Growing Interest

It has been good, in recent weeks, to see the idea of this new course being talked about rigorously in different contexts. At the Congregational Ministers' Conference people raised some interesting questions, and again at the recent 'training weekend', when students were invited to comment on the current thinking - not all of them new questions, but this shows that we're probably right to be working out how best to address particular issues: (1) How can churches be made to feel this is a course for them? By seeking to show what its benefits are likely to be - people getting over different kinds of hurdles which hold them back, people growing in confidence, people growing in relationship with each other, people believing new things are possible, churches building a sense of purpose and vision together, churches building a sense of the connection between learning together and doing mission together... (2) How can people be persuaded that they wouldn't need a trained leader to deliver the course? By making it clear that this course isn't about delivering lots of new information, but is about giving people useful questions, to help them explore together what they're about, by showing that it has worked in other contexts, and by making the material accessible - with a wide range of methods for different church groups to choose from... (3) Would people really commit to a whole course? If it's emphasised that it's about discipleship, and how we grow together, people could be encouraged to stay the course - especially if it meets the needs of churches, offering biblical ways of exploring a wide range of themes - different ways of learning, being creative in worship, relating to the culture around us, caring for one another, making decisions together, thinking ethically, and doing mission - all things which matter in our churches... So, let me know if your interest is growing, if you think your church might be interested in piloting some materials, if you can see some good questions to explore together, if you see some challenges we need to face - or if you want to help promote this new venture in your Area, to get other people on board. All contributions welcome!