Training and Listening Tools

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 20 April 2012 10:33:24

Tim Norwood has put up this post discussing some of the issues to do with theological education, training, helping people discern what call they have and so forth. In many ways he and his team are discussing locally the same themes that the Methodists are discussing nationally with their Fruitful Field consultation.

I don't have answers as such, but I do reflecting on my own experience and some of the good practice I have encountered in Durham and elsewhere have a few suggestions.

Firstly the EDEV model for giving people the tools to explore calling by looking at firstly what calling and vocation and discipleship mean as well as where they are in their own spiritual journey and then getting people to hear about different ministries from people involved in and preferably doing some kind of placement as a result is really useful - or at least it has been form me. In fact out of everything I've done over the years I would venture to say this course - which had no formal assessment - had the most significant impact on me as both a person and a Christian. This post was me reflecting on it at the end of the course in 2009. This course definitely is useful in addressing the fundamental question that they are trying to answer.

Secondly, there are issues of authorisation and support which link on to the model. I have found it useful to do some stuff which has given me "authorisation" - particularly the local preachers course (Faith and Worship), but I have also benefited from people taking a "let me loose without authorisation knowing what I'm up to" approach. This second half has allowed me to take what Brian Mclaren and others refer to as a quest based approach. The thing that has been lacking for me though is a mentor. I have had my spiritual director and she has been really useful - but part of me thinks a mentor would have been useful. Certainly though I think lay people should be encouraged to have a spiritual director just as much as "professionals".

Using resources and tapping into what's local - there are huge issues involved in this which relate to wider issues of funding and how theological education relates to formal adult education at both further and higher education level. If I had the answers I would be setting up my own consultancy business right now - unfortunately I don't. It's good that the church both locally and nationally is thinking of these things though.

Team work is indeed important, although you also need to allow the maverick types to be both part of teams with accountability but also have some creative freedom to go off on their own and try out their good ideas as well as make some mistakes so they don't just end up suffocating and be prepared for the fact occasionally something beautiful will grow out of these things too - which may require new teams.

Flexibility I laughed as I read this - it is so apt for where I am right now and I think this is where good mentoring is useful/ important as well as ensuring people are well networked so they know where to go/ you know where to signpost people as they go off on the next step of the journey. Again I think this relates to being quest-orientated rather than past-orientated.

One thing  I would say reading through Tim's post is yet again it makes me realise how fortunate I am that I am going to be journeying to MK - there are people there who I know get it and who I'm really looking forward to further networking with.