To tell us about a forthcomining event you'd like to see publicised here, do one of the following:
share to the facebook group "Chelmsford CMD"
or email Andy at agriffiths@chelmsford.anglican.org
From the National Estates Churches Network: Dr Aimi King gave a taster into her research 'exploring the motivation of clergy, staff and volunteers within social action' at our national conferences recently, (watch it here) and we're looking forward to hearing more about it in this exclusive webinar with her.
Book Your Free Ticket To Access Your Exclusive Zoom Link
Matt White's new book, "Propelled into Wonder," is out NOW!
50 original poems accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations.
He's incredibly thankful to Simon Ponsonby, Joshua Luke Smith, Luci Shaw, Anton Lesser, Lauren Windle, Paul Mariani, Donna Ashworth, Winn Collier and many, many others for their kindness and support along the way - Feeling excited and exhausted... Time for a nap!
#poetrycommunity #writerscommunity
Basking in the Sunshine of God: A Wellbeing Day at Waltham Abbey
The day will focus on spirituality, with a keynote from Bishop Adam Atkinson, the Bishop of Bradwell, who will also preside at the Eucharist. It will take place from 10am till 4pm on Saturday 18 January 2025.
There’ll be a chance to walk the Waltham Abbey Labyrinth and see the church, churchyard (which contains the traditional site for the grave of King Harold, d.1066) and the town. There’ll be worship in song, and we’re working on other presentations aimed at helping us experience God’s warm love.
Bring a packed lunch!
Directions and parking information are here. Register at: Waltham Abbey Wellbeing Day Tickets.
Thriving Under Stress
Imagine your life is a tree. How can your roots go deep into God? What is the trunk - the thing that God has called you to be? What rhythms of support, rest and relationships enable you to be fruitful?
Thrive-worldwide’s on-site days on thriving in leadership have been greatly appreciated by those who’ve attended, especially new incumbents. For the first time, we’re now offering the same material online, but instead of one full day it will be spread over two mornings, from 10 am to 1 pm on 16th and 17th January 2025. This is recommended for new incumbents, but also for other ministers wanting to take some time to think through what thriving means for them; and some who have been in ministerial positions for a long time might find the refresher helpful, too. There is no charge.
We invite you to register on Eventbrite for this event and you will be sent the online zoom link nearer the time. Please click on this link to register. Please register for both sessions, as they are a continuation of each other, not an alternative. Thank you. The deadline for registration is 8 December.
Leadersmithing: A Day with Eve Poole (19 November)
A seminar about being a single-friendly church
GoHealth: Rest and Reset
GoHealth:
Dan Pierce writes: "This is the first of several talks (All available on YouTube) given by Eugene Peterson at an Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary waaaay back in January 1989. I have found all of them extremely worthwhile (although it takes some faffing to listen to them in order). Some content is lost while they turn over the cassette, which is funny! Remember those days?
In these talks Peterson explores vocation to the pastorate/priesthood through the story of Jonah. It’s wise and rich and unerring. I was familiar with some of the material through reading his wonderful books but it is great hearing his passion and rye humour. A great use of your time."
Engaging with new housing
Is there new housing in your parish or area? Do you have questions about *How to be Christlike in New Housing Areas, *How to Deal with Practicalities, *How to Work Together as the Body of Christ, *How to Plan and Evaluate, and *How to Engage in Different Contexts?
These are exactly the issues a new resource covers: Introduction to Engaging with New Housing: a set of How-to Guides – Housing Justice.
We've been building a bit of a library of videos about various spiritual movements, and how they can influence us as ministers in East London and Essex in the 2020s. This evening, Emma Wylie helped us think about Franciscan spirituality. Part 1: https://youtu.be/0le_KH5FjsA Part 2: https://youtu.be/YliURNTcqWw
Past sessions have looked at Benedictine Spirituality, Dominican Spirituality, two different varieties of Evangelical Spirituality, Ignatian Spirituality, Community Organising Spirituality, and Moravian Spirituality. Browse all this and lots of rubbish at:
http://www.youtube.com/@andygriffiths7654
Parenting as a Church Leader
Lucy Rycroft from BRF writes: "We have a Parenting as a Church Leader day coming up in June, and I wondered whether you might be able to make the clergy in your diocese aware of it. For parents who are also church leaders, it is an enormously positive, reassuring and practical course, complementing the fantastic training that you already offer your clergy by helping them maintain wellbeing in the home and family. As a vicar’s wife myself, and a vicar’s daughter, I can vouch for the extremely helpful truths and ideas contained in the course.
The day is held over Zoom between school hours for ease of accessibility. It features video teaching from Rachel Turner, pioneer of Parenting for Faith, and discussion in small groups. We have run this day for several years now, and it always gets very positive feedback.
New this year, is that we are offering up to 50% discounts when churches or dioceses book as a group."
I've been reading Thrive by Pam McNaughton (London: Church House Publishing, 2023), and I thought I'd post a review.
The subtitle of the book is "Helping your multi-parish benefice to grow", and this is an area the author has serious experience of, having been the incumbent of three different multi-parish benefices (MPBs) in three different dioceses, and having developed a course on the subject (also called Thrive) for CPAS.
The book isn't rocket science, and you won't be surprised to hear the list of things listed as keys to a thriving multi-parish ministry, around which the book is built:
*Prayer
*Mapping and relating stories
*Enabling leaders and great teams (for what it's worth, this seems to me to be the strongest section, and if you did nothing else any MPB would profit from taking this wisdom to heart)
*A culture of discipleship - "shaping the life and activity of our churches around the Great Commandments and the Great Commission." I liked this section, though the community organiser in me would have loved there to be a recognition that we don't just worship God, serve our neighbours and share the good news (crucial as these things are), but also listen to our communities to see what they care about, and enable them to take action for justice. I don't for one moment think that Pam MacNaughton is inward-looking-except-with-regard-to evangelism, but that's such a danger for MPBs that I would want to flag it up.
*Faith sharing. This may be the most challenging section for a number of our MPBs, but it's introduced with gentleness and realism.
*Vision for the future
The value of the book lies not so much in the choice of these topics, which will be familiar, as in the clear, approachable way they are explained and made relevant to multi-church contexts. I liked the way the book often gives several options, rather than a single authoritative template: for example, when starting to move towards vision, we are given
*a template for a formal review of church life, but also
*permission not to use it because there may be one or two areas that clearly need to be worked on first, before the review is encouraging, and
*permission to start with one big project that will get people's imagination firing and raise morale, so that when it is time to review the church(es), the momentum of the project will help people look at possibilities with newfound positivity.
I also liked the way the author often chooses to ask questions rather than to give advice.
I could imagine this being a book that a whole PCC, or a standing committee, looked at together; or perhaps, the wardens and ministers drawn from all the churches in a benefice. There are online materials available as well.
In this Diocese, there are two networks for incumbents (and other ministers) with MPBs or the equivalent - "Four or more" and "More than one". If you'd be interested in being part of such a network, do get in touch with Janet Nichols or Andy Griffiths.
Theological Reading Group
Susannah Brasier writes: "I set up an online theological reading group about 18 months ago. We meet monthly, on Zoom, on the second Tuesday of the month at 2pm for 45 mins-1 hr.
So far we have read a wide variety of books, of varying genres and intensity, and had some very good discussions.
The idea came from one of my own MDRs, where I lamented (not for the first time) that I wasn't getting around to theological reading - so Jill Mowbray suggested I started this group and certainly, even though previously I often thought I didn't have time to read, I now have a discipline whereby I am always reading at least one theological book a month!
It is however not only open to clergy - ordinands, licensed or authorised lay ministers are also welcome, as well as other lay people who have an interest in reading theological books."
Do contact Susannah Brasier if you'd like to get involved.
The next Motherhood and Ministry seminar is now being advertised - do spread the word. Rev Lizzy Holland will open up with her own experiences and then there will be time to share with one another and more time for Q&A. Booking and more info here.
These seminars are specifically aimed at women thinking about ministry/ ordination in the CofE or in the early years of ordained life, who may have children or have questions around balancing motherhood with ministry.
The institutions and providers below all offer courses relevant to the development needs of Chelmsford clergy.
The Anglican Centre in Rome
The Anglican Centre offers a range of residential courses. Go to www.anglicancentreinrome.org for more details.
The Arthur Rank Centre
A charity that supports and resources the rural church. It offers twice-yearly Rural Ministry Courses and Multi Church Ministry Workshops
It also has resources for the creative use of church buildings
The Buck Stops Here: Leading in MIssion and Ministry in Your First Incumbency
This residential course is offered by CPAS for those moving from a curacy to a first post of responsibility, or for those moving from overseas or sector post to an incumbency or team vicar post.
Los Olivos
A varied programme of courses and retreats in southern Spain, some of which will be eligible for CMD grant – check with your Area CMD Adviser before booking. Travel is not eligible for grant. Go to www.haciendalosolivos.org for details.
LYCIG Leading Your Church Into Growth
A training programme which takes the mystique out of growth and makes it ‘normal’ and do-able. It is likely that a LYCIG course will be run in Chelmsford Diocese in 2013.
LYCiG is a four-day residential course for lay and ordained leaders. Now in its thirteenth year, the course was pioneered by Robin Gamble and others, and is led by a team drawn from many different backgrounds, traditions, and ministry contexts. All are practitioners who can speak from personal experience of leading churches into growth. "The most valuable training we’ve ever done", is a typical comment from some of the 70 churches represented on the course.
For the current Conferences programme click here.
Transforming Worship
It offers a series of training events, mostly regional, for those who lead worship - website here
Sarum College
In Salisbury is an ecumenical centre for Christian study and research. It offers a variety of short courses and study programmes in theology, culture, Christian leadership, liturgy and worship, biblical study and sprituality; also singing, music and the arts. Many of these are eligible for CMD grant. For upcoming events or for their whole programme go to www.sarum.ac.uk.
The Society of Mary and Martha, Sheldon
The Society of Mary and Martha in Devon has a varied programme of residential weeks and workshops, including Myers-Briggs and Enneagram, and specifically for clergy, some of which (but not all) will qualify for use of CMD grant. Go to www.sheldon.uk.com.
How to obtain your CMD grant…
Many of these courses are eligible for funding from your CMD grant.
If you have questions about these or other training courses, contact your Area CMD Adviser or the CMD Administrator Sue Denham (01245 294450) .
For information on Sabbatical Leave and Study contact your Area CMD Adviser.
When requesting money for CMD grants, which are available for active clergy (including PTO with a working agreement) and Licensed or PTO Lay Ministers, applications must be received at least a month prior to the event and before booking or attending. To do this fill in an electronic grant form and send it to your Area CMD Adviser, Andy Griffiths, Jane Richards or Ian Hilton who will authorise and send to Sue Denham who will raise the payment. You do not need to send a copy of the brochure. It is preferred to make payments by BACS. See CMD Funding.
For consultation in advance of applications for any CMD events not included here, please contact your Area CMD Adviser. Please note that where a CMD Adviser, MDR, Archdeacon or Bishop has recommended coaching, this will be funded by a £230 grant, which will not deplete your CMD grant rights for the rest of the year.