Catalyst (October 2013 - March 2014)

October 2013 – March 2014

catalyst ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’

Luke 5:10

A leadership toolbox Growing young leaders Ventures: serving the Church making disciples, developing leaders, growing churches

making disciples, developing leaders, growing churches Mission: CPAS enables churches to help every person hear and discover the good news of Jesus Christ.

Our vision:

Our passion:

We long to see a Christ-centred, Bible-based, mission-focused Church where leaders are clear about their call to discipleship, growing in Christ-like character, and competent to lead in a time of rapid change;

We are a committed evangelical mission agency, and since 1836 we have been working for the evangelisation of the UK. In what seems to be an environment of ever-growing secularism across the UK and Republic of Ireland, the urgency of the gospel has never been clearer.

where leaders discern God’s direction, enable action, build teams, develop leaders, facilitate communication, and nurture people; where leaders work in teams, reflecting the diversity of ministries, and model themselves on the servant character of Jesus; where leaders help transform inherited churches, pioneer emerging churches and deliver creative residential ministry, effectively helping children, young people and adults hear and discover the good news of Jesus Christ.

We are fundamentally committed to the local church. Our founders made an obligation to support the evangelistic endeavours of local churches, while our support now focuses on developing and equipping the leaders of local churches.

We believe the message of the cross is real and relevant to all people. It is a good news story: of grace (God’s unmerited favour towards us), mercy (forgiveness when we deserved punishment) and love (John 3:16).

We are passionately committed to the revitalisation of the Church of England.

We have never wavered in this passion and our commitment to patronage, Ventures and Falcon Camps and leadership development flows out of our aspirations for the Church of England.

Unless otherwise stated all Bible quotations taken from the New International Version (NIV)

Catalyst

Editor: Olly Du Croz Design: Catherine Jackson Copyright CPAS 2013. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for the reproduction of text from this publication for CPAS promotional use only. For all other uses, please contact us.

This magazine is printed on paper from farmed forest: for each tree felled, another is planted. The paper is chlorine-free and environmentally friendly.

Contact CPAS Sovereign Court One (Unit 3), Sir William Lyons Road, University of Warwick Science Park, COVENTRY CV4 7EZ T 0300 123 0780 E info@cpas.org.uk W www.cpas.org.uk Church Pastoral Aid Society Registered charity no 1007820 A company limited by guarantee Registered in England no 2673220 Registered office at address above

welcome

‘The state of th Christian relig e io n in this country urgently calls for definite ac definite action tion. That is no less than the conversi on of Englan d to the Christian faith’.

Towards the Co

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t is often said that we are an Easter people.

This is obviously true, since the Easter story is at the heart of the gospel, but it’s also true because the ‘new’ resurrection life is the gift that we inhabit as converted followers.

The inspiring words at the top of this page are taken from a book entitled Towards the Conversion of England written in 1945 and published in memory of Archbishop William Temple. Of course, I believe the same to be true for the rest of the UK and Ireland – this is not just an English challenge!

Earlier this year I quoted these words when presenting a motion to the Church of England’s General Synod. I used these words in order to persuade Synod that the primary task of the Church at this time must be to evangelise, and therefore to ask the House of Bishops to make time on their agendas to bring leadership to this task. I am pleased to report that Synod passed the motion.

Since 1836 CPAS has been supporting and equipping leaders for the evangelistic challenge which faces the Church. Our passion has always been to nurture leaders who have a confidence in the gospel, a clear theology of conversion,

and a commitment to preaching and teaching the good news as Scripture defines it.

nversion of England, 1945

In this edition of Catalyst you can read stories of individuals and churches with whom we have recently worked in order to help them contribute to this inspiring 1945 vision. Some of these articles describe long term work (read the encouraging stories about youth work at two churches involved with Ventures on p1011), while others highlight new initiatives with dioceses (read about our work in Gloucester and other areas on p12-13). What these stories have in common is that they all testify to our unchanging commitment to see missional leadership enhanced and multiplied in the Church of our time.

Thank you for reading this edition of Catalyst. We are very grateful for your interest, prayers and financial support.

John Dunnett, General Director

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Contents

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feeling fine? growing through a vacancy growing young leaders ventures: serving the church a leadership toolbox change-making in ireland

Graham Archer, CPAS director of ministry, addresses the issue of morale amongst leaders through the lens of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians.

feeling fine?

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he first six chapters of Paul’s letter pose a mind-boggling paradox as he twice entreats the readers to ‘not lose heart’ while describing the dreadful treatment he has endured, which humanly speaking gives him every reason to lose heart, soul and mind.

Few Christian leaders in this country can claim that they suffer beatings, shipwrecks, stonings and imprisonment, but like Paul they may experience sleeplessness, anxiety, rejection and ‘daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches’ (11:28).

How does he do that? What is the trick? Three immediate tips rise to the surface:

Is morale an issue? Here’s a quote from one of our 21st century vicars:

He is honest about his pain and uses it to reinforce a choice to trust in God. Having described how suffering had brought him to the brink of despair he writes ‘this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead’ (1:9).

He describes how he has learnt to view his inner life. The outer life is wasting away, but the inner life is being renewed (4:16), and images of tents and clay jars all reinforce the belief that, as he relies on God, the spirit within grows stronger, more beautiful and glorious.

He talks about his dependency on his brothers and sisters. It is all written in the ‘we’ form.

He isn’t isolated in his ministry, indeed he talks about God opening up an opportunity for ministry that he didn’t take because he couldn’t find Titus, his companion (2:12-13).

Connecting the Bible to our current life situation, Linda MacDermott and I have been surveying clergy about issues of morale using a basic definition that: morale is the positive and negative reactions to life’s trends.

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‘The capacity to improve morale is dependent on being able to receive help, something clergy aren’t always very good at. My overall impression is we are being asked to do more and more by our senior clergy, in an environment which is often hostile to our message. I’m having a tough time now, but still trusting in the promises of God.’ In the survey we also asked what helps sustain good morale. Some of the comments we received in response seem to resonate with 2 Corinthians, such as: ‘The closer a minister is in their personal walk with Christ, the higher their morale is likely to be – regardless of their circumstances of life.’

‘Morale is good when you believe you are in the centre of God’s will.’

‘I think many have low morale because they have lost their vision for their calling and adopt a secular vision of work.’

‘The closer a minister is in their personal walk with Christ, the higher their morale is likely to be – regardless of their circumstances of life.’

Paul didn’t have a secular view of his work, far from it; it was only his sense of being called to the high privilege of making known the gospel

by God himself that enabled him to survive the trials of ministry. Far from losing heart, he gained strength.

The closing words are Paul’s: ‘We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.’ (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)

Grove Leadership Series

Graham’s research about the morale of leaders will be published in early 2014 as part of the Grove Leadership Series, which is a partnership between CPAS and Grove Books. The series now features 13 titles, with four new books published each year.

Some of the most popular titles so far include: The Inner Life of a Christian Leader, Engaging Gen Y, Loving Volunteers, Discerning Leadership and Leading a Wholelife Disciple-making Church.

For more details about the entire series visit

www.cpas.org.uk/grove 05

Vacancies. Every church has them.

And research shows that periods without a vicar are a critical time for the health of a church.

If prepared for well, they can be a time of continued growth. Yet many churches enter a period without an incumbent with little preparation and few ideas about how to navigate this tricky time well.

growing through a vacancy

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t’s for this reason that CPAS has linked with four other agencies to produce Growing Through a Vacancy. It is a simple resource built on research and developed in parishes. The key components are: A handbook for clergy and churchwardens detailing insights from research and 15 ideas to help growth through a vacancy.

A shorter guide to good vacancies for PCC members and others interested within a congregation.

A website with a variety of practical resources, including an explanatory video and PowerPoint, stories of other churches who’ve grown through a vacancy, a suggested timeline, and various guides covering areas such as prayer and pastoral care.

www.grow-vacancy.org.uk 06

Carefully designed to be accessible to parishes in very different contexts and with varying church traditions, our hope is to stop the decline that occurs in so many vacancies.

The key is for parishes to get hold of this material and use it before a vicar is thinking about leaving, because work done now can make a significant difference to a vacancy further down the line.

Case study: St Mary’s Watford St Mary’s Watford is a CPAS patronage church which had a year-long vacancy before the arrival of vicar Tony Rindl earlier this year.

Alison Saunders, churchwarden at St Mary’s, describes how they worked towards a healthy vacancy: ‘At St Mary’s we entered the vacancy having been through a challenging and confusing few months around the resignation of our previous incumbent, which had resulted in a lack of trust of the leadership and created quite a divisive atmosphere.

‘Despite those difficulties, we were determined from the start of the vacancy that we should continue to grow as a church – not just numerically, although we did welcome a good number of new people into our fellowship during this time.

‘We were greatly blessed to have a well-established and efficient administrator, without whom a much greater burden would have fallen on the churchwardens, as well as being wonderfully served by two

retired clergy in the congregation and very well supported by the deanery and the diocese.

‘Also, several lay members of the congregation willingly stepped outside their comfort zones to take on new responsibilities and blossomed in their new roles, whether this was in leading services or filling gaps in other areas of church life.’

Given her experience at St Mary’s, what advice would Alison give to other churches entering a vacancy?

‘It is crucial to make sure that prayer is central to church life, both individually and corporately.

‘Tap into all the resources available within the congregation, as well as in the deanery, diocese and beyond – don’t be too proud to ask for help!

‘Gently encourage individuals who may have gifts they are not aware of, or have not exercised for a while, to have a go.

‘Engage the whole congregation at every stage in the vacancy process so that everyone feels involved and can share ownership – communication between the leadership and people in the pew is key!’

Church vacancies: the statistical picture Two thirds of churches experienced modest (5-20%) or severe (20%+) decline during a vacancy.

Larger churches (usual Sunday attendance 100+) declined by an average of 18%, compared to 7% in smaller churches.

Churches with vacancies longer than 8 months shrank by an average of 21%. Shorter vacancies resulted in smaller drops in numbers.

Source: research interviews with 40 churches, led by Bob Jackson, director of the St John’s Nottingham Centre for Church Growth.

Views on vacancies We gathered opinions from several senior leaders in the Church about how Growing Through a Vacancy can make a positive impact: ‘CPAS has once again produced a resource to help churches think, pray and plan how to grow and fulfil their mission. A vacancy need not be a time of decline, but tackled carefully and prayerfully a vacancy can lead to growth and fresh vision for the future.’

The Rt Rev Peter Hancock, Bishop of Basingstoke

‘Wise and timely advice on a significant moment in the life of any church. Much challenge and food for thought.’

The Ven Karen Gorham, Archdeacon of Buckingham

‘It is not rocket science; it is about being the church of Jesus Christ. He does not leave any church in vacancy, and this excellent resource will help any congregation that has the humility and faith to learn from its research and see a vacancy as a time of growth in every sense.’

The Rt Rev Keith Sinclair, Bishop of Birkenhead

‘These resources are a wealth of invaluable information in helping those in church leadership steer their way through a time of vacancy so that unity is preserved and there is growth, both spiritually and numerically.’

The Ven Christine Froude, Archdeacon of Malmesbury

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growing young leaders

Andy Castle, director of Thrive Youth Ministries

Since the launch of the Growing Leaders – Youth Edition course nearly five years ago, more than 300 churches and youth groups have experienced the value of investing in teenagers by equipping them for leadership.

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imed at 14-18s, the vision for the course is to grow more young people in Christlike character as they are equipped to lead in their schools, colleges and homes. It recognises that many teenagers already have influence and responsibility, as well as preparing them for how God might use them to grow his kingdom in the future.

The course looks at three key principles of Christian leadership: firm foundations in their relationship with God, key skills and staying faithful. Each participant is teamed up with a mentor, who they meet between each of the eight monthly sessions.

Andy Castle, director of Warwickshire-based Thrive Youth Ministries, has led four courses.

He said: ‘The content is really well put together, and right from the start I’ve seen that it is a very effective course. Leadership is a gift, not a qualification, and starting with firm foundations helps the young people recognise that all leadership is rooted in their personal relationship with God.

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‘The course works in different contexts, but I see the most value when it brings young people from different churches together. The last three courses I’ve run have involved 24 teenagers from nine different churches around the area.

‘I’ve also seen it become more than just a course, as it can have an impact on the church’s youth work as a whole, such as getting more adults involved through mentoring young people.

‘Above all, Growing Leaders – Youth Edition builds on young people being discipled in local churches, equipping and releasing more confidence in them to give leadership a go.’

What happened next?

We caught up with two young people who have both completed Growing Leaders – Youth Edition courses led by Andy, asking them to reflect on how useful and relevant the course has been a few years down the line:

Jonny Guy took part in Growing Leaders in Leamington Spa during his final year at school. He has now just finished his second year studying Politics and Philosophy at Sheffield University.

‘At the time I had only been a Christian for a year and I hadn’t led anything in church, but I enjoyed taking a leading role in stuff so it seemed like a really good idea. The session about being a ‘double agent’ really spoke to me. I knew what I believed but that didn’t match how I lived in all areas of my life – which I guess is a good challenge for any Christian.

‘I’m fairly self-confident and try to share my faith with friends at university. Having lived so many years without God in my life, it’s easier to relate to people who don’t yet know him.

‘Growing Leaders helped me understand what leadership and responsibility is all about. The stuff about integrity was also really good, and it’s even more important now that I’m involved in leading the university Christian Union.

‘I’ve got a passion for being involved politics, or something else in the public square. Integrity has implications for everything we do, but especially for my plans to be in public life.’

Hannah Branch has just graduated from Nottingham University with a theology degree. She is now in the early stages of exploring a call to ordination, having completed Growing Leaders during the start of her gap year while at St Stephen’s Twickenham in 2009.

‘Growing Leaders taught me that leadership is not always about being up at the front of church, and helped me define how I want to be a leader.

‘Having been through the course has really helped with my involvement in the Christian Union. Living in halls as the CU rep during my second year was a big sacrifice and sometimes quite isolating, but setting a Christian example for other students was taking a lead without being in the limelight.

‘During university I was also involved in leading services and preaching at Holy Trinity Lenton, where the vicar has been very supportive and a great role model.

‘Growing Leaders has also helped me keep on track with God. I had to be vulnerable, and my mentor helped me to break down those barriers. Doing the spiritual ‘MOT’ was also very helpful, and occasionally I still try to take a step back and reflect where I am with my faith.’

For more information about Growing Leaders, please visit

www.cpas.org.uk/growingleaders 09

We hear from youth minister, Ben Cook, and ministry training associate, Ted Argent-Belcher, about how the ministry of Ventures is enabling churches to help young people hear and discover the good news of Jesus.

ventures: serving the church ‘Generates a passion for Jesus’

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entures is the first thing I put in my diary, simply because seeing teenagers come back alive in their faith, more in love with Jesus and hungry for more is amazing!

Through St Philip’s and St James’ youth group’s longstanding link with the Sandiley Venture, I’ve seen first-hand how Ventures generates a passion for Jesus in young people, and impacts the year-round activities of the youth group and wider church. ‘

‘I think what makes Ventures unique is the opportunity the teenagers get to have a go at leading. There’s something about being surrounded by role models for a week that gives young people the confidence to take on responsibility or get up at the front for the first time. It’s fantastic when young people come

back from the Venture so enthusiastic and full of ideas. Not only is it a huge encouragement to me, but it also means the youth work and the wider ministry of the church is better resourced.

‘Two girls in my youth group led worship at Sandiley, and are now involved in worship at church. Others have been leading talks and Bible studies, and helping with the children’s work. We regularly have teenagers sharing their testimonies from the camp in youth group, and contributing to our youth newsletter.

Many are also involved in serving during the morning service, and helping with our new outreach café.

‘Ventures was hugely formative in my own journey into youth ministry. I came to faith on a Venture, and began leading on Sandiley at 18. Being around such a fantastic team of passionate youth leaders really rubbed off on me. I was impressed and inspired by seeing them sacrifice their own time and comfort (Sandiley is a camping Venture!) to let young people know about Jesus. I began a degree with CYM, qualified as a youth minister and have had the joy of sharing Jesus with young people ever since!’

Ben Cook, youth minister at St Philip’s and St James’, Dorridge

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‘Understand, respond and grow in maturity’

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s overall leader of both ‘ the Bredon 1 Venture and the Pathfinder group at Christ Church, Bromley, I see the effect of Ventures not only on individual young people, but also on the year-round youth ministry of my church. Christ Church has had links with the Bredon Ventures for over a decade, and our aim is to proclaim Christ to teens so that each one can understand, respond and grow to maturity in him, especially the unchurched first-timer.

‘Reaching “the unchurched first-timer” is what gospel ministry is all about, and is one of the key ways we see Ventures serving the church. Both the Venture and church youth groups serve the dual purpose of proclaiming the gospel to those who don’t know Christ, and discipling Christian teenagers to live out and share their faith. What takes a whole term in youth group meetings can happen in a week on a Venture – both in terms of the Bible teaching and relationships built – and this is hugely powerful for believers and “firsttimers” alike.

‘We find that teenagers often get to know each other best by doing things together, and going on a Venture provides the time and space for strong friendships to grow. Not only does this create an atmosphere which is fun and welcoming for newcomers, but it also gives teenagers the on-going support of Christian friends and leaders all year round. We want to help young people stand up as Christians on Monday morning at school and on Friday night at a party, not just at church or youth group when it’s easy, and ensuring they have a strong Christian community equips them to do this.

‘What takes a whole term in youth group meetings can happen in a week on a Venture – both in terms of the Bible teaching and relationships built.’

‘We make these relationships more sustainable by encouraging young people in particular age groups to attend the same Venture together, and having Venture leaders as visiting speakers at youth group throughout the year. Ongoing contact with leaders and fellow members reminds teenagers of camp, where they heard the gospel and saw it being modelled, and spurs them on to live for Jesus back in their normal context.

‘As members get older, many go on to become leaders themselves, or ‘M&Ms’ as we call them, as their faith grows ‘more and more’ (2 Thessalonians 1:3). Helping on Ventures as a student is what got me excited about ministry, and was probably the biggest influence in leading me to full-time gospel ministry. It’s fantastic to see older teenagers come back to camp to serve, make Christ known and build others up in their faith in a way which goes far beyond a week in the summer.‘ Ted Argent-Belcher, ministry training associate at Christ Church, Bromley

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A fast-developing area of our work is the growing number of opportunities for working in partnership with dioceses to develop leaders across the country. We are currently contributing towards IME or CME (initial / continuing ministerial education) training programmes in several dioceses, and in active discussions with many others.

a leadership toolbox

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ne example of this work in recent months has been a series of four one-day events for the Diocese of Gloucester, delivered

by CPAS leadership specialist Charles Burgess.

The topics covered were: discerning direction, enabling action, leading in multi-church benefices and sustaining yourself in leadership.

Andrew Braddock, director of mission and ministry for the Diocese of Gloucester, said: ‘Drawing on their wider experience, CPAS has assisted us in addressing various key leadership issues including helping parishes think creatively about mission.

‘Their flexible approach helped tailor the training to our needs, so the material was a good fit with the priorities we’ve identified in the diocese.

Debbie‘s story Debbie Forman is vicar of four rural parishes between Evesham and Stratford. A former teacher and head of higher education for CYM (Centre for Youth Ministry), she was ordained five years ago.

‘During these four sessions I was given a more complete leadership toolbox to use in my ministry. I am now more aware of my good and bad habits, and have become more intentional in what I do, how I use my time, and how I lead.

‘The day about sustaining yourself in leadership helped me look differently at how I prioritise things; the discerning direction material has enthused me about doing another vision day to get people to think about values; it was also really helpful at the multi-church leadership event to hear that things are messy and I can’t expect to have everything neat and tidy all the time.

‘These training days also encouraged me that I’m doing some things along the right lines. I have been trying to develop more lay involvement, such as encouraging people to think creatively about the all-age services. It’s a gradual process and a light touch is needed, but we’re heading in the right direction and I’m thankful for small steps.

‘Overall, the training from CPAS was practical and realistic. Charles didn’t claim to give us all the answers, but it was even more helpful to help us ask the right questions, give us the opportunity to stand back from everyday ministry, share ideas and reflect on the leadership that we’re each engaged with.

‘Having events facilitated by an external organisation can also help open up the conversation, with people being more open and robust in their responses. We’re now looking at more work in partnership with CPAS and others as we review our future training needs.’

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For a fuller explanation of the leadership training which CPAS offers to dioceses, please visit www.cpas.org.uk/training

Steve‘s story

‘This is one of the most valuable things the diocese has provided for me during my curacy.’

Steve Clarke is a pioneer minister who has just completed his curacy at Gloucester Cathedral, which has also involved leading Feig, a Fresh Expressions community which has become part of the wider family of the cathedral. Prior to ordination he was associate pastor for students and young adults at Trinity Cheltenham.

Steve Clarke

‘This training was really valuable. As a pioneer minister I’m given the freedom to create, experiment and take risks, but this training helped give me the tools to have some kind of framework to what I do. Charles also brought stories from real-life situations in other churches, so he wasn’t just an expert in the room telling us what to do.

‘Although there’s a good cohort of pioneer ministers in Gloucester, I guess anybody in ministry can feel out on their own at times.

Having this training during my curacy has shown me how important it is to get good practices in place at an early stage, and I was challenged to look at how much I’m seeing through to a fruitful conclusion.

‘I also learned a lot from the other leaders doing the training. Charles wasn’t precious about allowing people to share their ideas and experiences, so people were prepared to be honest and vulnerable – and it takes the right kind of trainer to make that happen.

‘All in all, this is one of the most valuable things the diocese has provided for me during my curacy.’

Our recent work with other dioceses includes: Liverpool: We have run several day training events for the diocese as part of their CME programme, including leadership in a multichurch benefice.

Exeter: We are leading a year-long leadership development course for the diocese. Around 50 clergy have been split into four cohorts, with 10 sessions exploring both practical leadership skills and ‘inner-life’ challenges.

Carlisle: Over the last three years we have worked with Carlisle diocese to provide some input on staying fresh, staying faithful as part of an overnight retreat which all clergy in the diocese have been invited to in groups of 24 at a time. We are now working towards a training process to equip clergy to mentor others who are going through transitions in their ordained roles.

CPAS’ Ireland advisory group was formed in 2011, and through this Christ Church, Lisburn became one of the first CPAS training centres. We talked to Paul Dundas, rector of Christ Church, about this exciting new chapter of CPAS’ ministry in Ireland.

change-making in ireland

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anaging change well is a key issue for anyone involved in church leadership, so we were very pleased to have CPAS general director John Dunnett coming to Lisburn to deliver two Change Makers training days this year. Recognising that change does, will and must happen, and receiving input on how to help different people journey through change with wisdom and sensitivity was hugely valuable.

‘Many participants came with others from their church, and found the experience of learning together and broadening their understanding as a group particularly beneficial. Others planned to share what they had learnt with other leaders back in their parish, recognising

Paul Dundas, rector of Christ Church, Lisburn 14

the importance of unity as they seek to implement change in the programmes, mission and outreach of the churches represented.

‘Our next event is a Mentoring Matters training day. There’s a lot of interest and enthusiasm for mentoring among church leaders here, and we’re looking forward to having James Lawrence with us to lead the day. Looking into next year, the Ireland advisory group have considered the specific training needs of local clergy and lay leaders, and have identified leading in rural contexts, sustaining oneself in leadership, and mission in small churches as three topics we would like to cover next.

‘As a training centre, it’s hugely valuable to be able to tailor CPAS’ training to meet the particular needs of those ministering in Northern Ireland. Our prayer is that each training day will be another piece in the jigsaw, and through this solid grounding of Bible-based, practical teaching on a number of pertinent topics, lay and ordained leaders will grow, the ministry and mission of churches will be strengthened, and many will be won for Christ.’

arrow leadership programme Want to develop as a leader?

Arrow is a transformational 18-month leadership programme for those aged 25-40 working in full-time Christian leadership who want to be led more

by Jesus, lead more like Jesus and lead more to Jesus.

Applications for the next programme close on 1 December 2013.

Find out more at

www.cpas.org.uk/arrow

CPAS training centres Working alongside local Christian communities sits at the heart of CPAS’ vision. Through strategically partnering with a number of local churches to establish CPAS training centres, we are beginning to see more clergy and lay leaders equipped for mission in a sustained and fruitful way.

We are looking forward to holding Mentoring Matters training days in Lisburn and Ware during autumn 2013. This follows an event earlier this year in Ware entitled Realising your church’s vision. One of our recently-launched Moving On days for clergy considering a move has taken place in Sale, where plans for a Leading well across the generations event are also underway. We’ll also have a training day in Durham for those working in multiparish benefices, and there are many more events in the pipeline!

CPAS training centres So far, there are six CPAS training centres across the UK and Republic of Ireland:

Christ Church, Lisburn St Mary’s, Sale St Nicholas, Durham Christ Church, Ware St Paul, Howell Hill St Nicholas, Nottingham 15

church in vacancy?

Navigate 15 practical steps to a healthy vacancy

Growing Through a Vacancy Developed in partnership with Diocese of Birmingham, Diocese of Lichfield, St John’s Nottingham Centre for Church Growth and Saltley Trust

www.grow-vacancy.org.uk

w e ne urc so e r