New Prayer Course

Jonathan Walker, a Reader in the Church of England has written a new course on prayer called Prayer Eleven for Seekers. The course is aimed at teaching individuals (or perhaps small groups) about prayer, and they can download the course for free from his website www.prayereleven.org

If you think your congregation or others might be interested in this please could you put a notice in your church notice sheet (see website) or forward them a link to this post.

A Day Conference for Leicestershire on Rural Mission

A Day Conference for Leicestershire on Rural Mission

Saturday 10th July at Broughton Astley Village Hall, from 10am to 4pm.

In response to requests from Mission Partnerships, Barry Hill, the Mission Enabler for the Diocese and colleagues have been planning a major day conference for Leicestershire on Rural Mission. They are still finalising the last few speakers and presenters, but I wanted to let you have all the details we currently had so it could get in people’s diaries before it was too late!

It will take place on Saturday 10th July at Broughton Astley Village Hall (just south of the city), from 10am to 4pm. It is specially for designed for all those in rural churches (leaders, licensed ministers, Churchwardens, church council members, small group leaders, those who help with children and young peoples work, those interested in new ways of being church and Fresh Expressions, and anyone else interested in the mission in a rural context). The day will be led by a range of experienced practitioners in different aspects of rural mission and will include several keynote addresses (followed by times of questions and answers), and a choice of two seminars from these five:

* How do we resource mission in a time of often diminishing resources
* Rural Children, Rural Church: Mission Opportunities with young people
* Fresh Expressions in a Rural Context
* What might a fruitful rural Mission Partnership look like
* Church Tourism and mission – making effective use of our buildings

The heavily subsidised day costs just £5 per person, including lunch and refreshments during the day (booking in advance, but payment on the day).
It is designed for groups from a church to attend together, so to encourage this, if four tickets are bought from a single church or benefice, the fifth is free! More details and booking with Carol Gibbons (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org, 0116 248 7411). Numbers are limited to 150, so if interested best to book as soon as possible.

Evening for lay members of Mission Action Groups (PMAGs)

Wednesday 23rd June, 7:45pm – 9:30pm, St. Paul’s, Oadby
A new addition to this years timetable, a gathering for just lay members of Partnership Mission Action Groups. Based on an idea from Watermead Mission Partnership, which worked really well, it’s an opportunity to share, discuss and pray together. There is no cost for the evening, but booking at least a week before hand is essential. Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).

Morning or Evening with Bob Jackson

Wednesday 13th October, EITHER 9:30am-1pm, St. Paul’s, Oadby
OR 7:30pm-9:30pm, the same day, at Emmanuel, Loughborough
Best selling author of Hope for the Church and The Road to Growth, co-author of major new welcome course, Everybody Welcome, experienced parish priest, and former Archdeacon of Walsall/Growth Officer for the Diocese of Lichfield, Bob Jackson is one of this countries most respected experts on church growth and welcome. With a wealth of anecdotal experience and statistical evidence, he brings a fresh, and at times challenging, take on church growth. During the longer morning session and repeated in slightly shorter form the same night, Bob looks at what it means to be a welcoming church, set in the wider context of the changing times we live in. Everyone is welcome to this important session together.
There is no cost for the morning, but booking at least a week before hand is essential (although places are limited and demand expected to be high so book soon to avoid disappointment!). Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).

Morning on Mission Action Planning

Wednesday 28th April, 9:30am-1pm, St. Paul’s, Oadby
Would you like to know more of the tools available for discerning and implementing a mission plan?
This morning looks specifically at what Mission Action Planning is, before four people present tools they have used, together with a critique of the kind of situations they work best in (and less well for). After hearing a summary of all four, there’ll be opportunity to spend time with one of the presenters looking in more detail at the tools/he is sharing. The tools covered will include Natural Church Development, Growing Healthy Churches, the Grove model for envisioning and a home grown tool. There’ll also be opportunity to discuss how tools might be best used and adapted for your context. Everyone is welcome to this important session together.
Due to numbers and the reduction of budgets, lunch will not be provided, but refreshments
throughout the morning will be. There is no cost for the morning, but booking at least a week before hand is essential (although places are limited so book soon to avoid disappointment!). Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).