One year ago, I stepped into the role of Chief Executive at Rural Missions, taking up the baton from our founder, Rev Barry Osborne. Barry’s vision and dedication over many years laid a strong foundation for the work we continue today, and I want to take this moment to honour his legacy and thank him for his faithfulness to rural ministry.

This past year has been one of growth, learning, and incredible opportunities.

What does your name mean? There are so many different names in the Bible but a lot of them have meaning behind them and that person has been given that name for a particular reason. I wonder if there’s a story behind why you were given your name?

God has many different names that we ascribe to him, king of kings, the good shepherd, prince of peace, everlasting father, the list goes on. But what about God’s personal name “Yahweh” what’s the story behind that name?

Indecisiveness is one of the most infuriating of feelings. In our society we have a HUGE amount of choices presented to us on a daily basis, varying from the mundane: our choice of breakfast cereal or which Netflix show to watch, to the more serious: which job should I do, who should I marry, or where to live. We are constantly bombarded with option after option, and are encouraged to make our own decisions, primarily driven by what we want!

What was the last decision you made? How did you make it?

So many followers of Jesus find themselves stuck—discouraged, frustrated, and stagnant. We've fallen into the trap of expecting instant transformation, like instant coffee. Pour the water in and there you go the finished product. But for most of us, becoming a Christian doesn’t result in this instant and complete transformation. 

"We've prayed, been baptized, had spiritual highs, yet still grapple with doubts, sins, and unchanged lives. We wonder, 'Is this it?' "I thought I'd be different by now. 

Let's look at coffee enthusiasts and what they can teach us.

This week I joined the Rural Missions family and I wanted to take this as an opportunity to introduce myself. But before that, I want to say thank you to all of you for supporting the work that this incredible charity does. Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to join the team for two days as they spent time away together dwelling in the Word, sharing the vision for 2025, and exploring what doors God may be opening.

This weekend, I had the privilege of visiting a church in the picturesque hills of Somerset as part of Rural Missions’ Tailor-Made Consultancy. It was a day of reflection, discovery, and bold planning, designed to equip the church to share the love of Jesus in fresh, impactful ways. 

The day began with the question at the heart of it all: What is mission? 

It can be so immensely difficult to watch a friend go through a really tough time. We have all been there, listening and watching tears be shed, seeing the hurt in our friend’s eyes as they share something really difficult that’s happened to them. Whether it is stress, loneliness, bullying, or relationship troubles, it is never easy supporting a friend who’s hurting. For one thing, we can often feel panicked: “What do I say?” “What should I do?”

Nature. Isn’t it beautiful? There is something about nature, mountains, rivers, the forest, flowers, and birdsong that stirs something inside of us. This sense of awe, the beauty, the intricate details that whisper something deeper to our souls. 

Christmas is a season of Hope, but it can also be tinged with feelings of hopelessness for some people. Hopelessness can be one of the most destructive emotions that a person can ever feel. You can sometimes seem lost in what appears to be an endless abyss of darkness and emptiness.  It can seem as if there is a complete absence of joy and hope, and yet in the midst of that pain, God meets us in the brokenness.   

What can you hear today? The whistle of the kettle boiling, the roar of the tumble dryer or the TV muttering in the background?

What are you tuning into? The rustle as you turn the page in your book?  The music emanating from your Alexa?  What about the gentle whisper of God?  

The art of good listening is exceedingly difficult, especially when we live in a world that is constantly busy, constantly noisy and constantly full of distractions. Henri Nouwen wisely said: “listening is the highest form of hospitality…hospitality is not to change people but to offer them space where change can take place.”

Psalm 23 has always been a favourite of mine, particularly verses 5 and 6: ‘You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ The Psalmist conjures up such a beautiful image of God’s outrageous abundance. He doesn’t simply want to fill us, He wants us to overflow, to ‘brim with blessing’. Did you know that God OUTRAGEOUSLY loves you today?

In his book, ‘Mere Christianity’ C.S. Lewis wisely wrote ‘God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing’. Peace is central to who God is, He oozes it, it is part of the essence of who He is and He longs to lavish it onto His children.

I never fail to be surprised by how passionately my friends can talk about things that I find, if I’m brutally honest, boring at times! Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing their faces light up as they discuss the new episode of some random new programme, or show me their latest TikTok video.

It’s wonderful to be passionate, to be filled with joy as we chat about things close to our hearts but I wonder as Christians, do we speak about Jesus with the same passion that we talk about our favourite programmes or the latest trends? How much easier is it to share with someone our love of our favourite series, rather than sharing our love of our Saviour?

Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread, or that clean, fresh smell of newly washed clothes.  Things that are fresh and new get our attention.  Psychologists have discovered that the average attention span for an adult is a mere twenty minutes, and that after that, we tend to lose focus, and miss details.