Captain's Blog April 2017

Captain's Log April 2017

Free Range Dairy - I attended a fascinating one-day conference on ‘free range farming’ http://www.freerangedairy.org/.  The main concept is that the cows must be out to pasture for at least six months.  There is also a strong driver for the farmer to engage with a local market and not simply ship the milk off to a large dairy.  The other key message is that milk is not milk is not milk – i.e. milk carries different chemicals and taste different according to what the cows are fed and their environment.  With the rise of Coffee Shops, we are now used to the idea that coffee comes in a variety of forms and we make a personal choice.  We need to begin to adopt the same principle for milk, recognizing that the choice will be reflected in the price. Cheap coffee taste like cheap coffee - cheap milk taste like cheap milk.  (I have a short report of the Day if you want to know more about speakers and the issues addressed)

Keeping with farming, we had another excellent ‘Chewing the Cud.’  This is our informal FCN gathering over coffee with friends from farming and involved in support networks such as Agricultural Chaplains and R.A.B.I. 

Further involvement with FCN was an exploratory meeting with representatives from Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. We are exploring a way of offering mutual support across the three counties. http://www.fcn.org.uk/

Only one preachment this month at St Anne’s, Brown Edge for my regular second Sunday visit.

http://gordonnewsupdates.blogspot.co.uk/

Stafford Half Marathon – the weather was a challenge with some sections having to battle into a strong head wind. My time was a tad slower this year, 2.19.10 (last year 2.13.00.) To date I have raised around £350 for ‘House of Bread.’  Retrospective sponsorship is welcome!

www.localgiving.org/gordonbanks

The end of the month was another ‘rural’ conference, “Brexit & the Rural Future” with an excellent line up of speakers.  (As acting RO for the Diocese, I was drawn onto the planning team). A report will be available in due course from RuSource.

Then another great project I have become involved with is a NHS Prayer Walk. www.nhsprayerwalk.co.uk. I am helping with publicity and social media. 

There is also a FB Group (closed) -  if you want to engage ask me to add you to the group or give you an invitation. (You will need your own FB account)

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/338479939880665/

Some upcoming engagements....

Sunday 2^nd April

St John’s APCM

Tuesday 4^th

Personal Quiet Day

Saturday 8^th

St John’s Away Day with John Coyne as Speaker. As we move into a Vacancy in the summer this will be an important time for the Church to gather and take stock and plan for the future together.

  Palm Sunday 9^th

Preaching at St Anne’s, Brown Edge

Tuesday 11^th

On Call Emergency Chaplain Cover for Stafford Hospital 4.30pm – 8.30am (next day)

Wednesday 12^th

‘Chewing the Cud’

On Call Emergency Chaplain Cover for Stafford Hospital 4.30pm – 8.30am (next day)

Good Friday 14^th

‘Walk of Witness’ – Love Stafford

Easter Sunday 16^th

Pulling together ‘SonRise’ Service at Stafford Castle 5.45am.

Thursday 20^th

On Call Emergency Chaplain Cover for Stafford Hospital 4.30pm – 8.30am (next day)

Monday 24^th – Thursday 27^th

‘On Fire Mission Conference’

https://www.onfiremission.org/

Friday 28^th

Meeting with tax consultant

Sunday 30^th

Church Army Preachment at St Michael’s, Lichfield.

Then if all goes according to plan, Jane and I will be taking a short break…

 Monday 1^st – Tuesday 9th May 2017