On Saturday 15 October, the 2016 Germinate! Conference, “Making
it happen” is taking place, focussing on the challenge of deepening
discipleship in order to inspire, encourage and equip flourishing rural mission.
A number of our rural churches in West
Worcestershire have been working together
in Germinate learning communities. These
‘communities’ are made up of around 35
people from across the parishes (including the
incumbents) who have committed to meeting
together for two days every six months over
two years, to share experiences and ideas
and come away with a plan of action for
each benefice. The learning communities are
currently half way through the process.
Anne Lewis, member of St John the Baptist Church in Suckley, said: The Germinate
learning Community has provided a stimulating and enjoyable forum to share ideas. We
have discovered new ways to identify the resources we have in the 14 churches in the
Worcestershire West Rural Team and looked at how they can best be used to enable us
to work together, despite being such a widespread rural group of churches looked after
by only two stipendiary priests.
“It has inspired us to realise that working together we can face the future stronger
and has given us the boldness to take responsibilities that we have previously have
assumed would just be taken by those wearing the dog collar.
“As Kingdom People we are, each one of us in our own way, now needing to accept
Christ’s commission to go in to the world and make disciples. It really is up to US.”
Please pray for all those involved in the Germinate learning communities and for those
attending the conference next weekend.
Droitwich Deanery – Rural Dean: Sheila Banyard; Lay Chair: Janet Bryan
Diocese of Liverpool: Bishop Paul Bayes with Suffragan Bishop Richard Blackburn
Diocese of Monmouth (Wales): Bishop Richard Pain
Diocese of Haderslev (Denmark): Bishop Marianne Christiansen
The Church in the West Indies: Archbishop John Holder
