The CMS prospectus for the Pioneer Mission Leadership training are published as it the website.
Jonny was able to give a few of these out at the tautoko weekend and it looks very good – I wish there had been a course like this available when I had been training as I would definitely have applied.
So – if you are looking for training here – check this out! If you are quick you could also get to one of the open days today or tomorrow to check it our further.
The Tautoko weekend was amazing. Great people, great food, great location, great discussions, great wine, great whisky …. and amazing cocktails!
The conversations and networking are always the best part of any get together – and that is what this weekend was full of; no sessions with ‘experts’ or ‘specialists’ telling us what we should think. Instead, a series of conversations around the questions that we brought with us as a result of who we are, where we are and what we are doing.
There were so many great group and 1:1 conversations that I still need to think more about but I guess I was particularly caused to think in the first group conversation I took part in which was something like ‘where do we go next missionally and how do we encourage each other. Someone suggested that Liberation Theology has something to offer us here. Liberation Theology makes an assumption that there is something in need of liberating in every situation, and so asks the question of each context, ‘what needs liberating here?’
So … I have started to think, in the situations I am working in, what is there that needs liberating …. and what does it need liberating from? If I am called to serve the people and within the situations I come across then asking ‘what here needs liberating’ is probably a good question to be asking. It certainly helps me with that ‘what now/next?’ question that seems to keep propping up in a world where I increasingly see less of what is coming just around the corner. The upside of that is that there are lots of surprises!
There is more to come … but I am off for coffee to think a little more on this liberation stuff …
… but before I do I want to say THANKS to everyone that was there …. this is by far one of the best Christian gatherings I have ever been to … simply due to its relevance, its openness and everyones acceptance that we are all in this together and all learning together …. thanks for being such a great bunch of people!
Today has been one of those good days where I have felt that bit more encouraged. (I feel encouraged all the time … but just a bit more today!)
I have had good conversations in all the places I have visited and I end this part of my day feeling incredibly conscious of how privileged I am to be able to spend time with some truly amazing and wonderful people.
Today I met with Bishop James who visited me in in the place I spend most of my mornings … and that in itself is very very encouraging. We chatted quite a bit about what I do, my normal day, where I see things going and all that kind of stuff. I was particularly excited to see the Bishop interacting and chatting comfortably with the people I spend my mornings with. I think they were pleased to see him being so approachable, and tomorrow I will be very interested to hear what they thought of ‘the new Bishop’.
I found Bishop James to be very interested in people and after a very short space of time I find myself feeling a great amount of respect and trust for this person. I hope we can all continue to pray for him as he seeks to do what he feels God has called him to do … if you do that prayer sort of thing please remember him!
Today has been a good day …
My day this morning did not get off to a good start! The shower head breaking in my hand and a tap erupting in another part of the house resulted in me needing to sort those things before going to London to have some valuable time with Ian, my mentor. (would you believe it can take nearly an hour to unscrew a tap!)
The day got better!
I met with Ian at the London Spirituality Centre and we chatted about the stuff we needed to chat about. Ian was able to inject some wisdom into what I was experiencing and I came away feeling incredibly refreshed and focussed. I have been struggling with some ideas and Ian was able to help me in my thinking. Some will read a negative comment into that but there is not one there. My support structure in Rochester is 100% solid and I am very fortunate. Ian, as my mentor, has been to many of the places that I am experiencing and so he can support me differently in my role. His insights today have been very valuable for me.
The day also ended well with 3 great people from the gathering joining me for the Imagination Guild. We got together to have ideas for our next large gathering with the theme of Advent. It’s a privilege to work with these people and we had some really powerful ideas which we think will help people connect with God in a real way. I’m looking forward to the gathering on December 12th.
Today has been a special day.
It’s been a day of privileges.
I have spent time with lots of people.
Time with a large group of people in pain at the loss of their friend.
Time catching up with a, newer, friend over coffee.
Time being teased in the pub over my Gillingham FC allegiance.
Time getting to know new colleagues.
Time listening.
Time waiting.
Time watching.
Time praying.
Time wondering.
It’s quite interesting what you can do with time.
I have returned from 4 days at St Andrew’s Abbey in Bruges.
The time away was an experience and there is lots to say (and not say!) about the few days but some highs and lows:
lows:
the exclusive nature of the food which meant a couple of our group with dietary needs were excluded.
Vespers in Flemish – I’m sure the service was great but I couldn’t understand a word …
meals in silence – personally I love silence but meals are a time for conversation, in my opinion
a packed program with little space for reflection
highs
being in a monastery in a totally different setting
I always enjoy the monastic rhythm of life which seems to energise me
space to consider things again about God and leadership
time to laugh and drink with friends and catch up with their stories
The topic of the few days was leadership and we discussed a few papers written by various theologians, although too many of them seemed to be from a Yale and Episcopal background and there are significant differences between the Episcopal model and the Anglican parish/FX model which cause me to question the validity of some of what the papers were suggesting.
On the last day we discussed a lecture given by Rowan Williams at Cuddesdon in 2004. I think this was by the best discussion we had as we considered Archbishop Rowans suggestion of priests needing to be released to be a lookout, an interpreter and a weaver. Essentially here, the Archbishop is saying that leadership is about seeing the landscape, engaging with culture, interpreting what is happening and looking for links as he shows people where Christ is working in communities today.
Any lecture that advocates any of us taking time to watch and attempt to understand before acting is worth considering in my opinion … so why not go and have a read. I think I found it encouraging too as Archbishop Rowan has given me a language to articulate what I have been attempting over the last 2 years.
It’s good to be back in Rochester. The time away was ok, I can’t say it was great as it wasn’t, but being with friends who both know when to laugh and when to be serious was a good experience – thanks guys and girls!
The blog has been quiet because I have been writing other things as the deadline for my long thought about, much spoken about but little written about portfolio was due in today. I gave it in yesterday with a big sigh of relief..
Partly I feel I have failed with this as my battles with those in authority to submit something creative (portfolio??!!) and at the end of the day the deadline was there and something needed to be submitted as, at the end of the day, I need to ‘pass’ the year and get started on coming up with a title for my masters dissertation.
I’m not entirely happy with what I have submitted as essentially it is an 8000 word essay whereas when we originally spoke of portfolio I was thinking of something a little more creative that reflected in quite a raw way the journey I have been on. I do like my title page though so there is a mark of my shallowness for you!
The task is now done though and I can breathe a sigh of relief … and feel a bit guilty of feeling pleasure that someone has to read it and plough through 8 appendices of ‘raw’ accounts of my last 2 years.
The great thing about drawing stuff together has been the remembering stuff from the earlier days that I have forgotten. I am quite often told that I am never satisfied and part of what makes me ‘tick’, I guess, is that I am always looking for and asking ‘what next?’, or wondering how something can be developed, or question where thinks are linking, or not linking. As I thought more on that I found this quote from Vincent Donovan, which I have recorded in a few places and blogged previously about here, which I guess both resonates and challenges me on a regular basis:
the gathering got together again today in the crypt. There were around 15 of us that looked at the topic of Simplicity; partiularly delving into what it meant and how it applied to our lives.
Our bible passage to look at was Luke 12:22-34 and then Howard got us to think about linking that with Fosters 10 statements on simplicity:
Been doing more reflecting and writing today on my two years as an OPM. This has resulted in more stories and more remembering!
An issue I have looked at today has revolved around the inevitable and necessary loneliness of this role and maybe of all pioneer roles in particular.
My YFC roles were always as part of great teams. I loved the teams I worked with because I love working as part of a team. I think a team approach is best as you learn from each other and grow together. The creativity of a team, in my experience, is far more than the sum of its separate parts. Something just ‘happens’ amongst a group of people who share a common aim but see the way ahead very differently from each other.
The bulk of the last two years, however, has seen my role as being one of working alone. I have the support of a great team of people behind me: my family, my prayer team, my colleagues and particularly Adrian, Ian and Jean … but I have still been ‘out there’ sitting alone, reflecting alone and searching alone. Although this is not my preferred way of working I have seen how God has used this, is using it and how things seem to happen as a result of my vulnerability in being alone.
One example: Yesterday I had Liz on placement with me. Liz is a curate who was ordained a year after me and as part of her (new) KCME course she gets to go on placement somewhere. I heard from Liz that while I went to the bar someone came in and asked the blokes ‘Is Rob here today?’ They responded that I was but that I was ‘with a lady’ and so the guy left.
To be available for people means I need to be alone and vulnerable and I wonder if there is something in my vulnerability matching that of others. Sometimes people share with me some quite deep stuff and the fact I am alone allows that to happen. It’s hard enough to share something with one person, but to share with two would be nearly impossible.
In addition to this I wonder whether a pioneer necessarily and inevitably needs to be alone in new environments so that they can immerse themselves in what they are doing. AS I look back over the last 2 years I can honestly say that I would not have noticed stuff going on around me if I had been with someone else. When things got difficult or quiet we would have chatted. Instead, I have not had that option … so I have observed and prayed and then observed a bit more. The amazing thing is that still, after 2 years of daily visits, I still see things that I have not noticed before and as I do I start to feel that I understand just a little bit more of hat is going on around me.
So I work alone, but not isolated. I work alone but feel very connected. I work alone so that I can have the freedom to respond to what happens around me.
(I also realised today that I am pleased that I have not lost the team approach totally and love the opportunity we have to plan be creative together as the gathering. In the last few months it is great, and a big relief to me, that this working alone is becoming more balanced with a team approach … but that’s to be the topic of a later post!)
Yesterday the gathering got together again in the crypt of the cathedral. This time we looked at the topic of Grace and started by talking about the story of the Prodigal Son.
I was surprised again by what happened. Via email people from the gathering agreed to be responsible for stations for ‘open space’ which is a time we use to help people earth the discussion and topic in the flow of their everyday life. I was surprised, again, because despite lack of detailed planning between us all the stations challenged us in a different way in our thinking of grace and what that is all about. Everything linked, as it often does when we choose to allow God to influence us rather than attempt to control things ourselves.
The time together was varied and gave different experiences under the banner of the theme because the people bringing ideas are at different places on the journey of faith and, with that, bring different needs and interests with them. It was fun to join together to look at grace. I liked that we had a good discussion, but I liked even more that we did not come to any agreement. It showed the person who was there for the first time that Christians can flourish together in disagreement.
I also liked having my mind stretched by the stations as I contemplated what this all meant in how I live my life. On another station transforming the ugliness of my short comings and frustrations into a graceful swan while the words of The Ugly Duckling story rang in my ears was quite a powerful experience.
As I look back it is interesting to see how the gathering is taking shape. It’s interesting and I look forward to continuing to travel with this group of people in to the future.
The Shiny Headed Prophet 