Rural Church Mission

Ok… this is not my specialty but I know some guys who have just done the most fantastic rural church mission that I’ve ever seen. Genuinely brilliant.

If you are involved in any form of rural mission then you need to get in touch with these guys… working with a group of rural churches north of Chippenham, they are all Anglican ordinands and are cutting edge in this form of stuff.

Check out their website – click HERE

Five things to do as a leader

Found this from Chuck Swindoll on the “Out of Ur” blog – you can get to it via the Delicious links… anyway thought I’d reproduce it here as it is brilliant.

1) Whatever you do, do more with others and less alone

2) Whenever you do it, emphasize quality not quantity.

3) Wherever you go, do it the same as if you were among those who know you best.

4) Whoever may respond, keep a level head.

5) However long you lead, keep on dripping with gratitude and grace

Change

So I’ve messed around with the blog for a while… I’ve changed the theme, colours, pictures and more.

And then simply came back to what it was.

I think that’s often a really good benefit of change. Making yourself try out some new things. Its fine if the old stuff works best.

Bob Jackson (well known CofE chap) makes this stark statement:

“Most churches need to make a choice between having a comfortable death and uncomfortable life”

He cites statistic after statistic showing that churches who won’t change decay and decline. Those that do change grow. I’m now part of a “context” based training group that looks to work out the theology of the classroom in the cut and thrust of the real world. Both churches are great places that long to have an impact on the city of Bristol and do so in very different ways. The leaders in both churches are up for being uncomfortable but alive.

How about in our individual lives… are we willing to “comfortably die” or experience life with all the discomfort and challenge that it brings?

Final quote from Bob Jackson… think it can apply to both our church communities and our own lives:

“We do not advocate change for the sake of change; we see change as the condition for survival”

Leadership 101

“If the gospels are any indication, Jesus Christ showed scant regard for modern management wisdom. He was not looking for managers, but for learners and leaders – disciples and apostles.”

New Church Placement

Had a fantastic time at my first placement – St Peters Henleaze. It felt VERY strange leaving last Sunday to go somewhere else. I’m at Woodlands Church now for a fortnight… and I’m having a great time!

I’ve been to a few meetings with different people, helped for a day loading a van and delivering stuff for a venue at the Glastonbury Festival and getting a bit of a feel of the place.

Visiting a pastorate tonight… and will try to get back blogging more regularly about it.

Catching up…

Haven’t blogged since last Thursday about my church placement so thought that I should go through the last few days.

Sat – At a diocese event in Chippenham learning a new piece of choral music… reminded me of my days as a choirboy. If I’m honest, it was a bit too full on for me – sometimes wondered whether our object of worship was God or the music… shouldn’t be so judgemental really.

Had a lovely walk along the Bristol Avon fish-spotting as well.

Sun – I attended every service at St Peters beginning at 8am for their early morning communion. I rapped, read and served the bread at the family communion at 945am. In the evening I led evening prayer… all about God’s OUTRAGEOUS grace. We looked at the passage in Mark 7 where the “sinful” woman annointed Jesus with perfume. Really good evening.

Mon – Visited a couple of people who are members of St Peters, including a 95yr old lady who has an MBE and has been on “This is your life” for her work in Bangladesh. That was a good afternoon! In the evening I went to a group studying the prophets.

Tues – Morning consisted of morning prayer (as per every day), an “accountability group” which works to ensure that things get done at St Peters. Then I went on  a visit. I attended a funeral in the afternoon, and in the evening went along to the pre baptism preparation being done with two families.

Weds – Day off and FISHING!!!

I’m really enjoying the challenge of being part of life at St Peters… really starting to build some relationships.

But I’ve got to leave on Sunday for another place.

Funny how God seems to do that sometimes…

Curry

My day yesterday finished with a superb curry with a few guys from St Peter’s in a great curryhouse in Henleaze near to the church.

Started with morning prayer and a communion service – I led the intercessions. As part of the service, Mark (vicar) got each of us into pairs and got us to write positive things about the other person and then pray for them. Considering the lady I was with had met me once for 5mins, she wrote and prayed some fantastic things about me!! I was greatly blessed!!

I sat in on a “hall redevelopment” committee and then visited the David Lloyd centre in Southmead (not Westbury on Trym as they claim on the sign outside the entrance!!) to plan for a youth group meeting next Saturday… hopefully the start of something for St Peters.

The evening saw me at Deanery Chapter (gathering of people from churches in NW Bristol) which was looking at the parish system in some detail. Boring? Not really… great presentation and raised some fascinating questions using data and looking at how so many of us commute to church across the city.

Then to the curry… and how I enjoyed that!!!

Day off today… loving it!

How do you explain…

communion, what the table/altar is in a church, the cross, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and what it all means to me in five minutes to infants (5-7s)?

No idea? Well I had to try to do just that this morning FIFTEEN TIMES!!!

I visited a church family just after lunch and then prepared the service for Sunday evening… really excited about it.

Tonight was a small group that are looking at The Shack

Doing a four week placement in two weeks is fun but a bit tiring!

More tea vicar??

Ok, so I’m ticking the box of every “what a vicar does” stereotype – toddlers and Mothers Union (which by the way is one of the most formidable Christian Organisations in the world today – especially in Africa – doing more to combat poverty and injustice than most are). The group I went to today was a nice social tea and cake (proper nice cakes and biscuits) and a chance to chat with some of the ladies there.

I had some great conversations with some great people. I have made the decision to throw myself into everything and not shy away from anything that made me feel uncomfortable. I have to confess that I didn’t feel comfortable when I arrived, but by the time I left I did…

The home made Rocky Road was awesome!

Church Placement

As part of my first year at Trinity College, I spend the month of June at a local church… being greedy, I’m spending a fortnight at one church (St Peter’s Henleaze) and a fortnight at another (Woodlands Church). I visited both churches over the last few weeks, but today was the start.

I’m going to blog regularly about the kind of things I’ll be doing and some of my thoughts and experiences.

Highlight today was chatting with a lovely guy called Jack – he’s 90 on Weds!

Tomorrow I’m going to Teddy Praise… puns on a postcard for that one!! Looking forward to it!

Leading for the long haul

Last Saturday I went to a church conference at Woodlands Christian Centre in Bristol with Mark Stibbe (once vicar of St Andrews, Chorleywood and now leader of The Father’s House Trust).

Had a fantastic day – not only with the main sessions which were excellent, but Mark gave those of us who are training for Anglican ministry an hour or so for a Q and A. I just wanted to share some of the main insights that he gave in response to  my question “How do we thrive and survive in full time Christian leadership”.

He split his answer into 4 bits – looking after ourselves physically, relationally, spiritually and intellectually

Physically

He placed an emphasis on the importance of regular hard exercise as it gives our body the chance to reset itself and let out tensions and frustrations.

Intellectually

For many, when our minds are not stimulated, our whole body begins to atrophy. Our ministry stagnates and we live off our past experiences and knowledge. It doesn’t just have to be learning about theology, but just simply stretching our minds into new areas of interest. I’m guessing that Suduko doesn’t count though…

Spiritually

Mark pointed to Moses as our example for this… he went outside the camp and stayed in the Tent of Meeting where he met with God. When he came out his face shone and the people watched in awe. We need to have our place of encounter with God EVERY DAY. It should be the most important thing that we do.

Relationally

We need to recognise that we cannot do this alone – we need a “prayer shield” of people who are committed to praying for us and praying with us regularly. We need to spend time with people who will inspire us, hold us accountable for our behaviour etc, who will both encourage and offer constructive criticism. We need to laugh a lot with those we spend time with…

Challenging but helpful stuff to think through… feel free to add other suggestions to it as well

Leadership

Over the next couple of weeks I’ve got to write an essay comparing leadership and pastoral care… I have my pile of books ready to read over Christmas, which will inspire me to write yet another master document…

Or on Jan 5th, I’ll pull an all-nighter.

Christmas coming to a church near you

Myers Briggs

As part of our Theological Reflection module we were given the opportunity to do the Myers Briggs personality test, I think to make us more “self aware”.

I’ve done it before and was fairly sure where I’d come out… and sure enough I’m an ENFJ (that’s extraverted, intuitive, feeling, judging).

I think that it is a useful tool… but it has limitations. I find the whole personality profiling stuff fascinating as it has a huge impact on teambuilding, leadership and much more. However, the key to it all has to be that it is helping us understand just WHO God has made us to be.

For those who are interested there are some good insights at www.teamtechnology.co.uk on Myers Briggs and especially on how it relates to leadership styles.

I did get the highest score in the group on the extraverted scale (61 for those who care). That makes me a winner…

Leadership

I’ve had several conversations recently about the whole issue of church leadership and in particular the issues of why leaders fail, especially morally.

Christian leaders are called to a high standard of morality. Faithfulness in relationships, integrity with money, humility with power. We are to be servants before we tell others what to do. We are not to manipulate or make people meet our needs.

Its hard to be a leader.

One thing that a few of us have discussed is the issue of overwork… as I’m at college now, its not a big issue (!) but it has been in the past, and looking at leaders that I’ve worked with its a big problem for some of them. Here are some of the observations I’ve made, and ones that I’ve read…

If you overwork you are more likely to burn out – a temporary blip or a permanent fall.

If you overwork you are more likely to fail morally.

If you overwork you are more likely to die younger and suffer health problems.

If you overwork you are more likely to grow bitter and angry at the demands of ministry, especially towards others who don’t work as hard as you do.

If you overwork you are more likely to hurt others by encouraging them to do the same.

I think one of the main reasons that we fall into overwork is that we don’t treat the commandment of Sabbath as it is – a commandment. We rightly slam adultery and murder, but at times quite happily flount the Sabbath day. And we think it makes us better leaders.

If you are a leader ask yourself these questions…

1. Are your family (if you have one) happy?

2. Do you constantly apologise to others that you’re too busy to see them socially?

3. Are you slipping into bad habits – drinking more, overeating, sexual temptation etc?

4. Do you have any time to do nothing?

5. Have you ever boasted about not taking a day off?

6. Have you spent time with God today?

7. Are others telling you to slow down? (Especially medical doctors)

8. Is your body, mind or spirit telling you to slow down?

9. Have you compromised the truth because you were too tired to think clearly?

10. Do you think about running away and escaping everything?

I’m so grateful for the great leaders I’ve followed who have given me good advice and support. I need it. I’m really grateful for my love of fishing… you can’t overwork and go fishing. I’m grateful for the fact that I’m still going now. I want to be still going in 10, 20, 40, even 50 years from now.