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Centre for Continuing Development in Ministry
Contact details

Mrs Anne Kemp
Centre for Continuing Development in Ministry
Spurgeon's College
South Norwood Hill

London SE25 6DJ
a.kemp@
spurgeons.ac.uk

Centre for Continuing Development in Ministry

This is a high quality course for Christian leaders of any denomination offered by Spurgeon’s in conjunction with Claybury International.

Course leaders:

Colin Buckland and Nigel Wright.

The Centre for Continuing Development in Ministry (CCDM) was established in 2002 to offer practical in-service training to ministers by stimulating personal growth and skill development. Over the years the course has proven its value to those involved in pastoral leadership. Recent reports have highlighted two needs of ministers today. The first is the need for greater levels of support and investment for the ongoing health of ministers; the second is the need to take ministerial development seriously as a life-long process. CCDM helps meet both needs.  It offers personal and professional development without the requirement to undertake formal training. With CCDM, Spurgeon's has complemented its postgraduate courses to provide a more skill-orientated, non-assessed course. If you have at least three years pastoral experience and want to avoid the hazards of ministry, this course was designed with you in mind.

The course aims: -

  • to stimulate personal growth, skill development and imaginative ministry,
  • to provide opportunities for reflection on issues faced by serving ministers,
  • to assist in exploring the resources available to ministers,
  • to alleviate the boredom or ‘mid-ministry’ factor,
  • to train leaders in skills related to recognized needs.

The course operates on a one-day a month basis for nine months of the year, beginning with coffee at 9.30am and ending promptly at 4.00pm. The course fee includes drinks and a hot lunch, with vegetarian and salad options.

Course Outline

The course stretches over 3 years and operates on a cyclical basis so that new members may join the course each October while continuing members may develop their thinking in further areas. In Year 1 a main emphasis is on personal and professional development, in Year 2 on leadership skills and in Year 3 on communication. CCDM is available for members of all denominations. Baptist ministers regularly receive grants of 50% of fees from the Ministry Department of the Baptist Union. Ministers of other denominations are encouraged to apply for assistance to their own in-service training funds.

For the year 2009 - 10 (Year 2) the guiding theme will be that of

Leadership Skills

The following areas will be covered:

Leadership Across Cultures               2 October 2009         
Leading Through Teams 6 November 2009
Mentoring Leaders 4 December 2009
Leading Through Change 8 January 2010
Leadership & Spirituality 5 February 2010
Leading with Emotional Intelligence 1 5 March 2010
Leading with Emotional Intelligence 2 7 May 2010
Servant Leadership 4 June 2010
Creative & Collaborative Learning Styles Inventory 2 July 2010

For the year 2010 - 11 (Year 3) the guiding theme is

Communication Skills

The following areas will be covered:

Leadership and Communication 1 1 October 2010
Leadership and Communication 2                    5 November 2010
Orality 3 December 2010
Embedding Organisational Culture 7 January 2011
Communicating in a Post-Modern World 4 February 2011
Language and Leadership Styles 4 March 2011
Christian Communication and the Media 6 May 2011
Maturing the Leader through Listening 3 June 2011
Vision Casting 1 July 2011
   

Teaching input will be given by Rev Colin Buckland of the Claybury Trust, and Dr Viv Thomas of Formation. Each is a pastor with wide national and international experience and well-established publishing and training records in their field. Other guests will contribute to the programme.

This information is to give you an indication of the subjects that will be covered. The course will have space for interaction and will respond to the needs of the participants. There is a maximum number of 30 people who can be accommodated on the course so please book early to avoid disappointment!

CCDM offers opportunities for career development interviews with Colin Buckland on a personal basis and by arrangement.

The Claybury Trust is involved in the care and development of Christian leaders and missionaries and is directed by Colin Buckland, himself an experienced minister. After serving in the Metropolitan Police, Colin trained for the ministry and served in two pastorates before founding the Claybury Trust. He now works internationally. His book Liberating to Lead was published by Kingsway in 2003. The Trust works in the areas of consulting, training, resourcing and counselling and has on its Board of Reference Bishop Graham Cray, David Coffey and Joel Edwards, among others. Colin has produced learning modules for Oak Hill College and the London School of Theology. He is a qualified counsellor, holds an MA in Pastoral Studies and is working towards his doctorate. As an associate lecturer of Spurgeon’s College, Colin has provided the main training input for CCDM since its inception. He is also an adjunct professor for Azusa Pacific University.

Viv Thomas holds master’s degrees in human resources and Christian Studies and a PhD in Theology and Culture from King’s College, London. After an early career in church planting he worked for many years in Operation Mobilisation as an international trainer and consultant in cross-cultural leadership. He established and now directs Formation through which he continues his work in leadership development for both business and Christian enterprises. Viv is an associate lecturer at Spurgeon’s and an adjunct professor of Briercrest Biblical Seminary, Alberta. He is the author of Future Leader, Second Choice and Paper Boys, all of which are published by Paternoster. Viv’s distinctive vision is to work out the implications of the doctrine of the Trinity for the practice of leadership and ministry.