District Training Strategies Group Report

The group has been working on developing policy and strategy for training and development throughout the District.  Key areas include:

• Extending Discipleship Exploring Vocation – the District has appointed Revd Caroline Wickens to prepare for this new Connexional scheme in a joint project with Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District.  Tamworth & Lichfield circuit is currently piloting the process, which seeks to help participants discover where and how God is calling them forward in their Christian journeys.  Circuits are being equipped to run EDEV groups from September 2008

• Working with Adults – Congratulations to Revds Jenny Dyer and Jane Wilson who received accreditation from Birmingham University for successfully completing this ecumenical course, now based at Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham.  Welcome to Anne Hargreaves and Carol Wilson as they join the District Training Team

• West Midlands Regional Training Partnership – joint work is proceeding to develop an interactive ecumenical web-site across the region: this will increase learning opportunities on the broad theme of Discipleship

• Safeguarding – a joint Districts team (with Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury) of twenty has now been trained and is preparing to pilot the awareness-raising module in the Stratford & Evesham circuit for the new Connexional Training Framework, ‘Creating Safer Space’. More circuits will be reached in the coming year.

• Training courses and events – these include:
• Leading and Managing Change: six one-day workshops for presbyters
• Induction day for Circuit Stewards, an annual event
• Fresh Expressions Vision day, run jointly with Birmingham Diocese
• CORE Skills for children’s work: new ecumenical course run in different venues round the District
• Understanding and Working with Conflict, using the Myers Briggs framework
• District Trainers led a wide range of events for Church Stewards, pastoral visitors, worship leaders and others

• Team Focus – As the Training and Development Officer scheme comes to an end in the summer, the District is preparing to appoint a District Development Enabler, and a Training Officer who will relate to the wider Midlands Region, both posts to start in September 2008

Charles Worth, Training and Development Officer