Rural Mission and Ministry Short Course

St Hild Lincoln is pleased to invite you to join in with our short course on Rural Mission and Ministry, January to March 2025. All involved in working with rural parishes and communities, lay and ordained, are welcome to join.

Dates:

Thursdays on Zoom 7-9pm: Jan 9th, Jan 30th, Feb 6th, Feb 13th, Feb 27th, Mar 6th

Saturdays, 9am-3.15pm, at Edward King House in Lincoln: Jan 25th, Mar 15th

Topics:

• Reflection on rural mission and ministry for lay and ordained ministers and local leaders.
• Food, farming, justice and the environment
• Rural Contexts – Sociological Insights into Rural Communities
• Rural chaplaincy and ministering to the farming community
• Parishes and the parish system, history and current debates
• Theology of Place and Approaches to Rural Mission
• A View from the Hills (the Vicar of Swaledale)
• Rural mission in multi-parish groups

This course is for those in lay or ordained ministry in rural contexts. You will be given the opportunity to reflect together with other practitioners from a variety of rural contexts on the joys and challenges of rural ministry. The module is taught on two Saturdays in person in Lincoln plus six Thursday evenings on Zoom. The module is led by Sarah Lawrence, who leads the Lincoln centre of St Hild college. Sarah was ordained in 2008 and has been involved in parish ministry in rural settings in Lincolnshire, Shropshire and Anglesey. Sarah will facilitate group discussion and lead a session on the historical context and new controversies surrounding the parish system in rural contexts. Visiting speakers include:

• Laura Stratford from the Greater Lincolnshire Food Partnership, who will lead a day exploring food, farming, justice and the environment.
• Stewart Fife, Archdeacon of West Cumberland, who will lead sessions exploring sociological insights into rural communities, a theology of place and approaches to rural mission
• Alan Robson, Methodist Minister in the Lincoln circuit, Ecumenical Canon of Honour at Lincoln Cathedral and lead chaplain for Lincolnshire’s Rural and Agricultural chaplaincy. Alan will share about his experience in chaplaincy to the farming community.
• Caroline Hewlett, Vicar of the Parish of Swaledale with Arkengarthdale, who will share a ‘view from the hills’, reflecting on rural mission and ministry in the Yorkshire Dales.
• Christine Goldsmith, Rector of the Wolds Gateway Group and Rural Missioner for North East Lincolnshire, sharing experiences of mission and ideas for creativity in rural contexts.

Host or Publisher St Hild College