Rural presence

Thinking aloud about being a Christian presence in every (rural) community

rural presence

thinking aloud about being a Christian presence in every (rural) community

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A place for some useful resources and creative thinking about rural mission and ministry in the Church of England’s Diocese of Chelmsford.

It’s complex, stupid

September 5, 2019

Complex systems theory has been used to give insights into leadership for some time. What insights does it offer to those leading multi-parish benefices? First, here’s a fun explanation (with puppies!) of complexity and complex systems in the natural world: So how does this help us in thinking about leading people? Margaret Wheatley begins with … More It’s complex, stupid

The measure

August 1, 2019

Flicking through the Church Times on Friday, my attention was caught by this headline: We are neglecting mid-sized churches As I read on, I discovered to my surprise that mid-sized, in Church of England circles, means a worshipping community of 20 to 60 people. Which meant that two of the rural churches I work with … More The measure

Our Future in the Land

July 22, 2019

On Tuesday 16th July the RSA launched a report “Our Future in the Land” and a companion document “Field Guide for the Future“. You can watch the whole 1 hour 20 minute launch in the youtube clip below. The report’s Preface says its sets out an urgent but optimistic view of how to make our … More Our Future in the Land

Watch this

Some insight into how the Arthur Rank Centre's Germinate Groups programme has worked in the Diocese of Worcester.