoft, Northants followed by my weekly afternoon with the choir at Gartree Prison.

On Wednesday 24th I will be working with the Salvation Army at Sunbury on Thames as part of the Safe & Sound training.  Sunbury is the location of the SA's International Council and a conference centre.

On Thursday 25th a joiner will replace some kitchen fittings in our home following a small fire a few weeks ago.

On Friday 26th Doreen and I head off for a short break (Preston, Falkirk, Doncaster and home again). So there might not be a posting on this blog next weekend, but please check just in case.

Thanks again for your prayers.  At the end of another busy week which included some rather remarkable meetings I know that someone somewhere has been praying for me.

Barry

Remembrances

I am writing this post on the morning of Remembrance Sunday and will soon be preparing to share in a public act at the village war memorial and a joint service at the Parish Church in Yelvertoft.  But this past week has also been largely about remembrance as Doreen and I spent almost all of it in the south east of England.

Last Monday I attended a trustees meeting for Sunrise Ministries (the charity under which Rural Sunrise - now Rural Mission Solutions operates) in my capacity as company and charity secretary.  On Wednesday we both attended the funeral and thanksgiving services for a former member of Herstmonceux Free Church, where I was minister for almost 15 years.  By making some diary adjustments we were able to stay in East Sussex from Sunday evening until Friday afternoon and take a few days "break".

This also provided opportunity to visit friends and family in Hastings, Herstmonceux and the surrounding area.  Each day was filled with such activity that brought with it precious memories from the past and repeated occasions of thanksgiving for God's faithful blessings.  Happily included in this was a brief visit to an elderly aunt whom I had not seen for far too long.  She is the last of my aunts and uncles and I had spent many happy days of childhood at play with one of her sons who was the same age as me.  Tragically, he died while still a young man.

A busy life (I am often told too busy) has meant that links of family and friends have not always been serviced as I would have desired and I relished all these opportunities for such visits, including an evening with Doug with whom I was at two schools and sang in a semi-professional boy band at one time!

Occasions of remembrance do many things.  They can bring sadness as well as joy.  They can bring regret.  But they can also bring a fresh commitment to the quality of the time remaining.  This morning I will be speaking to this theme starting with the words, "Tell them that for their tomorrow we gave our today".  In the light of their sacrifice - and that of the cross - what kind of world are we building? Would they be disappointed?  Is God disappointed?

Among the past week's many discussions came two comments about this blog.  The first was that many friends and prayer partners feel excluded if they do not have internet access and do not receive paper based news.  The second was from a regular reader of the blog who expressed appreciation for it.  I admit that the relative ease of blogging and sending emails has led to a serious reduction in the number of newsletters that go out in the post.  It is, in part, also a matter of time management.  So I am wondering whether any reader of this diary blog would be prepared to help by producing an edited version of a month's news that could be contained on two sides of A4.  Copy and paste would be possible.  Some photos could also be copied.  If this was then emailed to the office Doreen and I could mail the letters out.  Any offers would be welcome please.

I end this posting by remembering the outside wall of an Anglo-Catholic church in St. Leonards-on-Sea that I often passed as a child on foot, bicycle, and bus.  Each time I glanced at the large crucifix and read the words beneath: "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?" (Lam. 1:12).  Remembering the past can be very important.

The Archbishop said "Yes"

That's him - not me!

I have not long returned from the "Faith & Future of the Countryside" Conference.  It was well attended (around 200 people), had an excellent programme, and great credit is due to the organisers and the staff of the Arthur Rank Centre who serviced the event.  It concluded with a question time to a panel that included the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had graciously included a visit to the Conference within an already busy schedule.

Mine was one of around six questions that had been selected.  It asked whether, in the light of the specific tasks given to the disciples to proclaim the gospel and make disciples, the panel wished to affirm the good work done by some rural churches that had discovered how to combine appropriate and effective proclamation of the gospel alongside presence evangelism (i.e. the witness through the life lived).  To this the Archbishop said, "Yes" and then went on to speak about the need for it to be appropriate in style.

Of course it is vital that our evangelism is appropriately contextualised and that includes how we engage with people, what and how we say it, and how we encourage a response.  There is understandable anxiety about imported evangelists and teams whose personal culture affects the way that they undertake the tasks.  Far better would be if those who are part of the community and know how the village ticks had sufficient knowledge of the gospel and sufficient confidence to share this vital story with their neighbours.

Even better is to include evangelism as part of a general programme of mission that expresses God's love and concern for all.  This is why we run programmes that help churches to design and tailor mission strategies that are appropriate to themselves and the community in which they are situated.  To that end I gave away at the conference around eighty copies of a free CD with a PowerPoint presentation with soundtrack on this very theme.

There was also interest in the "No Ordinary Man" project from a number of church leaders including some bishops of the Church of England.

While I was away we heard that Ken Duffield had passed into the presence of the Lord.  Ken was one of my members at Yelvertoft and had suffered a stroke two years ago.  For the last eighteen months his wife, Joan, had been his primary carer.  Thankfully, Doreen and others in the church provided immediate support with me backing that up on the phone.  In many ways it is a relief for Ken who is now in the presence of the Lord, as is also Joan Taylor - one of our members from my time at Herstmonceux who has recently lost a six year battle with cancer.  Her funeral is on Wednesday in Eastbourne.

I have to be in East Sussex for a Sunrise Ministries trustees' meeting on Monday so Doreen is joining me and we will spend a few days in Sussex to make it possible for us to attend both events.  So other activities this week have been cancelled.  Next Sunday is a Joint Remembrance Service and I will be speaking at the Parish Church in Yelvertoft.

If you would like a free copy of the CD mentioned above please email me at sunrise@ruralmissions.org.uk.

Progress! A mountain climbed!

Regular readers of my diary blog (if such exist) might have been disappointed to find that nothing has been entered since 16th of October.  The reason for this was the need to keep my nose to the proverbial grindstone (never sure what that  means!) and complete some urgent work.

The first major task was an editing job on a report to go to the House of Bishops of the Church of England. The topic is the pastoral care of people in churches who have been sexually abused at some time in their lives (not necessarily in a church context).  About eight different people (including me) had been working on this and had written various sections.  I offered to do the editing thinking I might have some space during August.  Once that opportunity was lost it was impossible to find sufficient uncluttered time to focus on the onerous task of making it into a single cohesive document with appropriate content and style.  It was an enormous challenge but one that is of great importance and some urgency.

I had the work finished as far as possible by very late Thursday 21st and emailed copies off to the team ready for our meeting in London last  Monday.  To my relief my work was well received and no one seemed to be offended by my editing of their material.  A mountain had been climbed!

My next task was to give serious thought to undertaking an MPhil research degree.  In my immediately previous posting here I mentioned my visit to Winchester University.  My original intention back in 2004 when I was accepted at Bangor University was to do a piece of work that was empirical and put stress on data gathering.  I only just managed to get started when our lives were disrupted by the move from the SE to the East Midlands, changes of home and office, work, etc.  Then the department at Bangor closed!  By contrast the Head of Department at Winchester indicated that they would like a slightly different approach.  While there were advantages in this my question was whether it was still going to achieve what I had intended.

I have felt all along that there was value in this being a piece of accredited work that would then offer value to others coming after me in rural ministry and mission.  Obtaining a Masters - or even a Doctorate - was not the primary purpose.  So there followed a lot of heart searching and prayer.  Then came revisions of my original proposal, correspondence with the University and a few good friends before submitting my application yesterday morning.  I now feel I have a clearer vision of what is involved and its relevance in my life and ministry.

Meanwhile a mail-out to members of the Rural Evangelism Network had been in the queue.  A newsletter had to be completed and various other bits and pieces put together ready for the mail-out with copies of "Country Way".  With the able assistance of Doreen the task was finished by early yesterday afternoon and then in the post.

There remain other unfinished tasks and my office is in its usual untidy state as I have rushed from one task to the next without properly tidying things away!  Also within the work described above there have been meetings, ministry, pastoral visits, all kinds of domestic duties, Doreen and me both having endoscopies, and preparation of materials for the big Conference this coming week.  One aspect of that has been the opportunity to get my book on Effective Rural Evangelism reprinted in a better format.

Previously I have asked that friends pray for the Lord to raise up others to whom I can delegate responsibilities - perhaps "apprentices" keen to learn about rural mission work.  I am grateful that a friend who is a retired Anglican clergyman has kindly agreed to take some of the work off my shoulders relating to evangelistic articles for Country Way.  I am grateful, but clearly need my eyes open to see other sources of assistance.  Some of this needs to be local to me but other aspects might be anywhere in a world that has shrunk with modern technology.

So to the week ahead....


Sunday 31st October  9.00 service at Gartree Prison while Dr. Gordon Temple takes the meeting at Yelvertoft.

Monday 1st November  The monthly 9.00 Communion Service for the staff at Torch Trust for the Blind.  (This is where Doreen works part time and we have very good relationships with them)

Monday and Tuesday will also be final preparation for the Conference.

Tuesday 2nd  My afternoon at the prison.  In the evening (if my work is completed) a Church Meeting at Theddingworth.

Wednesday to Friday  "Faith & the Future of the Countryside" Conference at Swanwick, Derbyshire.  During this Conference I have an information and resource stand and will be leading a fringe meeting on "Appropriate Evangelism" on Thursday.

Sunday 7th I will be at Yelvertoft once more and facing a busy week that includes a Sunrise Ministries trustees' meeting in East Sussex.

Those good friends who urge me to do less will be glad to know that Doreen and I hope to take a few days break in November and that much of December will remain clear.  Regular fixed holiday periods will go into the 2011 diary.  I do appreciate the concern shown and realise that postings like this must make it look as if I have no spare time.  However, I can only do one day's work in a day, and I do allow time for fellowship with the Lord and with my wife.  In the past both Doreen and I had health problems because of a work regime imposed upon us by the director of the mission in which we once worked.  That has made us more sensible - though, together, we continue to want to live this life in the service of one who never makes tyrannical demands of us.

Thank you for your love and fellowship.

Barry

The Weekly News

In the TV programme "Dad's Army" Private Pyke was often addressed as "You stupid boy!"  That's what I called myself on Friday after receiving a phone call from a company based in India with links to Microsoft.  The caller (from India allegedly) was able to prove his credentials and then showed me that there were many faults on my laptop.  I then signed up to what I thought was a Microsoft sponsored package and parted with some cash via a credit card.

What then followed was about 20 minutes of activity remotely on my laptop during which a number of files were deleted (all of which I could have deleted), a couple of alterations were made to the appearance of my "desktop", a couple of files were added (one of which was a freeware programme), he tweaked a couple of items in the registry, and scanned the laptop for malware (which I am also able to do).  I became suspicious as none of this justified the money I had spent or addressed the alleged problem on my laptop.  I proceeded to check it out and discovered that the company "Comantra" was mentioned in articles about a scam!  So I had to restore the laptop to a time before they fiddled with it.

As far as I can tell there are no serious or on-going consequences, other than a bruised ego.  Wouldn't it be great if we could reset our lives to a point before we messed up?  Well, God does do something similar.  A friend who I consulted stated, "Be very careful who you hand over remote control of your computer to".  Similarly, we do well to act wisely as to who we hand over control of our lives to!

Past week's work etc
On Monday my visit to Winchester University went well.  There is now a stronger possibility of doing my MPhil with Winchester.  I need to get a move on if I am to hit the deadline of the end of October to start in February.

On Tuesday it was back to prison to work with the choir, only to find that two more choir members have been moved to other prisons.  We are shrinking rapidly which makes it all the harder to prepare for the concert.

On Wednesday Doreen had to prepare for her hospital visit (internal examination) on Thursday.  We were at the hospital for four hours.  Nothing alarming was discovered and the probable cause of her problem (that was discovered) is manageable.

Coming Week
Sunday 17th.  Morning taking the service at Yelvertoft and, in the evening, the service at Theddingworth.

Tuesday 19th. Afternoon at Prison and the evening at a Farm Crisis Network Harvest Supper.

Wednesday 20th.  My annual check-up on my "Barrett's Oesophagus" as part of the national cancer trial. Barrett's is pre-cancerous in a small percentage of cases and the hospitals are trialling medication they hope will prevent this.

Sunday 24th.  Yelvertoft with a special guest from Christian Aid to talk about a project we sponsor.

General: More writing/editing for the guidance notes on the care of those who have been victims of sexual abuse.  Also following up the recent rural mission consultation, and sending out the periodic newsletter for the Rural Evangelism network.

As always - a real thank you for your prayers and (as you are led) practical support.

Barry

The last 48 hours

Salvation Army Group

It was a good day at the conference centre in Norfolk working with the Salvation Army on Saturday.  There were around 14 people plus Dean and Debbie Juster.  Dean is the SA Child Protection Officer, and i work with him and his wife several times a year on educational programmes.


Spending a day looking at how sexual abuse can happen within Christian organisations and churches is neither easy to teach nor to listen to but I find there is such a good attitude within the SA that they cope very well, though no doubt we were all feeling tired by the end of the day.  I took the morning prayers and then had three sessions to teach through the day.  We finished up with some role play which really drove home the various aspects we have been teaching.


I'm very sorry to learn that "Time for Action", the book I co-wrote in 2001 about the care of victims of sexual abuse, is out of print and unlikely to be re-printed.  I know that there is a real need to get many more copies out as it remains the best source of quality relevant information for churches and Christian organisations.  Certainly every trainee minister/ordinand ought to have and read a copy.  So I'm going to do my best to see if there is a way around it.


The journey to Newark that evening was very tiring.  I arrived at 9.30pm and fell into bed at 11.30 - but did not arise until 9.00 this morning!  I needed that!  I took the morning service for London Road Congregational Church, Newark and used a mixture of Christian songs and teaching from scripture using story-telling techniques.  I was well looked after by Val and Phil who put me up and the breakfast I was given should keep me going for two days at least!

Part of the Theddingworth congregation

After a superb cross-country drive home to Market Harborough I discovered that yesterday Doreen had a kitchen fire and we will need to redecorate two rooms and replace some kitchen furniture!  Ouch!!  She thought it was best to wait for me to get home so I did not worry.  So we had a hug and kiss.  I'm just glad she is OK and things were not worse.  She did all the right things on discovering it, which makes me thankful for the training she had in the past.


Then tonight we shared in the harvest service at Theddingworth where Mr Christopher Jones, President of Farm Crisis Network and an old friend was our speaker.  It was a good turn out for a small village.  Tomorrow - off to Winchester University then back home again (by train).

Working in Norfolk

Sally doing her part

I am writing this from Ditchingham in Norfolk.  Yesterday I led a day for a dozen rural church leaders assisted by the Revd Sally Gaze.  The response was so encouraging and the leaders in this area have given a strong request for us to repeat something similar.  There may well be a number of invitations to work with local churches as a result.

Today (Saturday) I am staying on at the Conference Centre to work with the Salvation Army teaching on their "Safe and Sound" programme.  Later this evening there is a 3 hour drive to Newark where I shall be taking the morning service.

Last Wednesday I spoke and sang at a small fellowship meeting for the Methodist Church in Market Harborough.  It was a sweet time focusing on the Lord's faithfulness.  I followed this with a meeting with the Leicester Diocese Rural Group.

The previous day had been spent in London working with Child Protection Officers  from across Britain and representatives from the Churches Safeguarding Agency and CCPAS , helping them to refocus on the structure and work of the group.

After I get back from Newark on Sunday afternoon Doreen and I will be sharing with others at Theddingworth Chapel's Harvest Thanksgiving.

Next Monday I will value your prayers as i travel to Winchester to meet with faculty members of the University to explore the research programme exploring the most effective ways of contextual evangelism in rural areas.

Doreen and I are so grateful for the prayers and practical support we receive from friends.  Your prayers are so important to us.  C.H. Spurgeon used to have a team of men who prayed in a room below the place where he stood preaching in London, such is the importance of prayer.

Up to some good!

Here we are at the end of another week and time to share some headlines and list some things for prayer.

Last Sunday we joined with the Parish Church at Yelvertoft for their Harvest Service.  The welcome was warm and genuine, and it remains my hope that we might see more balanced inter-church relations within the village. In the evening Doreen and I went to Theddingworth - numbers small but fellowship good.

On Monday I took part in the Country Way Editorial Group meeting.  The current issue looks splendid and we continue with the vexed question as to why something this could and so affordable has not yet achieved a wider readership.  It is now more than 17 years since I helped to launch it.  After the Editorial meeting I attended the Rural Theology Association meeting (both events being at the Arthur Rank Centre).

On Tuesday I had submitted apologies to two London-based meetings I should have attended - though being at two places at once would have been difficult!  The primary reason for this was the importance of being in the prison in the afternoon but it also gave me the opportunity of taking a school assembly in the morning.  In both of the schools I serve assembly themes seem to have been set by people who have little or no idea of how a meaningful and enjoyable Christian assembly could be conducted.  What would you have done with "What If?" as part of a series on this school has enterprise?  But I often find the Holy Spirit can be very creative!

On Friday we had a special Area Executive meeting for the Congregational Federation when we were due to discuss the possibility of appointing an Area Children's Worker.  I had been charged with the task of going with another colleague to meet with the Federation's Nation Children's Officer on the Wednesday to explore this from his position.  It proved a useful time and on return I prepared the papers for the Friday meeting where a positive decision was made.  Now the challenge is to get the churches (34 of them) all to think about how such an investment might best be used.  At times like this George Bernard Shaw's famous comment comes to mind, "Some men see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that never were and ask why not".  Too many churches accept the status quo resignedly.

So what about this week?

Sunday morning at Yelvertoft  we were missing several of our regulars who were away at another event but had the joy of two folk from the Parish Church joining us.  We had a useful meeting and it was good to hear the comments afterwards.  In the afternoon we joined with others for an Area Assembly at Clarendon Park Church, Leicester.  This was the church i looked after for two years recently.  Their new minister has settled in well and the church continues to move forward.

Monday gave an opportunity for an Assembly at another school, and on this occasion I was able to draw on the story of Ruth and speak about God's plan and provision for us.

Tuesday - the day I am finally getting round to writing this - I am off to London to facilitate a discussion among those responsible for Child Protection issues within the main denominations.  I am doing this as someone who is independent but informed and sympathetic.  The purpose is to explore the future ways of working.

On Wednesday I am taking a small afternoon fellowship meeting for a Methodist Church then taking part in a meeting for the Leicester Diocesan Rural Group.

On Thursday I hope to squeeze in a meeting of my local management committee before setting off for Ditchingham on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk.  On Friday I will be leading a day of reflection on rural mission for local church leaders in that part of the world assisted by the Revd sally gaze who wrote "Mission Shaped and Rural".  I stay on at Ditchingham for Saturday's work with the Salvation Army teaching on their Safe & Sound Course.  The travelling on in the evening to Newark where I will be taking the Sunday morning service.

If all that seems busy then do support me with your prayers as I also have to find time to complete the editing of an important guidance paper for the Church of England on the care of those who have been sexually abused.  Words such a quart, pot and pint come to mind!

After a very busy week

After a busy two weeks (four days of meetings this week) I have a relatively empty diary for the coming week - though that will not mean there is nothing to do.

A week or so ago I discovered that a day I had set aside for working with the Salvation Army in their "Safe & Sound" training programme was to be a conference centre at Ditchingham, not far from Norwich.  Since I would have to travel there the day before I wondered if this would provide an opportunity for a gathering of local rural church leaders where we could explore rural evangelism.  I discovered that there was a free room on that day and the Revd Sally Gaze, author of Mission Shaped and Rural kindly offered to join me for this occasion.

Since then I have been trying to make contact with local church leaders across the denominations to spread the word.  Information has been put on the new website at www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk and a network of colleagues have been passing on the information and flyers.  We already have a few booked in but really need several more to make the day more helpful.  Please pray for the numbers to increase.

Progress is being made in the editing of the guidance report for the Church of England on pastoral care of those in our churches who have been abused.  The challenge is finding space to give dedicated attention to this.

On the subject of writing I am grateful for the offer of help from a friend and retired minister, the Revd David Phypers who will be helping me on articles for Country Way.  There is an Editorial Group meeting this week on Monday at the Arthur Rank Centre, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

On Tuesday I have submitted apologies to two London-based meetings as I need to create space to finish other tasks.  However, this will allow me to take a school assembly in Yelvertoft and get into Gartree Prison for the choir for a couple of hours.

Friday evening we are back to "meetings" with our quarterly Area Executive Meeting for the Congregational Federation.  Then next Sunday I will be taking the service at Yelvertoft followed by a gathering at Newark.

Much, but not all of the past week's activities can be read by scrolling down through this blog.  One thing that I did not mention was an excellent presentation at the CGfE meetings.  This was by a specialist street evangelist.  This found echoes within my heart and I hope that we will find ways of working together - especially in the area of encouraging personal evangelism.

On a personal note our GP has been busy looking after Doreen who now has an appointment for an internal examination at one of our local hospitals in a few weeks time.

We are very thankful for some donations recently received that help us keep the ministry in the rural areas going.  I encourage you to keep praying for God to raise up some who will share the vision for church based rural evangelism and help us practically in this work.

Thank you.

Meetings to make a difference

I have just had two very interesting days.  On Monday at Nottingham I joined with others from the United Reformed Church ad the Congregational Federation to reflect on how we might want to commemorate an event back in 1662.  On Tuesday I met with others in the Churches Group for Evangelization (Part of CTE).

Revd Dr Alan Argent tells  what happened 350 years ago

On August 24th 1662 around 2,000 Anglican clergyman chose to follow their consciences rather than bow the knee to the State as it imposed control upon the Church of England.  It was costly as it meant losing homes and livelihoods.  But they wished to stay true to their vision of a pure church, led by scripture and the Holy Spirit rather than constrained by prescriptive and repetitive patterns of worship, among other matters of principle.  On that date (set by the authorities as a deadline) many would have had no idea where their future might lie.  In some cases whole congregations stood by the ministers they loved and respected.  Most of them found their future within the Independents - dissenting churches that would ultimately be known as Congregationalist.

The event strengthened the numbers of dissenters leading to the diversity of expressions of church seen around the world today, and set worship and ministry of God's word free from constraint.  The challenge for the inheritors of such a heritage - primarily Congregational, Welsh Independents and URC churches is to mark this occasion in a way that is missional and will establish a legacy for coming generations.

The Churches group for Evangelization

Tuesday afternoon was spent exploring some of the current or developing national mission initiatives. These included "Hope Together", "Bible Fresh", and "More than Gold".  All have websites you can look up.  We then contemplated how these might link to and serve a variety of special anniversary celebrations coming up.  Among those mentioned were the 1662 commemorations, events linked to the ministry of Pentecostalists George and Stephen Jeffreys, and special sermon by William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army.

In the evening we welcomed Chris Duffet, a Street Evangelist who inspired us with his stories of how the gospel is being shared on the streets of UK towns.    On Wednesday we shall reflect on what is happening within the Churches and association church bodies to share the message of Jesus Christ today.

From my diary for the week ahead

Firstly, please read the posting "Walking Hand in Hand" for news of recent activity.

Sunday - no actual ministry but supporting services/providing equipment for Yelvertoft and Market Harborough.

Monday - a meeting in Nottingham planning special events for 2012 which is a special anniversary of a major event in English church history (more info to follow).

Tuesday/Wednesday  - a residential conference as part of the Group for Evangelization (part of Churches Together in England).

Saturday - Mission and Society Committee meeting all day in Nottingham.

All week - writing/editing papers on the pastoral care of those who have been sexually abused.

It will be a busy week!  Please continue to hold Doreen in your prayers.  We are waiting results from tests and a further hospital appointment.

Thank you.

"Walking Hand in Hand"

The following is an extract from my October piece for our Parish magazine in Yelvertoft.  This monthly article is widely read and I get many encouraging comments from local villagers - including some who rarely attend church.  I try to include some gospel element within it and since the start of 2010 have concluded with a short prayer.

I am writing these lines not long after attending the special service at Westminster Abbey where evening prayers were said in the presence of the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.  It was quite an event and as I looked around the thousands gathered there I was able to recognise a number of familiar faces from various Christian denominations. I was included among the invited guests as I serve as the Convenor of the Congregational Federation’s Board that deals with ecumenical and inter-faith relationships.

In fact this was the culmination of a week of walking “hand in hand” (as the Pope described it) with fellow Christian of other traditions.  On Wednesday and Thursday I had facilitated two meetings (one based at Market Harborough and the other in a village near Rugby) of rural church leaders that included a mixture of Anglicans, Methodist and Congregationalists who gathered together to share their encouragements, to learn from one another and pray together.  On Wednesday evening I took part in a meeting of representatives of many more churches in Market Harborough.  On Thursday it was my privilege to spend several hours advising two members of a German University faculty exploring rural mission on behalf of the Lutheran Church.

Such experiences do not require me to make any compromises as to my personal distinctive beliefs and practices.  What all of these events had in common was a shared concern that others might come to know the same wonderful Friend and Saviour we all know – that is the person of Jesus Christ.  This over-arching passion comes not from any church institution but from experiencing the generous work of God in undeserving individuals.

My own Christian tradition is a simple one.  We do not have a hierarchy of bishops or venerate saints.  We do not have rituals or incense.  We do believe the Bible to be God’s word to us today, and it was a delight to hear so much of the Pope’s messages filled with scripture with Jesus at the centre of it all.

Learning to walk “hand in hand” is an enriching, enlightening and exciting experience and I unhesitatingly commend it to others.

This month’s Prayer

Dear God, save me from a narrow mind and the arrogance of thinking I already have a complete grasp of truth.  Put in me a searching heart and mind, and lead me to know you, and then to know you better.   Amen.

The Weekly News

Firstly I would like to thank those who have been praying for Doreen.  I was surprised to look back and see that it was over a month ago that she was taken ill.  This week I took her to see a specialist in Rushden, Northants.  He ordered a number of tests and we are now waiting for an appointment for an internal examination.  She is eating as little as possible and has lost weight.  Hopefully we will get a date soon.  Our GP who had been on holiday when she was taken ill had picked up on the results from one of the tests and telephoned us earlier this (Saturday) evening.  Now that's diligence!

My ticket for the ecumenical service (part of the Pope's visit) arrived during the week.  So many things have cast shadows across this occasion and I will put something on my " Reflections" blog, rather than take up space here (barryosborne.blogspot.com).  My piece written about Terry Jones brought quite a lot of agreement.  I'm glad he has cancelled his original plan.

Since my last posting I took a team from Theddingworth village church into Gartree Prison for the Sunday Service.  This was followed by informal fellowship during which I was able to have a couple of good conversations with prisoners.  Late the evening before I got news that two of our older members from Yelvertoft had been taken ill.   It was feared that the lady might have had a stroke.  She was having great difficulty in walking.  From the prison I rushed the 15 miles to Yelvertoft to catch the end of the meeting (taken by the Rev. John Harris) and then visited this couple.  After praying with her there was an immediate improvement and she was able to walk once again.  Tests indicate that it might not have been anything other than an infection.  I'm just glad she's so much better.

We have had some family visits.  Firstly our niece, her husband and there daughter visited from a village near Bedford.  Katrina and Jim are strong Christians.  Then my brother and his partner called in on their way to visit his son who lives in Nottingham.  I also managed to take a little free time over recent days.

In addition to taking the services at Yelvertoft and Theddingworth I have been involved in two different Board Meetings for the Congregational Federation (nationally), and a Committee Meeting for this Area.  Here are the activities for the coming few days:

I am involved in writing and editing papers for the report to go to the House of Bishops (Church of England) on pastoral responses to those who have been sexually abused.  This has to be completed as soon as possible ready for a meeting on 20th September.

Sunday 12th   Yelvertoft Congregational Church
Tuesday 14th  Gartree Prison
Wed. 15th  12.30   Rural Church Leaders' Network for south Leicestershire & north Northamptonshire.
                   19.30  Harborough Churches Together (attending)
Thurs. 16th   9.00  Meeting with two Germans who are researching rural evangelism.
                    12.30 Rural Church Leaders' Network based around Rugby.
Friday 17th  Ecumenical Service in London (part of the Pope's official visit)
Monday 20th  Meeting in Nottingham planning special celebrations to mark the 350th Anniversary of the Great Ejectment.
Tuesday/Wednesday 21st/22nd  Residential meetings for the Churches Group for Evangelization.
Saturday 25th  Mission ans Society Committee in Nottingham.

As always - thank you very much for your interest and prayers.

Barry

Praise, Prison and Prayer

Another week has almost come to an end.  I look back with thankfulness for God's blessings in so many ways.  The Psalmist speaks of proclaiming God's love in the morning and his faithfulness at night (Psalm 92:1-3).  It seems to me that starting the day with an awareness of God's covenant and unfailing love then enables us to be conscious of those many acts of goodness we might otherwise not have noticed.  This leaves us at the end of the day praising God for his faithfulness to us through another day.  Sadly, praise and thanksgiving seem to be absent or rare in the lives of many Christians.  How about you?

Readers of the blog will be aware that last Thursday I had an appointment with a session by the Department for Transport Road Safety Unit.  This was a penalty for exceeding the speed limit marginally recently.  The session took up the whole morning and I found myself one of around twenty others.  Most were middle aged or older (except for women where the average age was lower).  Sixty percent were male.  It was a valuable an enjoyable morning - very informative and great at enabling us to recognise our faults.

One of the early exercises was for each of us to state where we had been caught, whether we considered the speed limit fair and why we exceeded it.   Almost everyone confessed that the speed limit was fair.  The majority of reasons were "going with the flow", and "lack of awareness".  In fact, when it came to stating what the national speed limits are many in the group were woefully ignorant.  One man thought that the black diagonal line across a white circle meant you could travel at any speed!

The instructors confessed that they too had at some time exceeded the speed limit.  One said, "We all fail because we are all human.  There was only one perfect man!"  How right he is and how breaking the law regarding speeding mirrors sin generally.  While some deliberately transgress, others do not realise the limits and why they are there, and still others sin because they are careless.  The big difference is that some speed and get away with it while all will have to give account for sin.

Talking of which I'm in prison tomorrow morning with Steve, Liz and Margaret from Theddingworth.  If you are reading this before 9.00am please take a moment to pray for us.  If you are reading it after the event please take a moment to pray for those who received our ministry.

In the evening I will be leading the meeting at Theddingworth.  Other activities in the week include a meeting of the Congregational Federation's Pastoral Care Board on Wednesday and a meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee for the Area on Friday.  Next Saturday we will enjoy a visit from one of our nieces and her husband and their little daughter.  We will also welcome into our home the Revd Sandra Turner and her husband John.  They will be special guests in Yelvertoft on the Sunday and I have been busy trying to encourage folk from other churches to come and meet Sandra.  She was part of a small network of mission enablers I nurtured several years ago.  Apart from my own term as President in 2001/2002 there have been two other mission enablers elected to this office.  that's encouraging.

I am still playing catch up with writing items - especially for the group preparing a report on the support of sexual abuse survivors within the Church of England.  Please pray that I will be able to make sufficient time this week to complete this.

Miscellany

On Monday I drove to the Uttoxeter area (90 minutes from home) to take part in interviewing an applicant for accreditation with the Congregational Federation.  Fortunately, the worst of the heavy rain had passed over before I set out.  However my car had developed an intermittent starting problem and I had to bump start it down a short steep drive to get back home.  On the way home I dropped off some p.a. and other items of equipment at the Congregational Church in Leicester.  We are very grateful to one of the members of Herstmonceux Free Church who donated the p.a. speakers; when I was Minister there we used them for our "Fresh Expression" of church established some time before "Fresh Expressions" was in existence.

On Tuesday the car would not start.  It appeared one of the battery cells had failed not long after the one year guarantee expired!  With a new battery in place I set off for Gartree Prison for the afternoon.  We have attracted a few more choir members.  In the evening we used some of the time to plan for the service next Sunday morning at the Prison.  These are precious opportunities and we seek to move in the Spirit of Christ on such occasions.  I shall value your prayers.

Working on admin in the office I had a call from a Lutheran Minister from Germany researching rural evangelism.  He and a colleague will be visiting me (among others) in about three weeks time.

Alfred Lavender -
gospel artist/evangelist

Finally, I had an interesting dream at about 3.30am and woke immediately afterwards.  In the dream I had been sharing in an open air meeting with my old friend and former colleague, Alfred Lavender.  Alfred was singing the hymn "We've a story to tell to the nations".  I couldn't remember the verses but followed Alfred's lead, joining in harmony in the chorus after each verse:  "For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright.  And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth: the kingdom of love and light".

I have no idea why I dreamed about Alfred or why this particular hymn.  But it was a great spiritual experience!ender

Rachel and Kyle tie the knot

Rachel with her proud dad!

Doreen and I drove down to Hastings shortly after finishing Holiday at home on Friday.  On Saturday we went to the wedding of Kyle and Rachel.  We have known Rachel since she was about six, and watched her grow up in our church.  Her father, Paul, was my right hand in ministry for many years and he and his wife Janice are treasured friends.

Paul has been unwell for several years but was determined to walk Rachel down the aisle.  He did so - good man!

Two years ago Rachel's eldest brother, David, died in a tragic accident and I took his funeral.  It was so good to share on a happier note yesterday.

There are some wedding photos on my facebook page.

Today, shrugging of tiredness, we had a lovely meeting at Yelvertoft this morning and joined with friends at Walton Baptist Church, Leicestershire, for a Sankey service this afternoon.  I enjoyed it greatly.

This Week

During the past week I have been taking part in a "Holiday at Home" programme in Market Harborough.  This is primarily a social programme but it offers a link with Christians and opportunity to share some of the good news of salvation and life in Christ.

The programme was spearheaded by the Rev Brian Kennard (a former associate evangelist of our and now the local Methodist Minister) and is backed by Churches Together in Harborough.  We offered morning activities over four days plus a day outing.  My role was taking two sessions on internet issues, working with a friend on leading a singalong session and doing one of the "Light Bite" God spots.  Two ladies spoke with me specifically about seeking after God, and a third indicated something similar.  Other than that I was happy to act as a general helper.  Pictures are on the right of this page.  Click any to enlarge

Saturday 21st Doreen and I are back in Sussex for the wedding of one young woman who grew up in our church at Herstmonceux.  Rachel is the sister of  the young man whose funeral I conducted a couple of years ago after he died in a tragic accident.  It will be good to share with the family on a happier occasion.

This coming week
Working on a community questionnaire for a Parish in the Southwell and Nottingham.  Working on various aspects of the Rural Evangelism Network.
Sunday - ministry at Yelvertoft, Northants.
Monday - Interviewing an applicant for accreditation with the Congregational Federation (Derbyshire)
Tuesday - Gartree Prison
Thursday - back to driving school!  This is the penalty for exceeding a speed limit!
Friday - pastoral visits in Yelvertoft
Sunday 29th - Morning meeting at Gartree Prison with team from Theddingworth.

Thanks again for your prayers.

A short break?

The past week was scheduled as a break for Doreen and me and possibly a proper holiday, but it was not to work out quite that way.  Last weekend Doreen was taken ill. In over 35 years of marriage this was only the second time that she has felt ill enough to take to her bed for a while.

Dick takes a rest at Foxton Locks

Timing was not good as we also welcomed Pastor Dick Pymm into our home for a ten day visit.  Dick was largely responsible from Doreen  becoming a Christian as they worked together in a printing firm where Dick took every opportunity he could to witness for Christ.  He is still an irrepressible evangelist and has been witnessing to folk while here.

St. Mary's Parish Church, Lutterworth

Last year Dick's wife was called home to be with the Lord after several years of illness, and this has been the first break since then.  We have managed to take him out on some days to local sites including Foxton Locks, Rutland Water and, today, to Lutterworth which is where John Wycliffe, the 14th Century Theologian and Reformer, was vicar.

Appropriately, Lutterworth is also the location of the headquarters of Gideon's International through whom I received a New Testament while at school that served me well once I became a Christian several years later.

Various visits to the doctors had to be slotted into the week as did also my weekly visit to Gartree Prison and a planning meeting for school assemblies in Yelvertoft and a practice for one of the events within the "Holiday at Home" programme which will take up most of next week.  So not a lot of rest!

This Sunday morning (15th) I will be at Yelvertoft where we also welcome a guest presentation on the work of Hope4, a mission to homeless folk in Rugby.  Talking about homelessness, what about the situation in Pakistan where 20 million have apparently lost their homes!  This evening, I was reflecting on the fact that Jesus came into this world in inadequate housing, exercised his ministry with "nowhere to lay his head", and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

As already mentioned this week is Holiday at Home led by my good friend Brian Kennard who is the local Methodist Minister and who many years ago was an associate evangelist with us.  This is not overtly evangelistic but we seek to bring good news in various ways through the week.  Please pray for wisdom to know when to speak and what to say.

Friday afternoon we will set off to Hastings ready to join with friends at Herstmonceux where I was pastor for 15 years.  One of our young girls, now a woman, is getting married.  God has been working in her life and we would not want to miss this.  Hopefully Doreen will be fit again by then.

Hanging over my head is the sense of guilt at some tasks uncompleted by the time deadlines were hit.  It leaves me frustrated as I hate letting people down.  Please keep praying that God will raise up administration help as well as those to whom we will be able to pass the baton of this vital ministry.

"Where two or three..."

Only those familiar with rural ministry will have some appreciation of what today has been like.  In a village of 1000 people to have a congregation of 20 is generally considered good.  Even 10 is proportionately not bad.  I live in a town of 20,000 people and it is unlikely that any one church had a congregation of 200, let alone 400, which would be the equivalent attendance figures.  But it's holiday time and extra absences coincide with the regular absence because of ill health.

So this morning my congregation was five in Yelvertoft (population 1000), and my evening congregation at Theddingworth (population approximately 200) was just three.  In both cases one of these was Doreen's old pastor (now 84) who has come to stay with us for a few days.  Incidentally Doreen's health that has been very poor since Friday first thing has taken a turn for the better.  Thank you if you prayed for her.

Many would question whether meeting with so few is worthwhile.  All I can say is that God had given me a word to share in both meetings, and that just as Jesus often shunned the multitude to minister to ones and twos so I too feel that we cannot evaluate our ministry by the numbers we reach.  In both cases I dare to think that most urban Christians might have thought they were at a Bible Convention, such was the quality of fellowship, the earnestness of worship and the ministry of his precious word.

This morning we considered how David, in going against Goliath not only looked to God to give the victory but also had confidence in his chosen weapon.  While we too need to look to God we need to have confidence in the spiritual weapons that God has given us that are capable of pulling down strongholds (2Corinthians 10:4).  In particular we need confidence in the power of God's word and the power of prayer (see also Ephesians 6).  We considered how the work Nehemiah completed was birthed and sustained through prayer, how Esther - supported by prayer - risked her life to save God's people from annihilation, how Peter was set free and the plans of Herod thwarted through prayer (Acts 12), and how the early disciples responded to threats by praying.  We too face challenges but as we look to God and engage with the enemy using the weapons God has given we shall overcome.

This evening we looked into the life of Esther - the only book in the Bible where God is not mentioned though his footprints can clearly be seen.  We reflected how God had the right person in the right place at the right time.  Often we would rather serve God is some other way; perhaps something more dramatic or possibly with a much larger congregation, but it's not about that.  It is about being faithful in the role in which God has placed us.

As we left the Chapel in Yelvertoft this morning a man walked up to me.  Although I did not recognise him I knew at once that he was the man who had phoned me in the middle of the night the week before (see "What would Jesus Do?" posting).  He shook my hand warmly and told me that things were looking better.  I now have an invitation to visit him.  So keep praying!

48 years ago a man I did not know put a gospel tract in my hand.  He then went home to his wife and told her that he had given a tract to a sailor and God was going to save him and had a special plan for his life.  That faithful servant was not well at the time but he had been obedient in going out to give out these tracts on a damp and cold autumn night.  The only person with who he gave was me - a young man in naval uniform on his way to sea cadets.   That night this man and his wife stayed up all night praying for the unknown sailor.  Then they sent out prayer letters to friends throughout the world asking people to pray for the sailor.  They repeated this over the following months until, having heard their side of the story through a mutual friend who had not realised he had been praying for me(!) I knocked on their door and introduced myself both as the sailor and now a Christian brother.

Please don't undervalue the power of prayer or the humblest of service opportunities that God gives you.

This week is partly holiday but I have a few appointments on Monday, Tuesday and possibly Thursday.  Next Sunday I'm back at Yelvertoft, knowing that even if there are but few of us there we can still count upon God's presence and once again it will be worth sitting at his feet.

Please take a look at www.ruralmissionsolutions,org.uk and drop me a line.

Thanks.

What Would Jesus Do?

It was about five past midnight early last Sunday when the telephone rang awakening Doreen and me from our much needed sleep.  I managed to reach the phone in the office just before it switched over to the answer phone.  "Is that Barry Osborne?" said the voice on the other end.  I assured him it was and asked what I could do.  "You probably don't know me but I live in Yelvertoft", he went on.  Getting a call in the middle of the night from someone I probably don't know who lives in the village where my church is situated had me imagining bad news.  "We met at John Wale's funeral", he explained.  Now I was anticipating that someone had just died and, tired as I was, I already imagined I would soon be driving the 14 miles from Market Harborough to support someone suddenly bereaved.


But I was wrong.  Over the next few minutes I discovered that the man on the phone lived alone and was feeling incredibly low.  It seemed to him that nobody cared whether he lived or died.  He was really depressed.  Although his speech was clear I suspected he might have been drinking.  Sure enough he confessed he had already drunk too much but was not intending to drink any more that night.  Was he feeling that it might help if I travelled over immediately, I enquired, only to be assured that he did not see this as necessary.


It was about then that he realised how late it was and apologised for waking me.  I told him not to worry and that if he wanted to talk I would be glad to listen.  So for the next half hour Doreen lay in bed praying and listening to my half of the conversation while I teased his story out of him and tried to say all the right things.  At times like this with alcohol affecting the mind of the person  there was not much point in preaching at him.  My main concern was to be sure that he was not likely to do himself harm or anything stupid.  Slowly he became more rational, the depression clearly lifted as the presence of someone prepared to get out of bed and talk with him was counteracting how he had been feeling minutes before.  He even ended up telling me jokes!


Arriving at church a few hours later I found a nice note thanking me for being there for him and putting up with his bad jokes.  I would have rather seen him but the letter was certainly better than nothing.  I plan to get round to visit him.  He knows full well what I stand for and has heard me share the good news at John's funeral.  Will you pray for him please?  Sometimes, for some people, the good news starts with just knowing that someone cares and he has heard me say how much he is valued by God.  Who knows what God will do in his life!


Your prayers for Doreen will also be valued.  She has been quite unwell for the last 48 hours and so far medication given by the surgery has not had the desired affect.  It's not often she is ill and it's not good timing as we have a friend - her former pastor - staying with us for a few days.  He also needs to feel God's touch a he is still struggling to deal with feelings after losing his wife after several years of coping with Altzheimers.  So maybe it would be good to pray for Richard.  Come to that your prayers for me will be appreciated as I prepare for and then lead two services tomorrow.


"And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" 2Cor 3:4/5.

Hitting all the right notes!

Some folk were definitely praying for this evening's concert at Gartree Prison.  Our reduced choir members arrived after all the visitors had come through prison security and taken their seats.  All were clearly nervous but we made a good start and the whole event went off without a hitch.  Our final choir piece tonight was "God's Choir in the Sky" and brought it to an excellent end.  So thanks for praying for us.

The impact of these choir concerts on everyone is significant.  Most of those that come from outside are prison visitors and they always speak highly of these events.  Prison staff on duty were helpful and appreciative.  The prisoners in the audience find it a highlight - bear in mind all of these prisoners are doing very long sentences.  But the main beneficiaries are the choir members who undoubtedly feel something of God's love through the practices and response of the audience.  Some are already Christians.  All will have gone back to a cell roughly 6ft by 8ft (one small room=bedroom, living room bathroom, toilet and dining room) feeling positive tonight.

All will have committed an horrendous crime in the past and each day they live in a context that reminds them.  A life sentence is not as easy as sometimes parts of the media make out.  Finding God's love and peace in such a context is very precious.

Anxiety among many farmers has been increasing what with bovine TB spreading and what looks like a poor harvest as far as corn and hay are concerned, which will put costs up for beef and dairy farmers at a time when beef prices are falling.  We need to pray for the good work of the Farm Crisis Network.

Doreen worked hard helping me to get various postal mailings out over the last few days.  I am also getting good feedback from those who have visited the new websites.  If you have not already visited www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk and www.ruralevangelism.net please do so soon and leave your comments on the contact pages.

Tomorrow I have two appointments in London.  I meet with a staff member of the URC at 11.00 and then with the Rural Evangelism Network Committee at 12.30.  Sometimes God seems to make additional appointments on the trains.  We shall see!

Nose to the grindstone

I'm not sure of the origin of this phrase, but it explains why there has been no posting for the past two weeks.

At the heart of this busy time has been the building of two new websites that could (potentially) replace the existing website at www.ruralmissions.org.uk.  This existing website is a specialist site primarily designed for churches. It has lots of built in facilities that made it ideal for the Rural Evangelism Network.  It has been hosted by Rural Sunrise for the last few years and costs quite a lot of money.  It was time we reviewed this.

A survey of REN members revealed that very few were using any of the special facilities for which we were paying, so I set about exploring alternatives.  Please take a look at www.ruralevangelism.net and www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk to see the results of these labours.  Both still need more work.

"Rural Mission Solutions" is the name under which I will be carrying out much of my ministry.  It will replace the name "Rural Sunrise" over a period of time.  Monica, my colleague in rural ministry has chosen to operate in the Charity name which is "Sunrise Ministries".  While it is only the "working name" that is changing I hope to see the tailored mission aspect of my work becoming a greater focus.  Right now we could do with four or five churches that would be interested in engaging with this process, and four or five people who would like to train as enablers.

Another aspect of work in the past two weeks was the Rural Evangelism Network mail-out.  This time of year is also when annual subscriptions are due from our members.  Collecting these is a complex process as some representatives of Churches and organisations pay direct, while other subscription invoices have to be referred through treasurers at a different address.  Yet another dimension to this work was the opening of a new bank account for REN which involved shuttling papers between Leicestershire, Devon, Suffolk and West Sussex.

One of the elements of work undertaken by two of my colleagues in REN has been the production of a workbook for people involved in County Shows.  The notes are downloadable from the REN website but I have also turned these into an A5 format hard copy workbook, which will be a resource on sale for a modest price from here.

The prison choir has been challenging over the last two weeks.  Readers of these postings may remember that the authorities transferred several of our choir members to other prisons.  A poster campaign to attract new members was launched but for some reason I do not understand the posters never went up around the prison.  So we are left with a smaller choir and not all are able to attend the practice every week.  The concert is next Wednesday (we usually have over 30 outside visitors and 20 inmates) and we are around 60% ready!

The International Congregational Fellowship had a telephone conference to move forward plans for the next International Conference which will be held at the Brunel University in 2013.  My primary role is getting publicity started including a DVD.

Last Monday I visited St. Philip's Centre in Leicester.  This is a national centre for inter-faith issues.  The reason behind the visit was to explore with them the possibility of their developing a training course for Christians going into chaplaincy ministry where there is inevitably an inter-faith dimension.  Many find this a challenging aspect but it is perfectly possible to maintain a Christian witness with integrity while operating in an inter-faith context.  It was a useful visit and I have been pursuing this enquiry wearing two of my Congregational federation "hats".  If interest for this course develops other Christian denominations would also have something of value available to them.  Chaplaincy ministry is front-line mission work in the UK context today.

On the subject of courses, I have made an enquiry to Winchester University as to whether it will be possible to pick up my MPhil research degree with them.  What started with Bangor University got interrupted by moving to the East Midlands, two house moves, and some employment changes, plus some accident/illness issues.  In the meantime the department I was registered with at Bangor also underwent changes and is no longer an appropriate location for this work.  The Congregational Federation's Training Course (on which I occasionally provide input) is validated by Winchester University.  If they accept me (and if I can afford it) this could draw together various elements of my life and work.  The research is into contemporary patterns of rural evangelism.

This coming week I am free from ministry on Sunday, but Doreen and I will be at Yelvertoft and Theddingworth churches through the day.  Tuesday is our last choir practice before the concert on Wednesday evening.  On Thursday I have a meeting with a staff member of the United Reformed Church at their offices in London followed by a REN Committee meeting at the same location.   On Saturday I have a marriage blessing service at Hothorpe Hall (great opportunity to share the message of God's sacrificial love) and on Sunday 1st August I will conduct the morning meeting at Yelvertoft followed by conducting a service at a hospital in Market Harborough.

Now, where's that grindstone!

The weekly report

It has been another busy week with various activities filling much of what might otherwise have been "private time".  The coming week, by contrast has fewer commitments that will allow some free time, but also space to do a few office based jobs that have accumulated.

Last Sunday's special joy was having Leslie Freer, our Church Secretary, lead our morning meeting at Yelvertoft with me bringing ministry from God's Word and leading communion.  This was the first time since I came to Yelvertoft that we have worked as a team in leading worship and it was a real joy to me.  Our theme exploring how the Holy Spirit enriches relationships will be developed a little further this Sunday morning.

On Monday my car went to the local body shop for long awaited repairs after being struck by a lorry outside our home.  What was expected to take two days was done in less than one.  Then, after pointing out that a very small nick in the paintwork had been missed the mechanics mixed up enough paint not only to do this minor defect but also to carefully touch up a different part of the car while I was waiting.

It was my monthly visit to take Assembly at Lubenham Primary School which ended in my getting "high fives" from all the Year Six leavers.  After this I had been invited to have an aortic aneurysm scan (part of this areas preventative provision to check for abnormalities) and was told I was "normal".  Some might have a different opinion.

Tuesday was my weekly prison ministry.  We have only three more practices before the concert and we are far from ready!  On Wednesday I had an early start to travel to Rugby for a working breakfast with church leaders there.  In the evening I sat with a young couple, Matthew and Sonya, preparing for their marriage.  On Thursday, after a morning of office work, I set off for a working lunch in the village of Grandborough, Warwickshire where I met with the Diocesan Rural Officer and a newly appointed incumbent in one of the larger villages nearby.  Thursday is my day for pastoral visits in and around Yelvertoft so that filled my afternoon and early evening.

On Friday there was a meeting of my local management committee and preparation for Saturday's "Rural Mission" event organised by the Diocese of Leicester where I was able to have a presence.  So it was off early to Broughton Astley to set up my stall.  And what a great day that proved to be.  The Bishop of Shrewsbury (an old friend and formally part of the Rural Evangelism Network) was the main speaker and people crowded  round by stall at times likes bees round a honey pot.  The most encouraging aspect from my point of view was the high level of interest in the "No Ordinary Man" Project.  For more pictures and audio files from this event go to http://sbg.dioceseofleicester.com/?p=325.

Through this week I also set up three new websites, two of which are proposed to take the place of the existing website.  The current website was set up to be interactive with a network of people doing rural mission putting their material on it and using it as a facility for shared administrative work within the Rural Evangelism Network.  But few have taken up the opportunities this excellent facility offers and i have been largely left to manage it myself.  So it has become like having a Rolls Royce when a Vauxhall Astra would be more than adequate.  There is still work to be done but if you would like to see how this is progressing do take a look at www.ruralevangelism.net (the new REN website) and www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk (the new Rural Sunrise website).  Both are still missing the "resources" pages.

This Week
We start with conducting two meetings today: Yelvertoft this morning and Theddingworth this evening.

On Tuesday I am taking a school assembly at Yelvertoft and then working in the prison.

A planned meeting for local rural church leaders on Wednesday will almost certainly be postponed.

On Thursday I have a telephone conference in the morning as I am involved in planning a major international conference for 2013.  Then I expect to be in Yelvertoft for my weekly visits.

Between these activities there is work to be done on the new websites, a mail-out for the Rural Evangelism Network, and some very important papers to finish for the report being prepared for the House of Bishops of the Church of England on the pastoral care of those who have suffered sexual abuse.

Do please pray for us each day if you can.  With some ingenuity you might be able to print this posting off.  I value your prayers for Doreen, my wife, whose peripheral neuropathy makes walking very difficult.

A big THANK YOU for standing with us in prayer.