“In all honesty I don’t know what I was expecting from the experience but I can tell you that I’ve never felt so spiritually open before, which is all down to this course!”
A year of vocational reflection
Pathways is a one-year course for people who are exploring their Christian faith and discipleship and reflecting on their own particular gifts and calling.
Pathway provides an opportunity not only to acquire new knowledge and understanding about God, mission and Scripture, but will also offer space and support for self-development and the process of discerning ways in which you might be called to serve God’s kingdom.
The course is open to anyone who feels that they might be called to ministry of any sort. There are no requirements of previous study experience, although participants should have been involved in some Christian learning such as the Living Faith course or an equivalent. Learning support will be available for those who have not studied for a long time, or are not confident about their study skills. Learning will happen through a variety of methods, including discussion, lectures, workshops, workbooks and reading.
Course Outline
The one-year course includes three Saturdays throughout the year and five week nights in each of the three terms. Dependent on numbers, we are proposing to run groups across the diocese in Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Stoke, Wolverhampton and Lichfield. We are also hoping to offer an online Zoom group in 2021 alongside the face-to-face groups. The evening sessions take place in local groups and the Saturday sessions take place altogether and include a range of speakers as well as Bible studies. We would expect those in the Zoom group to attend the Saturday sessions in person.
Over the course of the year we will look at a range of themes:
Term 1: God in Our Lives
Term 2: God in the Church
Term 3: God in the World
Diocesan Advisory Panels
As Pathways is also exploration for church ministry, participants must have the support of their Ministry team and PCC/DCC to join the course. During the year candidates have the opportunity to specify the type of ministry they would like to explore further.
Participants interested in ordained ministry will be offered a vocations advisor to explore this call further.
Those thinking about Reader training will be invited to attend a Diocesan Advisory Panel (DAP). At this point, references will be required from the incumbent (or equivalent), the PCC/DCC and other members of the parish.
(Pathways is a course for personal discernment and is not part of the formal process of discernment for ordination.)
What to do Next...
Pathways begins in September each year and the next course will start in September 2022. The cost of the course is £80.00 for the year which is usually covered by the participant’s parish.
If you would like to join us on this course please complete the application form (Pathways Application Form) and return the form to Helen. Please return application forms by 31st July 2022.
For further information about the course, please contact Helen Scheven, Training Co-ordinator.
