IRCA-Europe Conference 2021

Postponed from from 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, IRCA-Europe will gather at the end of May and work together on the theme of “Sourdough for the Land”.

Rural Church representatives are invited to Sibiu/Hermannstadt in Romania from 31 May to 3 June 2021.

In the words of the organisers:

The biblical image of the sourdough bears in this days a stronger importance than ever. In times when we talk about reconstruction and resilience it is important to see what the role of churches in general and the importance of rural communities in particular can be. This will be the theme and main motivation of our conference in Sibiu. As Christians we carry the responsibility not just for our own families, our direct environment and our communities in which we are active, but also far beyond these.

According to that, we want to value the days in Sibiu by informing about the activities of the european rural churches, listen to a presentation about the contribution of churches for a sustainable Europe and also place on our agenda the engagement of the Orthodox Church in Romania upon the preservation of the environment.  At an appointment in Rășinari we will get an inside view in the illegal logging of the forests and the local mayor will speak about the sustainable alpine pasture in this area.

Our programme is embedded in morning and evening prayers, in listening to the word of God and in the praise and gratitude for Him keeping us alive until now. This unifying force of the Christian faith and Christian hope gives us strength not just for our work in the different regions of Europe, but also across all borders.

IRCA-Oceania Questionnaire 2020

Unable to gather in Queensland, Australia this year because of the pandemic, the Leadership Group of IRCA-Oceania has put together a questionnaire seeking stories and ideas from the people who might have gathered and indeed from all who are the heart and soul of rural churches in the Oceania region.

The theme of the planned conference was “Bringing Hope in Challenging Times”, a theme which became even more relevant when Covid-19 hit. We’d like to be able to share our stories of hope, as well as share the challenges we’re facing and how we have responded and continued to be church for our communities.

If this is your region of the world, you can download the questionnaire here and send it to the email address at the end of the form.

Verse of the day God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Voice of the day What we all need to do is find the wellspring that keeps us going, that gives us the strength and patience to keep up this struggle for a long time.  – Winona LaDuke

Prayer of the day Creator God, we are in dire straits. Show us the best path for us to take at this time so our energies and strength will be directed by You. We cannot do this without You.  – Sojourners Reader From Verse and Voice, https://sojo.net/daily-wisdom/verse-and-voice-03312020