All Done

I’ve finished my last essay of the term.  It was a report on how to conduct a critical literature review.  Hard going!!!  But that’s me all finished for this year.  Just two modules and a dissertation to go and I will be a Master!

Tomorrow I’m off to the URC Synod of Scotland minister’s conference.  They are spending 3 days looking at Risk and I’m leading a session on Thursday morning on Risk and Young People so I want to see what they have already covered.  No point in repeating!

In other news Lucky Dave is in Manchester clutching his ticket for the Uefa Cup final tomorrow night where his beloved Rangers take on St Petersburg.  I hope Dave, Marc and Sponge have a brilliant time.  It was great to see all the cars an buses heading down the motorway towards Manchester today.  Good luck tomorrow.

My team, Motherwell, have qualified for next year’s Uefa Cup.  Here’s hoping we get just as far!!!

Busy Weekend

I’m about to head off to Carberry Tower near Edinburgh for 24 hours to our Synod Programme Committees.

On the agenda for me are Children and Communion and Safeguarding as well as working with the Children and Youth Ministry Committee on our future plans for the Synod Youth Forum and some other stuff in the pipeline that I’ll tell you more about later!

church websites for URC

iChurch is, in my humble opinion, the best idea I’ve seen in ages.

If you are a URC congregation who either wants a website but think it is too hard to set up and run

or

are paying for web hosting, trying to design and update your site and all that

then ichurch is the answer!  For a one off fee of £100 you get your own website with a yourchurch.urc.org.uk address, a site that is already set up and really simple for anyone to update.  It runs from the URC server so no web hosting costs or any of that website hassle.

It’s a brilliant idea and one I think every congregation should take up.

Making a difference

Ramble Alert! OK. I’m not sure where this post is going but stick with me and hopefully it will get somewhere…

I’m working on some aims and objectives for my job. I tell everyone I train to do it so it’s practice what you preach time.

The thing is… I can write down the stuff I do/will do/can do standing on my head OR I can do all that and try to do something that will make a difference. We have been talking a lot in our little Synod Team about ‘Culture Carrying’. That discussion has grown from a feeling that we have to do better than maintaining the church. To do that we need to embody something else. We need to be culture carriers.

So my quandary is twofold:

Does any of the stuff I do make a difference? And if it does, who or what does it make a difference to? And are those the right people?

What culture should I be carrying? I start where I always do. Asking for thoughts and ideas.

Headphonaught suggests I keep being me. I’m not sure I can be anything else, or that I can write that down on my forward plan!

1. Be me.

2. see 1

I think he’s right though. I need to be authentic. And so does the church. If it’s not about life and living it then what’s the point?

Avril asked me what difference the church can make to the lives of people in and out of it? I don’t really know the answer to that question. I’m sure it makes a bigger difference than we might at first think because the ‘organisation’ isn’t the be all and end all of being church thank God. The people live and move in the world, loving, caring, helping and supporting as they go. But then so do lots of others who have no involvement in church.

My thing is children and young people and the adults that work with them. At least that’s what my job is. My problem is that sometimes I have no idea what to do with that. (is that something I should be admitting?) I sometimes wonder if the church as it exists is anyplace for our children and young people? In some cases yes and in some no.

What I have noticed is that the churches that are willing to invest some time, money and most of all themselves are the ones that do well with children and young people. And yet few of our churches are growing significantly. That isn’t because they are not good places full of good people. I would recommend a number of them to anyone.

I wonder if it is because we don’t advertise our existence? Is that a confidence thing? Are we silent because we don’t know who we are or what we are for?

I wrote a chapter in a book called Inside Verdict which I began with the words “This isn’t working anymore.” Well, is it any better now? Of course some of it is. The Together@MCT project I’ve been working with people on perhaps sheds some light. Engaging worship. Discussion with no pressure. Hopefully some community building. But I’m not sure we have gotten our heads around who it is for and how we should move forward yet. We need to keep the bigger picture before us. That will come though.

The pervasive themes of personalisation and participation return to my thinking again and again. The world, my world, seems to value both of these. How does that fit with community? It seems to in the world of facebook and bebo. I can be me. I can have my personal page but I belong to the community and can participate and add and contribute. How does/could/should that work in church?

Media that targets you but doesn’t include you may not be worth sitting still for.

Clay Shirky

So just a few questions to answer. I’ll get back to my aims and objectives now and see if any or all of those thoughts make it onto the page.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Really. They would.

Voices Please

Here’s a plea for all those people who are dots on the clustr map around the world.

We’re working on a project for Pentecost to collect lots of languages reading Acts 2:1-6. So, if you speak anything other than English and could record yourself reading this short passage and email it to me as an MP3 please let me know using the box below and I’ll get back to you with an email address to send it to. The link takes you to Bible Gateway where you can find the passage in loads of languages. Thanks!

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

Shawlands Community Forum

Tonight I’ve been invited to be on the panel for an open community discussion at Shawlands URC in Glasgow (map).

The topic is ‘What role can the Church play in the community?’ and I’ve been asked to speak about the church and young people.  There are another two speakers and the local MP was to have been on the panel but has been called away.

The event starts at 7.00pm and you would be most welcome to join us.

Things re-discovered

I’ve has a busy weekend and in between preaching at Dunfermline (thanks for the tie!) and visiting parents (thanks for a lovely meal!) I rediscovered some things forgotten.

I watched the Masters Golf. I’m not sure I’ve watched it so much as I did this year for ages. For me the Masters seems to hold more appeal than other golf tournaments (except the Ryder Cup where we get to beat the Yanks - in a sporting and fun fashion of course). Perhaps because it is played at the same course each year. Perhaps because the course is Augusta National, perhaps the most beautiful course in the world. Perhaps it is because it never fails to surprise. Well done to Trevor Immelman on winning and to fellow South African Gary Player on his two rounds under 80! Not bad for a 72 year old!

The second thing rediscovered was a musical treat. I found an old CD.

Hats by The Blue Nile. I bought this album when I was at school I think. It is a beautiful collection of angst, hurt and hope. I love it. Perhaps the perfect album for listening to in the dark. The Blue Nile are playing in their hometown of Glasgow soon. I wonder if we could stretch to the tickets. They almost NEVER play and have only produced a handful of albums in 20 years.

another busy Sunday

… after a busy Saturday.

Last night we were at my aunt and uncle’s Ruby (40) Wedding Anniversary.  It was great to see the family.  We really don’t get together often enough!

I spent this morning with the lovely people of Righead URC in east Kilbride leading worship and talking about the Child Friendly Church Award that the URC operate.  It helps churches to think about how they include children and young people in all aspects to the life of the church.

At the moment I’m watching Chelsea V Middlesburgh while trying hard not to fall asleep.  What is daylight saving all about?  I want my hour in bed back!

Later we’re heading off to Edinburgh for Together @ MCT.  More on that later!

A Good Day

Today has been a good day!

We spent the morning at Drumchapel Essenside URC with the best kind of people.  warm, friendly, generous and honest.  It’s the kind of church I’d choose to go to!

Ben and Jack had a great time at Sunday school and I’m sure all the chocolate eggs they were given didn’t influence their opinion too much!

Back home and I took the boys swimming.  It’s good to have time to play!  We were also very creative this weekend but more of that some other time! (how’s that for a teaser!!!)

I’m about to make coffee and settle down to watch the final part of the BBC’s excellent ‘The Passion’ mini series.  All in all, a very good day.

Happy Easter

Easter Blessings to all.  I’m off to Drumchapel to share in Easter worship and I’ve chosen Mark’s version of the story:

‘When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ “

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.’

God is on the loose!