![You are currently viewing Ep 004 [Stories] Sarah Hulme – Rural & Wild](https://freshexpressions.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SarahHulme.jpg)
Sarah Hulme is part of the fx Leadership Community and is an fx practitioner exploring pilgrimage and how ministry might work in rural contexts.
Mountain Pilgrims – mountainpilgrims.org.uk/depth
Methodist rural & fx stuff – methodist.org.uk/RuralPathways
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Transcript (This is automated and may not be fully accurate)
00:00:06:07 – 00:00:09:21
Unknown
Hi. Welcome back to the Mission Shaped podcast.
00:00:09:21 – 00:00:18:01
Unknown
in this episode. Mark is going to be having a conversation with Sarah. He as we hear about rural church and pilgrimage in a different way.
00:00:27:14 – 00:00:46:20
Unknown
Hi, Sarah. How you doing? I am doing all good. Sorry about the slight lateness on our staff, saying I was a mess. We.
00:00:46:20 – 00:00:48:01
Unknown
So.
00:00:48:01 – 00:00:51:19
Unknown
Welcome to the mission shaped podcast.
00:00:53:16 – 00:01:07:06
Unknown
a reminder for people at home. The point of this is to share stories and and stories are a great way to encourage people and sing for people to hear what’s what others have done and what others who’ve gone before them have done.
00:01:07:08 – 00:03:03:22
Unknown
And and to sort of get the idea that and all these people who’ve done these kind of things before. We’re not superheroes. We’re just more everyday people and that do extraordinary things for our extraordinary gods. And so Sarah has come along to share some of her stories. Sarah, why don’t you introduce yourself, please? Well, why don’t you want to start by telling us a little by little bit about her and, yeah, I guess about what you’re currently doing, your your current community and what that looks like.
00:03:03:24 – 00:06:10:07
Unknown
Hey, if it is stuff that they I think that’s how a lot of people who end up be doing this kind of thing and they’ve been plotting and scheming and having different fingers in different pies, doing lots of things because of the, you know, perhaps, hey, it’s been a then also and you mentioned in passing that the author writes center and I’m not familiar with that and I appreciate some of our audience might not be familiar.
00:06:10:07 – 00:09:23:07
Unknown
Can you tell us who they are and what’s what they do? And also yeah, also and I also know that and some of our some folks in the movement might be familiar. Well, hopefully we’ll be familiar with rural of Wales and that event that’s been on her before and I think there’s more coming up. You want to tell us a little bit, but about that, the if there is a Yeah, nailsea and I’m I’m planning to make sure our some of the pages on our website related to content to this podcast will be and will have relevant information.
00:09:23:07 – 00:09:24:04
Unknown
So
00:09:24:04 – 00:09:32:02
Unknown
people wanting to find that it will be fresh expressions or UK forward slash rural dash hub and some magic good stuff.
00:09:32:04 – 00:09:36:05
Unknown
So tell me then a little bit more about
00:09:36:05 – 00:09:37:04
Unknown
hand.
00:09:37:04 – 00:17:03:02
Unknown
tell us tell us a little bit about your your journey to and your journey to face to coming to to this point where you’re doing all this fun stuff outside in the in the it’s just the three of their line and then isn’t the real thing they and at the Woodford they Bethany of if they doing the they believe the hello will steam if they may.
00:17:03:04 – 00:17:28:17
Unknown
Yeah no absolutely I think there’s the certainly that that thing that’s come up before about him the idea of and well first of like relationship being key you know because there’s there’s the you know not getting over busy and just trying to do lots of stuff you have to develop relationships and from relationships comes community and from community comes natural, organic.
00:17:28:20 – 00:18:09:09
Unknown
Yes, that’s the stuff that happens and that’s when you start doing stuff. People will be like, Oh yeah, that that sounds good because of it comes out of the relationship. And it’s the thing is, and the remembering that we don’t necessarily always have to and be a good been careful with choosing the words and we don’t have to always actively be evangelizing or proselytizing which I think is a better word because as I’ve said before, kind of is a knee jerk reaction where it kind of goes, ooh, and whereas just being the Christ follower is that we are the Holy Spirit just shines.
00:18:09:11 – 00:20:45:20
Unknown
I was somewhere when we’re doing the stuff from are walking alongside where God is leading us. People see that and people are attracted to that and that’s really exciting. Spirit and a if now the have which is it that way? Yeah. Is that intentional intention being intentionally available I guess and and yeah. Think the thing Yeah but I mean but think it’d there’s this being it’s an awareness isn’t it.
00:20:45:20 – 00:21:13:06
Unknown
It’s led to an awareness of the the needs of the people. That’s I guess where, where we’re trying to serve I guess you know in that sense if you know anyone who’s doing this stuff is, has usually got this, this hunger and sees people and sees a needs and and sees a particular group of people in a particular context and goes like they need they need Jesus and I’m going to do something about it.
00:21:13:08 – 00:21:35:17
Unknown
So I think people are naturally geared up for that. And what I love about how you’re putting that is it’s sort of the even the way you’re talking about it is this sort of effortless chill vibe about it. You know, it’s it’s not this intense like, oh, I must, must, must lust, must. It’s just a natural, like because it’s just the natural relationships that you’ve developed over time.
00:21:35:17 – 00:24:52:21
Unknown
And it just becomes like part of an everyday practice and which is wonderful. The fear, the hey, if it had you who who had just had an IT, it. Yeah. Yes. Can’t. Yeah, yeah.
00:24:52:23 – 00:25:18:09
Unknown
No, but it’s true because there’s, there’s a thing and a lot of people get burned say as well. And just sometimes I think there’s there’s often a culture around churches and Christian communities about a culture of busyness that isn’t often very healthy. And and and you talked earlier about and you said earlier about the thing of like being boundaries in having health.
00:25:18:09 – 00:25:45:23
Unknown
You know, it’s the thing about having healthy boundaries because you know good to people if we’re exhausted and tired because I mean I know personally when I’m exhausted and tired, I’m not as good a dad to my kids because I’m not able to listen to them because I just want them to shut up and go and play and do something else somewhere and say, yes, that’s I she owns it.
00:25:46:00 – 00:26:08:05
Unknown
So being able to share the load I guess for people and is, is yeah, is, is really important and I appreciate for some and for some people listening there might be somewhere depending on the context of what they’re doing, it might just be them and you know it’s so it’s okay to do that if if that’s what suits their context.
00:26:08:07 – 00:28:39:00
Unknown
I think what we’re partly what we’re saying is where where things are naturally going to grow and move and change. It’s always good to sort of, yeah. So get people coming along and sort of discipling people and into this where where appropriate, I guess can hey, if it’s a well he or she amazing to have the but I think I don’t think you’re I don’t think you’re alone in that sort of there are I think the natural ebb and flow of everyone’s life because we pick little bits that stick with us and and say I think of, you know, the bit because like I tend to am an Anglican church because my wife is a
00:28:39:00 – 00:29:04:16
Unknown
curious in the Church of England. So we’ve been used to Sunday sermons week in, week out and, and I’m very blessed to have a very, very skilled and gifted preacher wife and but I don’t remember every single one of her sermons and most of the sermons I do remember usually I’m the sort of the cannon fodder in the sermon story and letter or something about our family life.
00:29:04:18 – 00:29:41:03
Unknown
And but even that yeah, there yeah. You hear different preachers and different stories and it’s it’s what we pick up. But I love the idea that yet being being open to hearing from you the sources that we might on autopilot dismiss and then that’s the thing because yeah yeah. To sort of walk that nine year old can my my two kids I have eight year old twins and and I can imagine that and the random creative nature of their brains is both a joy, really.
00:29:41:05 – 00:30:05:21
Unknown
It’s incredible what they come up with. And but 8:10 in the morning, it’s less of a joy when we’re trying to leave the house to bring them to school and just trying to get a balance. And but again, I guess the point is be being open because that makes me wonder how many times have I missed something that’s my boy or my girl has said stop.
00:30:05:23 – 00:30:59:20
Unknown
Could actually stop me in my tracks and be more profound had I had a letter and not myself. How about moments? And that’s a real challenge. The if I think we dismiss, we sometimes not dismiss, we forget the creator, God, and just, you know, I, I love the outdoors context being I’m a city boy, so I live in London.
00:30:59:22 – 00:31:28:09
Unknown
I’ve lived in London for the past 26 years. A brief stint in Bristol, but yes, another city before that, Dublin. So I’ve always been a city boy, but I love, you know, my passion is going out and what I can be as in in the countryside and but often I, I revel in the details of stuff of creation from looking at a small clover and the intricacies of how that is, how that works and is designed.
00:31:28:11 – 00:31:53:24
Unknown
And and I mean, you know, I love sciences and physics as well, and I love how they sort of clash and crushed together into this beautiful smorgasbord of both of what like beautiful chaos, I think is the thing I love to think about. But when I bring it back to that, looking at what’s really made me look at that better is through the eyes of my children.
00:31:54:01 – 00:32:14:13
Unknown
And when my when my children, especially as toddlers, are experiencing things for the first time, the first time they were on the beach and the beach, I grew up camping out as a as a child’s every year, my first time bringing them to the beach and them experiencing it and having joy from it was like, Oh yeah, we do that and we need to have that.
00:32:14:15 – 00:32:42:19
Unknown
Look. I sometimes think about the story of some might find this appropriate, I’m going to go for it. And you know, in the heavenly realms there’s God, the Father, you know, creating man. And he goes, Hey, Holy Spirit, to ever here pull his finger just to see what it’s measured. And it’s ridiculous. But it’s a nice thing to think about, actually.
00:32:42:19 – 00:34:43:04
Unknown
Yes, God has a sense of humor and and he’s creative and and all that stuff. There’s a bone, there’s new hair. If they make. Yeah, they may. They don’t. They failed. Yeah. Okay. Okay. But it’s cheaper but it’s not because it’s the parallel I draw from that is what what is happening in people’s communities with the people around them.
00:34:43:04 – 00:36:43:20
Unknown
It’s the same thing isn’t it. Yeah. There are times where that stuff for, for people who are, who are practitioners doing the stuff, sometimes there are times of abundance, you know, and it’s really obvious and it can feel really great and really creative and really, yeah. And like a lot of stuff, something indeed, it really Yeah. The theory that there is these is a and yeah it’s is it’s so good I’m realizing wait we’re soon going to be out of out of time and and I know it’s this is part of it is is these is great questions I’ve got a couple of extra questions I’ve got a bunch of questions that I’m trying to
00:36:44:01 – 00:37:12:22
Unknown
sort of ask everyone but one one the thing that you said that I’d love to get your take on and is so the idea of the theology of welcome, because I think we don’t always get it right as as church, you know, as or as people who represent church and be it sort of organized or open church or free church or and any sort of fresh expression.
00:37:12:24 – 00:40:19:18
Unknown
And we yeah, we don’t always get the theology rights and, and it’s kind of crucial and, and so I guess what’s my question is and what, what is Yeah. What do you think about that and how what would your approach be to sort of getting the theology of welcome right. And and delivering it if needed. Now it’s kids, this area here the you was called Christian very literally.
00:40:19:20 – 00:42:07:00
Unknown
Yeah. But it’s it’s, it’s vital, it’s so, it’s so vital erm because I know we’ve, we’ve experienced. Yeah. Who the if it, if it, it to make sure. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Well let me then let me then bring us in to land a little bit. So we are. Yeah. I need to limit us now to a couple of minutes on this because otherwise we were overrun.
00:42:07:02 – 00:42:29:06
Unknown
I’ve got Beth is waiting to jump in and to have a sort of her nights, have a little chat about our conversation and. But before I finish with you, Sarah, I have another 32 questions to you and it’s funny, this is, I think, the pattern that’s happening. It’s like get through the first few question. The last two questions are going to crowbar in there and but they go well together.
00:42:29:06 – 00:42:58:23
Unknown
So four first question is I’ll give you both questions and and yeah, we’ll see how we go. I might just abruptly say not to time up. I won’t do that. And first question is like, what are your hopes for the future? And the second question is what would you say to others who are just starting out on their sort of journey of doing this, doing this stuff?
00:42:59:00 – 00:45:21:04
Unknown
It’s you’re the bad backing. Brilliant, Sarah and you have been amazing. Thank you for your time. Thank you for sharing so honestly and deeply. It has been four albums this season. Yeah, there’s been some really, really lovely stuff in there. And thank you so much for your time and and yeah, now that you and I shall speak again at some points and as our paths will cross on different projects and that sort of thing but for now I you farewell and hope you Yeah.
00:45:21:08 – 00:45:39:14
Unknown
Hope the rest of your day is as fun and chill as the sessions be. I was. Let’s see it in your list. Good luck and take care, Sarah. So, like the.
00:45:48:23 – 00:46:26:12
Unknown
a bad affect. I know, sir. Great. I think I know where he is and where’s. I think we got there in the end. I think. I think and getting. That’s the point, because I think you’re right. It was the thing about culture. I think it was really. Yes. So for our audience at home, I asked that question as if it was mine.
00:46:26:12 – 00:48:52:08
Unknown
It wasn’t my question, but Beth was listening and I could sit in the tape. But what Beth actually wrote was quite a long question. So I was like trying to listen to Sarah and read that question at the same time was like, What? What are we trying to ask? So but yes, we got better. So yes, it’s a it’s a yeah, the head is a there that the if A Yeah and a yeah.
00:48:52:10 – 00:49:25:17
Unknown
I was very much a similar, similar reaction which I was sort of sitting on because you know of wanting to hear Sarah story. But yeah, certainly. And you know for Ruth and I it’s always been a priority just to get the welcome right. And especially as because you know, we’re both people who sort of grew up at faith then spent time away not having any faith and coming back to faith and realizing just we sort of deconstructed the football and and know that’s that’s lot.
00:49:25:19 – 00:50:00:16
Unknown
And we went through a deconstruction process many years ago and appreciated the whole thing of faith. But coming back to faith in community, a community that was so welcoming was core. And it was, you know, for me when I did Alpha coming back to Faith. And the thing was I knew what Alpha was about. Yeah. Because I, you know, I my family is a sort of a charismatic Christian family and my parents did alpha courses and stuff, and so I knew what it was about, but it wasn’t the content of the course, it was the relationships, it was the welcome.
00:50:00:18 – 00:50:19:22
Unknown
And again, you know, I remember years ago once in Ireland, we one Sunday, we decided to go check out this church and that a friend had recommended us. And, and so we said, Yeah, well let’s, let’s pop along. We went to this church and it was I mean, it was nice, but yeah, there was no talk to us.
00:50:19:24 – 00:51:02:23
Unknown
And there was the girl on the door who said, Hi, welcome. You know their seats here and told us where everything was. But at sight of that it was and yeah and I what, what a huge what a huge missed opportunity that was, you know and, but yeah I think one of the, one of the other themes that came out for me was longevity you know the whole thing of and yeah be because of it Sarah said she’s been that community for 25 years, you know and now I think says a lot again about the whole thing of community relationships and yeah, we talked about you can’t just go in somewhere and just start doing
00:51:02:23 – 00:51:38:04
Unknown
stuff and expect people to show up and you know, when Sarah does stuff, people come because you know, it’s their mate. Sarah It’s not, Oh, this is a community event that people are putting on. It’s, it’s, it’s their mate. Sarah Yeah. And similarly that vital, important thing of, of longevity, although I do get the caveat that for some some people are colts, I think to do things a little bit differently and to go in to certain places cold and sometimes and so I don’t want to dismiss people who are people who are doing that will encourage people to do whatever they’re doing.
00:51:38:04 – 00:56:16:15
Unknown
But and it’s it’s interesting, though, that that that longevity thing is has come up again and this and but any like a and it may had the and then it I mean it could it even have yeah there’s there’s the thing I think sometimes different church movements make the priority of by bolstering numbers rather than actually it’s it’s not about seats and it’s not about bums on seats it’s it’s about it’s about people being introduced to our King Jesus.
00:56:16:17 – 00:56:53:20
Unknown
And we can forget about you know, we forget that Jesus transforms people’s lives. And we our job is to introduce people so that they can have their lives transformed. And and part of that will become community will grow from that. But communities are going to look very, very different in different contexts. So it could be like in in my setting, it could be that our Anglican church, the numbers growing and the numbers of seats do grow and because of that, the sort of attraction model of the Anglican Church and how that works in another context, that could be very, very different.
00:56:53:20 – 00:57:19:13
Unknown
And that’s okay. I think the thing is to not make the mission about getting the numbers and success. And again, like Sarah said, you know, her one of her comments was and about and just cracking on. Yeah it’s not all about numbers you know and sometimes sometimes it’s you know when we were talking about that, the thing is sometimes you’ll have lots of courgettes and other times you’ll have only a handful.
00:57:19:16 – 01:01:10:14
Unknown
And that’s okay. Yeah. Because God is working through that anyway. But, and yeah, it’s a bigger Yeah, yeah. It’s a, an they’re, they have Yeah. And the, Yeah. So I think as, as we wrap up it sort of leaves these with that thing of like our the challenge and I guess in this episode is that thing of just are we taking enough time to stop, take stock and just Yeah, just stop and stop being busy and, and listen either to the people were serving obviously to God’s and what he might be saying and, and just taking it all in.
01:01:10:16 – 01:01:35:18
Unknown
And then the questions I guess I pose for people and for our audience and, and the usual the usual thing goes for people at home and are what are the bigger questions in that one. Yeah. I think as as Beth is just saying the stuff about how are we doing this stuff and do we need to switch up how we’re doing it or we are taking for granted our welcome and and all that.
01:01:35:24 – 01:01:55:17
Unknown
What do you think? Can I ask this on the usual social channels, all that jazz and but that’s I think we’ll wrap up for today. We’re running a bit late. We’re going straight into our next episode in a minute. So and tonight, Beth, thank you and answer the next episode.
01:01:55:17 – 01:01:57:05
Unknown
See you next month.
01:02:06:16 – 01:02:19:18
Unknown
Thanks again to Sara for coming and sharing some great stories. You can find more information about Mt. Pilgrim’s at Mt. Pilgrim’s dot org. UK affords depth
01:02:19:18 – 01:02:32:01
Unknown
and if you want to find out more about what the Methodists are doing with rural pathways, you can find that by going to Methodist Storage UK and searching for rural pathways will get you there.
01:02:32:01 – 01:02:40:16
Unknown
and of course if you want to find out more about this podcast, you can do so at the mission shaped podcast dot com, which will bring you to the Fresh Expressions website on.
01:02:40:16 – 01:02:53:18
Unknown
There also is a link to our Facebook group where you can ask questions and start conversation about what we’ve heard today. Simply search Facebook for the mission Shape podcast. Until next time, see you.