Ministry In The Community


	Home 2010 Courses Contact Us

Do you care about your local community?
Many within the church are sensing that God is calling us to some kind of community ministry, to be part of God’s engagement with our wider neighbourhood.This calls

for leaving the ‘four walls’ of our comfortable church environments and going into our communities to be of practical support. We are called to be the “leaven in the lump”, holy community builders, working with God to transform our communities. The Lichfield Diocese “Going for Growth” Strategy calls for “more transformed communities” and Bishop Jonathan has identified “entrepreneurship” as another priority. Churches are being encouraged to build this kind of ministry into their mission action plans. This new course seeks to equip people and churches to respond to these strategic priorities.

• Costs
For Local Ministry candidates the cost is included within the course fees. For all others the cost of attending the course is £150 per year, which works out at only £6.25 per session and covers the costs of running the course. In addition, participants will also need to look at their travelling costs. It is hoped that church councils will support their candidates by paying the tuition fees and perhaps helping with travelling expenses. Cheques to be made payable to the Lichfield DBF and returned with the application form.

If particular parishes or individuals have problems with the costs, please speak to us. If it would help to spread the cost over three payments we can arrange for that.

• Course Structure
The course takes place over three terms, each of eight weeks on Thursdays at 7.30pm at St Thomas & St Andrews C of E Church, Doxey, Stafford. ST16 1EQ. Directions may be found using below link:
http://www.multimap.com/maps/#map=52.81141,-2.14656|16|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:52.81141:-2.14656:16

Students build up a handbook of material throughout the course, and participate in tutorial groups within the sessions. There are assignments each half term, which will form a resource for the student to take forward into their ministry. We encourage students to form a support group in their home church to help them to embed the process in the life of the church. The course has been developed by a team of contributors who have specialised in this form of ministry, and also involves a number of active projects as worked examples of good practice.
Alongside the practical skills and theological reflection we are pleased that Pete Wilcox will be leading us through an exploration of biblical communities, looking at how the Bible informs our thinking about community ministry with a series of Bible studies reflecting on how community has been lived and imagined by the writers of the Old and New Testament.
During the course we shall address the following subject areas:

• SOCIAL ANALYSIS:Understanding the context, research techniques, surveys, statistics and, sources of information already available; understanding community mapping and finding allies.

• THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND:Making Gospel connections, exploring appropriate themes, finding links in scripture and tradition; developing an ability to help others to reflect on these themes: exploring liberation theology, struggle, empowerment and redemption of place as well as people.

• HOLISTIC MISSION:Seeing the whole picture of the mission and ministry of the church and the place of community ministry within it; understanding the explicit, foundational and vocational domains.

• WORSHIP AND CHURCH LIFE: Pastoral care, worship and apt liturgy, the church hierarchies and organisation.

• NETWORKING: Building links with other groups and agencies in the area and wider networks of good practice; techniques for developing networks; go-between theology; awareness of the political network and climate; analysis of power in the wider community.

• MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE: Working with traditional institutions; understanding dynamics of power and influence in organizations; appreciative inquiry; styles of working.

• MARKETING: Positioning, presentation, promotion, image, identity, values and unique selling proposition (USP); new product development.

• PROJECT PLANNING: Identification of niche opportunities; design of projects, budgets and outputs; partnership working.

• FUNDING and MONITORING: Understanding current funding régimes; analysing initiatives; bid writing and bid polishing; using outside expertise; match funding; clean money; double accounting; monitoring the outputs achieved and reporting them to funders to ensure continuation of funding.

• EMPLOYMENT: Employment of paid employees and of volunteers; health and safety; supervision; disciplinary régimes; contracts and best practice; where to find help.

• MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES: Management structures, legal status, developing the management board, policies and procedures, targets and monitoring, financial control and budgeting, planning and strategic planning.

• SOCIAL ENTERPRISE: Social Enterprise; entrepreneurship; understanding of business and commerce; evaluation of risk and of opportunity; moral criteria for church involvement in business; ethical investment - who we trade with; competition; new product development; service provision.

Assessment Those attending the course will be encouraged to compile a portfolio of work, applying their experience on the course to their home parish. In the case of Local Ministry Candidates this will be assessed as part of their overall training. This is the current outline of the course.

Dates 2009	What?
Term 1
1 October 8 October 15 October 22 October	Introduction to the course What is Community Ministry How to read the bible or 'Where are we going' How to read your community
Assignment	Produce a Community Map
5 November 12 November 19 November 3 December	Roots of Community Ministry Display maps/ Statistics and Research Tools Planning and Development Bible Gen 4: 9-17 Enoch and Gen 11: 1-9 Babel Agape
Assignment	Produce a Community Audit
Term 2 2010
21 January 28/01/09 4 February 11 February	Bible Psalm 48 Zion and Jeremiah 29: 1-14 Babylon Funding and Finance Managing people and projects Professional resources and governance
Assignment	Prepare a case study and a funding application
4 March 11 March 18 March 25 March	Revisiting bible technique – personal and group Evaluation of projects Bible Jonah 3 Nineveh and Acts 16: 34 Athens Managing people and work styles
Assignment	Deliver a group bible study in own parish
Term 3 22 April 29 April 6 May 20 May	Biblical and liturgical reflection skills in tutor groups How worship can transform Bible Rev 3: 14-22 Laodicea and Rev 21: 1-4 New Jerusalem Presentation skills
Assignment	What?
10 June 17 June 24 June 8 July	Introduction to the course What is Community Ministry How to read the bible or 'Where are we going' How to read your community

Community Ministry Course Registration Form

Name		Please complete and return to Joy Roxborough At the Office for Social Responsibility Small Street Centre, 1a Small Street, Walsall, WS1 3PR Email: joy.roxborough@lichfield.anglican.org
Address
Postcode
Telephone
Email:
Background		Payment Please enclose a cheque made payable to Lichfield DBF For £150 Could you tell us who is funding your course Yourself Your Church Other?....
What are you hoping for from the course?
Are you already involved in this kind of ministry?