msm Scotland - Inverness

We are delighted to make the mission shaped ministry course locally available as an effective means of training all God’s people further in mission. This has been established jointly between several Scottish denominations with a growing and broader ownership across the major church movements and denominations. We believe it will be a significant resource for the building of the Kingdom of God in this area. The course has a particular focus on the development of new areas of outreach that engages those outside the reach of traditional church.

This course is designed for laity, clergy and for all trained church leaders. We particularly hope small groups from a congregation will come as this may well deepen the impact of the course and better equip existing congregations. Some may already be involved in a fresh expression, others committed to exploring the idea.

The course host is Duncan MacPherson. Course teachers include include Duncan MacPherson, John Drane and Olive
Fleming Drane.

Contact

Angie Traynor
atraynor@cofscotland.org.uk
0131 225 5722 ext 415

Course timetable and venue

Saturday 16th January
Saturday 20th February
Saturday 20th March
Residential 23rd-25th April
Saturday 22nd May
Saturday 19th June
Saturday 11th September

Saturdays run from 10am to 4pm at Hilton Church, Tomatin Road, Hilton, Inverness, IV2 4UA.
The residential weekend is at MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort.

Cost

The cost of the course is £250 which covers all materials, refreshments and the residential weekend away. (Some financial assistance may be available.)

Commendations

This course comes at just the right time for us. We are involved in a major review of ministries training, and through the work of our Emerging Ministries Task Group, we are also beginning to support a variety of new models of church around Scotland. The course will qualify for Study Leave funding and could well help you in considering new patterns for leadership in mission and ministry, especially with those who currently have little or nothing to do with church.

Martin Scott, Secretary, Ministries Council, Church of Scotland

The church has, to a large degree, disengaged itself from the communities it is called to serve. The bread and butter tasks of saving souls and keeping them saved has all but eluded many congregations. And yet all around us we sense a spiritual hunger and a feeling that people have not given up on God. This course provides an excellent opportunity for the church to reposition itself for missional activity. If our evangelistic efforts are to be effective we need to sharpen up our skills and face up to the real issues that face us. I believe that this material will provide individual Christians as well as mission teams with resources that will make them more effective. This is not just for the theorist, but also for the serious practitioner. It is for the experienced evangelist as well as for the enthusiastic novice. I warmly commend this course to you.

Major Graham Mizon, Divisional Director for Evangelism, East of Scotland Division, Salvation Army

At a time when the church in this nation is facing decline it is time that we rediscovered something of the original mandate given to it by Jesus; a mandate to go and make disciples. The msm course equips both individuals and communities missionally with a healthy emphasis on the Kingdom. This course is well overdue and a must for anyone with a passion to see the church in this nation grow and once again be "salt and light" in our nation. msm is not only an essential tool for the church as we look to the future, but gives me great hope for the future.

Keith Short, Pastor, Barton Baptist Church, Leader, Scottish Network of Churches

I thoroughly recommend the mission shaped ministry course. We are at a crossroads in the life of the Church in our land. The challenge is to engage with a culture that has walked away from church, but is deeply interested in spiritual things. This course is intended to equip individuals and faith communities not only to think missionally, but to imagine new ways of being church. It brings the recent experience of fresh expressions of church which are springing up throughout the land, alongside some serious theological reflection which will enable participants to learn from the past, and the recent past, and prepare for the future. I know of no other course which will more effectively equip people at many levels, to "do" church in a way that reaches our culture.

Andy Scarcliffe, Mission Adviser, Baptist Union Scotland

The mission shaped ministry course is also endorsed by John and Olive Drane who will teach on the Inverness course along with Revd Duncan MacPherson.