Mike Rutter’s Weblog…….

Bishop Graham Cray and Rev Stephen Lindridge have been appointed lead the next phase of Fresh Expressions.

Read article

Great to see such good appointments and also the commitment to continue the work for another 5 years.

Saw that Steve Croft has been appointed as the new Bishop of Sheffield. That is a great appointment for Sheffield. I was at a meeting with Steve recently, organised by Christian Selvaratnam, which was a gathering of those of us involved in Pioneer ministry. He is a really inspiring person to spend time with as he has a real understanding of the church and also a real vision for enabling new expr

I have emerged from the caravan clutching the final draft! Don’t tell anyone, but I actually enjoyed writing it in the end

I am currently sitting in our caravan on our driveway. It is my ‘hideaway’ where I go to avoid children so I can do some work. I broke up for the summer last week (I know I know….part timer, ****** private system etc etc…….just deal with it ok?) I haven’t let myself get into holiday mode yet as I still have a 4000 word essay to write and I know I will never get it done if I start hanging around in my pyjamas and watching daytime tv. Apart from this essay, I have now completed the first year of my 3 year theology degree. It has gone very quickly and I’m sure that the other 2 will be just the same. It has also made me think a lot more about what I will be doing at the end of the 3 years. Ideally I will do vicaring stuff for 2-3 days a week and continue to teach part time for the rest of the week. I’m not sure what the vicaring stuff will look like though. There are a few opportunities but it is difficult to know what to persue. What I do know is that I need to hold on to the reason I originally felt it was right to put forward for ordination which was to be involved in pioneering new forms of church, the same message but expressed differently to the standard Anglican way. I always remember back to ‘Village 87′ which was a Rob Frost mission that I went on back in 1987 (surprisingly). I remember sitting at the kitchen table listening to the rest of the team talk about their faith and about God and realising that I had never experienced what they had and also that I loved the fact that this conversation could happen in such an informal way… around a kitchen table. It may seem obvious now but it was quite revelation to me at the time having been brought up in ‘regular’ church. Since then I have always wanted to help create environments like this; informal places where people can relax and hear about God without all the unnecessary stuff that we often tend to add in churches. I need to say at this point that this doesn’t mean I am against tradition and ritual and all that stuff, I just think we need to look again at the reasons why we do it and ask whether it helps people to hear about God or hinders them from hearing about him. In the church that I help to lead at the moment, G2, we try to create an informal environment in which people can relax and engage at the level they are comfortable with. Of course we don’t always hit the mark, but the intention is there and we have seen it grow over the few years it has been going. Its exciting to be a part of because it is helping people to engage with the message of God which they so often never get to in our churches because all the politics and ‘churchy’ stuff gets to them first. Anyway, I realise that I always need to come back to this original desire to help enable church that is like this.

I went to my friend Christian’s ordination yesterday at York Minster. It was a long service but I found it really moving, probably because I am thinking a lot at the moment about all this sort of stuff. It was great to see Christian ‘get done’ – he even made wearing robes look good, which is saying something

 Anyway, I can’t put off starting my essay any longer -I still have loads to blog about but it will have to come later……

We’ve just had a great weekend in Oundle with Pip’s parents. We don’t get opportunity to go down there that often but when we do we always have a good time. There are so many people that we care about a lot there that a visit is always an emotional time (in a good way). The service at Oundle Baptist Church was really good. The church meets in the local secondary school and is always a joy to visit. There is always a real sense of God there.

On the Sunday we went to visit a farm that were in the process of lambing 1600 sheep. The shepherdess who goes to the church said we could come over and watch and help a bit. It was quite daunting to be standing amongst all those sheep who just stood there and stared at you. In large numbers they can be a little daunting. I think watching the film Babe hasn’t helped! Anyway – the really cool thing was that Joel decided he wanted to help deliver a lamb which he did. I was really proud of how he was up for doing it. He says he wants to be a vet and I suppose this is as good a start as any. The video shows him delivering the lamb. Its a bit ropey in quality as it was taken on my phone but hopefully you can make out what’s happening.

This made me laugh.

I’m on half term at the moment. Just spent a couple of days with Pip’s parents. They came up to us and it was a really good time. We went for a walk at the White Horse near Kilburn and the next day we went to Lotherton Hall. The latter was packed – a bit of good weather and the half term brought everyone out in force.

I’ve received back marks for my first essays – I’m doing ok. I now have to start thinking about a 4500 word essay on Liturgy that has to be handed in in 4 weeks time…hmmm. I have less enthusiasm about this one. I’m enjoying my placement at the minster though. I meet up with Jeremy Fletcher who is a great guy to chat to when I am trying to make sense of everything that  I am seeing and hearing. I went to Transcendence which is a service at the minster run by Visions and the minster. It was great – fantastic use of the space in the minster and a really good mix of traditions. The next one is March 2nd, I would recommend trying it out. Well time to get on with preparing the meal I am going to ccok for Pip tonight. She has bought some cocktail making ingredients so should be fun!

My friend Phil has organised an event called ‘Who Let the Dad’s Out?’  It’s something for Dad’s and their kids to go along to. There are toys, newspapers, a Nintendo Wii on a large screen and bacon butties. What more could you need? 

You can see the poster by clicking below.

Who Let the Dad’s Out?