The latest from Regis Consultants
Short reads & updates
“Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter”
Izaak Walton
Gratitude
Having not written anything for a while, here’s a little piece of foolishness: We were enjoying dinner in our hotel, a reasonable 3 star. I mostly listen these days, never a bad thing, particularly in my case. Partly this is related to my increasing hearing problems, which I sort of overcome with hearing aids. Whilst I’m fine with one on
Let’s Welcome the Stranger
Getting home late from a week away, and needing bread and milk, Anita sent me off to Tesco while she unpacked. There’s a Polish supermarket 3 minutes' walk away; one of half a dozen or more in the town, and I thought let’s give it a try. It was a novel experience. I was completely at sea. Looking at the
Thoughts from sunny but windy Cornwall
We’ve been resting up in a lodge in deepest Cornwall this last week. Visited the seals at Godrevy Point, immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds of a part of the country we all love. Today sadly was marred by a most unfortunate incident. Millie does not like wind or rain. It’s been windy for a couple of days. Millie,
Authority and Power (2)
My last blog on Authority and Power hit the spot with a number of readers. ‘This almost exactly mirrors the situation I’m in’. ‘You must have written this just for me’, to mention a couple of comments. And I’ve been told some harrowing tales of charities where there’s been a disharmony between authority and power. I’ve a dozen or more
Authority and Power
Last night we popped out to watch ‘Doubt; a Parable at the Festival theatre. A 5 star performance from 4 players who worked hard to produce a memorable experience. It came at a time when I’ve been reflecting on Authority and Power. The play was all about the interplay of these two themes; on the one hand the priest, part
My Bet With God
I’m told there are over 12 million dogs in the UK. Many of the 3.2 million pets acquired during lockdowns will have been dogs. With us all being pretty much shut in for so long it must have seemed like every day is Christmas Day for dogs who need our company rather than self-sufficient cats. Our newfound freedoms have been
Authority and Power (2)
My last blog on Authority and Power hit the spot with a number of readers. ‘This almost exactly mirrors the situation I’m in’. ‘You must have written this just for me’, to mention a couple of comments. And I’ve been told some harrowing tales of charities where there’s been a disharmony between authority and power. I’ve a dozen or more
Authority and Power
Last night we popped out to watch ‘Doubt; a Parable at the Festival theatre. A 5 star performance from 4 players who worked hard to produce a memorable experience. It came at a time when I’ve been reflecting on Authority and Power. The play was all about the interplay of these two themes; on the one hand the priest, part
Charity Briefing – New Charities Bill
I’d quite forgotten that a new Charities Act is underway until I was reminded by a question that arrived recently. The bill is still in the committee stage and will be a while before it becomes an act. It’s a considered attempt by the government to make life simpler for charities by removing some of the bureaucratic hurdles that can
My Year Ahead
For the first time ever, I go into a new year with no major responsibilities, outside of Anita my wife and Millie, a small dog who thinks she’s a big dog. I’ve stood down my trustee responsibilities and, though I’m still useful to my old business, I’m very happy to stand well back in the shadows and admire what a
How to Confront
Sometimes I have to write difficult e-mails. Millie had me up at 5.30 am today, when she’s gotta go, she’s gotta go; she makes this abundantly clear. Climbing back into bed I decided it was time to tackle that tricky e-mail that had been keeping me awake into the small hours. So, firing up my laptop and my brain I
Listening to my Life – Learning to say No
Many years ago, I was part of a church leadership team in Essex. In the office, we had a young lady who worked hard and took care of much of the admin. What I never forgot was her tactic of how she would deal with any request from one of us to take on a task that was way more
Authority and Power (2)
My last blog on Authority and Power hit the spot with a number of readers. ‘This almost exactly mirrors the situation I’m in’. ‘You must have written this just for me’, to mention a couple of comments. And I’ve been told some harrowing tales of charities where there’s been a disharmony between authority and power. I’ve a dozen or more
Authority and Power
Last night we popped out to watch ‘Doubt; a Parable at the Festival theatre. A 5 star performance from 4 players who worked hard to produce a memorable experience. It came at a time when I’ve been reflecting on Authority and Power. The play was all about the interplay of these two themes; on the one hand the priest, part
Charity Briefing – New Charities Bill
I’d quite forgotten that a new Charities Act is underway until I was reminded by a question that arrived recently. The bill is still in the committee stage and will be a while before it becomes an act. It’s a considered attempt by the government to make life simpler for charities by removing some of the bureaucratic hurdles that can
What Does the Year Ahead Hold for Church
What a year it’s been! Rather than spend time in analysis let’s look to see what 2022 might hold. More of the same you might think, given our excitement at seeing new variants emerge. So what might we expect? What might churches expect this year? A big reset is underway. Right now, not in a few months' time. We’re a lot
Autumn
My last blog was all about how trees talk to each other, cooperating, sharing nutrients, even warning of danger. Mother trees in particular play a significant part in the life of the forest, reaching out and caring for its younger neighbours. Just now I came across this short reflection by John Birch which I share with you. ‘Where we live,
In Your Own Time, Millie
“In your own time Millie.” This is now a stock phrase when we go on our daily walks. I was holding a gate open for her. She carefully sniffed the gateposts, then retreated, deciding she needed to poo. Getting the right spot takes a while, and then I have to bag it up. Eventually, we made it through the gate.
Let’s Welcome the Stranger
Getting home late from a week away, and needing bread and milk, Anita sent me off to Tesco while she unpacked. There’s a Polish supermarket 3 minutes' walk away; one of half a dozen or more in the town, and I thought let’s give it a try. It was a novel experience. I was completely at sea. Looking at the
Thoughts from sunny but windy Cornwall
We’ve been resting up in a lodge in deepest Cornwall this last week. Visited the seals at Godrevy Point, immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds of a part of the country we all love. Today sadly was marred by a most unfortunate incident. Millie does not like wind or rain. It’s been windy for a couple of days. Millie,
Authority and Power (2)
My last blog on Authority and Power hit the spot with a number of readers. ‘This almost exactly mirrors the situation I’m in’. ‘You must have written this just for me’, to mention a couple of comments. And I’ve been told some harrowing tales of charities where there’s been a disharmony between authority and power. I’ve a dozen or more
Authority and Power
Last night we popped out to watch ‘Doubt; a Parable at the Festival theatre. A 5 star performance from 4 players who worked hard to produce a memorable experience. It came at a time when I’ve been reflecting on Authority and Power. The play was all about the interplay of these two themes; on the one hand the priest, part
My Bet With God
I’m told there are over 12 million dogs in the UK. Many of the 3.2 million pets acquired during lockdowns will have been dogs. With us all being pretty much shut in for so long it must have seemed like every day is Christmas Day for dogs who need our company rather than self-sufficient cats. Our newfound freedoms have been
My Year Ahead
For the first time ever, I go into a new year with no major responsibilities, outside of Anita my wife and Millie, a small dog who thinks she’s a big dog. I’ve stood down my trustee responsibilities and, though I’m still useful to my old business, I’m very happy to stand well back in the shadows and admire what a