making disciples, developing leaders, growing churches

catalystApril – September 2013

Leading a church through a vacancy

Growing a multi-parish benefice

The leader’s journey on Ventures

Behold, I make all things new. Revelation 21:5, KJV

Our passion:We are a committed evangelical mission agency, and since 1836 we have been working for the evangelisation of the UK. In what seems to be an environment of ever-growing secularism across the UK and Republic of Ireland, the urgency of the gospel has never been clearer.

We are fundamentally committed to the local church. Our founders made an obligation to support the evangelistic endeavours of local churches, while our support now focuses on developing and equipping the leaders of local churches.

We believe the message of the cross is real and relevant to all people. It is a good news story: of grace (God’s unmerited favour towards us), mercy (forgiveness when we deserved punishment) and love (John 3:16).

We are passionately committed to the revitalisation of the Church of England. We have never wavered in this passion and our commitment to patronage, Ventures and Falcon Camps and leadership development flows out of our aspirations for the Church of England.

Mission: CPAS enables churches to help every person hear and discover the good news of Jesus Christ.

Unless otherwise stated all Bible quotations taken from Today’s New International Version (TNIV)

making disciples, developing leaders, growing churches

Our vision:We long to see a Christ-centred, Bible-based, mission-focused Church where leaders are clear about their call to discipleship, growing in Christ-like character, and competent to lead in a time of rapid change;

where leaders discern God’s direction, enable action, build teams, develop leaders, facilitate communication, and nurture people;

where leaders work in teams, reflecting the diversity of ministries, and model themselves on the servant character of Jesus;

where leaders help transform inherited churches, pioneer emerging churches and deliver creative residential ministry, effectively helping children, young people and adults hear and discover the good news of Jesus Christ.

catalystEditor: Olly Du Croz Design: Catherine Jackson

Copyright CPAS 2013. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for the reproduction of text from this publication for CPAS promotional use only. For all other uses, please contact us.

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Contact CPASSovereign Court One (Unit 3), Sir William Lyons Road,University of Warwick Science Park, COVENTRY CV4 7EZ T 0300 123 0780 E info@cpas.org.uk W www.cpas.org.uk

Church Pastoral Aid Society Registered charity no 1007820 A company limited by guarantee Registered in England no 2673220 Registered office at address above

‘clothed with power from on high’ (Luke 24:49), vital and confident, rather than defeated and disempowered.

In this edition of Catalyst you will find stories of leaders being renewed through Arrow Reloaded and in their work with Ventures and Falcon Camps. You will also read of our endeavours to breathe new life into churches in times of vacancy (i.e. between vicars) and to those seeking to give a missional leadership in multi-parish benefices.

Thank you for your interest in and support of CPAS. The stories in this magazine would not be possible were it not for the prayers and support of people like you.

I pray that you will know the daily ‘making new’ of God’s spirit at work in your life, ministry and local church.

John DunnettGeneral Director

04 Mind the gap

06 Multiple growth

08 Growing Leaders

09 Sharing the good news

10 Leaders reloaded

12 A leader’s journey on Ventures

14 Mentoring Matters

15 Supporting CPAS

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Contents

It is often said that we are an Easter People. This is obviously true, since the Easter story is at the heart of the gospel, but it’s also

true because the ‘new’ resurrection life is the gift that we inhabit as converted followers of Jesus.

When considering this, I have recently been struck by the need for the Church to be ‘new’ in various regards.

Firstly, in its self-understanding as articulated in the now famous statement: ‘The Church of God does not have a mission, the God of mission has a Church.’

Furthermore, the changing context in which we live demands that we explore a new missional ‘method’, one that is 24/7, whole life and centred outside of Sunday gatherings.

The third ‘new’ we seek is that of an apologetic. Whilst the gospel does not change, the questions that people are asking (and the assumptions they are based upon) are fundamentally different even to when I was ordained 25 years ago.

Finally, we need to grow a church that is ‘new’ in its dynamic – a church that is

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welcome

04

The Church of England may well be unique in the way it fills vacant positions of leadership. Due to the various complexities of seeking the next incumbent, a parish’s primary leadership role is often empty for a year or more.

To help resolve this significant leadership issue CPAS has joined with a coalition of five partners, led by church growth consultant Bob Jackson, to produce a new resource to help churches thrive through what can be a difficult time.

So, how can a church grow through a vacancy? Bob Jackson gives a few answers.

Change the modelThe most fundamental change to help churches thrive in vacancies is to move from a ‘shepherd and flock’ model, to a ‘whole people of God’ model in which everyone participates in the ministry and leadership of the church. Such a shift is good for churches in normal times, but especially important for vacancies.

Although many churches have made progress in shifting the fundamental model, many are still geared up for their everyday life to revolve around the incumbent. During a vacancy these churches limp along for a year or so, structured and organised to be led by an incumbent but not actually having one, so it’s no surprise that the wheels sometimes fall off in lengthy vacancies.

Pray and be proactivePrayer is a vital part of any vacancy. Some churches arrange weekly prayer

meetings to pray for the church to thrive, and for all those involved in the appointment process.

Another church did well to tackle some under-lying friction at the start of its vacancy. The lay chair of the PCC had the awareness and courage to draw a line under past conflicts, so he was able to get people working together before any problems escalated without a vicar in post.

Positive about changeIn a fast-changing world, it’s generally the case that if a church is prepared to change then it grows, but churches which won’t change often shrink. However, it’s important that any changes made are good and healthy for the future of the church.

For example, many churches now have a mission action plan (MAP). If a church enters a vacancy, people should continue to implement the MAP. A decision to postpone or scrap putting the MAP into action would be a negative change. If your church is about to enter a vacancy without a MAP, then work out two or three priorities to achieve during the vacancy.

mind the gap

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This new resource will be available from CPAS in autumn 2013.

The research team includes CPAS, the St Peter’s Saltley Trust, the dioceses of Birmingham and Lichfield, and the St John’s Nottingham Centre for Church Growth. In research carried out to inform this new resource, 40 parishes were interviewed about their vacancies:

A third reported ‘modest decline’ of 5-20%. A third reported a significant drop in attendance of

more than 20%. The most significant declines happened after the first

six months.

In fact, the overall fall in Church of England attendance during the past decade is almost matched by the total level of decline seen in churches with a vacancy.

be better prepared for vacancies, to guard against potential decline and turn a vacancy into an opportunity for growth.

Growing Through a Vacancy is based on interviews with the leaders of about 40 churches that have recently gone through a vacancy. About 20 churches are now piloting the materials, so the resource is being shaped by their experiences in order to help other churches thrive during a vacancy.

as an additional resource to lead the church forward, not just dump everything that has been happening back on that one person.

Be preparedWhile it’s impossible for one resource to eliminate decline during a vacancy, the reason we’ve produced Growing Through a Vacancy is to help reduce it. Much of the material is not rocket science: it’s clear, practical and easy to apply to any church situation. It’s designed to help churches

Avoid complacencyAll types of churches risk decline during a vacancy, including churches with 100-plus people on a Sunday, those that have recently attracted a lot of new people, and those with gathered congregations from outside the parish.

Also, if the previous vicar had a good consultative or collaborative approach, the church is more likely to shrink in the absence of their leadership.

In any church, newer and more fringe members without a lot of relational glue to help them stick can drift away during a vacancy.

Fill the voidWhatever your situation, the leadership void left by a departing vicar needs to be filled. If this hasn’t happened before the vacancy then somebody such as a warden needs to devolve responsibility for aspects of church life to different people. Two key aspects are the welcome of newcomers and the pastoral care of congregation members.

Similarly, a church needs to end a vacancy well. The whole church needs to understand the job description of their new incumbent and view them

Growing Through a Vacancy new!

multiple growth

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realistic expectations on just one person. With the appointment of a part-time curate and a church member licensed as a lay Reader, the church now sees itself as team-led rather than needing one pastor.’

Since the re-ordering of Cuddington four years ago, the building has been used in more imaginative ways, with women’s breakfasts, a Passover supper, concerts, coffee mornings and a toddler singing group. Christianity Explored groups have led to three new home groups.

‘There is incredible energy in Cuddington, and the re-ordering of the building was a catalyst for more involvement,’ said Margot. ‘The church has continued to grow and is now attracting more young families.

‘St Mary’s has also continued to develop a collaborative model of leadership where each area of ministry has its own team and this is leading to growth. We have four people on a new prayer leadership team overseeing a number of initiatives including 24/7 prayer weekends and a prayer ministry team, and Cuddington also now has a weekly prayer group. This has been really important, because when good prayer is happening you know the church will grow.’

The leadership of multi-parish benefices is a significant challenge for the Church of England. Recent statistics suggest that about one third of dioceses have at least 40 per cent of benefices with three or more churches.

With projections for the next few years predicting a continuing decline in the numbers of stipendiary clergy, the prevalence of multi-parish benefices is only expected to rise.

But what are the implications for church growth? This year, building on our existing Leading Edge day about this key issue, CPAS will be developing a variety of initiatives to equip lay and ordained leaders in multi-parish benefices for mission.

Here are two examples of how leadership has been developed in benefices in the South-east and North-west of England.

Re-orientating the expecta-tions of leadership and re-ordering a church building

has led to significant growth at St Nicholas’ Cuddington, which is part of the Haddenham ben-efice in rural Buckinghamshire.

St Nicholas’ electoral roll has grown to 78 members in a village of 600 people. The benefice includes the larger sister church of St Mary’s in the town of Haddenham, with a congregation of about 150, as well as two smaller village churches.

Margot Hodson, vicar of the benefice, said: ‘The combination of a more flexible building and a much more flexible ministry team has had a dramatic impact at Cuddington. Building on the strong foundations of my predecessor who was a very good enabler, my role has been to give more focus to that development.

‘Across the benefice, we have developed a ministry team of clergy and licensed lay ministers, as well as a preachers’ group which has been hugely beneficial for getting other people involved.

‘At Cuddington, the self-sup-porting minster has a full-time job so it has been important for the congregation not to put un-

‘the church now sees itself as team-led rather than

needing one pastor’

Haddenham benefice, Oxford diocese

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Cartmel Peninsula benefice, Carlisle diocese

Rob Jackson is a team vicar in the Cartmel Peninsula benefice, which comprises

nine parishes in Cumbria on the southern edge of the Lake District.

Having previously been team vicar in a highly populated urban area of Bolton, the setting in Cumbria is much more diverse. The nine-parish benefice serves the towns of Bowness and Windermere, including significant seasonal tourism, as well as several out-lying villages.

Rob is part of a team led by rector Nick Ask, also including another team vicar, two house-for-duty vicars and two non-stipendiary ministers, as well as several licensed lay Readers.

As well as being responsible for one church, Rob has the role of lay development adviser across the benefice. He said: ‘Before I came here two and a half years ago, there had been some good strategic thinking about how to

do ministry across the benefice. It’s quite a new staff team but some of us have specific roles across the benefice as well as leading individual churches.

‘In my role I’ve been given a mandate for growing teams of people, so we’ve got people involved in intercessions, pastoral ministry and preaching. Having a focus on developing lay people has proved to be really fruitful.’

Rob led the CPAS Growing Leaders course while in Bolton, and has made plans with training advisors in three other deaneries to run it across the archdeaconry in Cumbria later this year. Due to the geographical area, the course will run simultaneously 40 miles apart in Kendal and Barrow, with the group joining together for the two 24-hour residentials.

He added: ‘Growing Leaders is a really useful resource which fits with my role and passion for developing lay leaders across the benefice. It’s also important

to note that different churches have different needs, so I’ve run other courses to tailor training for different groups, depending what is happening in each church situation.

‘For example, I’ve organised a pastoral care development training course for 12 people through the Association of Christian Counsellors. With another church we ran a stewardship course, resulting in people giving more of their time and money to the church.’

‘Having a focus on developing lay

people has proved to be really fruitful.’

Rob Jackson with the Growing Leaders course participants he led while team vicar in Bolton

Growing Leaders

www.cpas.org.uk/growingleaders

Resources to develop leaders in your church

Growing Leaders – Youth Edition

growing leaders

‘In an age when the developing and equipping of leaders is one of the highest priorities for churches which want to thrive, Growing Leaders is just about the most

comprehensive and useful resource available.’Ian Parkinson, regional director of New Wine North & East,

and vicar of All Saints, Marple

Here‘s a snapshot of our ministry over 2012. Thank you for your prayers, donations, or support of our work in other ways. Please pray that as we make disciples and develop leaders, churches will be equipped for mission, and God’s kingdom will grow in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

479 Grove leadership booklets sold

60 people attending You and Ministry weekends

2,296 leaders resourced by Lead On each month

30 new incumbents attended The Buck Stops Here

24 leaders developed in-depth by the Arrow Leadership Programme

thank you for your support

6,631 prayer supporters

616 local churches made donations

1,285 fans on Facebook

09www.cpas.org.uk/growingleaders

our work in 2012

109 new churches using Growing Leaders material

40 more churches resourced with Growing Leaders – Youth Edition

200 Mentoring Matters packs bought by churches

3,797 8-18s went on a Venture holiday

477 young people facing disadvantage went on a Falcon Camp

3,169 volunteer leaders on Ventures and Falcon Camps

53 evangelical clergy appointed at patronage churches

280 lay and ordained leaders equipped through training days

21 dioceses (half the country) with CPAS input into leadership development training

sharing the good news

In 1999, the first Arrow Leadership Programme began, resourcing younger church leaders for a lifetime of effective missional leadership. Around 300 Arrow graduates are now leading local churches or other ministries in the UK and Ireland and beyond. Lucy Cleland and Richard Trethewey both went on this January’s Arrow Reloaded biannual conference for graduates. They share what God’s been doing through them, and how Arrow continues to shape their ministry.

helpful for me – we had a quiet afternoon to spend time with God and do a ‘leadership MOT’. This involved thinking about how we were doing in five areas: physically, emotionally, relationally, intellectually and spiritually. Spiritually, I’ve been thinking about how we pray as a team, having moved from a set rhythm of prayer in my parish to an office setting with very different routines. Relationally, building links with the wider community has been a priority. One of the things I’ve intentionally done in this area since moving is join a netball team. Doing Arrow imprinted the importance and value of building friendships with people who are walking alongside Christ, and those who are not.

‘During the programme and since graduating, Arrow has been a great source of wisdom for me. It’s a bit like a bottomless toolbox – whatever my need is, there seems to be a principle, model, paradigm or resource from Arrow to help me. Arrow Reloaded was a fantastic opportunity to take a step back, reflect, and go back to my daily ministry feeling challenged, encouraged and inspired.’

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leaders reloaded‘a bottomless toolbox’‘All change’ has been the theme of Lucy Cleland’s ministry since graduating from Arrow in 2011. Her move from priest-in-charge in rural Cambridgeshire to bishop’s chaplain in Southwell and Nottingham diocese meant new everything: new home, new people, new diocese, new workplace. She reflects: ‘In some ways, everything is different, but the principles for godly leadership I learnt on Arrow are still just as applicable.

‘When we first arrived, James [Lawrence] talked about the four Rs of Arrow Reloaded: reassess, recalibrate, reconnect and recommit. Reassessing was particularly

‘It’s a bit like a bottomless toolbox – whatever my need is, there seems to be a relevant principle, model, paradigm or resource from Arrow to help me.’Lucy Cleland

clergy often find themselves in various other line management roles with little training provided, so this session was much appreciated. The importance of leading well with others is something which has really stayed with me. Jesus set the example of leading collaboratively, and we see this pattern continue all the way through the New Testament.

‘While I was on Arrow, our church was going through a period of significant change relating to the style, structure and times of services, which some members of the congregation inevitably found difficult. Developing a team to manage this change was crucial, as we were able to make the changes in consultation with others, rather than imposing them.

‘One of the principles of Arrow is “for the sake of the many, invest in a few”, and I am convinced that as well as the participants Arrow benefits many people indirectly. God has used Arrow to enable his Church in mission and ministry in really significant ways, and I’m convinced it will be recognised as one of the greatest positive influences on generations of leaders in the Church at this time.’

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‘inspired and uplifted’Arrow Reloaded was a very apt end to Richard Trethewey’s sabbatical. Working as associate vicar at Knowle Parish Church for the past seven years, he completed Arrow in 2009 and has attended two Arrow Reloaded events since.

He said: ‘I came away from Arrow Reloaded feeling inspired and uplifted. We were very well looked after, the worship times were fantastic, and a highlight was hearing Matt Baggott (Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland) share his experiences as a Christian in leadership. Seeing how he applies his faith to the way he leads inspired us all.

‘The talks on “The Attentive Life” from Viv Thomas were particularly appropriate for me at the end of my sabbatical. Being reminded of the on-going importance of resting, and having a healthy blend of work and rest was much needed. I’m someone who tends to be over-busy, but Arrow has helped me prioritise quiet days, rest, and taking time to reflect and recharge.

‘Steve Beak’s session on supervising staff well was also very useful. Whilst many vicars receive training in how to supervise a curate,

‘I’m convinced Arrow will be recognised as one of the greatest positive influences

on generations of leaders in the Church at this time.’

Richard Trethewey

The incredible impact that Venture holidays have on thousands of young lives each year is obvious when hearing from the volunteer leaders who see change and transformation on an annual basis.

We caught up with Robin Barfield, main overall leader on Smallwood Manor 1, who is now in his 13th year as a Ventures volunteer.

a leader’s journey

on Ventures

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Over the years, Robin’s journey into overall leadership on a Venture has encompassed various twists and turns as he’s helped

countless young people explore the Bible and learn more about Jesus.

Having become a Christian as a teenager on a residential holiday, Robin needed little encouragement to get involved as a leader on Ventures after he followed God’s call into youth ministry. His first opportunity to volunteer came about during a church placement as part of his Bible college studies 13 years ago.

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However, it was a move into his current role of children’s minister at Christ Church Wharton, Cheshire, in 2002 that led to a significant development in growing the reach of Venture holidays for under-11s.

Robin said: ‘My primary mission field is the 7-11s, and having previously taken teenagers on Ventures I wanted to take younger children along as well. There was enough interest from other churches in the North-west, so we jumped at the chance of starting the Quinta Venture.

‘There are huge differences with taking a younger group away. The intensity level is much higher because you’re with the children every moment from waking up until they go to sleep, and the pastoral care issues are different as some haven’t been away from home before.

‘Resourcing local churches has always been a key part of what we do through this Venture, so we try to model good children’s work and provide relevant Bible teaching for this age group. On a really practical level we make as much material as we can available for others to use, including the teaching notes, booklets for children and videos used in the talks.’

Three years ago the Venture

split to plant a new holiday, with both remaining

closely linked by sharing the same teaching materials and primarily serving

the North-west region.

‘We’re really grateful to God,’ added Robin. ‘It has been an exciting few years but that’s all because of what he is doing through the plans he’s given us. Seeing young people engage with God’s word is the best part of a Venture.

‘In many ways, Ventures are a natural extension of what we do in children’s ministry week in, week out. However, we’re often more ambitious with our teaching material on a Venture, such as last year we did a Bible overview and this year we’re tackling Romans 1-4.

‘A week on a Venture is one of a number of things which help root the children in God’s word and their local churches. We also want to help the children serve Jesus in their everyday lives.’

‘Seeing young people engage with God’s

word is the best part of a Venture.’

www.cpas.org.uk/mentoring

mentoring matters

Nurture disciples and develop leaders in your church

Mentoring Matters is a practical guide to setting up a church-based mentoring network, which helps you identify, train and resource mentors.

‘I came not sure if mentoring is for my church, and left realising that it is a key milestone in its development into mission.’Mentoring Matters training event delegate

prayer in practiceLast year, our wonderful Prayer Diary supporters prayed for St Matthew’s Bristol, a CPAS patronage church. We caught up with vicar Mat Ineson to find out what’s been happening since:

‘Thanks so much for praying for us back in October. We have now completed the Mentoring Matters training process. Many of the mentoring relationships are continuing, and we’ve seen people grow in confidence and become increasingly involved in leadership.

‘You also prayed for our wider discipleship, as we strive as a church to live for Jesus. We’ve been running a sermon series on Sundays based on a Revelation-style letter written to our church by our evening congregation. Weighing this letter against scripture through our sermons and small groups has enabled us to hear God’s leading at this time. It has been very challenging (and prophetic!), and is helping people take real steps forward in their personal discipleship.

‘The ministry in the local tower blocks contin-ues to develop and bear small but significant encouragements. We built further links with the community through carol singing at Christ-mas, and a lady we met through the drop-ins did Alpha with us last term.

‘Praise God for answered prayer!’

We believe that when we pray, God moves. The faithful prayers of our supporters are the foundation of all we do. If you don’t already pray for CPAS, we’d love you to start.

Please join us in praying that God would work mightily through our leadership development, patronage and Ventures and Falcon Camps ministries to bring about his kingdom in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Our quarterly Prayer Diary includes a weekly prayer theme and daily prayer points, with Bible verses, images and information to aid prayer. If you don’t already receive the Prayer Diary and would like to, please visit www.cpas.org.uk/pray or call 0300 123 0780.

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Go to www.cpas.org.uk/promote for prayer resources, plus other CPAS promotional material to share in your local church.

supporting CPAS

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‘The carefully blended triple focus on leadership, evangelism and character is unique and catalysing.’

Rich Johnson, vicar, All Saints Worcester

‘Through the Arrow experience I have been affirmed in my own leadership style.’ Penny Maginn, priest-in-charge, St Luke’s Carlisle

Aged 25-40?

Have a position of leadership in the Church?

Concerned about evangelism?

Willing to be challenged in your personal development?

The CPAS Arrow Leadership Programme could be for you!

Find out more and register your interest at

www.cpas.org.uk/arrow

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