News from Ridley Hall - Lent 2017

Lent 2017

NEWS from

www.ridley.cam.ac.uk

In this issue: FORMING KINGDOM-ENTREPRENEURS The new Principal of Ridley, Michael Volland, sets out his passion for theological education p 2

ALUMNI GATHERING 2017 Details of this June's Moule Day with guest lecturer Dr Paula Gooder p 2

RIDLEY24 MICRO-FESTIVAL How tents took over the lawn and proved a life-giving source of energy p 4

STARTING AS WE MEAN TO GO ON Michael Volland on prayer as the grounding for fruitful action p 4

ON THE JOURNEY TO YOUTH MINISTRY Jess Beaumont talks about her decision to train for youth ministry at CYM Ridley Hall p 5

WHERE GOD WANTS ME TO BE

What is your passion for theological education?

We put the question to four new members of our tutorial team p 3

Two final-year ordinands look ahead with joy and gratitude to serving their curacies p 6

EEVA JOHN HONOURED BY ARCHBISHOP The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2016 p 8

Forming Kingdom-Entrepreneurs Current students might be pleased to discover that during the recent application process for the post of Principal I was asked to write an essay on my passion for theological education.

Few people greet the prospect of essay writing with enthusiasm, especially when the ‘to-do’ list is already fairly hefty, and I am no exception. However, as I have discovered countless times over the years, the preparatory reading and thinking and the process of writing and re-drafting the work was immensely stimulating and clarified my thinking very helpfully indeed.

Rather than a single passion for theological education, it transpires that I have two.

The first is captured perfectly in the words of Handley Moule, the first Principal of Ridley Hall, who wrote, ‘To be like Christ. . . We aim at nothing less than to walk with God all day long, to abide every hour in Christ and He and His words in us, to love God with all the heart and our neighbour as ourselves.’ I share Moule’s desire for myself, my family, my colleagues and our students. In other words, my first passion for theological education is that it aims primarily to encourage and enable growth of Christ-like character in all those who participate — teachers and learners alike.

C. F. D. Moule Memorial Lecture 2017

A date for your diary! This year’s annual Moule Lecture will be given on Wednesday 7th June by Dr Paula Gooder on the subject ‘Body Matters: Body, Soul and Spirit in the Letters of Paul’.

The author of a number of books on the Scriptures Dr Paula Gooder will speak on "Body, Soul and Spirit in and spirituality, including the Letters of Paul" most recently Body: Biblical Spirituality for the Whole Person (SPCK, 2016), Paula works full time as the Theologian in Residence for the Bible Society. Previously she taught ministerial formation for twelve years in Oxford and Birmingham

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My second passion for theological education is that it encourages and enables entrepreneurship; a set of qualities and characteristics that I believe are a gift of God to his Church and particularly appropriate in an age of rapid change. What we notice in entrepreneurial individuals, teams and institutions are things such as trust, partnership, collaboration, opportunity-spotting, vision, energy, focus, creativity and innovation — all of which are in great demand in the current mission situation. When these 'When these qualities are qualities are nurtured nurtured in an environment in an environment such as Ridley Hall, the such as Ridley Hall, in result is the formation of which the key priority Kingdom-entrepreneurs' is growth in Christ-like character, the result is the formation of Kingdom-entrepreneurs; men and women filled with the Spirit, passionately committed to collaborative, creative gospel service in the world.

These twin passions are an excellent fit with Ridley’s founding vision, which was that the Good News of Jesus be proclaimed to the ends of the earth so that individual lives, communities and cultures may be transformed by God’s redeeming grace. At the beginning of a new year and a new season in the life of Ridley Hall, and as we continue to strive, under God, to fulfil this vision, please remember us each day in your prayers.

Revd Dr Michael Volland Principal

before spending eight years travelling the country as a speaker and writer in biblical studies. She remains a popular speaker, presenting at Greenbelt, Spring Harvest and in online videos, and is a Six Preacher at Canterbury Cathedral. Paula served as a lay member of the General Synod of the Church of England for ten years and is passionate about ecumenism.

Moule Day this year will begin at 11am and will include lunch. Plans also include an opportunity to meet Ridley’s new Principal, the Revd Dr Michael Volland, who will be setting out his vision for Ridley’s future.

More information and booking details will be sent to all alumni and supporters. Or register today online at www.ridley.cam.ac.uk to attend what promises to be a fascinating lecture and enjoyable time with Ridleians past and present.

What is your Passion for Theological Education?

We put the question to four new members of our tutorial team. . .

Dr Eeva John, Director of Pastoral Studies:

The Church and our world desperately need people who see things through a theological lens and who respond increasingly instinctively in a Christ-like way on personal, local and global levels. Theological education is a transformative process of learning that shapes minds, hearts and spirits into such a likeness of Christ. This kind of transformation can only happen in a learning community where there is a vulnerable commitment to learn from one another as we discover Christ in our midst — whether that be in the local church or in a theological college, like Ridley Hall.

As one of the ‘whole people of God’ I am passionate about ensuring that theological education is for the benefit of the whole church: I hope that our students will themselves become educators and ‘theological resource people’ who enable and encourage all disciples within the gathered church to discern and live out their calling to serve in God’s mission wherever they are and whoever they are.

Revd Ian Adams, Tutor in Pioneer Learning and Context-based Training:

I am convinced that theological education needs to encourage both teacher and student to walk the unceasing path towards personal transformation. If we are to help bring any healing to our

world, the Christ-life needs to take shape first within us. The path is rooted in attention, stillness and prayer, and expresses itself in a life of love for God, for neighbour and for the earth.

Theological education at its best encourages a continuous momentum between the inner life and engagement with our world.

I encourage students to seek and imagine the words, images and rituals that may enable the Christ-

'If we are to help bring any healing to our world, the Christ-life needs to take shape first within us'

story to be shared and received in every context, in ways that are both accessible in that setting — and faithful to the core of the tradition.

Revd Caroline Throup, Pastoral Tutor:

I have a real passion for seeing all of God’s people growing in faith and equipped to serve God wherever they are called. And I believe that enabling that growth in faith and ministry is a key task for all church leaders to be prepared for.

I particularly love to help people read the Bible in ways that help them encounter God’s message for them, and narrative theology and preaching have played a big part in that. Also, having been a training incumbent, I have a real passion to see ordinands become outstanding, theologically reflective practitioners and lifelong learners. Curacy and first incumbency are very steep learning curves, so I want to help ensure

'I have a real passion to see ordinands become outstanding, theologically reflective practitioners and lifelong learners' that time spent training at Ridley means leavers are ready for that!

Revd Chris Pemberton, Pastoral Tutor:

With a lifelong interest in the relationship between varied traditions of spiritual formation (scriptural, historical and contemporary) and aspects of Christian leadership both in the church and business, I am particularly interested in the exploration of how diverse resources and experiences can contribute to students’ development as disciples, ministers and leaders.

My passion is to enable everyone to deepen their spiritual life, their knowledge of the Christian faith and their engagement in worship, ministry and mission. Over the years I have taught a number of courses in this area (both here and overseas) and rejoice in the way theology, history (particularly in the 18th century), business and

'My concern is to see theological education that is practically applied, intellectually rigorous and open to the Spirit'

cultural studies can be brought together to enrich spiritual formation and discipleship at Ridley. My concern is to see theological education that is practically applied, intellectually rigorous and open to the Spirit.

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Ridley24 Micro-Festival The lawn at Ridley was covered in tents for a weekend in September as festival-goers of all ages gathered to listen to bands and inspirational speakers.

The twenty-four hour festival was conceived by the then Tutor in Pioneer Learning and Context-based Training, Michael Volland, who said, ‘We wanted to subvert the stereotyped image of a Cambridge college and host a creative event that was fun and which would help us to encounter God and each other in new ways’. Speakers included Dr Rachel Jordan, the Church of England’s national adviser on evangelism, and Joshua Brocklesby, a recent member of the Community of St Anselm, who joined the Ridley community as an ordinand this year. Tents, sleeping bags and outdoor cooking were complimented by The Rural Coffee Project who supplied flat whites and lattes from their converted Land

Starting as we mean to go on

I once heard someone say that ‘prayer is the work of the Christian’. I find this idea helpful because it releases me from feeling as if the real focus of my work should be attempting to fix everything for everyone.

Instead, as a child of God, I am called to be diligent in prayer, allowing Him to form the character of Christ in me and to work in His way and at His pace in the Church and the world.

This is not an excuse for passivity but a shift of perspective. Like Jesus, our actions are fruitful when they are conceived in the place of prayer and born out of the practice of prayer.

With this in mind, as I took up the role of Principal at the start of this Lent term, I called for a day of prayer and fasting for the life and work of Ridley Hall. Current students and staff and their families, alumni, Trustees and other friends of the college were invited to join us in prayer and to seek God’s grace, mercy and provision for the college as we move into a new season. Our student prayer deacons prepared rich resources to shape and inform

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Rover. Musicians included a jazz trio, a community gospel choir, and ‘Deacons Blues’, a band made up of college staff and students. The Associate Principal of Ridley Hall, Mike Thompson, who leads Deacons Blues said, ‘The festival was an inspiring start to the new academic year and a fantastic way for Ridley to demonstrate its creativity. There are significant gifts among staff and students and we were pleased to see them used to generate such an exciting event’. Becky Dyball is a final-year ordinand at Ridley and played a key role in planning and hosting the festival. She said, ‘Ridley24 gave me the opportunity to exercise my gifts and to work with students and staff to create something really special’. Volland said, ‘The event exceeded our expectations and was a life-giving source of energy for everyone involved. We are looking forward to running Ridley24 again in September 2017 and seeing even more people enjoying what we have to offer.’

'Like Jesus, our actions are fruitful when they are conceived in the place of prayer and born out of the practice of prayer' our prayer and worship throughout the day. These were distributed to a dispersed community of intercessors and also used by those who were able to assemble each hour in the college chapel. Members of the Simeon Community gathered with college staff in the morning to pray on each staircase and in various gathering points around the site. The day concluded with a simple Eucharist in chapel.

It was a time of blessing and encouragement and has set the tone for the days to come. As the community at Ridley Hall moves towards God’s hopeful future we would value your prayers for us.

Revd Dr Michael Volland, Principal

On the Journey to Youth Ministry Jess Beaumont is studying at CYM Ridley Hall for the Degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission, specialising in youth ministry.

I have been passionate about youth ministry and working with young people since I was barely a teenager myself. However I could not say the same for education. I had no desire to study any further after struggling at college, and believed it just wasn’t for me.

After four years out of education, whilst leading the youth ministry at my church, I began to crave a greater depth of understanding, knowledge and grounding in youth work that would enable me to go further in the future, and started to look into different study options. I came across CYM Ridley Hall, and already know that it was the best possible decision I could have made.

'I already know that it was the best possible decision I could have made'

The block teaching weeks mean that I’m able to completely immerse myself in the modules, with constant support and encouragement from the lecturers, staff and other students. This support, coupled with lectures that are engaging and inclusive, has meant that learning has started to instil confidence in me, as opposed to robbing me of it. The course also encompasses so many aspects of life and ministry, rather than being a means of just gaining knowledge. The theological input means that I’m regularly challenged in my own faith in a way that stretches me, pushing me out of my comfort zones, expanding my thinking and often opening my eyes to so much more of God. The impact that the course has had on my practice has also been huge. Learning to reflect has been one of the most valuable things I have learnt so far — taking the time to unpack real-life, difficult situations that I encounter with young people has made me far more intentional in relationships and ministry, teaching me not only about theological concepts that can breathe so much life into youth ministry, but about myself too.

WE ARE CALLED TO TRAIN CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH MINISTERS TO BUILD THE CHURCH WHAT IS YOUR CALLING?

Ridley Hall #bethechange

Train where you are while studying for a Degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, specialising in children & families’ and/or youth ministry P Based in a local ministry team P Teaching over six block weeks

www.cymridleyhall.org.uk info@cymridleyhall.org.uk 01223 746583

The Degree is part of Common Awards validated by Durham University

I could not recommend this course enough — it has already transformed so much of my life, ministry and practice and I cannot wait to continue that journey over the next three years.

Jess Beaumont Year 1 Student, CYM Ridley Hall 5

Reflections from two final-year ordinands My curacy parish of East Leightonstone was (at the time of writing) formed just 20 days ago, combinMike Bigg ing the parishes of Brampton, Grafham and Ellington in Ely diocese. It’s a semirural setting made up of one large village and two small villages located just outside Huntingdon where the A1 and A14 meet.

Grafham and Ellington are both fairly small places with a church experiencing the same things as many small villages across the country. A small group of faithful older people meet together to worship God and witness to their communities. There are opportunities for mission in both places but the resources to make it happen are often scarce. My prayer is that in my short time with them I might be able to walk alongside them on their journey and encourage them further to invest time and energy in growing God’s kingdom in their communities.

Brampton, by far the biggest party in the group, has a thriving traditional Eucharist early every Sunday and a growing contemporary service later in the morning. Messy Church is a successful venture and is starting to draw in more and more families. The church reaches out to the rest of the village in a variety of ways and seems to be growing in its witness and hospitality. There are many opportunities for a curate to grow and learn with a supportive congregation to help!

My training incumbent has been in post for a little over three years and will be a great source of wise counsel and prayerful

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support. He is already pencilling my name in for weddings in the summer of 2018 and I’m sure he’ll be glad to share some of the load with me as we work together to nurture a confident people of God across the three villages.

'We are thankful to have a title post that has so much potential for growing in grace'

I take with me a wife and two young boys who are all looking forward to getting to know a new place! We are thankful to have a title post that has so much potential for growing in grace, learning to minister and deepening our family life. Roots down, walls down, bridges out!

When my DDO asked me, towards the end of my discernment process a couple of years ago, to name a Bible Jane Quinton verse which spoke to me, Nehemiah 8:10 was the first scripture that came to mind: 'the joy of the Lord is my strength'.

Ridley’s new principal Michael Volland began his opening address to the community with the same words. Reflecting on this scripture now, I recall that one of my favourite songs as I was growing up was ‘Joybringer’

by Manfred Mann, and realise that, in that wonderful way God has of going before us, this message of ‘joy’ was something that he was already trying to get my attention with!

Indeed, since becoming a Christian twenty-five years ago, I now know the meaning of real joy. Yes, there have been many

difficult moments in that time, and even during training here at Ridley there have been lows amongst the highs. But God is faithful, and his constant presence and provision, and the way that he continually goes before us, is truly awesome. As I now find myself in the penultimate term of ordination training, I can only say what a constant joy and privilege it has been to have spent that time at Ridley. God’s abundant love is evident not only in the beauty of the surroundings but more importantly in the people with whom I have come into contact, both students and staff, inside and outside the college.

'I trust that I am exactly where God wants me to be'

As I now draw ever closer to my curacy in Chipping Ongar, Essex, I find myself excited, if not a little daunted! But I trust that I am exactly where God wants me to be. My incumbent, her husband and those in the congregation I have had a chance to meet are all lovely. I have also discovered that the community development officer with whom I worked collaboratively in my previous parish has recently been transferred to Ongar! I look forward to once again working with him on local projects in which Christian input can be part of the community.

My prayer, not only for myself and all those being ordained with me this coming year, but for the whole family of God, is that we may all be vessels of God’s love and joy to all those we meet, that they too draw strength from the joy of knowing we are loved by God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bags of Hope and Love In October 2016 thousands of refugees and migrants were evacuated from the Calais jungle, which was destroyed. Many were dispersed around Northern France, though some came to the UK, and most remain without permanent accommodation. Ridley Hall responded to this need by supporting a local charity that arranges care packages for those with migrant status who are homeless or vulnerably housed.

Each staircase gathered hats, gloves, scarves, deodorants, healthy snacks and wind-up torches. The

Bags of hope and love, ready for distribution

Reflection on eight years as Principal My eight years as Principal have flown by. It has been my privilege to oversee the training of 320 ordinands and 161 youth and children’s workers, in partnership with an able and deeply committed staff team. We have Andrew Norman with had to adapt to many changes, Andrew Steer, one of notably the drastic reduction of two Ridleians starting government funding for Higher their curacies in the Education, the introduction of Diocese of Leeds Common Awards, the development of context-based training and the Church of England’s major rethink embodied in its Resourcing Ministerial Education programme. I would like to pay tribute to all my hard-working colleagues for their determination to ensure Ridley stays ahead of the curve and continues to merit the accolade bestowed by our Inspectors in 2011: ‘a vibrant learning, worshipping and praying community’ delivering ‘high quality theological education, ministerial training and formation for ministry’ and providing ‘exciting opportunities’ for contributing to the mission of the wider Church.

Ridley’s centres have continued to evolve, enriching the college’s formational activities and benefitting many who are not training for ordination. The

youth group within Ridley's community then packed these into individual drawstring bags — bags of hope and love that were transported and given out to refugees

by Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group in early 2017. It was an opportunity as a community to give in a small way to an obvious need and in a way which everyone could be involved with. Thanks to everyone for helping out!

For further information about local initiatives raising awareness of, and support for, migrants check out: www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com Jo Tarassenko, Student Mission Deacon

Newbigin Centre is the latest addition, a timely initiative for a Church seeking to be properly grounded in theological reflection on mission in contemporary society. Despite the pressing needs in this country, our focus has not been exclusively on the UK. Faith in Business has extended its reach as far as mainland China, and our bursary programme has brought many visiting scholars and church leaders from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

All this has been possible thanks to a wide array of collaborative relationships and I would like to offer my personal thanks to all those individuals and organisations who have played their part during my time as Principal.

'The next few years will be crucial for the Church of England'

The next few years will be crucial for the Church of England. I am delighted that my successor brings gifts, vision and experience that are so well-suited to the challenges ahead. I am also excited at the prospect of nurturing ministry and mission in a ‘mega-diocese’ with such a rich variety of contexts.

I would very much welcome your prayers as I begin my new post in the Diocese of Leeds.

Andrew Norman, former Principal of Ridley Hall, now Director of Ministry and Mission, Diocese of Leeds

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Last Summer, Ridley staff spent three days at Launde Abbey, praying and planning for the year ahead. One morning was spent reflecting on God’s calling, when we were reminded afresh of three important aspects of our Christian life. We are all called to serve. We are all called to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. We are called to go out of ourselves in mission. And we’re called to this, not only as individuals, but as the whole people of God, even as the whole of Ridley Hall. How are we doing? Well, God’s working on us!

Eeva John honoured by Archbishop Welby for her 'vision of holistic formation' In the months before Eeva John joined the staff team at Ridley, she became one of the first recipients of the Archbishop’s new Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship.

Over the months since her appointment we have got to know Eeva well and very much recognise the person described by Archbishop Justin as he explains the background to the honour: 'The past few years have seen a transformation of theological education in the Church of England and its ecumenical partners: the creation of the Common Awards in theology, ministry and mission.

The success of that transformation is in large part due to Eeva John.

'She drew on her deep knowledge of theological education, her wide prior experience, her passion for rich formational pedagogy, her phenomenal creativity, and her amazing reserves of patience, to enable the creation of this new national framework for theological education. Most strikingly, she displayed an unmatched ability to listen carefully to the many colStatue of Archleagues who would be affected by bishop Lanfranc, the change, to respond graciously from the exterior to the vast numbers of their queof Canterbury ries and suggestions, and to foster Cathedral 8

unexpected depths of conversation and collaboration between them. And yet she drew all of this unruly and complex material together into proposals of clear and elegant simplicity, with an attention to detail and to presentation that eased the jobs of everyone else with whom she was working on the innovative Common Awards scheme.

'Since completing her work as Common Awards Project Manager, she has continued her work as a theological educator. She holds out a vision of holistic formation, in which learners’ minds, spirits and bodies, their relationships and affections and responsibilities, are all caught up in the process of learning together, before God. This award is given in recognition not just of the work that she has completed, but of the work that she continues to do, to hold all of those who are involved in theological education to this compelling vision.'