Rural Ministry conference 25 May 2011. Duchy College Stoke Climsland Cornwall.

Stuart Wilson Chair Welcomedeveryone(approx80delegates) Peter Pillinger District Chair Methodist Church opening remarks & prayer think beyond the immediate how do we close some churches properly and enabletheworktogooninotherwaysthevineneedspruning(John15)even thosebranchesthathavebornefruit. Session 1. Revd Dr Gordon Gatwood Empowering your patch. Motorbike analogy powerful engine but so often we just use our own ability strength&giftsandtrytopushthebikeratherthanusethepoweravailableto us(Ephesians)immeasurablymorethanwethinkisavailabletous.(2Cor3, 12.9)itisinourweaknessanddependencyonGodthatpowerisshown. Our power is from God. How do we tap into that power? How do we align ourselvestoGod? Ordainedministryisnottodoeverythingthatisadisasterlaityisnotthere simply to support. 1 Cor.12.7 every member ministry his body is empowered. The Great Divide by Mark Green church a stained glass window image the lightshinesthrougheverypanetobringoutthegloryofthewholewindowso it is the church with the light of Christ shining through it. We are the light of Christintheworld.Wehavetoreclaimtheworld. SSDSecularSpiritualdivideisadefectiveworldviewsegmented(likean orange)independentworksection,family,leisure,faiththeydonotrelateto eachotherthereforeaprivatizationandpersonalisationoffaiththereforeit becomesdivorcedconsideraBiblicalworldviewapeach(wholewithChrist attheheart).SSDisourgreatestchallengeitiswholelifechallenge.You cant redeem what you dont understand.Youmustunderstandtheworldtobeableto redeemit.awholelifeunderstanding. Thechurchisintheworldthroughtheactivityofthelaitythechurchisalready intheworld!ItisalloneinGodnosecularspiritualdivide.Wemustencourage oneanother.Ifwanttoempoweryouencourageifyouwanttodestroythem you discourage them. We all need to be encouraged (Moses, Jeremiah, Elijah, Amos, Peter all had great moments of self doubt and feelings of being inadequateforthetask)Godencouragesremindsthemtheyareable. RogerHoskinsCareFarmingsendsomeoneeggcollectingtoassuageanger. Dowerecognisepotential?Jesussawpotential.(Peter). Ideas:Prayingaroundthevillageeveryonenotjustthecaringprofessions milkman, postman etc. Walk with people as long as is needed (Luke 24) empowerment through ongoing support. How can we support people show thattheybelong.

TimGibbons(book)Church&CountrysidebuiltaroundChrist&eachother. Sometimes we have to stop and let others do it for us. Structures need to be appropriatetothetasknottheotherwayaround. Session 2. Wendy Coombey community Partnership & Funding Officer Diocese of Hereford Crossing the Threshold A Community Development Approach to the use of Church Buildings Yourtalk: 1.YourRole 2.TheToolkit 3.CaseStudies 1.Toencouragechurchcommunitiestoengagewithwidercommunity.tolook outside the church to work in partnership e.g. Age Concern etc there is expertise out there. Attract funding you report to Diocesan level part of strategyforevangelismandlocalministry. 2. Building Faith in our Future (CHP) Strategy for use download from www.churchofengland.org the way forward for buildings. Hereford 410 buildings80%GradeIlistedmostusedjustonceevery3weeks.Wedontwant toclosebuildings.Conferencewithagenciesadialogueshops,Pubs,schools, POallunderthreat.ChurchBuildinghowtogoaboutit?TheToolkit Where to start Toolkit provides advice agencies want to work with the church to provide for rural communities. Church had to be credible with agenciesandfunders.Needtolisten,talktoothers,andassessneed.Makes peachesoutoforanges!! NotjustSundayfocusthinkofcommunity.LocalCounciltakeitseriouslyand support Lottery Funding Applications. (ambivalence about Lottery Funding needstobeconsidered). Toolkit practice based and on advice already out there. helps parishes generate ideas based on the needs of the community its about talking and listeningtopeople.castnetaswidelyaspossibleinvolve,empowerthewider community. Its about building relationships, consult, engage with the community.Pewrecyclingproject!!!(UrgentlyneededinDioceseofExeter!) ProjectsMustbefunctionledprojectnotdesignled! PCCledwithwidercommunitynoneedforaseparategrouptodoitbutbring inthewidercommunity. FundinghowtodoitinToolkit Cashflow&budgetingcareneededberealisticfundingistight

Monitoring&Evaluationfunderswillwantevaluationi.e.BigLottery.they wantnumbersintermsofoutcomes ThingsyouwishyouhadputintheToolKita)BusinessPlanning;b)Volunteers a)Business planningsustainableoverthelongtermisitsustainable?your ongoing commitments need to be assessed at planning stage no one wants failure. marketing, pricing, you need a business plan. (there are templates available) b)Volunteersmustbesupported,betrained,bethanked,shouldntbetakenfor granted. Whatmakesaprojectsuccessful? OneexamplegivenAfter5yearsallOKbut afterthatthingswentwrongmainly(after10years)thewayvolunteerswere treated contributed to this failure! (See Church Care Website). You must rememberthis. Volunteersexpenseswemustrecompensethemadequately!!! 3.CaseStudies a) Eardisley Romanesque Font people wanted to see it. Building a concert space support from the community everyone wanted to be involved. Rural Tourism added toilet kitchen, staging & lighting concerts + activities and drama etc.. Consulted community, steering group, project developed and they achieved it visitor and heritage, improved performance space, work with villagehall,improvedfacilitiesforthechurchTheydidnotcompetetheydid consult the found a need that should be met. it was not too big. It was sustainable b)Peterstow Performance space, no meeting space in the village, some funds towards the project.CommunityGroupwholecommunityinvolved.Villagemeetingplace, performance,lunchclub,improvedfacilitiesforthecongregationmainlyrunby nonchurchpeople.BeingchurchiseverythingotherthanSundaymorning. Toiletsarethekey!!Inthechurchbuildingnotattheendofthechurchyard! c)StAndrewsBridgeSollarschurchindangerofclosing.notsustainableas a church. Grade I in the middle of nowhere! Take a Pew social enterprise projecttakeawaythepewsandrecyclethem.Thischurchwasincludedinthe parish plan church building is in the parish plan. Get involved with Parish planningisbeingpartofthewholecommunity. Funding140KfromBIGLotteryfortheCommunityBuilding. Itdoesnthavetobebig!!Smallprojectsof20Karepossible. Fundinglookeverywhere. LocalFunding;HeritageLottery,TrustFunds,LocalFundraising,AwardsforAll.

Toolkitwww.hereford.anglican.orgfreedownload5hardcopy. GordonfirstWorkshop Letsnottalkoflay/ordainedbutoflocalcollaborativeministry. ChurchReports: 1.CofE2003EucharisticPresidencyordainedisjustoneamongmany. 2.MethodistReportallhaveaministry 3.URCReformedMinistrypriesthoodbelongstothewholechurch. Allrecognisethateveryoneisengagedinministrytheproblemisactingitout. Ministrycannotbeencapsulatedinonepersonbutthereiscollusioninthisboth layandordainedanidealthatonepersonistheministry! DaveMullenThe Cavalry wont be coming.(pubNZ).ruralministryproblems& strengths. 1. Leadershipthatencourages 2. Totalserviceofeveryone 3. ApassionforChrist&hisservice Not running a church but being a church. it beings with calling not doing things Notconvictionbutdesperationastopgapuntilthenextministerarrivesthat howsomeseeministry.PrayerfullyseekGodswillforhispeople.Godcalls werespond. Whatisthetheologicalbackground?InScotlandwhereeverymemberministry was tried there was theological confusion what does it mean tensions wheredoesauthorityliehowdoesitfittogether? AllministriesareequalalloneinChrist.Authorityisaquestionrelationships are key there must be trust and acknowledgement of each others gifts. We must discern each others gifts we come together to pray through what the needsofthecommunityare. Leadership:Trust,humilityandwillingnesstoreleasethegiftsofothers.thatis theroleoftheleaderteamworkknowingyourownlimitations. Effective leaders made sure one to one ministry happened they looked at entrepreneurial leadership. The vision thing drawing others in to make it happen(notnecessarilyordained.) Whereweare;whatwehave;howwemakeithappen. TheministryofthewholepeopleofGodnotlayorordained.

Plenary VigorousviewswereexpressedaboutTB&badgerswhereisthevoiceofthe churchonthisissue?Weshouldhavealottosay. CRBCheckssafeguardingisimportantamongvulnerablepeople Ecumenismwhatplaceisthereanoverlapofpatches?Diversityofexpressions ofchurchbutbrickwallsarenotthebestway.AllChristiansshouldbeincluded withintheruralcommunity.Institutionalengagementatitslowestebb(Bishop Michael)lackofsharedvision.Afraidoflosingidentityandtheirstory.Weneed to hold on to our stories but move forward to proclaim the Gospel. Working togetherwillenrichusall. Theological Reflection Bishop Michael Hisbrief:Listentothedayandoffersometheologicalreflectionontheday: Start with God transcendent and the immanent above but also with us. 2 conceptsTrinity & incarnationwhataretheimplications? Trinity Father, Son & Holy Spirit community koinonia common participation in Is there a community? patch is better because we are a patchwork of communities. Complex communities as a result community cohesion model there are problems because they are not cohesive they are patchworks.Howdoyoutrustlocalpeopletoenvisionwhilsthavingadifferent modelatdiocesanlevel?thisisatension. Trinity is a community and a dynamic one. The God who sends Gods community is shared with us that is the nature of God. So our communities shouldmirrorthecommunityofGodtorespondtoGod. Power God of OT creates us in his own image power is about creating people in community and redemption that is how God uses his power so powerisaboutcreatingandredeemingcommunities.Thefallhappenedinrural areas! Power without the vision of the nature of God are sinful it leads to dominationandneglect. Empowerment leadership and ministry relationship words ministry only exists in relationship. There is no sole leader in the Trinity there is a community of leadership. to enable everyone to release peoples gifts in a wholehostofareas. Incarnation you cant redeem what you do not understand its better to redeem what you show you understand you embody the understanding. Context is vital one size does not fit all. In parishes, circuits, it is true in miniatureifyouareleading(say)9communitiesyouneed9differentstylesof leadership because every community may be different. You need emotional intelligence to find out what is really going on in the place. So we need to be holistic, like Christ. Loos in church demonstrate the sacred secular divide! So churchneedstobecommunityandsacredspacebothareheldtogether.

Clergyarenotmonochromeitisnotincremental(deacon,priest,bishop).It is not about hierarchy. Philippians 2 kenosis the emptying of Christ it is about service what does God want you to stop being we are called to be in ChristexamplesofhisincarnationofChristandtheTrinity. AnindividualcannevereverbemadeintheimageandlikenessofGodwemust embody the living and trusting relationships for what we are made. How we together model the priestly face of Christ in the world. The big challenge is to grapplewithdiscipleformation. Mission Communities formational communities would be better name to formpeopleinChristthemissionwillfollow. Each person is partly responsible for the whole not wholly responsible for the part. Optionsforfaith/worldencounter: Possiblebutdonotoccur Orrarely Onesided Shared assumptions and interests (blurred encounters) finding common space Openendedandunpredictablethisiswherechangehappens Notpossiblebecauseofculture This is a gift the incarnation is about the church being relevant but not conformist to the world. Immanent and transcendent a prophetic voice to challenge the ungodly things community empowerment we must take that seriouslywithinthiscontext. WARNING These notes have been put together by Revd Nick Shutt they represent what he heard rather than what the speakers may have said. They therefore come with that health warning but I hope they will spark some recollections for those who attended the day and let others have a glimpse of the topics covered. 26 May 2011