Learning to Trust

I have been spending time this evening putting the finishing touches to tomorrow's Family Service at Goodwood Evangelical Church.  The theme on my heart has been "trust".  When I was a young lad in Sunday School one of the mottoes that was emphasised was from Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..."  Of course trusting is easy if you are only talking about it.  It becomes a different matter if your life is in danger, or you are faced with some overwhelming crisis.

It is also a different matter when there is no evidence of God when we are in the time of crisis, when God suddenly seems far away.  A long time ago, while still a young minister, I passed through a several months where, for the first time, I had lost my sense of being in God's will for my life  It had begun with a strong and sudden sense that the Lord was calling me to leave the Mission in which I was working and take up the pastorate of a specific church in Kent.

So compelling was this call that I drove to meet with the Pastor of the church to discuss it with him.  Imagine my excitement when he fairly leaped for joy and told me I was an amazing answer to prayer, as he had just informed the church that he was retiring.  That of course was unknown to me.  He contacted the Church Secretary who also indicated his delight.  The congregation was to be informed of our conversation as soon as possible.  I was to let them know the next morning when I had given notice of my leaving the Mission.

On my return to the Mission HQ, where I was living at the time, I informed the Mission Director, as I wanted to be honest and open about what had happened.  He hit the roof and pleaded with me to reconsider.  I was sure of my guidance but for his sake I agreed to 'sleep on it' for 24 hours.  He agreed that if I still felt as strongly after that he would agree to my departure.  So it was that 24 hours later I went back to the Pastor of the church, only to hear that during this time their Superintendent Minister had submitted the name of a potential minister.  As they hadn't heard from me that morning and the rules stated that they could only consider one candidate at a time, the door was now apparently closed.

Then I was informed that the previous day the Mission Director had pleaded with the church not to take me away from the Mission.  The Pastor told me "I have never had a man weep like that on the phone".  I wasn't sure who I was angry with.  I was angry with the Mission Director for interfering.  I was also angry with myself for allowing myself to defer what I felt so strongly God wanted me to do.  So began my months of darkness.  I had to preach and encourage people to put their trust in God.  I had to encourage people to surrender their lives to God and obey his leading.  But I felt a hypocrite and had lost all sense of direction for my life.  During this time the ministry candidate was appointed to the pastorate.  The door seemed closed and locked!

I think it was an old Strict Baptist preacher who unknowingly came to my aid by saying, "Some times we have to trust God when we cannot trace him".  He had no idea of the prophetic nature of that remark, but in a moment I was delivered.  I realised that God was greater than my greatest failures and that he was utterly trustworthy.  I decided to trust the one I could not trace, and re-surrendered my life and my way into his hands.  Looking back I wonder, was it all just a test of my ability to trust when all evidence of God's sovereign guidance were absent?  Frankly, I no longer need to know.  The path from that point to know has been marked with incredible blessing.

Are you passing through uncertain times? Are you facing difficulties or passing through trials?  Does God seem strangely distant?  In tough times as well as in good may God grant us the grace to trust him.

Praise for past blessings
Following all the blessing of our 350th anniversary celebrations at Yelvertoft last weekend, it seemed strangely quiet at first.  But towards the middle of the week things got busy.  On Tuesday I took a school assembly at Yelvertoft and had such a good time with the children there.  They seem to treat me like a big brother!  Then in the afternoon we had our final rehearsal for the prison choir concert that took place early evening on Wednesday.  The whole thing was a great success with the programme opening with a medley of songs about prayer followed by a drama about prayer.  The audience sang along with our sea shanties, and we had to give an encore performance!

Before the concert I had travelled to Stoneleigh, Warwickshire to chair the Churches Rural Group Meeting.  This brings together representatives from national Churches and some organisations.  We did useful business and had an interesting presentation about Foodbanks from the Trussell Trust.  I recommend you visit www.trusselltrust.org to find out more.

On Thursday I was back in Yelvertoft to host a visit from around 30 children from school who came to hear the story of the brave men and women who, at great personal cost, had followed their conscience and sought to establish a church that was led by scripture and the Holy Spirit.  They were dangerous times but they were laying foundations for amazing things that were to follow.

Prayer requests
If you read this in time please pray for the Family Service at Goodwood Evangelical Church (starts at 11.15) this Sunday.  But it's never too late to pray that God's word will bring forth all he intends.

On Thursday our Bible Discussion Group meets to continue our studies in 1 Corinthians.

On Saturday I am attending the Agricultural Christian Fellowship Conference and will take a small part.

On Sunday 4th we have our Harvest Thanksgiving at Yelvertoft when we hope to gather a harvest of tins and packeted food for the Rugby Foodbank.  Please pray that we will have many visitors and that hearts and minds will be touched by the Lord.

We continue to need your prayers that the Lord will meet our financial needs.  We are thankful for those who gave donations after the letter we sent out two week's ago.  We are also thankful for those who have promised some regular support to keep our ministry going.  Having run at a loss for the past three years we are in a difficult place.  No doubt we need to trust!

In a similar way, my fellow trustees of Action for Christ and I have sent a letter to all on our database explaining the difficulties AfC has been led into by recent past leadership.  Please pray for wisdom for the three AfC trustees (Elizabeth, Terry and me).  We need to discern whether the Lord still has a purpose for the organisation, and if so what this is.

Please continue prayers as I prepare for a consultation in Cornwall, my visit to church leaders in Ireland, and a talk at a Soldiers' and Airmen's Scripture Readers event.

A Thought!
When we pray do we take time to be still and listen, or do we just pour our requests into God's ear?  Sometimes we might hear an answer if we aren't rushing away.  Why not try being still before each item for praise and prayer above?  How does God want us to pray about these things?  Then after we have prayed did we sense God speaking?  It might help to pace out the praise and prayer items over several days, or even the whole week.

Barry

Recording the second coming?

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."  Matthew 24:44

It is rapidly moving towards midnight on Saturday 20th October and I have not long been in after a very busy day marking the 350th anniversary of the church where I am minister.  This morning we had an encouraging number of people visit our exhibition and enjoy food and drink.  This evening we had an excellent  concert led by the Yelvertoft Ladies Choir, and a brilliant young oboe player.  It would have been good to have seen a few more this evening but, of course, we were competing with the enticing Strictly Come Dancing on TV.

Clearly those who attended the concert, and who are fans of 'Strictly' could have left equipment at home set to record the programme, and then watched it on returning home. That way they would not miss the programme.  On the other hand if they had chosen to stay at home and watch TV they would have missed a superb concert.  So it is clear what should be the priority.

It's great that for many of us recording a favourite TV programme is so much simpler.  No need for tapes in cassettes.  A few touches on buttons and we can record onto a hard drive or, perhaps just watch it later on iplayer or similar.  

But there are some events that need to be personally unmissable as you wont be able to record and play it back, and you certainly won't want to miss out.  The second coming of Jesus Christ is one such unmissable event.  When I was a new Christian an older Christian told me that I should live as if Jesus had died only yesterday, had risen this morning, and was coming back tomorrow.  Not bad advice!

Back in the 1960's I had the privilege of hearing the late Dr. Herbert Lockyer speak on "The Next Great World Event".  A poem he recited that day stuck in my mind and I am able to recite it today as I believe I heard it nearly 50 years ago:

There’s a man in yonder glory I have loved for many years, 
He has cleared my guilty conscience and has banished all my fears.
He is coming in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, 
And no time will be allotted for you to utter one good-bye. 
No time to kiss the husband or embrace the loving wife, 
If they are united in the bonds of holy life. 
Are you ready, Christian, ready, for the trump and shout of voice? 
Will His coming make you tremble or cause you to rejoice? 
Are you walking with Him daily, making Him your care?

Do you live so close to heaven that a breath would waft you there?

(Internet versions vary slightly)

Some events just have to be prioritised!

As always, thanks for your prayers during the past week.  Here is a summary:

The theme the Lord put on my heart for Sunday morning about rest and trust in times of stress proved very appropriate for many in the congregation, though I had no knowledge of this beforehand.  In the evening Doreen and I went to Newton URC, near Rugby.   Again the ministry was appreciated.

Monday morning found me setting of to the Conference Centre at High Leigh, Hoddesden, Herts.  I was there for a 24 hour gathering of the Churches Group for Evangelization.  It was a valuable time meeting with those responsible for evangelism across the main UK Churches.  I also benefited from a precious time of prayer after sharing with my friends some current heavy burdens.

Among these very special prayers was one by a Catholic friend who prayed that God would cause his saints and angels to walk alongside me through the coming days.  It wasn't quite my theology but I went to bed reflecting on Hebrews 12:1, and realising I still have much to learn.  That prayer was both powerful and effective.

I left High Leigh mid-morning on Tuesday in order to get back for the choir practice in Gartree Prison (see below).

There was more ministry on Thursday as I led the Bible Discussion Group as we dipped into 1Corinthians chapter 6, where Paul addresses the issue of freedom in Christ; things that are not banned are not always appropriate or even right.

The remainder of the week was largely spent getting ready for our 350th anniversary.  This included printing quantities of a booklet written in the past about non-conformist life in the village since 1662.  I also assisted one of our congregation in writing his record of the village chapel since he was a lad.  Rob is able to trace his family connection with the chapel over more than 300 years!

Cllr Alan Chantler tries out the new ramp

We have also been keen to see some building work completed at the chapel in Yelvertoft.  We have a good team from the congregation but the builders seemed to have left too much to do at the last moment.  However, all the basics were completed in time after the builders worked late into the evening.  We now have wheelchair access from the road right through to the church and within the church.  This is a real step forward for our small rural congregation.

A local District Councillor and Christian friend cut the ribbon and tried out access from his electric wheelchair.

Tomorrow (Sunday) we continue our anniversary celebrations with ministry from my good friend, Dr Janet Wootton.

Upcoming Activities:

Tuesday 23 - 10.30 School Assembly in Yelvertoft; 13.30 HMP Gartree

Wednesday 24th - 11.00 Churches Rural Group (which I chair) at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire; 17.30 Prison Choir Concert, Gartree, Leics.

Sunday 28th - Family Service, Goodwood Evangelical Church, Leicester.

Do you need hymn books?

I have a quantity of the earlier version of Mission Praise (up to number 798) from Action for Christ.  Please let me know if these would be an answer to prayer for you.

Talking of answers to prayer I would be grateful if you would drop me a line and tell me about your latest definite answer to prayer.  Please try to put a date against it.

Finally please keep praying as, with others, i seek to find the right person to take up the ministry of Children and Families Worker in the East Midlands.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Barry

Devoted service or workaholic?

Where does the line lie between wholehearted service for Jesus Christ and being a workaholic?

These words appeared during the week in a 'tweet' from a friend and colleague, John Truscott, who works as a Church Consultant.  Church management is one of the areas in which he specialises and from time to time he broadcasts these 'tweeted' wise words to all and sundry.  My immediate response to his question was to suggest that it lies somewhere between the heart and head, by which I meant that service for Jesus should always be a matter of the heart.  Becoming a workaholic suggests, to me a problem of mental attitude.  I later added a 'tweet' of my own commenting that since God sometimes says "No" to things he is asked to do, it also means that it is right for us to sometimes say "No" too.

Of course, it isn't simple.  It may also not come as a surprise that I am often asked whether I am doing more than I should.  Many years I discovered that I was suffering from stress because I allowed myself to submissively accept all that my immediate superior dumped on me.  Every few months I would become mentally confused, unable to finish sentences because I couldn't remember what I wanted to say.  After giving me a thorough check up after one of these turns, my doctor told me that there were two possible things he could prescribe.  The first,he told me, was a course of Valium   I asked what the alternative treatment was, and was informed that it was learning to say "No".

I started saying "No" the next time a pile of work was about to be added to my existing heavy load.  I was informed that this was an 'ungodly reaction' but I stood my ground and haven't had a funny turn since that day over 30 years ago.  But I recognise that one of my weaknesses is not letting go or putting down that which God no longer expects me to carry.  I remember how surprised I was when I discovered that the Minister who had baptised me in my teens had some years later left the ministry and taken up a secular job.  But when I asked him about this he replied that God had called him into pastoral ministry and had later called him out of it.  If that is true then I wonder which step called for the greater faith and courage.

Of course there are some times when taking on a responsibility does not need a revelation from God.  In the parable of the Good Samaritan we are told that the priest and Levite just happened to be going that way.  We are not told that any of the three who saw the man were told by God to do something about it.  But one man did do something about it because he loved his neighbour.  Of course it was the right thing to do and he put the 'holy' men to shame.  But doing the right thing on that occasion was risky, inconvenient and costly.  I also surmise that he would have got messy in the process.

Avoiding doing the right think because we have not had a special revelation, or because of concern about the consequences will never excuse us in the Day of Judgement.  But perhaps when faced with a situation that demands our response we may need to say what do I need to stop doing or put down first.

The Past Week

It was a bit of a rush to get home from Yelvertoft and then back to Hothorpe Hall with everything ready for the service of marriage blessing in the afternoon.  Loraine and John had especially wanted this service and had even asked for communion afterwards.  All went well and the opportunity to share the good news through all the symbols was eagerly grasped.  I often wonder why Jesus used his power at the wedding in Cana just to ensure that folk had a good time.

It was good to meet in the week with Mike and Brian, two Methodist Ministers with hearts for rural evangelism.  I now have to follow up on the offers I made.  I get so encouraged when I find others whose heart God has touched for the millions of men women and children in rural Britain.

I am very grateful for those who sent donations following the letter setting out the need for extra support in these difficult financial days.  In addition to the gifts that were received there has also been a small response to the need to develop the Mission Link Scheme.  This is nothing to do with Doreen's and my personal needs; it is creating a strong base to ensure that the ministry is enabled.  Hopefully you read the Concerned About Rural Evangelism leaflet, but if not email me for another copy.  We do not need a huge amount of income but we cannot keep running at a loss!

Another great joy through the week has been the enquiries regarding the post of Children's and Families Worker for the East Midlands Area of the Congregational Federation.  Please pray as people consider taking up this post.  The deadline for applications is the end of October.  This is an exciting new opportunity and a very real need for the person with the right ministry.

Prayers this week please

• Give thanks for the financial support so far received in response to the recent letter.
• Give thanks for opportunities to share God's word through the week, especially at last Sunday's Marriage Blessing.
• Please pray for the ministry at Yelvertoft this Sunday morning and at Newton, near Rugby this Sunday evening.
• Please pray for the residential meeting of the Churches Group for Evangelization as we meet on Monday and Tuesday at High Leigh.
• Please pray for the Bible Discussion Group meeting on Thursday morning in Yelvertoft.
• Please pray for our church at Theddingworth as they celebrate harvest and seek to us this to share the gospel.
• Please pray for the work of Action for Christ.  Together with two other trustees and our part time admin staff I have been working for the past few months to rescue this work following problems created under previous management.  The next few weeks are critical for that organisation.
• Pray for next weekend as Yelvertoft Congregational Church celebrates its 350th anniversary with special events on Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st October.
• Please pray that the gospel message shared through the past week will produce a harvest in the lives of those who heard it.
• Please pray for Brian, Rural Officer for Northampton Methodist District and Mike, a Circuit Rural Officer with whom I met in the week.
• Please pray for the trustees of Sunrise Ministries, that they may have wisdom in their responsibilities.
• Please pray for more small links in the Mission Link Scheme to keep our ministry on the road.
• Please pray for those who have received information about the Children and Families Worker that God will give guidance as we seek to fill this new post.

Thank you for your faithfulness.  We have a God who hears and answers prayer.

Barry

Proclaimed from the roofs

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." Luke 12:2,3

The words of Jesus quoted above may seem to have some significance in the unhappy situations in the news over the last few days relating to a well known celebrity who, it is alleged, sexually abused young girls on multiple occasions.  As various accounts have been reported I noted the grief one middle aged woman felt that she was unable to blow the whistle on his behaviour many years ago and so possibly save others from being abused.

It appears that his behaviour was enabled because of his prominent status and also because of the fear of the impact that any revelation might have on his charitable activities.  Sadly it was his status in this regard that provided both the opportunities to abuse and an adequate cover to keep his activities secret.

This is familiar territory to those of us who work with the victims of sexual abuse that we come across in churches - especially if that abuse has been perpetrated by a Christian leader.  This recent news about the celebrity coincided with our Bible Discussion Group at Yelvertoft looking at 1 Corinthians 5.  Around five years before Paul sent this letter from Ephesus he had spent eighteen months preaching and teaching and establishing this church.  It existed in what would have probably been a cosmopolitan and pluralistic society lacking a clear over-arching moral framework.  The second issue Paul addresses in his letter is the failure of the church to act appropriately regarding one of their number engaged in a sexual relationship that even society around would deem inappropriate.

Paul's words in this chapter may seem harsh.  We have a tendency as Christians to want to be tolerant, loving and forgiving.  Exercising judgement does not come easy.  Indeed it is easier to hide behind the words of Matthew 7:1, so often poorly understood.  But Paul warns the church of the consequences of their attitude in this matter.  He uses the illustration of the affect of leaven.  In the UK we might talk about the consequences of a rotten apple spoiling a whole barrel full.

As individual Christians and as churches we need to have standards.  Where true repentance follows failure there needs to be forgiveness and acceptance (Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians 2), but it is imperative that we do not shirk our responsibilities for the individual and corporate moral life.  Whatever the apparent cost of exposing that which is wrong, the real cost of cover-up  his far more serious.  In 1 Timothy 5: 20 we read, "... elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.".

Many will be wondering about how this celebrity got away with it so often.  We might wonder about the organisation that employed him.  Were they, as some have claimed, culpable by their silence and denial?  But before we seek to judge others, we need to start a lot nearer to home.  What was there in the culture of the church in Corinth that led to inaction?  What aspects of contemporary Christian culture might lead to similar failure?

 My News This Week

I want to start by thanking those who responded to last week's news, whether through prayer or a practical response.  We have received several one-off donations which are very much appreciated.  We also had a smaller response to the request for people to join the Mission Link Scheme.  The Link Scheme is very important as it enables us to plan and budget more sensibly.  Of course we will always have to trust God to keep the ministry on the road.  Through the Mission Link Scheme friends can make a small but regular donation (monthly, quarterly or annually).  Every link helps to extend our ministry enabling us to continue serving others.  Details were attached to last week's email, and I will be happy to send a copy again to anyone wanting more information.

We had an excellent service at Gartree Prison last Sunday morning.  There was a good attendance, 100% attention through the whole of the meeting, and a lot of positive feedback from the prisoners who attended and others on the team.  In the evening I took the meeting in Theddingworth, which also proved to be a blessed time.

Most of my time this week was taken up with administration and ministry preparation.  It is often harder to pray for these activities as there doesn't seem to be the same focus as exists if there is a meeting.  However, they are very important.  The phone often rings with someone seeking advice or assistance so my desk is just as much a place of ministry as the pulpit.

Work on our church building at Yelvertoft is progressing slowly and this week's Bible Discussion Group had to be held in the village Reading Room.  We are systematically unpacking 1 Corinthians at present and do so in a dynamic discussion.  If you would find it helpful to have some notes from our Bible studies please let me know.

The Congregational Federation's Area Meeting on Friday, at Leicester provided me with the opportunity to report on new ways in which we hope to enhance the work of our Mission and Development Worker and also progress on the appointment of a Children and Families Worker for the Area.  We are currently advertising this post and your prayers that the Lord will bring in the right person for this important ministry will be appreciated.

Upcoming Engagements
Sunday 7th.  Morning Meeting at Yelvertoft.  In the afternoon I will be conducting a Service of Blessing on a Marriage following a Civil Ceremony at Hothorpe Hall.  The middle-aged couple getting married have been very keen about the Christian element in their special day.  Please pray that I will bring God's word of blessing.

Tuesday 9th.  In the morning I am meeting with two key people from within the local Methodist District exploring how we might be able to support their activities.  In the afternoon I will be at Gartree Prison.

Items for Praise and Prayer:

• Give thanks for the donations received this week and the first links in the Mission Link Scheme.
• Give thanks for God's blessing on the ministry last Sunday and the Bible Discussion Group mid-week.
• Give thanks for those with whom I am working to resolve inherited difficulties in Action for Christ.
• Give thanks for all those in our informal networks seeking to proclaim the gospel, especially those working in rural situations.
• Give thanks for those ordering our mission resources through the past week.
• Give thanks for those (many are my friends) whose ministry includes seeking to make our churches and Christian organisations safer, and who have to clear up after the hurt and damage caused by sin.
• Please pray for our ministry this Sunday at at the start of next week.
• Please pray for the Lord to send the right person for the role of CF Area Children and Families Worker.
• Please pray as I seek with others to make my visit to Ireland in November as useful as possible.
• Please pray that the Lord will supply all the funds needed so that we can end this year without adding to the deficit of the past four years.
• Please pray for more people to join the Mission Link Scheme.
• Please pray for the many survivors of sexual abuse, especially those who come to our churches hoping to find understanding and support.  The high profile of the issue in the news will bring up a lot of hurt from the past for many.
• Please pray for the uncovering of abusive situations, especially where it might be happening in a Christian context.  Pray for those who perpetrate abuse, that they will be convicted of their sin, repent, and seek forgiveness from God and those against whom they have sinned.

Please spend a few moments each day reflecting on how good God is, and recognising his blessing in your life.  Then gently put your day into his hands to be what he wants you to be where he wants you to be.

The Lord abundantly bless you.

Newsletter for Autumn 2012

This is a longer blog than usual.  It is the content of a newsletter sent out to friends over the past few days by snail mail.

It has been an extremely busy summer and I have tried to keep as many of our prayer partners as possible informed via emails.  However, there are many who do not have email addresses at present and we need all the prayer we can encourage.

Before I share news of recent and forthcoming activities I would like to share with you a major challenge that we face.  In 2008 when the credit crunch began, few would have realised that we would still be caught up in global financial difficulties this far down the line.  My immediate concern at that time was the impact the crisis would have on overseas mission work so I was keen to encourage Christians to be faithful in their giving through difficult times – especially supporting any overseas mission work.  However we have not been immune from financial problems.

Despite the fact that there are millions of people in rural UK who have yet to hear the gospel clearly presented, the vast majority of Christians in this country do not see rural evangelism as a priority.  Because we usually work with small numbers that do not grab the headlines, it can seem insignificant.  However, proportionately things are very different.  For example, the church I serve as part-time minister has seen 25% growth in attendance over the past year, and 500% growth in less than six years!

For the last few years both aspects of the work of Sunrise Ministries (i.e. Monica Cook’s activities and mine) have been running with an annual deficit.  Here in the East Midlands we are now moving into a critical stage.  Because Doreen and I do not draw a stipend from the mission our operating costs are relatively low.  The church at Yelvertoft provides us with a two fifths stipend which we are able to supplement with pension.  God has always met our personal needs and we are thankful to him.  Our concern is to cover the costs of our activities and we are busier than ever.

Ministry at Yelvertoft

Setting up Bible Discussion Groups in the village has been encouraging as they have been well attended by enthusiastic participants.  We are currently working through 1 Corinthians, having already completed Philippians as well as a themed series.  This is our 350^th anniversary year and we have various events planned during October.  We are also carrying out building work to make the premises accessible to those with disability.  Our 500% growth has brought us from four to twenty.  Pastoring a village church 14 miles from where we live, and on a two days a week basis brings challenge, but we have much to thank God for both in the commitment of our members and those who share in ministry.

Action for Christ

Since mid-June a large amount of my time has been spent in urgent work related to this

organisation, previously known as Mission for Christ.  I joined MfC straight from school, trained and then went into full time work, remaining in the organisation for 25 years.  By the time I left it had an evangelistic team, a national network of associates, a training programme, and much more.  Some later unfortunate circumstances led to decline but the organisation was seeking to make good use of financial resources supporting three ministries and engaging in what looked a promising ministry in Yorkshire.  In June this year I received an unexpected request to become a trustee as the organisation was facing some difficulties.  However, the true picture only emerged in the following weeks.  The charity was in a critical situation and various urgent actions had to be taken.  Even now its future is somewhat uncertain and I value your prayers for wisdom for the small team of trustees as we seek to manage what remains and seek God for a vision for the future.

The whole story cannot be shared here but if you wish to know more please let me know.

Ireland

In a few weeks’ time I will be making my first ministry visit to Ireland at the request of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.  I will be speaking in Belfast on rural ministry and mission at a gathering of their rural ministers.  I am also in touch with friends in the Republic who would like to take advantage of my visit.  I am delighted with this opportunity.

Germany

A university in what was East Germany has been working with us and re-publishing some of my writing on rural evangelism.  There is a great need for evangelism in the rural areas of Germany and I hope to follow up on the work already undertaken to see if we can help develop similar indigenous ministry there.

Research into Rural Evangelism

You may be aware that I enrolled as a research student with Winchester University with the aim of undertaking a substantial piece of academic work exploring how evangelism is understood and practised in rural England.  My first year had to be spent reviewing related studies (though nothing exists directly related to the topic) and completing essential training in research skills.  I have now had to interrupt the programme because of the extra pressure of recent months, but hope to pick up on this again in the New Year.  Meanwhile I will be meeting with key church leaders to develop the research in ways that will bring the maximum benefit to others.

Rural Evangelism Network

Much has changed in rural Britain since this network was established in 1982.  It was established to create a forum for sharing insights and experiences in rural evangelism with representation from the Churches and mission agencies.  Many of those who had the vision and passion for this network have moved to other ministries or retired.  I would love to see some new life brought to the network and will be working with colleagues on this.  Meanwhile I have been undertaking various speaking engagements and maintaining the Network’s website at www.ruralevangelism.net.  We have a special rural mission consultation this autumn in Cornwall when I will be joined by my good friend, Gordon Banks.

New Trustees

We welcome three new trustees to Sunrise Ministries.  The Rev’d John Bradley is a Methodist Minister and a long term supporter of our ministry.  John now works for Churches Together in England.  The Rev’d Jim Mullin is a Baptist Minister from Cambridgeshire.  He and I met up when he used a sabbatical to study the relationship between larger town churches and smaller rural ministry.  Chris Knott has been a supporter for some time and runs a Christian ministry called Starfish Malawi.  He and Monica have worked together.

We have bidden farewell to former trustees Alan Tarling and Ron Baker both of whom have contributed significantly to the ministry.  Our long-serving Chair of Trustees, Stan Acland will retire in November.  We are so very grateful to all three and pray that the Lord will continue to bless and use them.  Tim Woodward and the Rev’d Graham Wise are our continuing trustees.

Please pray for our trustees and the two management teams that look after and support our two centres of rural ministry.

Other Spheres of Influence

As part of my work within the Rural Evangelism Network I am part of the Editorial Team for Country Way, which is an excellent magazine about life and faith in the countryside.  I am also Chair of the Churches Rural Group which is the official ecumenical representative body in England (though we have folk from Scotland as well).  I am also part of the Rural Round Table run by Fresh Expressions.

As a minister within the Congregational Federation I represent it within the Churches Group for Evangelization (another network group) in addition to being on a few boards and committees either nationally or regionally.  Part of this involvement has to do with encouraging others into ministry, which is extremely rewarding.  It also creates a platform to encourage a vision for rural ministry.

Practical Needs

At the start of this letter I shared with you that we have been operating with a deficit for the last few years.  We look to the Lord to meet our needs personally and as a ministry.  Some churches and organisations we serve donate towards or to cover the costs.  But this leaves a natural shortfall that can only be made up through donations from those who share our concern for effective and appropriate evangelism in rural Britain.

We are very grateful to all who support the ministry in prayer or with donations (whether occasional or regular).  Please make this practical need a matter of prayer.

Internet

If you use the internet but have not been receiving our regular weekly emailed newsletter please let us have your email address.

We maintain two rural ministry websites at www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk and www.ruralevangelism.net.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.  We get high levels of visits to the websites not only from the UK but around the world.  These are important aspects of ministry that also need regular prayer support.

On a personal note

Doreen’s peripheral neuropathy now makes walking difficult and she has also had to give up driving.  However, she remains very active, undertaking a supportive and enabling role.  My own health is generally good enough for me to be as active as ever.  Your prayers for us personally are really appreciated, especially when you pray for our walk with God.  Success in ministry comes not from overworking – but from overflowing!

I pray that the Lord will abundantly bless you and use you for his praise and glory.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Barry

Too big for God to use?

In the almost 50 years in which I have been active in rural ministry and mission I have often spoken about the fact of what God can do with a little.  You may have heard or read a quote I first heard from Rupert Hambira, a Congregational minister from Botswana.  He said, "If you think you are too small to be significant for God then you have never spent a night in a room with a mosquito".  Yes, it is amazing what God can do with a few loaves and fishes that are placed into his hand.  Small churches should not despair for God is well able to work through them as they respond surrendered to God's will.

Over the last few days I have found my thoughts running along similar lines once again, only this time instead of thinking that no one and nothing is too small within God's plans, I have been dwelling on the fact that it is possible to be too great for God.  Perhaps the seed was sown last Thursday morning in our village Bible Discussion Group at Yelvertoft where we explored 1 Corinthians 1 to 4.  We noted that the first issue of concern that Paul addresses - divisions - covers all of the first four chapters.  It is that important.  We noted that the theme of these four chapters as well as addressing divisions within the church, could be summed up as 'it's all about God'.  Paul introduces himself as an ambassador of God.  His letter is addressed to the church of God at Corinth. He reminds them that their salvation only exists because God has called them.  He tells them that he, Apollos, and Peter are merely the servants of God and nothing in themselves.  The very gospel they have believed is extremely simple so that believing it is no great intellectual credit, but it is the power of God unto salvation.

It is here that Paul points out that God takes the foolish and the weak, so that no human can boast in himself or herself.  I was left with a distinct opinion that in God's economy small and weak is beautiful.  But the spirit of the world seems to drive many in our churches towards becoming bigger and stronger all the time.  The dream is to have mega churches.  But I am convinced that God is against empire building.  In the Hebrew Scriptures we have the account of the tower of Babel.  In the New Testament, as the church at Jerusalem grew numerically God allowed persecution to be an instrument of scattering, from which blessing was multiplied in a way that would never have happened if  they had stayed in Jerusalem. 

While the early days of the church in Jerusalem seems all about massive growth (three thousand converted in one day) many of these were only visitors to Jerusalem.  The only other majority church I can think of is at Samaria where, after Philip's ministry, the whole city was full of joy.  But the Scripture record seems to be of Christian churches in a minority within a much larger pluralistic society.  Could it be that the mega church vision is actually contrary to what God desires?

What happened to the dream of some in the nineteen sixties to create one large single church instead of the multiplicity of denominations?  The hopes of growth gave way to rapid decline.  Of course I believe that Jesus will build his Church.  I believe we need a vision for winning more and more men, women and children to Jesus' side.  I also believe that the unity that is God's gift to his Church needs to be nurtured.  The development of large super stores might appear to be good for the pocket but they seriously distort the economy.  Before the development of internet outlets such as Amazon, the Christian book trade in the UK seemed to be already falling apart at the same time as one organisation was developing a monopoly.  Where are those splendid Christian bookshops in all our towns today?

William Carey, the founding father of the Baptist Missionary Society once said, "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God".  I want to say "Amen" to that but suggest that we need to be very careful that we do not become too many or too strong for God to use us.  His strength is made perfect in our weakness, as Gideon discovered (Judges 6 and 7).

The Past Week included some encouraging meetings including a Rural Round Table linked to the Fresh Expressions movement, a Country Way editorial meeting (please let me know if you are not already a subscriber to this important magazine), a village Bible Discussion Group, and today's Congregational Federation's Mission and Society Committee.

The Coming Week is less full as far as events are concerned, but not necessarily as far as work is concerned.  On this Sunday I will be leading and speaking at Yelvertoft.  On Monday I will be taking a school assembly in Lubenham.  On Tuesday I will be working in HMP Gartree.  Through the week there is still much to do sorting out matters relating to Action for Christ, preparing for a rural consultation in the south west, and a similar event in Northern Ireland, and some important administration for Rural Mission solutions and its parent charity.

I am sure that you will be busy within your own sphere of activity.  May God grant us all the ability to be his 'mosquitoes' and having an impact for the kingdom of God wherever we buzz!

Please tell me what you are up to.  Doreen and I would so love to hear from you.

Barry

"My help comes from the Lord"

Hello,

I'd like to start by thanking all those who sent words of encouragement and assurances of prayer related to the gastroscopy I underwent last Monday.  It's actually a fairly routine procedure with only slight risks, though somewhat unpleasant.  Some of the members at our meeting on Sunday persuaded me to accept a sedative and one of the older members (forgive me Priscilla) undertook the 40 mile round trip to pick me up for the 30 mile round trip to the hospital on the understanding that the procedure would be undertaken under a sedative.  Both the sedative and Priscilla's kindness certainly made it far less onerous.  As far as I am aware nothing alarming was discovered and the Barrett's Oesophagus seems to be being managed satisfactorily.

Tuesday morning I took a school assembly at Yelvertoft (Northants) and combined the trip with taking some photos of the amphitheatre where the recent open air funeral service was held.  A magazine picked up on the story and asked me to write it up.  It reminded me of an article I once wrote that was then copied with permission into a Christian newspaper, and then found its way into a Christian best selling paperback as an 'anonymous' story!  While taking the photos a lady walking her dog stopped and discussed the service with me.  It seems to have touched many hearts.

In the afternoon I went to prison for the regular choir practice - only it wasn't.  As the Christian Prison Fellowship were occupying the chapel area we were moved into a relatively small room on one of the prison wings.  I'm not sure whether it was the different environment but there was such a sense of fun among the men it made me laugh for a long time afterwards.  Serving a life sentence and being aware of the serious crime that warranted that sentence is often hard to bear.  That brief interlude on a Tuesday afternoon means a lot to these men and I believe it is of significance.  Keep praying.

That evening Doreen and I drove to Stamford to pick up a cousin on holiday from Australia and touring the UK visiting various relatives.  Laurence was with us for three days, which gave me a good reason for taking some time out.

On Friday I took him to other relatives in Doncaster as I made my own way towards Hebden Bridge.  The journey failed to start properly as the hazard lights on the car came on and would not go off.  The garage from which the car had been purchased could not fix it or obtain a part so I had to hire a car for the journey.  Apparently my car has to go for a factory reset!  The late departure then put us into heavy Friday evening traffic and we arrived around four hours late!

Before I left I made a call to my university supervisor.  It was not an easy conversation.  The extra work that I have felt I have had to undertake to help Action for Christ out of difficulties has taken up a lot of time since mid June, and it is the MPhil that has suffered.  It looks as if I might have to formally interrupt my studies for a few months rather than struggle to find dedicated time for the studies.  Making the call made me feel extremely sad as doing this programme is very important for rural evangelism.  However, I can see no alternative to answering the call to help AfC through this particularly difficult time.  It's a 'what would Jesus do?' situation.

The trip to Hebden Bridge was equally sad and difficult.  AfC and the trustees of the Slack Top charity had ventured into a project that had excited both.  It now appears that both had not been given an entirely accurate picture of all that this would involve and it is with great regret that the AfC trustees now find themselves unable to provide further funding to complete the venture.  While AfC have ensured that the building has been rfe-roofed and is now water tight there remains an enormous amount of work to be undertaken internally in the building.  I could have wept as I was given a tour of the premises.  The practical disaster is compounded by some serious emotional pain and I ask you to pray for all concerned.  As we talked and prayed together on Saturday the opening part of Psalm 121 came to mind: "... where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."  In situations like this, he is our only hope.  I may be able to share more about this situation at a later date.

So tired and frustrated I made my way the 145 miles home on Saturday evening.

This week's Diary

Sunday 16th Yelvertoft Congregational Church, Northamptonshire

Monday 17th Rural Round Table for Fresh Expression, London

Tuesday 18th HMP Gartree

Wednesday 19th Country Way Editorial Meeting, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

Thursday 20th Bible Discussion Group and Pastoral ministry, Yelvertoft

Saturday 22nd Mission and Society Committee,  Congregational Federation, Nottingham

Sunday 29th Sunday at HMP Gartree

What matters isn't so much what we do but how we do it.  Please join me in praying that God's grace will be seen throughout this week, and that each day will be spent for his honour and glory.

Thanks,

Barry