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Rural mission in Exeter diocese

Marian Carson told me about her role Growing the Rural Church working with rural Mission Communities  (groupings of parishes according to proximity) to develop their resources and, in particular their church buildings, to enable them to grow in prayer, make new disciples and serve the people of Devon with joy. ( The 3 diocesan 'strands' which run through all projects at all levels. Far more specific aims than " unlocking our potential"!?!) She explained that this diocesan initiative aims to do this by supporting rural Mission Communities to partner with their local communities and external agencies to find sustainable missional, community, commercial or cultural uses for their church buildings, which benefit the whole community. (Sounds similar to what we've been attempting to do at St. Peter's.) There are hopes that the public spaces offered by our rural church buildings, both for worship and extended missional, community, commercial or cultural use, are s...
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Street Church, Leeds

Visiting The Lighthouse Church in the Crypt of St. George's Church, Leeds just over a week after worshipping with the Street Church in Rio, provided a rich opportunity to reflect upon similarities and differences... GOD'S LOVE at the heart of both. SHARED MINISTRY - lay and ordained - underpinned both. WELCOME - everyone (known 'regular' attenders and newcomers - like me) was shown warmth, friendship and compassion with open hearts in both. EMMANUEL - remembering God's presence with us - even in our 'darkest' of times - and God's desire for us to live with hope and trust in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit was the key message in both. CONTEMPORARY MUSIC - live in Leeds ( we sang a Christian variant to the Beatles' "Let it be"!) and recorded in Rio  (but what a witness worshipping in public)  enriched the quality of worship, generating a tangible sense of corporate endeavour in both LITURGICAL DRESS - a (retired) bisho...
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Colossians 4:2-6

There are three central aspects of the Christian life which are always intertwined, and they are found together in today’s passage: people, prayer and proclamation . (I know, but I’m a preacher!) The first significant thing is that Paul knew he needed help. We’ll see this later in the chapter, but in today’s passage he deliberately underlines his need of others – including new believers in this small and fledgling church. ‘Pray for us’, he says (v 3). Pray that I’ll be able to do the job. I need your help. So it is for each of us: we need others , however experienced in the faith we might be. The heart of Paul’s request is for prayer. Three key words in verse 2 need to be applied to our prayers.  Devote implies true commitment, perseverance, faithfully praying day after day. Later he refers to Epaphras, ‘always wrestling in prayer’ (Colossians 4:12). It’s a tough job and we must be determined.  Watc...
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