Looking for Ideas about pastoral care by telephone

 News Update

- Conference for Small and Rural Churches - Trail, B.C.

- International Rural Church Association (Brandon) Conference

 Rural Issues

- Microcredit Puts People Ahead of Money

- What do Food Processors Fear?

 Rural Ministry (Life and Faith)

- Churches Need to be Better Prepared for Rural Advocacy (notes from Australia)

- Agricultural Adviser Opts for Sustainable Stewardship (Dr. John Ikerd)

- Small Rural Church Caucus

 Worship Resources

- Jesus in the Desert

 Spiritual Vignettes

- Caring For Neighbours

- Reaching Out to Church Drop-outs

- Finding Balance and Peace

 Links

 LOOKING FOR IDEAS

Does anyone use the telephone to offer support ministry to individuals?  Is this an effective way to reach people who are isolated?  (send your thoughts, we'll share them with the network)

 NEWS UPDATE

 Conference For Small and Rural Churches in B.C. 

"Connections: Rediscovering Vitality"

- with Julia Wallace, Walter Farquharson and Keri Wehlander

- June 1-3 / 07  at Trail United Church, Trail, B.C.

- for further information contact Shelley  CIFshelley@telus.net

"Cry From The Heart:  How Can We Find Hope In The Rural Landscape?"

- July 3-9 / 07, Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba

- 4^th international gathering of the International Rural Church Association

- hosted by Canadian Rural Church Network

- website www.irca-canada.org (registration forms can be down loaded)

(see further notes on key speakers under heading "Agricultural Economics Adviser Opts for Sustainable Stewardship") 

 RURAL ISSUES

 Putting People Ahead of Money

             Microcredit, the offering of tiny loans for needy people, has become a mainstream movement since Muhammad Yunus received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering work in this regard.

             While most banks and grant-giving organizations can't be bothered with someone needing a mere $200, those involved in the likes of the Credit Union Movement and Heifer International put people ahead of money.  They have a long history of giving small loans of cash, commodity or assistance, and thereby give people opportunity to maintain their dignity as they climb out of poverty.

             At the inaugural gathering of the Canadian Rural Church Network (Oct., 2005) Lorne Friessen told how his family was helped to find creative ways to remain on the land in Saskatchewan through the Innovative Prairie Farm Families Program of Heifer International.

             In Bangladesh $25 will help a woman buy chickens so she can sell eggs.  In Uganda, $200 will buy a farmer a cell phone (along with a car battery and booster antenna) so he can check market prices.  In numerous countries, families may acquire a heifer, a pig, or a few bags of seed.  In turn, they make repayment from the offspring while slowly expanding what they produce.

             No collateral is required, there is no credit rating, and relatives or friends can act as guarantors.

             Most of these loans are given to women, for it is apparent that the money given to them will most likely benefit the wider community.  Interest rates are low, and 90% of the loans are repaid.

             The church's role in this movement has been to encourage the vision of valuing the worth of the individual.  Churches can also educate and raise awareness of this movement among the general populous.

             "As you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me."  Microcredit puts people ahead of money.

 (Notes by Joyce Sasse, December 2006)

 What Do Food Processors Fear?

              "Farmers are continually encouraged to provide identity preservation and complete traceability and be open to consumer queries about how food is grown", Barb Glen editor of the Western Producer writes. "But that expectation breaks down when the same consumers reach the processing level."

             In a special end-of-the-year edition of the farm paper, based on the theme of a pot-luck dinner, those who prepared the reading buffet invited readers to look closely at eleven menu items based on ingredients raised by Prairie Producers.

             The stories were supposed to follow the ingredients from the field to the table.  Everyone willingly agreed to participate except the food processors.

             "Some of the large (processor) companies pleaded protection of trade secrets.  Some did not return phone calls.  Some were just plain suspicious of our motives - to see and explain the processing of a particular food."  Glen admits "It was an unexpected reaction, and one that gives an interesting perspective to food traceability."

             It alerts the media, and should alert many consumers, of the need to give this whole matter much closer attention as food security becomes a bigger and bigger issue.

 (from an editorial in Western Producer, December 28 / 06 - notes by Joyce Sasse) 

RURAL MINISTRY (life and faith)

 Churches Need to be Better Prepared for Rural Advocacy  (notes from Australia)

             When in the midst of crisis, there is not time nor energy to deal with anything except the emerging situations.  To act efficiently and effectively in the face of agricultural crisis, the church needs to prepare itself by addressing related issues ahead of time.  This is the approach now being considered by the rural life committee of the Uniting Church of Australia.  And their preliminary notes should help all of us priorize our own forward planning.

             In what ways will global warming affect agriculture? Is any preparedness and response planning being done?  How's globalization impacting family farm production and survival?  What sustainable practises can be implemented?  What does depopulation of the countryside mean for those who remain?  How can rural and urban people be linked in meaningful ways?

             "Theologically," the committee confesses, "the church has been negligent in not helping Rural Christians understand and develop a living theology that helps them deal with the issues."  From a faith perspective, what does the church have to say about resource development, farming practises, the significance of the land, and environmental issues?

             In the face of declining numbers in rural areas, can Christians sustainably act as a church if it doesn't have buildings or congregations?  Where the church can't be a denominational presence, can it still encourage an ecumenical Christian presence?  What resources can be helpful?  How does an institution provide ministry to a growing mining population?  Or to a developing corporate rural countryside?

             What role does the church play in advocacy?  In responding to rural suffering?  Challenging the urban culture and values that threaten vital rural values?  How does the church model urban-rural caring?

             The answers to these questions will not come easily, nor quickly.  But the rural life committee of any Denomination can be like the yeast that leavens and invigorates the support of the broader Assembly.  With passion and persistence it is possible to nurture the kind of spiritual values that encourages support for rural people and fosters glimmers of hope.

             By way of a specific action, the Australian Committee is pondering asking the Assembly to set aside a day? or a week? for "National Rural Awareness".

             Many of us would do well to follow their lead!

 (notes by Joyce Sasse from minutes provided by UCA rural life committee, December 2006)

Agricultural Economics Adviser Opts for Sustainable Stewardship

(John Ikerd will be a theme speaker at the International Rural Church Network's Brandon (MB) Conference in July 2007.)

             There was a time when agricultural economist John Ikerd believed that competitive marketing of agricultural products was best for both producer and consumer.  But the U.S. farm crisis of the '80's shook the assumptions of the University of Georgia professor.

             He realized he and his colleagues, who were advising farmers, were partly to blame for causing the crisis by promoting an industrial style agriculture.

             His message today is that industrial agriculture is simply not sustainable.  This past fall he told the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario that "the farm policies of all so-called industrial nations have been shaped by the misperception that national food security can best be insured through greater productivity and that industrialization was the best means of achieving greater productivity."

             Ikerd questions the wisdom of subsidizing large-scale industrial production agriculture.  He lobbies governments to set policies that give public support only to sustainable farmers, and he pleads for them to develop trade arrangements that support social and environmental stewardship.

             Incentives for stewardship must be more appealing than incentives for productivity gains.  And consumers need to be educated and informed about the importance of using local food.

             His counsel to delegates to the CFFO Convention was that "sustainability is ultimately an ethical and moral choice".

 (notes by Joyce Sasse from a CFFO news release Nov 17, 2006)

 Small Rural Church Caucus

             The Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan developed a short-term program to help urban congregations build up a relationship with rural congregations.  A year ago, at the CRCN's Harvest Conference, we heard about the good things that were happenings because of the Vibrant Rural Church Project initiatives.

             Eric Olfert, facilitator with the project, reports that a half-dozen urban-rural congregations have partnered, and there is "an annual 'Missionfest' tour, where busloads of urban members spend a day visiting rural churches and hearing their stories."

 Olfert goes on to say, "Now we see the beginning of a Small Rural Church Caucus forming, where the 8 smallest rural churches meet as a subgroup at our annual Church Conference to share experiences, encourage each other and hopefully inform the rest of us how we can be move helpful to them."

 (notes from Eric Olfert, MC Saskatchewan, November 2006)

 WORSHIP RESOURCES

 Jesus in the Desert 

             In this age of environmental consciousness, the scriptural story of Jesus' time in the desert can open doors to deeper understanding.

             Traditionally, many think of this as the time when Jesus went into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan.  But what if we thought of this as something akin to a "Vision Quest"?  There's a world of difference between those two images.

             "Wilderness" conjures in many people fear-filled images of a chaotic world beyond their control - and evil world that they need to confront and control at any cost.  In the minds of some, it has become their mission to subdue, to plunder by raping the resources, to disfigure by marring the landscape with wells and pipelines and communication towers ...  Just as it was thought that Jesus confronted and subdued satanic temptations, so we use today's technology to find and control whatever it is that the wilderness (of land, of ocean, of space) might throw our way.

             But if this young man Jesus, in making the transition to manhood, went out into the desert on a "Vision Quest", the story points us in an entirely different direction.

             Aboriginal friends speak with quiet respect, reverence and awe as they talk about the time when a youth embarks on a quest for a vision that will give direction through life.  Traditions, instructions and expectations are presented through stories told by members of the community.

             Though the young person goes alone, he goes in the company of the ancestors.  And when he return, the community receives him with appropriate ritual and helps him interpret his experience.

             Inviting people to look at Jesus' experience in this way invites conversation and opens a discussion.  Is "the desert" a place where evil spirits exist?  Or is it a place where any of us can go in quest of our deeper selves?

 (by Joyce Sasse, January / 07)

 SPIRITUAL VIGNETTES

 Caring for Neighbours - Joyce Sasse

             "You will stop by and visit often," my neighbour implored as he got out of the car.  "Don't forget us."

             The request was touching.  We'd come home from the picnic shortly after eating because he was feeling chilled, a bit confused, and quite stumbly.  Both he and his wife were frightened.

             The older we get, the more we do battle with the unseen ghosts of health ... the more we are confronted by our physical vulnerabilities ... the more we treasure the thoughtfulness and care expressed by others.

             Understanding the loneliness and pain aging people face is something local people know about because our lives within the community are so intimately connected.

             We remember when the woman in the wheelchair was quick as a fox, when the man with the dementia was a brilliant teacher, when the exhausted care-giver brought food at the time of our own bereavement.

             Through their actions and their living story, these elders have passed on clues as to how each of us can bring blessing to others.

             What I've learned from them has more to do with being there without fuss, but with consistency.  It has to do with watching and listening, rather than with trying to give pat answers.  And it has to do with helping each find his/her own course of action, rather than forcing a prescribed "solution".

             Remember the companionship enjoyed by Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth?  The two leaned on each other when all the men of the family died.  When Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem, Ruth insisted she would return with her.  When Naomi was destitute, Ruth went to work in the fields...

             At the same time, Naomi's wisdom and experience brought blessing to Ruth's life.  Their story, told over thousands of years, is instructive for every age ... even to the present time.

 Reaching Out to Church Drop-outs - Joyce Sasse

             I can understand how it is that people drop out of the Church.  Too often it's because of a misunderstanding, a disagreement, or something that results in a person thinking "What the hell!  Nobody really cares, so why bother!"

             The pain is deep.  Anger churns just below the surface.  The drop-out feels as if nobody is concerned enough about the issues.

             Gordon Bruce Turner's book Outside Looking In is as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1987.  His empathy is with the drop-outs who "do not leave voluntarily but crying and screaming".  His concern is to catch the ear of local church members to remind them how "drop-outs can be helped to drop back in".  Regenerative dialogue can be like a healing balm.

             "What happened?  What's your story?  Are there shortcomings and misunderstandings within our Faith Community? ... Our life is incomplete without you ... " Thus, it is possible for people to travel a few steps into the future together as they listen for how the Word of the Lord is revealed in this time of struggle.

             It would be inappropriate to suggest the person who dropped out will necessarily come back into the fold, but the very fact that someone took the time and made the effort to express their concern is a wonderfully healing gesture. It has the potential of reward that is far more valuable than glittering nuggets of gold for everyone.  Lives can be enriched.  New insights about the gracious nature of God can become apparent.

 "Come and find the quiet centre in the crowded life we lead, find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed: clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simple be." (Hymn by Shirley Murray)

Finding Balance and Peace - Joyce Sasse

            Her questions seemed endless and disconnected, and I wondered how my homeopathic practitioner could use this information to find the key that would trigger healing for my current complaint.

            But within moments of placing the prescribed pellets under my tongue, I felt the engine that drives my immunity system kick into gear.  The imbalance she diagnosed was restored and my system felt whole again. 

            I'm amazed, grateful and left wondering about the ways we can use this kind of intuitive insight to restore wholeness in the rest of our lives.

            There was a time when I suppose I felt somewhat like the crippled man Gospel writer John tells us about.  For thirty-eight years someone brought him to the Bethzatha (Healing) Pool in Jerusalem and left him there.  It was said that if one got into the waters of the pool when they bubbled up, that person would be healed.  "However", the man complained, "no one helped me so I could get in the water at the right moment."

            John continues the story by telling how Jesus noticed the man, heard about his story, and treated his malady so that his condition was improved.  The man didn't expect this kind of healing, and instead of thanking Jesus for what he'd done, the man complained to the authorities that this intruder was doing things that were forbidden on the Sabbath.  He'd gotten trapped into thinking there was only one way to do things.

            Could this be the chronic condition of many who've faced repeated down-turns in agriculture?

            There are persons walking among us who understand how social, political, economic and spiritual imbalances can cause dis-ease in the country-side.  Often they "prescribe" significant alternatives.

            May we recognize and accept their healing guidance.  May we find ways to bring balance back into our lives and find peace.

LINKS

 www.irca-canada.org

The official website of the International Rural Church Association's 2007 Conference (hosted by CRCN).  To be held at Brandon, Manitoba, July 3-9, 2007.  Registration forms can be down-loaded.

 www.agri-ville.com/spiritualvignettes

Since Agriville.com has changed hands as of January 1/07, no new edition of Prairie Forum on Church and Community has been posted to date.

 http://nsw.uca.org.au (Moderator's Drought Appeal)

Uniting Church in Australia - Disaster Recovery and Pastoral Care