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!