The annual conference grows each year in its popularity. It brings together leaders from churches with a rural focus to provide fellowship, teaching and an opportunity to share the highs and lows of rural church life. Not to be missed if you are a rural church leader.
In setting the topic for this years conference we were aware that many in church leadership need the time and space to recharge their batteries.
Therefore we will be focussing our time in the sessions with Roy and at other times through the weekend on the topic of REFRESH as well as replenish and renew, using a variety of ways of doing this.
Speaker for the weekend
Roy Searle
Leader of Northumbria Community
www.northumbriacommunity.org
Who is Roy Searle?
Roy lives with his wife, their rescued Irish greyhound and two tortoises in
the Cheviot Hills of North Northumberland. He is one of the founding leaders of the Northumbria Community. From an unchurched background, Roy came to faith whilst an Outward Bound Instructor in the Cairngorms
of Scotland.
He and his wife went to Bible College in Berwick Upon Tweed and ‘cut his teeth’ in rural ministry before going on to university, church planting on a large urban council housing estate before pastoring a church in an inner city. From his rural home he travels extensively across Europe as an Overseer of the Community encouraging people to love God and live generously. A popular, speaker, preacher, visiting lecturer, worship leader, and spiritual director, Roy also mentors and trains people in missional leadership. He has also been involved for the last 18 months in establishing a new rural missional initiative, Crossing Places, in North Northumberland. He is an Associate of the Baobab Centre in York, member of the Renovare team (the movement founded by Richard Foster), is a former President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, a consultant for Bible Society and other agencies and has been involved and supported the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. He writes on leadership, spirituality, community and culture.
He plays a lot of tennis, enjoys sailing and photography and remains a faithful supporter of Middlesbrough Football Club. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and appreciates opportunities to have a pint of Guinness, read The Guardian, engage in political debates and go body boarding at St. Ives in Cornwall.
Conference costs
Rural Ministries as always sought to make the conference accessible to all. It is now our largest single cost of the year. We would like any future subsidies to be available to those most in need and to ensure children and teenagers can attend. What we ask you to consider is:
"To pay a minimum of £50.00 per person towards the conference cost or meet the full cost of those who attend from your church?”
2012 costs are:
£140.00 age 16 and over
£80.00 12 to 15 years
11 and under free
Please complete and return the booking form (with a deposit of £25.00 per person) as soon as possible to ensure your fellowship is represented. If you have any questions or want to discuss the cost and any available subsidies then please contact the Rural Ministries office.
Download Annual Conference booking form