National Rural Ministry Conference

National Rural Ministry Conference

This trip had a lot of stories and events woven into it.  The main game was the National Rural Ministry Conference in Harrietville, Victoria. Yes, interstate again ,but I also set up a meeting along the way with Cath from Mission Aust, Dubbo, picked up Lyn on way home from Sydney and the Caravan from Dubbo .  So Dubbo was a shopping trip for Adult Literacy books for our Weilmoringle project. We bought a heap of children’s story books for the reading corner at play group - all of them had Indigenous stories and great pictures.

Hay in Southern NSW 

A wonderful night with Holly and Darren. I was also in time for the gathering they hold and met some great folk and shared a meal.

A family set up in rest area

I had to stop for this church  in a paddock 

Next day off to Victoria, but coffee first, of course….but what’s this: no steering wheel and on the wrong side of the car? How strange it is being a passenger, even putting on the seat belt. We travelled along some of the roads we had been on for the MDB trip and then out to Kelly country.The conference was in a beautiful village called Harrietville just past Bright at the foot of Feathertop   Victoria’s second highest mountain.

The views just go on forever.

There were ministry agents Lorraine Stokes, from as far as West Aust, 3 from SA -David Buxton, Ashley Davis & Rob Morgan. From Vic/Tas - John Thompson, Colin Thomson, Paul Blacker, Mike Lewis and Wendie Wilkie, who did a great job of keeping us in order. From the Riverina - Myra Cowell, Darren Wright and Dorothy Creek, plus others who popped in and out.
The time was broken into 2 sessions with guest speakers, Rev Jenny Byrnes, Executive Director of the Centre for Theology and Ministry, who led us in a session on sustainable, resilient leadership, and John Emmet, Mission officer with the Property department, previously mission catalyst with Commission for Mission, who led us in a session on mission in the 21^st C – “being small and vulnerable - a theological reflection”  looking at the possibilities and understandings of rural life. Both these sessions gave a lot of challenging thinking into how we go forward and break habits of church to move into 21^st.C

Hard at it with John Emmet 

Dorothy and Myra working on presentation

 There was an afternoon sight-seeing around the district and the rest of the time was in sharing stories from our patch. Again a helpful time allowing us to hear good and bad news and how it was dealt with.  Yes, all Synods are looking at new ways of “being church” and working around resourcing lay-led churches. We also had a visit from a local historian telling about those who had pioneered this area. Seems having children was a past time as most had around 10-12. We also heard of an interesting project in town of boarding students from a NT Indigenous community in 2 cottages as they attended school in Bright. They also can work in the project’s coffee shop.

It was good to worship and share over the time. The “race that stops a nation” was run and won as we travelled - it was funny seeing large groups of people hang around pubs in the middle of the week but it was a Public holiday down there.

We had a great cook whose cooking and sense of humour, added to the camp as she moved without intrusion, but also slotted in at the right time. 

Above Bright at the lookout but we need to lookout for the grader from the passenger seat

I headed north to Sydney, out the back way to Gundagai then up to Sydney for Lyn’s 
Birthday and some grand kid time, then home. Due to loss of a friend, Lyn stayed  and I headed in to my next blog……..…..empty car, wash cloths, re- pack and then early start to head  “Out West” for  a few days of drought work around Nyngan.

Sorry if this is not up to standard but I am on my L plates 

Phill Matthews Rural Chaplain

0418627875 madpom52@gmail.com