With one of my various 'hats' I was at a meeting a couple of weeks back where someone was presenting ideas for support of ministers 'after NAM' as a part of which they told us what a massive difference the programme had made in terms of ministers surviving long enough to get the official handshake.  Ministers 'under five' are it seems the most vulnerable to drop out and the NAM scheme - and now a voluntary post-NAM scheme based on ideas from Yorkshire - make a big difference.

Many, though by no means all, of my minister friends are also rising fives.  Some of us trained together, some of us met through NAM events or special interest groups.  Some of us know each other really well, others maybe spend an hour together once every Preston Guild.  We have a whole range of views on anything and everything, and can agree to disagree.  Some are chandelier swinging charismaniacs, some are bappo-catholic liturgists (OK I exaggerate both for effect!) a lot of us are eclectic mixtures.  Theologically we are left, right and centre. All of us are pretty passionate about mission - and respect each other's approaches to it.  But I think we all know that if push came to shove, these people would be there for us.

We are, I suspect, all quite good at seeing what is wrong with our beloved Union (cos we aren't a denomination, no, not us!) but part of what makes it so good is that, somehow, it is a very broad church held together not by doctrinal statements but a set of principles that espouse faith, hope and love.  We get a lot wrong, a lot of the time, but overall I reckon we are a pretty decent band of pilgrims to be part of, and at least we try (yup, we're very trying sometimes).

Enough mush - I have to get ready to speak at a ladies meeting this afternoon to say nothing of a thousand other jobs.

To all rising five ministers out there - happy birthday to us, we made it!  And to those 'older' or 'younger' we love you too.