Continuing Development in Ministry

Details of some of the ways that ministers have used their CDiM grants are included on this page, together with links to providers and places that have been used by ministers within the District.

Academic Grants for Ministers

In addition to the annual CDiM grant, ministers can also apply for financial support towards academic study. Support will be considered for study that will make a significant contribution to a person’s ministerial development and ministry within the Methodist Church. Support will be considered for substantial long-term part-time courses, with grants towards the registration and tuition fees of approved courses. A limited number of connexional academic grants are also available through a separate application process. Ministers thinking of starting an academic course for which they may need an academic grant should discuss this with the District Chair as early as possible.

Higher education institutions whose courses have been studied by ministers within the District include:

• The Urban Theology Unit in Sheffield
• Cliff College in Derbyshire
• The Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham

Retreats

Many ministers use part of their CDiM grants for personal retreats. The flexibility of the CDiM scheme means that ministers can choose the type of retreat that best suits their needs, from organised to self-led retreats, in dedicated retreat centres or individually chosen venues, with others or alone. Details of some of the retreat venues used by ministers within the District can be found below:

• St Deiniol’s Library– founded in 1889 by William Gladstone, St Deiniol’s is located in the picturesque village of Hawarden, near Chester. With a library specialising in theology, it is ideal for a personal retreat with special rates for clergy.
• The Community of the Resurrection – based at Mirfield, the Community is an Anglican monastic order that runs organised retreats or can be used for private retreats.
• The Iona Community – an ecumenical Christian movement which seeks new ways to touch the hearts of all, in response to the continuing missionary task of communicating and living the gospel in today’s world. Their centres are places of welcome and hospitality where individuals and groups take part in weeks on a variety of themes with an exciting range of leaders.
• Rydal Hall – the Diocese of Carlise’s conference and retreat centre set in an idyllic 34 acre site. It offers a warm and friendly home from home in the heart of the English Lake District.
• Launde Abbey – set on the Rutland/Leicestershire border, the Abbey runs a programme of retreats, quiet days and conferences.
• Holy Rood House– a centre for health and pastoral care located just outside Thirsk, Holy Rood operates within a gentle Christian ethos of reflection, exploration and discovery working towards justice, peace and ecological awareness.
• Glenthorne Quaker Centre – situated just outside Grasmere in the Lake District, Glenthorne offers a place of peace and tranquility.
• Society of Mary and Martha – home to the Sheldon Community in Devon, the Society runs retreats and organised programmes. Their 12,000 mile service weeks for ministers are designed to help with unwinding and rediscovering creative vision.
• The Retreat Association– if you are looking to organise a personal or team retreat, information on retreats around the country can be found on their website. The site also has details of resources connected with retreats and details on spiritual direction.

Courses

There are many organisations offering courses that could be of interest to ministers, allowing you to pursue specific interests or meet particular learning needs. Below you will find details of some of the organisations whose courses have been attended by ministers within the District.

• The Mirfield Centre – the Mirfield Centre aims to inspire people in our region to live with hearts open to God and attentive to others. It has a varied programme of events in spiritual development.
• The Scargill Movement – a holiday, conference and spiritual retreat centre with a resident community based at Scargill House in the Yorkshire Dales. Organises an extensive programme of events lasting from a day to a week.
• The Arthur Rank Centre – runs a three day residential Rural Ministry programme in April/May and November each year. The course covers a wide range of issues regarding life in the countryside and the role and mission of the church within the rural community. It is designed for lay and ordained ministers across the denominations who may be entering a rural appointment for the first time, or who may already be in rural ministry but feel the need for a ‘refresher’.
• Cliff College – alongside their academic programmes Cliff offers an annual summer school and a series of short courses.
• Livability – Livability’s Community Mission Team offer high quality training in Christian community work. On their website you can find details about previous courses and dates when they will be offered in the future.

Conferences

Conferences and festivals offer the opportunity to meet with a larger group of people interested in the same topic and hear from experts. Any one-off conferences we hear about will be included on the ‘Events’ page of the website, but below you will find details of regular conferences that ministers in the District have attended.

• Greenbelt Festival– annual festival held at Cheltenham over the August Bank Hoiliday weekend. Its mission is to create a space where art, faith and justice collide.
• Children’s and Family Ministry Conference– held annually in early February in Eastbourne with conference sessions and a supporting exhibition.
• Global Leadership Summit – organised by the Willow Creek Association, an annual videocast conference that takes place in various locations around the UK.

Other Activities

The CDiM scheme gives ministers the freedom to choose activities that are just right for them. This can lead to some very interesting and imaginative experiences, such as sports coaching courses, pilgrimages, photography training to name a few. Groups of ministers can also choose to pool their CDiM grants to organise activities they then share, such as team development days or organising a bespoke training event. We will include details here of those activities used by ministers that don’t fit into the categories above.

• Paulinus Pilgrim & Heritage Way– a new pilgrim and heritage way created for the 21st century, which starts in the market town of Todmorden in West Yorkshire and retraces the steps of St Paulinus until it reaches the historic city of York.