bath & wells: school of formation

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NEWS OF THE SCHOOL OF FORMATION

At the begining of June 2007 we decided to release news about the School in the form of a blog.

Please email us with comments and reactions using the addresses at the bottom of the page.

Posted Nov 18 2008 Graham

All dressed up

Last week I went to my University of Bristol graduation ceremony in the Wills building at the top of Park Street. It was a lovely occasion and my family really enjoyed it. However, Rosie and Helen came down from university later in the day and wanted to see my robes. I put them on for them and they were duly impressed! Bristol has a bright red gown with purple borders and a burgundy hood (probably not the colours described in the official information). Later in the week I wore the robe around the Old Deanery so that people could see it. I was very interested in the reception I got. One person said, 'taking a service today?' another 'we'll not miss you in that will we?' However, the biggest surprise was walking through one department. No-one said anything until I was almost out of the door, when a person said 'Oh Graham - are you playing Badminton with us this week?' - 'No' I replied, 'I'm taking a course' - 'Oh, OK see you next time' Guess which department it was? Yes, those who never take their eye off the ball - Accounts!

Posted Nov 3 2008 Steve

Recently I facilitated discussion at a Benefice Council meeting of three rural parishes. We were looking at strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT). It was a repeat of an exercise we did six years ago, leading to a benefice plan.

Six years ago we prayed for the capacity to work more with children and young people, we put it in the plan, we invited a group to come forward, no one came. The incumbent took it on and now has great links with the school. Someone moved into one of the villages and we now having growing links with pre-school children. It is early days, yet a sign of hope.

What we also identified was the need for more active involvement by more of the congregation not just with the school and pre-school but more widely. We highlighted the one thing on the SWOT that we prayed would be grown or resolved.  It was the apparent apathy or sense of hopelessness that seems to pervade us and others. We agreed that living Christian values starts with us and everyone went home to consider what Christ might be calling us to do differently.

Posted Oct 7 2008 Steve

Steve's back with some news from his hols traveling the world to find other Annandales

Click here to see news of his travels

Posted Sep 23 Graham

A few blogs ago I said I had written a large thesis. It was handed in and I duly had a viva to discuss it. I'm glad to say it passed, (which is a big relief). It is strange to complete 8 years of work, researching a particular subject, and in some ways it is hard to return to reality. Although the thesis was all about my work at the moment, the Church of England, its training and mission ambitions, it became more consuming than I had realised. Over the summer, I tried to read a novel again, which was harder work than I thought it would be. Gradually I returned to the familiar books to do with the research, reading them more for pleasure than thinking I should make notes. Hopefully soon I shall also find some novels that I can get into.

PS wonder where Steve's blogs have gone

Posted Aug 16 Graham

Holidays have meant we haven't written much in the blog recently. However, it doesn't mean nothing has happened. People take the opportunity to ask for short courses for the autumn so we've been preparing them. A new departure for us has been the filming of some of the material from 'The Spirituality of the Saints'. I was filmed in the Old Deanery garden giving the talk which accompanies the sessions. It will be piloted by a group in September, and when we've corrected it, it will be available for general use.

Posted July 18 Graham

Setting budgets is an interesting exercise in that you need one eye on the past and one eye on the future. By not thinking about the past, those assessing the budget will enquire as to why finances don't relate to past spending. By not thinking about the future, debt or lack of funding can inhibit work. This week sector ministers in the diocese have been setting their budgets and having them scrutinized. It's been a rewarding exercise to talk it over with others and examine just where funding will be directed. It strikes me as a good exercise to do with all resources we are responsible for, time, gifts, energy, work etc.

Posted July 2 Graham

Have been finishing this thesis, which has taken all my spare time. It's hard work sitting and working right through the weekend at this time of year. Evenings, half terms, weekends and its finally completed and gone into the university to be marked. Whoopee! Family pleased it's gone, as well.

Started today on filming some bits for our course on the Spirituality of the Saints. Endless problems with the technology, but slowly sorting them out. Only going to do a few minutes but will be glad when its completed. Nobody else seems to be blogging at the moment. All working a bit too hard I suspect.

Posted June 3 Jennifer

Some of us have been away over half term so here are three blogs all posted today:

I set up a forum on the diocesan website to get a discussion started on Pub Church. A question that was raised is whether the use of a pub is to try and appeal to the locals or a convenient place for 'church' people to meet or keeping the pub going or to appear trendy? The Grove booklet 'Pints of View' gives useful hints about how a pub church can get off the ground. For information, the site is as follows:  http://www.bathandwells.org.uk/forum_sof/index.php?action=profile

Posted June 3 Steve

The Balance Wheel

I have been doing some more coaching of busy, and often stressed senior executives in the largest organisation in the UK and one of the processes I and colleagues have encouraged them to do is to think about their work/life balance. Within the leadership competency framework we were using having a good work/life balance is seen as one of the hallmarks of a good leader.

Why not reflect on your own work/life balance and see what the process encourages you to do differently? Try this paper for a process known as the balance wheel.

Link to the Balance Wheel

Posted June 3 Graham

When two become one

Writing a thesis is an interesting project. I've been using all my free time, weekends sometimes, evenings, days off and holidays to complete a particular thesis of some 75,000 words. What strikes me as interesting about it is the constant need to write both what is accurate, well supported and coherent, something that others could read, look up and agree, as well as writing something that is my opinion, what I believe, what I want to say. It's almost as if I have to be two people; one, the encyclopedia person who gathers and gives information, and one, the everyday person, who wants to try to persuade people of an opinion.

I long for completing the project and hope that somehow the two people will be one at the end of it all.

Posted May 13 Steve

Mission Shaped and Rural

Steve has been musing on this publication. Click here to see his blog.

Posted May 5 Steve

I work in and for the School of Formation, but I also work from time to time outside the diocese. As a coach in secular life, I find I learn from those I encounter. Coaching is a confidential opportunity to ‘hear‘ something of the lives of people, and help them untangle their tangles. Sometimes I think it is me who gets help in becoming untangled along the way.

We had not met before the coaching session, and yet soon a young woman was telling me how she had been accused of bullying by a member of her staff  for trying to improve the standard of work. She was a very gentle spirit with a passionate concern for helping others learn and said that one of her alleged acts of bullying was rolling her eyes at an error. The organisation is taking it very seriously. There is a due process, she feels she is completely innocent, and yet no one at work seems to be supporting her.

I asked to whom she might she look for support? ‘To Jesus’ came the reply,‘always to Jesus. I know he walks with me through this.’ It was a simple answer but her faith and trust in Jesus shone through. Despite her troubles she personified serenity.

The next person I saw told me how he had built a life in England coming here 25 years ago from another land. ‘Why did you leave’ I asked? ‘Because people would have killed me’ he said. No more was said at that moment. We moved on to his work. What shone through him was his integrity, and how he walked the talk of his principles in his daily and working life. ‘I will not exploit others in any shape or form,’ he said. His faith and integrity kept him strong in the adversity of a very senior job and he remained true to those principles of faith deep within him. Where he had lived before he had stood out against corruption and exploitation and had fled following attempts on his life.

Two very different people living their faith at work, examples who inspire and lead me onwards.

Posted 23rd April Steve

The BBC Radio quiz Quote ... Unquote has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom since 1976.  Devised and introduced by Nigel Rees, the programme has become something of an institution and the world of Quote ... Unquote now encompasses a substantial archive of material concerning quotations and ‘well-known phrases and sayings’ of many types.

I had the good fortune to go to two recordings of the show this week and the panel included Sir Trevor McDonald and Pam Ayers. One of the questions asked was about the mottos of their schools and whether it has influenced their lives. Most panel members could not remember theirs.

I could not remember mine and so I looked it up on the internet. It is:

UT SEVERIS SEGES (As you sow, so shall you reap [more literally: As you will have sown that will be your crop])

Having looked back on life since leaving school, I can see traces of its influence and whilst conscious of its effect on me or not, it does form part of my ‘rule of life’ today; striving to help others learn.

Why not recall or search out your school’s motto and reflect on its meaning and significance for you?

Posted 14th April Graham

As I came back from Martock and Ash last week, after taking part in their services, I reflected on the difference between the two churches. The details are not important, both were lovely congregations, but I was thinking more generally about the diversity of Anglican patterns of worship. When I go to a church, and ask about what to do in the service, they often say, 'Just the usual - we're very normal here.' But I've learned that this is usually not the case and local variations can be quite wide. In some ways this is a headache for the visitor, on the other hand it's great to see such variety. One size rarely fits all.

Posted 14th April Steve

In my local church we had our annual meeting immediately following parish communion at which the gospel reading had been the Emmaus Road

Jesus’ encounter with the two disciples was a transforming encounter for them. He comes up and walks beside them. He talks with them as they walk. He opens their eyes. They see him anew, they see themselves anew, and the world anew. They turn around and go back to Jerusalem

This was a transformation as Jesus walked, talked, and helped them see.

A question asked at our meeting was ‘ What is it that we as a church have to turnaround to face and to go back to rather than pressing ahead in our direction?’

For us we have to face

• difficult numbers; the high average age of the congregation, the relative paucity people keen to take up leadership positions, and our perilous finances
• the perception in our wider community about the lack of relevance of the church

We pray as we face these we will find Jesus walking with us, talking with us and showing us the path he would have us follow. Whatever it is it will a path of transformation for the whole church.

Posted 28 March Steve

When I felt his breath

Having experienced Easter and watched the BBC programme ‘The Passion’ I was reminded of this piece written for our Easter People course looking at the time when the disciples were in the upper room. Think of yourself as one of the disciples as you read and reflect. Click here to find the meditation

Posted 19 March Steve

The Change has Happened

When change occurs it can feel like a big loss. Steve explores this process from his experiences this week.

Click here to see his blog

Posted 6 March Jennifer

I attended a day on ‘‘Holiness in a complex world’, which was led the Dean of Wells Cathedral, John Clarke. ‘How should the Church of England be involved in political debate today?’ was a question that we were asked. To help us explore this question, John highlighted four particular times during the 20th century. The first of these concerned the view of  church and state expounded by William Temple in his book ‘Christianity and Social Order’; the second, the decision of Michael Ramsey as Archbishop in 1965 to chair the National Committee for Commonwealth Immigrants and his subsequent refusal in 1968 to chair the Community Relations Council; the third snapshots looked at two reports in the 1980’s ‘The Church and the Bomb; and ‘Faith in the City’; and for the last we looked at  a lecture that Rowan Williams gave to the 1998 Lambeth conference whilst he was still Archbishop of Wales, entitled ‘Making Moral Decisions’.

So, what issues should the Church be raising for examination and action?

Posted 6 March Steve

We have been researching lay leadership in the church and have drawn for part of it on Roger Harrison’s work on organizational culture. His work looks at organizations through the lenses of alignment and attunement and we have varied his definitions a little for the church

Click here to see more

Posted 28 Feb Steve

Local Ministry Group Development

In a sense so far I have looked at how LMGs might focus more on being a movement rather than an institution or organization. Yet of course there comes time when a degree of structure and organization is necessary within a movement to keep things on track. The challenge is to have just enough that ‘enables’ rather than stifles creativity. In my journey through Exodus I was next drawn to Exodus 20:1-17 The Decalogue, setting out the principles and broad rules for life. For a Local Ministry Group what might be the 10 key principles or rules of life that will govern its conduct?

Posted 18 Feb Steve

Exodus

Continuing with looking at Exodus and how it speaks to me about the development of LMGs I discovered:

Exodus 18:17 ‘But Moses’ father-in-law said to him,’ What you are doing is not wise. You will certainly wear yourself out as well as the people with you. Surely the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone’

Moses went on to enlist the support of a large number of people in the journey and in God’s mission to the world.

My reflections are

• Local Ministry Groups exist to encourage and enable vibrant Christian communities in villages, towns and cities : no one can do this alone

• Christian communities are called to be apart of one, holy, catholic and apostolic church : this means churches working together

• People need to respond to God’s call to work together and for churches to work together

• In a sense just as everyone in a parish is automatically a member of the church, so everyone is a member of the body called an  LMG

• Everyone has and everybody needs a beating heart otherwise the body does not live and cannot move or journey.

• Who is at the heart of your LMG and is its heart beating strongly enough? Who is the group of lay people and clergy working together to find ways  encourage and enable vibrant Christian communities in villages, towns and cities

• Are you one of the people God seeks to enlist in the heart of your LMG?

Posted 18 Feb Graham

Easter people

We're holding a lent course at Worle at the moment called Easter people - It's not the Methodist course by the same name, but one which explores the resurrection appearances of Jesus (see this blog Jan 8). We piloted it in locking last year. The interesting thing is that here we are in the season of preparation, self denial and moving towards the cross and the theme is the resurrection! It begs the question how much we can concentrate on the Easter experience from the 'other side' of the cross in the lead up to the Easter weekend. It'll be interesting to see.

Posted 1 Feb Steve

Exodus

In continuing my personal journey through Exodus these passages struck me as potentially having something to say about the journeys on which Local Ministry Groups are embarked.

• Exodus 12:21 ‘Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them’ go select lambs for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb’

• Exodus 12:29’ In the middle of the night the Lord struck dead all the first born in the land of Egypt.’

• Exodus 13:17 ‘ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although it would have been nearer for God thought ‘ Lest people change their minds when they experience war and return to Egypt’

• Exodus 14:12 ‘ Is not this what we told you in Egypt would happen, when we said’ Leave us alone and we will serve the Egyptians for it is better for us serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’

• Exodus 14:29 ‘ But the Israelites walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming for them a wall on their right and on their left’

Movement for the Israelites involved preparation, a crisis event, first but not obvious steps, a time of questioning, and a saving act that moved them onward.

If a Local Ministry Group decided to reflect on each of these and share what comes out of the reflection, it could help us all learn and journey

Posted 1 Feb Graham

Visiting

We went out last week to visit some parishes, three in all. Initially we went to see what people were doing, but as the day went on i realised that we were not only hearing the stories but also being shaped by them. We were standing in relationship, in terms of what we are trying to achieve in the School and what their aspirations were. It was not just a visit, it was being moulded by what was seen and heard and shared. Bishops Peter visited a deanery as part of their planned tour and their stories have fed into the larger picture of how the diocese is. If the School, or for that matter any organisation wants to decide its direction, it first needs to be shaped and moulded by a relationship with those whom it wishes to serve.

Posted 29 Jan Steve

The journey of Local Ministry Groups

I have begun thinking about what Exodus has to teach us about the journey upon which LMGs are embarking. In a similar, though smaller-scale way, parishes and churches in LMGs are called to travel together and to enable vibrant Christian communities in every village, town and city in Somerset to show the love of God to the world. The story of Exodus is part of the continuing journey and may have insights to offer

Actually Exodus is only part of the story. Abraham was called by God to journey with those closest to him and to found a nation that loved God.

Having become enslaved in Egypt life was hard. Exodus 1: 13 ‘ So the Egyptians subjected the Israelites to great cruelty’.

Yet God looked after his people. Exodus 1:20 ‘ And God dealt favourably with the midwives and the people multiplied and increased greatly.’ He intervened to help them. Exodus 2:23-24 ‘A long time afterward the king of Egypt died and the Israelites groaned under the bondage and cried out for help….. and God took notice.’

Journeying together to enable vibrant Christina communities may be  a challenge for parishes and benefices and yet God is with us, in fact going on ahead, continuing his creation.

Questions for LMGs might therefore be

• How is God already at work within the area of our LMG?
• How might parishes and churches, as one body, collaborate with Him in nourishing vibrant Christian communities everywhere?

God also called Moses into leadership and Moses at first did not feel up to it and yet placed his trust in God and took up his role (Exodus 3:1- 12). Taking up leadership roles may bring about feelings similar to Moses in all of us from time to time.

How might God be calling us and you to be servant leaders working under God to nourish and sustain vibrant Christian communities?

To be continued!

Posted 8 January - Steve

Easter people

We are revising our programme Easter People. I have looked at each of the resurrection appearances to see not how the disciples reacted, but how Jesus modeled leadership. Here is what I have come up with so far. This will eventually inform the course and become part of the leadership programme.

Posted 9th January 2008 - Graham

Patch Adams

We all had a good Christmas and wish all our readers a Happy New Year. I watched the film, Patch Adams over the break and found the final 10 minutes or so both highly thoughtful and amusing. Patch is a budding medical doctor in an American Med School, but because of his unorthodox ways of expressing himself, is about to be kicked out. He gives a speech in his defence, where he speaks among other things of the hierarchy keeping professional distance, and says, ‘When was it that doctors became more than trusted friends who treated people who were in need?’ He is, of course referring to the professionalisation of the medical vocation.

Posted 18th December - Steve

Local Ministry Group Development

One of the questions asked of church wardens in the articles of enquiry in 2007 was ‘how would you rate progress in the development of your LMG over the last twelve months?’

Responses ranged from very good to disappointing with many advising that progress was slow. Examples about progress included pulpit exchanges, meeting together for worship and courses, joint services and social events, a Cathedral tour, quiz nights, small groups meeting for prayer, joint marriage preparation and lay groups meet regularly and a social calendar of joint events has been established. Issues giving rise to slow progress included leadership capacity, the impact of vacancies geography, cautiousness about working together, and the consumption of local time by fund raising or repairs.

For me the ‘pull’ of the present and the past, understandably act as counterweights to ‘pull’ of future models and expectations associated with Local Ministry Groups.

Reflecting on the responses to the question ‘how would you rate progress in the development of your LMG over the last twelve months?’ has made me wonder.

• What ultimate model of being an LMG did people have in their minds when they answered the questions?
• What did people have in their minds as to an appropriate development path?

What people had in mind on both of these would have informed their answers

Looking for ideas on group formation, I used ’ google’ to search the internet for articles and I found a complex article by  Evelien P.H. Zeggelink, Henk de Vos and Donald Elsas (2000)  on ‘Reciprocal altruism and group formation.’

I have ‘borrowed’ their diagrams as they appeared to me to illustrate how churches might form into Local Ministry Groups. (The numbers shown relate to the purposes of their article and do not form part of my ‘blog’)

The set of boxes below say to me that LMG formation might over time lead to integrated joint working with every parish/benefice ultimately woven together and joined up in equal measure with all of the others in the LMG. This might be the outcome and the path of formation for some LMGs.

However this might not be the case for all  or even most LMGs. The boxes below show a different model of development and outcome.

Here not everyone is connected equally to everyone else.

This suggests that within the notion of being LMG there is likely to be scope for both ‘connectedness’ and for ‘unconnectedness’ amongst parishes/ benefices.

If we think we are striving for the equally connected/integrated model, suggested by the first set of boxes, then we may feel disappointed with a realised model of being LMG that is different from our expectations.The outcome implied by the seconded set of boxes however may be a more realistic set of expectations given the pull of the past and the present.

Parishes/Benefices may connect on some things and be separate on others and yet still hold together on enough things to be LMG.

 In addition whilst the first set of boxes suggests a final destination of complete integrated, the second set of boxes suggests a continued journey over time with different degrees of connected prevailing between different members of LMGs on different issues.

What model of being LMG and what formation pathway do you have in mind?

Posted 9 Dec 2007 - Steve

RESTORATIVE APPROACHES IN OUR COMMUNTIES

Following the excellent ‘Restorative Approaches in Our Community’ conference on 22nd November in Taunton, organised by Andy Jenrick of St Augustine of Canterbury School, I have been thinking more about how the School of Formation might encourage and support participation in and the use of restorative approaches.

If you would like to find out more about the essence of restorative approaches have a look at this power point presentation, provided courtesy of The International Institute of Restorative Practices.

Restorative approaches are being applied within Somerset in a number of ways:

• Restorative justice is well established in Somerset County Council’s educational strategy and is used in 35 schools. It has proved a valuable tool in tackling issues such as bullying and seen a marked reduction in exclusion rates.

• The ground-breaking Chard and Ilminster Community Justice Panel was established in 2005, applying Restorative Justice to low level crime. A similar scheme will be launched in Wellington in the New Year.

• The restorative approach is also used within Somerset County Council run children’s residential homes

• Within the Somerset Youth Offending Team restorative approaches play a central role. It is a positive and creative way that benefits everyone. Victims feel they have achieved some closure while the offenders are forced to really contemplate the impacts of their actions.

The School of Formation is working with the Somerset Youth Offending Team to develop a workshop for Local Ministry Groups that will help churches to

• understand more about restorative approaches
• see the opportunities that exist for Christians to help make a difference to the lives of our young people and communities  and
• gain skills in restorative approaches.

 We are currently looking for a small number of Local Ministry Groups willing to pilot the workshop. If you would like to take part of find out more about what this would involve do contact me by email steve.annandale@bathwells.anglican.org

Posted 3 Dec 2007 - Steve

Thinking differently about staff appraisals

The School of Formation team spent the best part of a day on staff appraisal last week. We went away from the office for a day and followed a process involving telling each other

• what we perceive each of us doing
• what we see us bringing
• the significance of her/his contribution

Whilst members of the team were thinking about what to say and writing it down, the person who was the subject of their attention was asked to sit quietly, to review her/her job description. Then the person ‘in the lime light’ listened to what each person had to say and could respond to what s\he heard, if s/he wished. Everyone then was given what the others had written about then

After this process was complete for everyone we each looked at the written notes, alongside our job description and discussed the changes need.

What we did in the appraisal was to focus on our style of working and on our way of being as human beings working together in the team. Looking at and receiving feedback on how 'we be' was enriching and affirming. It was about catching us being ourselves. It was about our behaviour far more than our achievements, objectives and results. It was more of the spirit of each of us and the spirit of the team than I have ever experienced in any previous appraisal process.

 Being the focus of everyone else is hard, there is no hiding place. Knowing that what would be said would be said with the best of intentions helped. For leaders it is about making yourself vulnerable with your team.

 We need to remember we did not come to this place of trust lightly or quickly. We came to this place through the experience of Belbin, Myers Briggs, Ennegram, and countless reflections each team meeting, shared with visitors/'strangers'. We also do not ignore performance. We have an operational plan that lives and is a working document. It is in the team meetings when we review one part of the plan each meeting that we review collective and personal performance.

 All of these have formed us into a very different kind of team. It is however not just a 'warm bath experience' being in the SoF team. We can and do face difficult things. We trust each others intention for each other and seek the good of the whole as well as the good of the parts. When we have something difficult to do, we find a process that begins with listening, moves on to reflection, discussion, challenge and agreement. We do not move to conclusion/decision quickly but are happy to defer and to muse on it for a while yet we always decide when the time is ripe.

This is the some of the process of formation.........

Posted 2 Dec 2007 - Graham

I was in the Cathedral recently for a morning communion service. At one point the incense began to drift from the front of the nave across towards the window and formed a wonderful swirling pattern. As the choir sang the Sanctus, it was as though God was moving here, there and everywhere in changing patterns. Fascinating!

Posted 21 Nov 2007 - Graham

When David Gent came and asked us if we could help with a project he was involved with in Yeovil College we were delighted to think it through with him. A group of students had lost their funding for numeracy and literacy entry skills and David wanted to know if they could be enrolled as School of Formation students. After some negotiations and checking of arrangements and insurances and recruiting local volunteers and finding premises it became possible to help. It’s interesting to note that our first ‘official’ students enrolled with the School are not from inside the church at all, but those in the community who indicated a need.

Posted 20 Nov 2007 Steve

Two new areas of activity have co-incidentally (?) come my way in the last couple of weeks;

• How might a ‘Good Neighbours Scheme’ work across ecumenically and with secular community groups across a rural benefice

• How might churches and school become learn more about and apply ideas of restorative justice, particularly by supporting the Somerset Youth Offending Team.

Good Neighbours Schemes can involve volunteers helping vulnerable people with every day life, such as trips to the doctors, dentists, hospital etc or help with pets or simple household chores like changing lights, batteries or checking smoke alarms.

Supporting the Youth Offending Team can involve

• making church rooms available for Referral Order Panel meetings
• volunteering to serve on a panel
• acting as a supervisor of a young offender whilst s/he undertakes restorative work
• providing projects for  young offenders to do as part of their contracts with referral order panels
• much more if only we might see it

Both are about hearing God’s call, seeing how God has already renewed and resourced us to respond, reshaping how we think about our time, seeing it as a gift from God for us to give to others, and then getting on with transforming community life.

Posted 6 Nov 2007 Steve

I have been thinking about placements as opportunities for learning as a prelude to the School of Formation working out and taking forward its role in this arena over the next few months. Here is some of my early thinking. If you would like to add to it do get in touch. 

steve.annandale@bathwells.anglican.org

Posted 30 Oct 2007 Steve

I had the good fortune by chance to renew my acquaintance last week with Boyatzis’ model of self –directed learning. It is well worth applying either to oneself to help with our own learning or to work with another as a coach or a mentor to help them with their growth.

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.
Jesus, Matthew 7:12

Posted 17 October - Jennifer

Readers

The first Saturday in October is the day of the annual service for the Readers of the diocese. It is also the day when new Readers are licensed.

At the pre-licensing retreat, the theme of ‘keys’ was used to explore the journey up to this point and to further reflect on the, as yet, unopened doors.

I remembered the Readers in training arriving at the induction evening a year ago, unsure what they had let themselves in for. To be there at their licensing, a year later was a real privilege. There was a quiet confidence about them, an expectation and a willingness to do God’s will.

This day is also an opportunity for all Readers to gather together as a body, to see friends, exchange news and affirm their commitment at the annual service.  In the morning, Readers had the opportunity to study Mark’s Gospel at the Blue School with Bishop Peter Price before going to the Cathedral. It was again a great occasion with Bishop Peter Maurice, the Cathedral overflowing, Graham preaching, and tea and cakes served at the end.

And to begin the cycle again, the same week, I met the new Readers in training arriving at the induction evening……

Posted 16 October - Steve

Changing Lives for Good

Whilst working for the School of Formation it is so good also to be rooted in a Benefice as a person in the pew.

With the Benefice Council having agreed to suspend normal services for six weeks, providing instead one morning communion in the Benefice, we met as a group of over thirty people in the school hall at 6pm on last Sunday. We will be doing this until we have seen as discussed all the DVDs ‘ Changing Lives for good.’

This first week we looked at the  DVD: 'You show wisdom by trusting people.' We played the DVD, then held group discussions using the material from the supporting booklets

From

‘You show wisdom by trusting people’

Reactions were very positive indeed. Some of the points made by groups included

- We saw in the DVDs the spirit of love and the outgoing example shown by Bishop Peter, walking an talking with people about their live

- We saw the importance of linking with people in real life issues pertinent to them

- We discovered and named the many ways trust is already present in our communities and the part played by the church in some of these.

- There emerged a strong sense of becoming more a church that is 'out' rather than 'in'.

- People said we need to walk about more, and talk to those we meet and find out what life is like for them. Taking BCP evensong into nursing homes and being amongst people in the pub were two actions discussed

- Youths were seen as the main group trusted less

- The need to find ways to encourage cross-community and inter-age group discussion was also stressed

Next week we will start by thinking more about opportunities for developing trust in ourselves, in church and in the community and then go on to the second DVD

Posted 8 October - Steve

For ‘Back to Church Sunday’ I did something new. I went to the ‘Langport Area Churches Together’ service in All Saints Church. Some 150 plus people gathered for prayer and great hymns, some older and some newer, and we heard a series of mini-addresses from clergy and lay people about the development of the church in Somerset from earliest times and onwards into the future.

We covered King Alfred and the ancient Celtic church, monastic life and the growth of priories in Somerset, the establishment of the Church of England, the challenge of secularism, renewal, ecumenism and finally what is next?

I went home feeling connected across time and space and in the present with Christians of different traditions and outlooks. Memorable.

So many barriers in my mind seem to have prevented me from joining such gatherings before; would I fit in or be out of place; would ‘they’ be different, would whatever happened be uncomfortable or odd, would I feel awkward? The barriers had seemed of steel yet in practice were of fine, soft cobwebs.

I wonder how often we prevent ourselves from embracing the changes God would have us make when barriers are really only of our own making and so easy to walk through if only we could take a step?

Posted 27 September - Steve

I have just returned from leading an inaugural family reunion in Scotland. Some 32 people born with the name Annandale gathered at the Annandale Arms Hotel, Moffat

 for a day. People came from around the UK, from Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in the Pacific.

It was a very moving day, with the spirit captured by Dorothy from Samoa who told us she had packed her suitcase two months before. Dorothy is in her seventies and said her grandfather had come from Scotland, and had always encouraged them to be proud of their Scottish heritage and surname. This was her first trip to Scotland and was life-fulfilling for her.

Every Annandale there spoke of their love of the name and the joy of connecting with others named Annandale. It is a rare name and most of us grew up in splendid relative isolation. In Jesus’ appearance to Mary at the tomb, Mary knew it was Jesus when Jesus said her name.

Names are so important to us, giving us identity, and the possibility of connection and relationship.

Posted 19 September – Graham

We’re experimenting with ‘Moodle’ as a means of offering a framework for a learning community. Moodle (moodle.org) is a platform for creating courses on-line then offering them to a group of students. It’s free software and might be very useful for our needs. We’re likely to pilot it with a course we’re setting up for a parish in a vacancy in the new year. If it works it could make local learning much more accessible. Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.

We are also involved in some research with Bristol diocese Parish development team. This is designed to examine why and how churches who have lay ministry teams work. We shall interview about 25-30 parishes across our dioceses and publish the results in mid 2008.

Posted 13 September - Steve

How to encourage people to start learning more about Christianity is question that has been perplexing me this summer.

For years I resisted undertaking any ‘theological’ studies or going on any kind course about Christianity. I was quite content to go to church and to half listen to sermons and then go home again. I saw courses being offered either by the diocese or in my own church and heard others saying how much they had derived from them and yet I held back. It, whatever it was, was not for me. More outgoing people, more articulate people, able to have a view and an opinion, seemingly in the moment, could do that sort of thing.

Now, I have just realised, that for several years, I have felt so keen to learn that I barely read anything else other than books about some aspect of Christianity and I’m actually on a course that involves essays and having my work marked. I’m doing a Certificate in Christian Studies with St John’s College Nottingham by distant learning.

I have naturally chosen ways of learning that suit an ‘introvert’ and of course learning in groups would be good for me but let’s take one step at a time, and point is I am actually learning and enjoying it!

So what was it that brought about the change and inspired me to learn?

Well  I think the moment was when someone loaned me the book ‘Devotional Classics’ by Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith, a selection of readings about lives and influence of Christian men and women through the ages.

Posted 28 August

We've all been away over August - relaxing in the sun and rain. New blogs will be posted shortly.

Posted 16 July - Steve

The Leading Change programme in Taunton came to and end last week. It felt sad to end, having been such fun to lead with a great group of people. 15/17 people evaluated the course as very good and 2 as good, so I was very touched, especially by their feedback which included

• The whole course has been an inspiration and it has helped me through a difficult time of change
• Given me courage to move forward and belief in my own value as a team member and leader in various positions in the church and in my work and home life too!
• Simple logical presentation, practical exercises and discussion – good enough to keep me awake at the end of a long day
• Excellent course, well design and conducted. Will be of great value to any potential leader
• An absolutely brilliant course. Inspirational
• Understanding myself, appreciating the areas in which others might think and behave differently and how to deal with that
• Helped me to structure my place as a leader and to understand the views of others and why I work the way I work

Posted 11 July - Graham

Yesterday we met a team from Droitwich who came to enquire about how local ministry is shaping up here in the diocese. They were really helpful to us, as they enabled us to reflect on our own practice and what we have achieved so far. Visitors are so important to a team's life. Not only do they act as a kind of mirror but they also challenge us to see new pathways. Like an icon, we were enabled to see through the picture into the future rather than simply see ourselves.

Posted 7 July - Graham

powerpoint training CME morning

Just finished the PowerPoint CME morning and I’m reflecting about the use of new technologies in church. Meditations done with music and pictures on PowerPoint can be really useful for those who are visual learners. We had an inset day last week and explored visual/verbal, holistic/sequential learning. I love visual and holistic (big picture stuff).  ‘Virtual’ communities can sometimes be hard and aggressive when communicating through forums, and not face to face. I need the visual to give me clues as to what a person is really saying.

However, no-one can control what a person sees and how they choose to interpret it. We had so many different ways of seeing one of my presentations from ‘arrogant’ to ‘inspired’. If it’s true that theology, not just the presentation of it, changes when new communicative technology comes along, then I wonder where the church is headed.

Posted 27 June - Steve

leading change

Leading Change continued at Taunton. ‘How do leaders handle people who simply do not want to follow or embrace change?’ was a major part of the evening. Ideas discussed included

• Going through change is a process involving denial, resistance, exploration and accommodation. To help people through, listen and show you have heard and understood, suspend any temptation to problem solve. Communicate repeatedly and if you don’t know all the answers yet, say so.
• Celebrate and mark the past so people do not feel all that is being left behind was to no avail and is not valued. Show it was and praise what is being brought forward
• Fear plays a big part in resisting change. Experiments and pilots can help

All tips on helping people with change welcome

Posted 20 June Steve

leading Change

Readers, churchwardens and  clergy continued this week with the Leading Change course in Taunton. This week we were looking at ways and means of influencing people to change. Building on earlier work and our understanding of Myers Briggs, groups worked on ways to influence people with different preferences

Posted 18 June – Graham

leadership for the Church

I led a module of the course Leadership for the Church entitled ‘leadership and learning’ this week. It appears to me that so often churches rush headlong into home groups, learning programmes, sermon series or the like without considering first what is the purpose of learning? Of course there is learning for the fun of it, and long may that last. But there are also other ways and purposes of learning.

This made me think about the way we handle the curriculum of learning. I reckon what the School needs is to develop three ways of learning based around core, pathway and enrichment curriculums. ( yes - I know that’s not the best latin!) But the point is what would be in them? What would a core curriculum for LMGs look like? A pathway curriculum would be made up of components meant to get someone or a group of people from where they are to where they want to be. And enrichment would be sessions, modules and programmes of a more sideways, but nurturing and enriching nature.

I wonder if this would work.  

Posted 15 June 2007 - Jennifer

Celebration of learning

Last Saturday I was at the Celebration of Learning which took place in Wells for the students who had completed the Exploring Christianity and Exploring Spirituality courses. The students came with their family and friends and around 130 people enjoyed tea and cakes supplied by the Cloisters Restaurant. 

We had exhibitions of course materials - see below and workshops on how Charles Handy’s Gods of Management model could be applied to the church, the spirituality of Bernard of Clairvaux and Abelard  and how to support Christians in sharing their faith. After tea and cakes we went to the Cathedral to celebrate learning where students were prayed for and affirmed.

Posted 11 June 2007 - Steve

leading change

In the second week of Leading Change in Taunton,  I was helping readers, church wardens and clergy find their leadership strengths by exploring Myers Briggs Personality Types. One dimension is the basis different people prefer to use in making a decision, known as T or F.

Posted 11 June - Graham

Exactly what it says on the can

Local Ministry Groups (LMG) can be defined by three words, local, ministry and group. In some LMGs local means the geographical community.

Local can be described  in terms of the milkman, pub, paper or Council—they all serve an area and LMGs similarly serve their area. But local can mean, similar or familiar, and doesn’t necessarily have to include that which is adjacent. Some LMGs are finding their common purpose around similar or like things and include those who have the same sort of aims.

Group means being together and some LMGs have opted to work at being together, over coffee, in the pub, around the Bible, or trying a day out together. Team means something a bit different to a group and usually works best if there is a clear purpose.

Ministry is of course what the LMG is called to engage in and includes mission. This is explicit in some cases, in others, more an implicit commitment to the community through supporting the school or nursing home etc.

LMGs are local groups of Christian people called to serve. Whichever way they choose to define what each of the three words mean when they are put together the result often exceeds the sum of the parts.

graham.dodds@bathwells.anglican.org

steve.annandale@bathwells.anglican.org

jennifer.cole@bathwells.anglican.org

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