You could be a pilot Diocese!
As part of the national CofE 30K Project: To develop and support 30,000 new leaders of mission with children and young people (CYP), we are looking for dioceses who would like to take part in a fully-funded, two-year 'pilot' project to train children and youth ministers in your area.
The aim of the project is to enable entry into a vocational development pathway for children and youth ministers, by supporting Dioceses equip and inspire existing practitioners. We recognise that not all people called to youth and children's ministry will be full time workers and the course is designed to support those who will remain in volunteer posts, as well as those who may go onto further vocational training.
The training
- Is fully-funded by the national church
- Is a 7 month mixed mode training programme in children and youth ministry
- Is based on a flipped classroom, student centred approach to learning
- Is delivered via a bespoke online learning platform, local facilitated learning communities, a three day conference
Participant (student) commitment:
- Participants undertake guided learning tasks in their own time
- Participants build on these tasks in 6, monthly, facilitated, local (Diocesan), learning communities
- Participants attend an induction day, a graduation day and a three-day conference, at Ridley Hall (Cambridge)
- Participants undertake a guided project across the 7 months
- A suggested timetable can be downloaded here
Participants (students) get:
- A grounding in good-practice working with children and young people
- A grounding in working in and with the church
- An introduction to the principles and values of children and youth ministry
- An introduction to theological study
- An introduction to theological reflection
- To be further supported by their Diocese
- To be part of a national project
- The option to gain 20 credits at level 4 (provides entry onto degree level programmes for those who wish to progress)
As a pilot diocese, we will ask you to:
- Identify 12 children and/or youth volunteers, each year for two years, to undertake the training
- Provide a facilitator (paid by us) who will 1. be prepared to run monthly learning communities for participants from your diocese/area, 2. communicate with the participants from your diocese
Ridley Hall will:
- Support you in your communication about the training with potential participants (if required)
- Provide the bespoke online learning platform
- Support the student's engagement with the learning platform
- Provide training, support and materials for the facilitators (online and in person)
- Deliver an induction and graduation day for the students at Ridley Hall (Cambridge)
- Deliver a three-day conference for students at Ridley Hall (Cambridge)
- Provide the opportunity for the students work to be assessed within Common Awards (20 credits at level 4)
Contact Robin to register your interest
The 30K Project: To develop and support 30,000 new leaders of mission with children and young people (CYP).
This nationally funded project, chaired by the Bishop of Leicester, aims to bring about change to raise up 30,000 new children and youth leaders by 2030. The Project Board are prioritising three workstreams: Firstly, the recruitment and formation of 3000 employed workers, secondly to develop and enhance support for existing workers and thirdly to develop pathways that support the discernment, recruitment and formation of 27,000 new volunteers. Two pilots are now underway as part of the workstream to recruit 3000 employed workers. They have been designed to test new approaches to accredited training in children and youth ministry. The pilot at the Church Mission Society began in September 2023 whilst the pilot at Ridley Hall will commence in January 2023.
