The Manchester and Stockport Methodist District, with support from ecumenical partners and the Discipleship and Ministries Learning Network, present a taster evening for mission shaped ministry in Manchester – come and see if it's for you.
The full course is expected to run in 2016.
Rodney Hill
Course Coordinator
rodney.hill@methodist.org.uk
07801 627434
Free event hosted by CMS for mission pioneers and those who love them, to launch the Starfish Network for CMS pioneer students.
CMS are taking over the Bishop of Winchester's garden at Wolvesey Palace for a pioneer pie-n-beer party – pitching a tent and firing up the decks for a night of music, food, ale and storytelling.
They'll be officially launching the Starfish Network, a way for CMS pioneer students past and present to connect and sharing learning.
They're also looking to start a grassroots movement of support for pioneers – so if you know someone who is keen to support innovative, creative mission this is the perfect chance for them to get to know what they're all about.
Visit the Eventbrite page and book your free place.
VFXtra, A quarterly support day hosted by VentureFX pioneers for people in any kind of pioneering ministry.
All pioneering types are welcome to gather with kindred spirits for a day of learning, sharing, prayer and encouragement.
The Newcastle venue will be hearing from CODEC's Pete Phillips on discipleship in a digital world, whilst the Manchester venue will be joined by Martin Daws, young person's poet laureate for Wales.
VentureFX is the Methodist Church's scheme to promote and encourage pioneer mission among those who are not yet disciples of Jesus. There are currently 14 VFX pioneers working in all three nations of the UK. We recognise that there are many other people doing similar things in circuits and districts around the Methodist Church and would love to act as a resource to support all those who are on this pioneering journey in whatever context. Gathering occasionally to share learning, conversation, prayer, experience and vision seems to be an important activity for us to engage in. It can often be a fairly lonely path we tread and even the best supported of us may value the opportunity to journey with others who face similar challenges and opportunities.
Our hope for VFXtra is to gather in regional clusters three times a year, hosted by the VFX pioneers, and to take the opportunity to learn together, pray together and encourage one another. There'll be some structured input, but plenty of time for conversation and sharing. We don't want it to be a burden, so the invitation is to those for whom it would be helpful rather than yet another meeting to go to!
Manchester
Nexus Arts Café, Dale Street, M1 1JW
Ric Stott, rjstott@hotmail.co.uk
Newcastle
Birtley Methodist Church, Station Lane, Birtley, DH3 1DG
Elaine Lindridge, elaine@lindridge.org.uk
For further information about VentureFX and vfxtra days please contact Ian Bell on belli@methodistchurch.org.uk.
Pioneer minister Ali Dorey has been appointed Director of Training for Fresh Expressions.
Ali currently serves in the Diocese of Sheffield as Mission Development Coordinator for North Sheffield Estates where she works across eight parishes.
She previously helped to establish and run the Church Army Pioneer Hub and has been leading mission shaped ministry in Sheffield as part of the course team for four years.
She will start her new, half-time role on 1st July 2015.
Ali says,
I am delighted to be given the opportunity to work with the national Fresh Expressions team. This team have done extraordinary work over the past ten years in equipping the Church to engage effectively and lovingly with the world. We will be trusting God to lead us into all that the future holds. I anticipate exciting and unpredictable times ahead!
Pete Atkins, Convener of the Training Hub, welcomed the appointment, saying,
We're delighted that Ali is joining the team as she brings with her a wealth of experience, both of working with pioneers and leading msm. She will undoubtedly complement the existing gifts and skills within Fresh Expressions and we very much look forward to her leading the training team into the future.
Ali has worked extensively in community development and teaching. She went on to train for ordained ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham. Following ordination in 2007, she worked as a parish priest in Doncaster for four years before moving to her current role developing mission in North Sheffield.
Ali is also a Companion with Contemplative Fire, a fresh expression of church which has since become an Acknowledged Community within the Anglican Communion. With a BA in Biblical Studies and Music and an MA in Theology and Ministry, Ali is a pianist who enjoys playing and listening to many kinds of music – including classical, jazz and rock. Sometimes this involves her playing keyboard in the Christian rock band Metanoia which offers alternative worship within the sacramental tradition through the 'Rock Mass'.
Ali sings in Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus and lives in a community house at Pitsmoor.
Come and learn more about mission and leadership in 21st century Scotland, with Phil Potter, George Lings and Doug Gay.
This summer school is being run by the Church of Scotland, and is open to all in the Church of Scotland and beyond who are passionate about mission and the future of God's Church.
Beginning at lunchtime on the Monday and ending with lunch on the Thursday, each day will begin with worship and will explore the opportunities and possibilities of mission.
This is part of a three-year initial programme, encouraging the Church to explore what it means to be part of God's people in Scotland at this time, engaging at a local level and gathering together for an annual encounter to take things further.
Our hope for the event is that we will be both renewed in our faith and challenged to go out in faith. Our prayer is that we will harness the best of all that we, as a people of faith, have inherited, as we develop a fresh vision and explore fresh, emerging models of church in an ever changing culture.
We will learn from each other, journey together and share stories of faith.
This event is not just for ministers, but for all. However, Church of Scotland ministers can use their study leave to take part.
Places are limited, so please book now.
Full board and acommodation: £300
Without accommodation: £170
Some bursaries are available – please contact mandd@churchofscotland.org.uk if finance prevents you taking part.
You are invited to share a learning journey in a supportive community to be equipped for a lifetime of good practice and learning in growing fresh expressions of church.
The Church of England, Methodist Church and Pioneer Connexion are delighted to make msm available locally. We believe it will be a significant resource for building the Kingdom of God in this area.
Individuals are most welcome, but we particularly hope that small groups from a church or fresh expression will come as this will deepen the impact of the course.
The course leaders and teachers include Fiona Fidgin, David Perry, Richard Blackwell, Sue Pegg, Mark Button and Graham Cray.
Saturday 19th September 2015
Thursday 22nd October 2015
Friday 13th to Sunday 15th November 2015
Thursday 10th December 2015
Thursday 14th January 2016
Thursday 25th February 2016
Saturday 12th March 2016
Thursday 14th April 2016
Thursday 12th May 2016
Saturday 11th June 2016
Saturdays are 09.30-16.30, weekdays 19.00-21.30, both at Welcome Centre, Brough Methodist Church, 54 Welton Road, Brough, HU15 1DL.
The residential weekend is at Sneaton Castle, Whitby, YO21 3QN.
£185 per person, which covers all materials, refreshments and the weekend away. Financial support may be available.
Download the flier and booking form at the foot of the page or book online.
Linda Shaw
Course Administrator
office@west-hull.karoo.co.uk
01482 845869
mission shaped ministry is a course for our time. Each of the 24 units combine excellent insight with practical learning, in a friendly environment which helps every participant to grow and develop. No matter what your level of experience of mission, this is currently one of the most significant missional tools for the Church in Britain – equipping local Christians to engage in a relevant way with their community, however diverse their culture or context. I encourage you to take a friend and see what God is showing you.
Rev Stephen Lindridge, Fresh Expressions Connexional Missioner for the Methodist Church
Andrea Campanale asks what the relevancy of chaplaincy is to fresh expressions.
Think-tank Theos, and The Cardiff Centre for Chaplaincy Studies, recently launched a report entitled A Very Modern Ministry: Chaplaincy in the UK. In the introduction, author Ben Ryan outlines the apparent contradiction the research explores,
The fascination of chaplaincy is that it seems to be thriving in the paradoxical situation of being a faith and belief phenomenon which is growing in a public square which often seems increasingly secular.
I have developed an interest in this area of ministry as a result of working with the chaplain at the YMCA in south west London, and Kingston University's faith advisor. I have been constantly challenged and inspired by the opportunity afforded them to help people find hope and meaning for the day-to-day struggles of life, outside the bounds of organised religion.
I am a CMS Lay Pioneer and these opportunities to listen, and find creative ways to bless others, has led me to set up a Town Centre Chaplaincy Service in Kingston-upon-Thames as part of my missional activity. I have done this with the Local Ecumenical Partnership and I see it as a means by which one of the members of the fresh expression I've created has the opportunity to follow her vocation. It is by doing mission, and reflecting on our practice together in community, that discipleship happens for us.
However, to what extent is chaplaincy mission? The report clearly picks up on the tensions around the concern not to be seen as 'proselytising'. It would be seen as a 'no-go area' in sectors such as healthcare and education but it's a different story in sports' and town centre chaplaincies where the report identifies a greater openness in talking about evangelism. One sports chaplain quoted the Sports Chaplaincy UK maxim that they should be 'pastorally proactive and spiritually reactive'. The report concluded that very few chaplains identified conversion as a particular hope.
At most, the intention seemed, on the whole, to be to encourage and deepen faith of any description.
So what is the relevance of chaplaincy for other fresh expressions? At the YMCA, chaplaincy has led to the creation of a fresh expression called The Well. This is specifically for those who either live there or access its services and who want to explore Christianity but don't feel comfortable in going to conventional church. This would seem to support the report's assertion that chaplaincy is,
…a ministry that goes to where people actually are, rather than waiting for them to come to religion.
I was also struck by the role of chaplain as being a bridge between the institution they work for and the faith community they represent. They experience changes in culture at the sharp end so are more likely to be able to find new, fresh and relevant ways to engage people with faith. However, this leads to them being almost a 'prophetic' figure who can end up feeling isolated and unsupported in both the contexts they negotiate. But if the Church were to listen and learn from the experience of chaplains, they might better address the concerns of ordinary people – and create fresh expressions where those people can find hope and relationship as they grapple with questions of eternal significance.
Andrea Campanale is a lay pioneer and mission partner with CMS and recently completed their Foundation Degree in pioneer mission leadership. She has been engaged in mission to spiritual seekers for 10 years and runs a fresh expression called Sacred Space, Kingston.
Please note that comments and views may not represent those of Fresh Expressions.
