But what do you do as a Rural Chaplain?

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will have a good idea of a number of the projects that the Rural Chaplaincy Team are involved in but as I was recently preparing my annual report for the Riverina Presbytery I thought it might be helpful to give our blog readers an overview of the whole job.

On the right of the blog page or in the notes section of the facebook page you will see the values that we endeavour to work under. Our objectives are also listed in both places. Each of us have our own projects and some we have in common, but below are the ones that I am working on.

1. Assisting congregations and UCA schools engage in beneficial community development.

I have been working to facilitate partnerships between Pymble Uniting Church, Knox and PLC Schools and Enngonia community. This partnership has been going for some time now and is producing good fruit.

Knox and PLC Students at Enngonia School

Another partnership, between Weilmoringle Primary School and Mosman Boys Preparatory School, has focused on literacy and has brought great benefits to both schools.

A new partnership is now forming with Gordon Uniting Church, Ravenswood Girls School and Ivanhoe and Clare. I am looking forward to the some interesting developments during the year.

Recently we have written about the wonderful partnerships that are coming together for the Small Schools Super Camp. 

Communities I work in and some of the partnerships that have formed

2. Facilitating small rural communities to discover their strengths.

The map above shows the 6 communities I have been particularly focusing on. 

Briefly some the projects in each place are:

•       Weilmoringle -Literacy project
•       Hillston  - WNWN
•                      -  Grant projects
•                      -  Show

• Merriwagga - 

-        Computer lessons                              

-        Craft group

•       Ivanhoe -Youth Centre – TV
•       Hay – suicide prevention (more later)
•       Enngonia – school and community programs

As you can see it is very varied - and great fun! 

In the next week or two I'll look at some of the other things I do.

Cheers Julie