Resources? Resources?
This week we are at CRE, the Christian Resources Exhibition, at Sandown Park. We are excited to be meeting with Christians from across the country to share with them more about the work of Rural Missions. We will also be taking a look at the wide range of resources available; with everything from chairs to communion wine, curriculum to software packages, which has all got me thinking about the resources we use in our own ministries.
You may be aware that four years ago, I launched a charity called The Resources Cupboard; which merged with Rural Missions in June of this year to create a focussed children’s, youth and family ministry provision. Partner this with the fact that I’ve spent much of the last 10 years plus creating resources for other ministries, you may expect me to have something to say about this, so here are my top tips for choosing resources for your work:
Be clear about your own ministry. Before you go looking for what’s out there, know what it is that you need. What are the aims of your ministry? What are you seeking to do here? What is your context? What specifics do you need to consider? This way, you can avoid being shaped by a resource and instead find the best resource to serve you.
There is no ‘one size fits all.’ We are hugely blessed to have a wide range of resources available to us in the UK, but they won’t all serve our needs. We have found this to be particularly true in rural contexts; resources created for larger church settings rarely translate to small rural communities, and if we’re not careful, we can feel like we’ve failed when we try to replicate something from elsewhere in our own communities. Once we’ve got a clear understanding of our own context, we can look for resources that meet our needs.
Share, share, share away! No, I don’t mean ignore copyright rules! But when you find things that work for you; tell other people about it! And when you’re looking for something for your context, ask others in similar situations. Our networks are a great opportunity to meet with others working in similar contexts and will give you the chance to share with others.
So, about you? Are you looking for resources at this time? Have you seen the selection we have available on our website? What are you looking for at this time?
To check out our resources head to: ruralmissions.org.uk/resources
