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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Tuesday, 25 April 2017. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, continues his tour of the Diocese.
Four deanery visits this month: Aston and Cuddesdon, Deddington, Mursley and Wendover. All very different. All full of life and creativity. All gave me the opportunity to reflect on rural ministry and the rural church.
Farms and gardens were a theme.
"Bring your wellies" was a regular instruction.
I visited a large farm which is part of a secondary school on the edge of Banbury.
The farm plays a vital part in the childrens' learning.
In Mursley I spent time with a farmer who talked about how challenging it is to make the business pay.
In the middle of rural Aston and Cuddesdon, I was taken to Berinsfield: a familiar urban landscape. We visited a family run business which is one of the world's leading manufacturers of inflatable boats.
These boats are tenders for larger yachts and the company has a great apprenticeship scheme.
I've seen some of the effects HS2 will have on local communities.
I've seen newborn lambs, goats and chickens, been given newly laid eggs and been chased across a field by an enormous black pig called Nuke.
"He's got a bit of boar in him" said his owner as we ran across the field. Lindengate on the edge of Wendover was one of the most remarkable projects.
It's a five-acre garden started by Christians and undergirded by prayer and the support of the churches.
All are welcome.
The charity offers specialised gardening activities to help those with mental health needs in their continuing recovery.
The site is staffed by a small team and around 240 volunteers.
Around 60 people a week come for one or more sessions of social and therapeutic horticulture (STH).
STH is now recognised as beneficial for a wide range of mental health needs including anxiety, depression, loneliness and dementia (find out more at www. lindengate. org. uk). I've found immense creativity in worship in rural communities.
In the Ironstone Benefice in Mursley, the different parishes created storyboards to show me something of the life of their churches in just a few minutes.
I was struck by two things: the imaginative re-orderings taking place to open up the church to the wider community and the creative worship often led by lay people which is beginning in many different places. The rural church faces many different challenges.
Resources are often scarce and stretched.
Lead thefts are a continual concern.
The rural church can feel undervalued.
However the impact of small rural congregations across the Diocese is immense.
The parish church remains, often, the centre of community, the meeting place and the place to mark significant events and festivals for a large proportion of the population.
(See page 11 for more on the rural church. )I move on next month to Aylesbury, Burnham and Slough and Woodstock.
I've invited over 100 people from across the Diocese to a gathering for three days in May to pray and think together about the future ethos and direction of the Diocese.
Lay Chairs and Area Deans, Bishop's Council and Bishop's staff, some leaders of large churches, younger people and Black and Minority Ethnic Anglicans will meet from 16-18 May.
We'll be pondering two questions: "What kind of church are we called to be?" and "What are we therefore called to do together?".
Please pray for us.