RMU Field Days

As I washed the red dust from all I owned it was time to change from a bus to a hall.  A new lot of travellers plus some old friends and I would be in the same room for the next 4 days.  I picked up the Broken Hill group, David and Sharon, as they flew down.  The day's program was set out like this: devotions, sessions, lunch, sessions.  The Key Note speaker was Mark Berry from Safe place community in England.  We also had some dinner events.

Mark Berry session with group taking it all in 

 

Lou resting after setting up Worship space

I had time to regroup and now can look back and reflect, rather than inform of things happening. I came home from the River Tour pretty worn out. I then had to get the Blog out for the Tour, which was a massive task - writing, finding the right photos then putting it all down in a logical sequence.  My brain was overflowing with information; with sight, sounds and smells. What happens when we're with who.  I hope you were interested and it has got you thinking "Why is our church seeking to hear the voices of the river people, all of them?"  

The time at the Field Days was not a photo time - it was a listening time, a time of talking and sharing, of much catching up.  Letting what was being said flow out of the set of notes but also allowing it all to soak in.  For example, Braydon from UME spoke on generation stuff (the next gen XY baby boomers, how they mix or don't mix). Chris from Uniting Care showed us tools to map and build community development plans for our churches.  He used Broken Hill as a Live project.  Unfortunately I missed the second part of this session as we had two sessions running concurrently and I had chosen to attend the Mental Health Matters session.  Julie had been working on this.  Brenda from Coona ran the session, as she has done the "Train the trainer" course.  It was great work all round. I feel if I new nothing before the session, I have been given the tools to do some real good now. This is what we need - ordinary folk reaching out to their town.

The EDs came and sat with us.  Executive Director Peter Worland talked to us about the new way ahead for the Uniting Church, as it is no longer UnitingCare.  It sounded really good.  I told him about the great work the local Uniting service providers have been doing.  Then John Kitchener spoke about money - a good message for a church reaching out of the old paradigm into a new way ("I ask for caravan he told me "I'd have to do a good job and we would see" with a smile) 

Money, buildings, Relationships, God calls us to be His people, trusting in Him and loving those we meet.

Mark's stories of his work in England reminded me of the Rosemeadow and Claymore Airds time of my life and Maz and Neil Smiths.  But putting it altogether God calls us to be the Church that meets to inform and renew and praise Him as we go out into the world refreshed, renewed and reformed because if we just keep being the same we miss what is fresh and the new relationships growing out of the scattered.

My first church, the bus (Left) and my first Field Day session

The fire kicked out but take from it back to your camp

Well time has flown.  New things are shaping our world .  This last week we have been moved (or some of us have been moved) by the plight of those seeking a new life; of just being able to work, play and be.  I'm happy to say I have heard much talk from our NENW Presbytery Retreat, our Leader the Moderator, worship leaders and then my own church leader speaking of the challenge for us to be Christ in today's times.  Take the fire and let burn in your life.