Rural Development Programme

A four-year development programme funded by Rural Hope will support ordained and lay rural church leaders, in groups and as individuals as they lead their churches into growth, through local topic-based training and mentoring, seed-corn funding for mission projects and support from new local mission posts. These include two major programmes, with a solid track record of helping rural churches grow: Thrive and  Germinate. .

Thrive

Each year, more and more churches become part of multi-parish benefices. CPAS is working with dioceses to develop leaders of these parishes in a number of different ways, recognising that the skills needed to lead multiple healthy, growing churches can differ greatly from those needed in a single-church setting.

Thrive Multi Parish Benefice Learning Communities bring together lay and ordained leaders in groups of 5–7 from each of several multi-parish benefices in the diocese. They meet five times over two years and are an opportunity for groups of leaders to step back, reflect, learn,share ideas and then take action.

For more information about Thrive go here.

To express your interest in joining a Thrive Learning Community contact Clare Phillips at clarephillips@salisbury.anglican.org

Germinate Leadership 

Helping lay and ordained leaders to develop creative, entrepreneurial skills for rural church leadership

Germinate Leadership is delivered by the Arthur Rank Centre, the national organisation for the rural church. Founded in 1972, they have almost 50 years’ experience of equipping people for rural mission and ministry. The programme is overseen by an ecumenical steering group.

Germinate Leadership is for lay and ordained leaders in rural churches who have already displayed some creative and entrepreneurial flair in rural mission and ministry and are keen to develop themselves and their leadership skills.

The programme develops Christian leadership through engagement with leadership theory, theological reflection and practical leadership issues including conflict resolution, team building and group dynamics, collaboration between lay and ordained leaders, and the importance of deepening emotional intelligence

The programme is generally not suitable for those completely new to life and ministry in a rural context, or those as the very beginning of a new leadership role. The focus of the programme is personal leadership development and is not an introduction to rural ministry.

For further details please contact Clare Phillips:   Clarephillips@salisbury.anglican.org