msm West Midlands

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 Lichfield Diocese and Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District 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.

The mission shaped ministry course is designed for clergy, church leaders, teams and everyone involved in a fresh expression of church, or committed to exploring the idea or looking to make their existing church more missionally effective.

The course hosts are Mark Berry (Missional Pioneer Minister) and Denice Morgan (Methodist Training Officer). The course material has been written by the national Fresh Expressions team which includes Revd Dr Steve Croft (former Archbishop's Missioner) and Bob and Mary Hopkins (Anglican Church Planting Initiatives).

Contact

Course Administrator
Anne Riddle
30 Lionel Grove, Harpfields, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 6RW
anne.riddle1@ntlworld.com
01782 769532 or 07974 197806

Course timetable and venue

Saturday 23rd January 2010
Wednesday 24th February 2010
Wednesday 24th March 2010
Wednesday 21st April 2010
Residential Weekend: 7th-9th May 2010
Wednesday 16th June 2010
Saturday 10th July 2010
Wednesday 15th September 2010
Wednesday 13th October 2010
Saturday 13th November 2010

Saturday sessions run from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
Wednesday sessions run from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm
Sessions will be held at Trinity Centre, Holy Trinity, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, SY3 9HF.
Residential weekend will be at Shallowford House, Norton Bridge, Nr Stone, ST15 0NZ (times to be confirmed).

Cost

The cost of the course is £300 which covers all materials, refreshments and the residential weekend away.

Commendations

The mission shaped ministry course has three basic principles for a healthy church with deep roots:

1. The Incarnational Principle. The Church is called to go to where the people are, and particularly the poor, disadvantaged, and difficult people; not to expect them always to come to us. 'Where the people are' can mean culturally as much as geographically.
2. The Genetic Principle. The Church is called in its ministry to have the gene of mission built into all its structures and activities.
3. The Transferable Principle. Love produces more love, across all barriers, and the Church is called to put its roots down into the transforming love of God and pray to him for the next generation.

I hope that this new course will help congregations in this Diocese to connect the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ with our rapidly changing culture.

Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield

I have no doubt that the future of the church is dependent upon our ability to engage in mission in our contemporary society. The mission shaped ministry course is precisely what we need to enable the enthusiasm seen in the church for mission, to be translated into action. I hope that many will be encouraged to take part in it.

John Howard, Chair of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District

I nearly didn't sign up for the Fresh Expressions one year course because I thought I would have "heard it all before". Also I thought it was for younger people not for a vicar who has just turned sixty! The cost and the time commitment were also an issue, but I'm very glad I have done it as it has given me a lot of fresh thinking. If we are going to have a church in the 21st century it is important that church leaders set a lead by learning themselves. The teaching was excellent and of course you learnt as much from other participants from other churches and other denominations. Don't miss it as I nearly did.

Paul Howard, 2007/08 course member