Regional Worker

Rach's Reflection: Heaven on earth

21 Jan 2020

When I was preaching last Sunday at a church in Salford I led the congregation in looking at some of the images we use to describe God, particularly the Good Shepherd, using Psalm 23.  

I wonder what it means for you that God is a good shepherd? Better than the hired hands who care only...

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Rach's Diary: Round Four of Freshers

26 Sep 2019

It’s freshers' season.

Welcome Week lasts four weeks for me and takes me to six different university campuses. It’s a great opportunity to work with chaplains (it’s amazing what conversations you get into while trying to make the perfect pancake!) meet with church leaders (including...

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Rach's Reflection: Evangelism is a Scary Word

1 Aug 2019

I was at a Christian festival around the age of 15 when I claimed my faith as my own. I was really excited, and volunteered to go to Torquay High Street with others from the festival to give out hot cross buns to strangers if they would talk with me about why there was a cross on the top of them...

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Rach's 130 Challenge: Knitting On A Train

28 May 2019

At the end of last year the staff team started to discuss what they could do for the 130 Challenge. Some people talked about walking, running and swimming or using their musical or artistic skills, and I started to wonder how I could raise my £130. 

I've been knitting for almost 6 years...

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Rach's Reflection: Every Walk a Pilgrimage?

7 Feb 2019

It might surprise you that until about three years ago I wasn't a walker. I didn't learn till I was 19 months old, 'cos crawling was where it was at, and when I left home my family delighted in going on a walking holiday without me to hold them back. I'm not saying I couldn't walk, more that I...

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Rach's Reflection: What shapes my faith?

22 Oct 2018

This month we are thinking about how our faith impacts our politics, and I’ve been wondering what it is that shapes my faith in the first place.

This shouldn’t be surprising, but through some training, meetings and worship in the last couple of weeks, the importance of reading the Bible...

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Rach’s Diary: The Calm Before The Beginning

12 Sep 2018

My summer has been an odd one. I’ve mostly worked from my desk in Salford with a couple of visits to Birmingham. It has been nice to have that time of calm but it's also meant that once September hit it was a bit of a shock to the system to get back to my usual train journeys around and about...

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Rach's Diary - Perks of the job

21 May 2018

Now don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy my job. But, I do work hard and there aren't that many perks, unless you count seeing the beautiful North West of England out of a train window! So when I was given the opportunity to spend a week in sunny Sicily with WSCF Europe I did not say no. My...

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Rach's Diary - Both Sides of the River

3 May 2018

As is often the case in my role, each week has a different feel. Last week I got to spend more time with people and this week more time with my computer. Last week was mostly in Manchester and this week mostly in Salford. It's not that I've not seen people this week or only sat at my desk last...

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Rach's Diary - Easter time

19 Apr 2018

The season of Easter is a strange time in the SCM office. Students are stressed, Church Leaders shattered and Chaplains are making the most of a well earned break and none of them want to talk to us. I too have had some time off to spend with my family and helping out at my local holiday club...

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