Big cream tea USA
Greetings to all Country Way readers from North Dakota in the USA!
I am a United Methodist Elder serving a three-point pastoral charge in rural North Dakota. The churches I serve are Milnor, Wyndmere, and Sheldon. They are located in the southeastern corner of our state. I travel a 130 kilometre circuit to conduct the Sunday Services on this charge.
Out of the blue
The main occupation of our area is agriculture. Our principal crops are: wheat, corn, soybeans, sugar beet, hay and sunflowers. We also have some large-scale beef cattle and sheep operations. The average farm size in North Dakota is 1200 acres.
I was introduced to Country Way at a Canadian Rural Church Conference. In it, I discovered churches that were similar to mine. They were the same size. They had problems with buildings and finances, just as we do. They were looking for creative but realistic ways to be a Christian witness in their setting. The ideas
that Country Way offer are valuable, and the ideas for worship help us to relate so well to our situation.
A recent article about ‘The Big Cream Tea’ caught my eye, and I began to wonder if we could host such an event here. Two problems presented themselves: a) what is a cream tea; and b) would this idea work here in coffee land?
An email to Country Way helped me understand what a cream tea is. Tea with scones covered with jam and clotted cream sounded like a winner!
So far so good.
Would I be able to sell this idea in an area which is decidedly coffee country, though? God moves in mysterious ways. We recently had a mission speaker from Sri Lanka at our Women’s Society Meeting. The subject of tea came up, and the interest of the ladies was aroused. Seeing an opportunity, I offered to make tea for our next meeting. I assembled my tea supplies and brought them to church. The ladies loved it and asked me to make tea for the next meeting! I think God is preparing the way for a Cream Tea here in North Dakota. We hope to report to you about it shortly.
Blessings to all readers. May we continue to proclaim the Gospel across our precious rural areas.
Revd Michael Ward
Milnor, Wyndmere, and Sheldon United Methodist Churches Milnor, North Dakota, USA
milnorumc@drtel.net
Sustaining communities in the Lake District National Park
Mitre Housing Association and Carlisle Diocese have overseen a housing scheme in Chapel Stile at Langdale in the Lake District National Park. This development of five three-bed and two two-bed houses for rental is part of a larger plan to facilitate affordable housing in Lake District villages.
All of these properties have housed local families under a Section 106 Planning Agreement which ensures continuing local occupancy. All the tenants work locally, in occupations like farming, tourism and retail, and they have young children who attend the local school. Such has been the demand that each property could have been let twice over. Studies by Cumbria Rural Housing Trust have shown that the scheme has had a beneficial impact on the local school, shops and businesses.
Mitre currently provides 140 properties for local rental or leasehold sale throughout Cumbria which are managed by the Eden Housing Association. This includes an earlier scheme in Chapel Stile, The Glebe, which was built on church land. Many of their other schemes have been on Carlisle Diocese sites or properties, offered at prices that make them affordable. The aim is to help address the desperate need for affordable housing for local people. The Housing Corporation has recently announced funding for 23 more rental units in Coniston and Satterthwaite on church-owned sites.
Paul Davies
Eden Housing Association
www.edenha.org.uk
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