Captain's Blog for February/March 2019

It might be because I spend a good deal of my time with smaller rural Churches that I hear lots of stories of despair. Low numbers, ageing congregations, money problems, nobody coming to help, etc. etc. etc. 

I am on a bit of a campaign to change this negative narrative that has a tendency to become a self-fulfilling prophesy.  So I was delighted to be invited by the Rural Hope Team from Salisbury Diocese to be a speaker at two 24 hour residential's  (same presentation twice).  One was for rural ministers in the north of the diocese and then another two weeks later for minsters from the southern region of the diocese. 

The presentation was called ‘A Vision Expressed’ and I began by getting them to consider their dreams and vision and write that down on a postcard.  We then moved into the importance of Story. In particular I focused on the need to move from being Church Congregations to becoming Faith Communities.   Faith Communities, who are committed at the core, open at the edges, evangelised and naturally evangelising. 

We explored five key stories through a variety of exercises. Our personal faith story, our Faith Community story, our wider community story, the Jesus story and finally God’s big overarching story, the redemption of the cosmos.

I was a tad nervous to begin with but once we got going everything was fine and it was great to see their engagement. Hopefully I have left them with various tools and models they can take back to their parishes and begin to change the narrative.

Back on home turf I am delighted that we now have a Rural Officer for Salop whom I met over coffee. We also have another one coming on stream for the Staffordshire area. Again he and I are to meet shortly to discuss the role. We also have a great Rural Mission Team with two ‘Conversations & Consultations’ coming up in March plus our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/184152225508512/

I had a change in a couple of diarised engagements this month. I was scheduled to accompany Alan Betts on the last session of ‘Frontline Discipleship’ at St Laurence’s, Biddulph. This was looking at Intentional Relationships and Small Groups. 

Jane and I sadly had to attend the funeral of Jo, Jane’s sister-in-law. It meant a 500 mile round trip in one day as we had to go via Oswestry to pick up Jane’s sister. But it was definitely the right decision to go and I did allow myself a lie in the next day!

I also had to reschedule another engagement, a Rural Consultation & Networking event hosted by Stafford Borough Council. I was representing FCN. Thankfully we did have another two FCN volunteers in attendance.

My reason for non-attendance was due to being asked to go and have a CT scan following some anomalies which had shown up in a couple of blood tests. The day before a CT scan you have to follow a special diet and then fast plus drinking Gastrografin, so staying and working from home seemed most advisable! I am still awaiting results.

I had my regular monthly trip to St Anne’s, Brown Edge and this time we just nudged into double figures!  These good people are not only talking a negative narrative, they are living it out! Please pray for them.

Towards the end of last year I was part a small group who had ‘guided conversations’ with several key Church Leaders on behalf of Love Stafford. We were seeking to discern if there is a heart and mind for further development. We followed that up this year with a Church Leaders lunch time gathering when the findings were presented which led into a wider discussion. To our delight they have elected to have a quarterly ‘Church Leaders Forum’ to discuss town wide plans and projects. The first Forum is on March 13^th when they will be discussing, among others things, the idea of a Churches Festival Week in June 2020.   

Lastly we had another great time 'Chewing the Cud' at Amerton Craft Farm. Hosted by FCN we simply invite anybody and everybody to come and drink tea/coffee and 'chew the cud.' It is always great fun and we never know how many are going to turn up or how the conversation is going to go, but we always seem to happily chat away for a couple of hours.  

Then following that I had a similar meeting this time with our local Church Army Cluster Group. A small number of us gathered, but we still had a valuable time looking at Scripture, sharing our stories and praying for each other.

        

      Some appointments & engagements for March

Friday 1^st

Tabitha’s birthday!

Saturday 2^nd – Saturday 9^th

We are in Cornwall

On Sunday 3^rd Isla is being Baptised at Holy Trinity, St Austell. She is Daniel and Tracey’s third daughter, born last October.

Sunday 10^th

Preaching and Leading Service of the Word, St Anne’s, Brown Edge.

Monday 11^th

Meeting with Peter Hardy over lunch to discuss the role of Staffordshire Rural Officer

Tuesday 12^th

Stafford Deanery Chapter – to be addressed by Director of Mission, George Fisher

Wednesday 13^th

Rural Mission Team – ‘Conversation & Consultation’ morning exploring presence in worship and community

Thursday 14^th

I am joining the Diocesan Vocation Advisors at a review & training session. They have invited me to speak about what I have discerned and discovered in my own vocation.

Saturday 16^th

St John’s (home church) is holding a day to explore our gifts and how we might use them.  (This is following a sermon series exploring ‘gifts.’)

Sunday 17^th

Stafford Half Marathon - I am running for the Mothers’ Union

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gordon-banks9

Monday 18th

Lunch time meeting with Gareth, Mission Development Officer, Coventry Diocese. We had to postpone a Rural Consultation Day working with Rural Mission Solutions, so we are meeting to see if we can find another way forward.

Tuesday 19^th

Meeting with my own Spiritual Companion. And in the evening a meeting for Stafford Litter Heroes with the Borough Council.

Wednesday 20^th

Rural Mission Team – ‘Conversation & Consultation’ morning exploring presence in worship and community. Same as before (13^th) but in the evening, starting with a meal.

Thursday 21^st

Jane’s birthday!

Sunday 24^th

Preaching at St John’s, Stafford (home church) and in the afternoon Tixall and Ingestre Messy Church

Wednesday 27^th

Prayer Gathering of the Stafford Prison Fellowship Group.

Saturday 30^th

Graham, a Staffordshire FCN volunteer, has organised a Folk and Fork Night to raise funds for the work of FCN.