Journalling the Psalms by Paula Gooder Reviewed by Jon Timms In the middle of your Bible, you will find a most sacred collection of writing. The book of Psalms provides us with a prayer book, hymnal and poetic masterpiece that has accompanied the people of God, both Jewish and Christian, for over two millennia. Within these sacred texts, the reader gets profound insight into the full spectrum of human emotion that one experiences when seeking to walk closely with God. It

Sam Abramian has recently been appointed the part-time Director for the East of England at Rural Ministries. He is a Baptist Pioneer Minister, Hospital Chaplain and Missional Listener who loves the rural context and journeying with others. 1. Where are you in the UK? I live in West Norfolk, in a small village called Ingoldisthorpe. We enjoy amazing sunsets over the sea across The Wash – the only place on the east coast where you can see the sun set over the water! We’re als

The American evangelist DL Moody once said, “Those who have left the deepest impression on this sin-cursed earth have been men and women of prayer.” Prayer must underpin all our endeavours as we seek to build the Kingdom. Whether that prayer is silent, spoken out loud, private or corporate, it has great power as we come before Jesus intentionally and listen out for His voice. When we declare and truly believe that God is in charge, dedicate our land to Him and call upon t

I have read many books on the subject of discerning the Spirit, and, like you, I am continually trying to listen and respond to God in the midst of ordinary life and ministry. There are countless discernment tools available. What follows are three that I, and others in the RM network, have found especially helpful. They are practices that help us pay attention to the Spirit’s guidance. 1. Scripture A church community noticed that several local families were struggling w

Since this article was sent to p rint , YouGov announced that the data used in the Bible Society's The Quiet Revival report, which is referred to in this article, was flawed. You can read more on this on the Bible Society's website . Here at MOSAIC, we thought what’s the point of having a CEO doing a doctorate if she cannot encourage the RM network with it? So, here’s a little something different for this issue. We will take a look at a theological topic and explore curren

Do you ever stop to think what church might feel like if you’re neurodivergent? Being encouraged to share the peace by touching people you don’t know, feeling that you have to sit still in one place when your body is desperate to move and being asked to stand up and say words you don’t necessarily fully understand or agree with are huge challenges for many neurodiverse people. However, in the village of Bottesford in the northeastern tip of Leicestershire, church has been rei

As an author, I love to speak to other writers about their books, vision and what differences they want to make to the world. I recently read and learned from, ‘Tarry Awhile’ and ‘A Heavy Yoke’ by the writer and academic Dr Selina Stone. It was a great privilege to catch up with her for a chat. Selina is a Lecturer in Theology and Ethics for the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. Her PhD was around womanist ethics being brought into dialogue with Pentecos

Everything that Rural Ministries does is underpinned by our wonderful Board of Trustees. At the end of last year, we said goodbye to our Chair, Stephen Spurgeon and to longstanding Trustee Elaine Fisher and welcomed Paul Susans to the position of Acting Chair. Editor Ruth Leigh caught up with them for a chat about the changes they’ve seen, the lessons they’ve learned and their vision for the future. Elaine’s Rural Ministries story began twenty-five years ago when the then R

“ Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The period after Christmas and New Year is a strange time. The leafless trees, barren landscape and inclement weather can give the impression that nothing is going on and as we experience the short, dark winter days, it’s easy to forget that under the soil, green shoots are getting ready

Think about surfing and your thoughts probably turn to the wide, sandy beaches of Cornwall, awash with lithe folk in wetsuits with boards under their arms. You may be surprised to learn, however, as I was, that considerably further north, there is a healthy Scottish surfing scene. No one knows this better than Jon Timms, founder of Discovery Church Dunbar, Rural Ministries Lead for the Northeast and Borders hubs and member of Christian Surfers. Eight years ago, Jon and his

The Wilford peninsula in East Suffolk is a wild and beautiful place, bounded by the North Sea and the River Deben. Kathy Wilson moved to...

England’s most westerly county, Cornwall, is a tourist hotspot in the summer months and it’s often associated with picturesque harbours, beaches, surfing and cream teas. However, there is more to this remote part of England than meets the eye. For a start, it is one of the most economically deprived English counties and many of its inhabitants suffer from loneliness, isolation, disaffection and poverty. Looe, a seaside town twenty miles west of Plymouth, has all the sandy bea

We are bringing you three book reviews to help you choose something helpful to read this Lent. Praying by Heart: The Lord’s Prayer for...

On Father’s Day weekend this year, I shall be raising money for the awesome charity Chapter2 by embarking on their Father’s Day...

If you are to pose the question “How can you help a dying church?” in an internet search engine, the resources, books, and responses...

A tree with deep roots sinking into the ground, each one representing scripture and how it has rooted my faith. Some of the roots are...

Rural Mission Hubs are an integral part of the calendar for the pioneers, practitioners, and permission givers, as well as those looking...

When I was studying at Spurgeon’s College back in the late 1990s, one of the lecturers posed two critical questions that he believed any...

There’s a pattern in political history of stability and comfort, followed by a time of uncertainty leading to people seeking hope and...

On a recent trip to London, I was struck by the number of people who were glued to their phones or tablets, barely aware of what was...

Some people’s plans to give up chocolate may be derailed because the beginning of Lent falls on the same day as Valentine’s Day this...

Why might words written twenty-five centuries ago resonate so strongly with us today? Reading Zechariah recently, I found the phrase,...

Within the church family, ‘the prophetic’ is a term both avoided and leaned into. It’s something that fuels ministry for some, whilst...

Jon Timms, who will be working with us for the next year while Ali Birkett takes some time off after the passing of his wife, has joined...

The subject of this article is not what you think. It’s not about apathy or a lack of care. Far from it. It’s about discernment,...

It’s a warm day and I’m running through a meadow with our dog. There are flowers of every shade and the warm tones of tall summer grass....

Imagine a double decker village hall on wheels—with comfy seating, play spaces, cooking area and games consoles. That’s what Open Blue...

Offering spiritual and pastoral support to the agricultural and rural community Derbyshire is a beautiful county of varied landscapes,...

If you receive our weekly reflections you will have met our newest member of staff, Jo Allen, when she put together a short video about...

2016 is what has become jokingly known as the year of no baptisms! Of course there were many across the globe but for the first time in...

It was more than six years ago that the Nicholas Lowton, our Rural Dean at the time, suggested that Abbeydore Deanery needed to start...

Or, nothing is wasted with God, as Joy Dimond, Missional Listener in Stow on the Wold explains. My cat, Bertie went missing!!! The first...

Sam Hargreaves of Engage Worship Do you ever feel that Easter Day goes by in a blur? You may have been building up steadily for weeks...

‘I will never forget the time people gave to me, no matter what I did, or how I was, they didn’t give up on me’. When the phrase...

Most people will be familiar with Criminal Record checks if they work with people in their church or community groups. They may have been...

RM's Simon Mattholie caught up with the new Messy Church Ministry Lead, Aike Kennett-Brown. Aike has been involved with Messy Church...

Alistair Birkett shares how rural churches are engaging with young people As he was nearing the end of his ministry, the evangelist...

Alison Griffiths reviews The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Book for Lent 2023 "Sometimes you feel you get it right, and it is glorious....

An interview with Julie Bryan, Pioneer Minister, West Craven Baptist Church and Alistair Birkett, RM Director for Scotland and Northern...

"Baby boomer" or "Boomers" is a term used to describe a person born between 1946 and 1964, when birth rates worldwide spiked. The baby...

I came from a church tradition that didn’t pay too much attention to Remembrance Day or Remembrance Sunday but I have grown in my...

- an interview with Robert Atwell, Bishop of Exeter Over the summer, a new book will be released by Church House Publishing, called ‘How...

Simon Mattholie, CEO I recently caught up with Declan Flanagan, the previous CEO of RM, and asked him some questions looking back on his...

Simon Mattholie, CEO Eddie Vass was the General Secretary of Rural Ministries from 1990 to 2005 and now lives just outside Ipswich. Still...

Nick Jones Although, 2022 marks 60 years since the official founding of Datchet Evangelical Fellowship, our true origins go back over...

RM's Alistair Birkett visited one of the latest joiners to our Network in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire - this is what he found.

Sutton St James Baptist Church Sue Hensby, Pastor ‘Open the doors and love people’ – this was the call that God laid on the hearts of Sue...

Discovery Church, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland If you were to visit Dunbar in the beautiful East Lothian region of Scotland, you’re...

Ben Lucas, Missional Listener, Charlton Down, Dorset It was April 2017 when Ben and Emma Lucas and their four children moved to Dorset to...

Alnwick Baptist Church, Alnwick, Northumbria Chris Friend Chris & Caroline Friend, co-pastors at Alnwick Baptist Church, have been taking...