The Holidays are Over

This week, Thomas Cook Group ceased trading. The news was a shock to many, especially those who found themselves stranded around the world or unable to take that longed-for holiday. Businesses come and go, but the longevity of the Thomas Cook Group in all its guises and its sheer size made this a particularly newsworthy occurrence.

What many don’t know is that the firm grew from the missionary work of Thomas Cook. Thomas Cook was a Baptist missionary involved in the temperance movement in the 19th century. He began his ‘travel’ work by organising a trip for other temperance campaigners. Within a few years, he was organising excursions around the United Kingdom and abroad. A couple of decades later Thomas Cook and Son was an ongoing business venture.

To business or not to business

Something which started as a calling and vocation, seeded by belief and conviction became an organised business institution. A discussion that echoes this is taking place on the Hub. The debate is around whether those who minister in the Church of England should be office holders or employees? It’s an interesting debate with strong feelings on both sides concerning rights and the ability to fulfil the role. It’s made all the more interesting by the cross-denominational and transnational nature of the conversation, each bringing different experiences to the party. 

The Hub exists to support you in ministry. As far as the Hub is concerned it doesn’t matter whether you are an officeholder or employed, just that you are in ministry. You can share with others in a safe and secure environment any concerns or issues you may be facing - from your own calling and vocation to more mundane organising matters like a church rota.

In ministry, it can be difficult to hold spiritual and practical together. At times one will be more prominent than the other and it is possible one could engulf the other. If you need a little redressing of the balance in your ministry or just fancy a chat, come and join the Hub.

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