Fresh Expressions mission shaped ministry was launched in 2007. Since then, it has been presented in 56 centres across the UK with more than 2,000 people taking part in the one-year, part-time learning journey. Individuals or teams, leaders and members, clergy and lay people learn side by side in the sessions to make msm a major contributor to lay and ordained ministry training.
mission shaped ministry North East is heading further north, providing venues in Berwick and Gateshead with a shared venue on two Saturdays and a weekend at Otterburn Hall. The Berwick venue will deliver msm on Saturdays only whilst Gateshead will meet on Wednesday evenings and some Saturdays.
Course content includes the mission of God, vision and values, gospel and culture, evangelism, discipleship, leadership and team roles, spirituality, worship and the sacraments, how to keep going when things get tough, and what is Church?
Andrew Roberts, director of training for Fresh Expressions, says, ‘It is a joy to see mission shaped ministry equipping people from a great range of all Christian backgrounds to share more effectively in God’s mission. In many cases, those involved have seen calls and visions clarified. Some have gone on to launch fresh expressions of church whilst others have been enabled to sustain them in their work. Many have helped existing churches to become more mission-shaped.’
Rob Wylie, Circuit Evangelism Enabler, North Shields and Whitley Bay says, ‘It was good to do a course that helped me to flesh out some of my thinking and be able reflect with others about some of the highs and lows of working in Fresh Expressions.’.
Rev John Singleton, Regional Minister (Mission), Northern Baptist Association, says, ‘I found the msm course invaluable. It was not only applicable to those starting or thinking about a fresh expression, it also was relevant to those endeavouring to transform existing forms and styles of church.’
The course will run from September 2011 to June 2012.
The Berwick venue will deliver msm on Saturdays only whilst Gateshead will meet on Wednesday evenings and some Saturdays.
Berwick upon Tweed Gateshead Saturday 17/09/11 Wednesday 14/09/11 Saturday 24/09/11
Saturday 01/10/11Wednesday 05/10/11 Wednesday 19/10/11 Saturday 12/11/11 Wednesday 02/11/11 Wednesday 23/11/11 Saturday 04/12/12 Saturday 04/12/12 Friday-Sunday 09-11/03/12 Friday-Sunday 09-11/03/12 Saturday 28/04/12 Wednesday 28/03/12 Wednesday 18/04/12 Wednesday 16/05/12 Saturday 16/06/12 Saturday 16/06/12
Single Saturdays (09.30-16.00) are at Walkergate Methodist Church, Berwick, TD15 1XD.
Wednesdays (19.00-21.00) are at St Mark’s Methodist Church, Durham Rd, Gateshead, NE8 4AA.
Shared Saturdays (09.30-16.00) and the weekend are at Otterburn Hall, NE19 1HE.
The course costs £300 per person, which covers all materials, refreshments and the weekend away.