A Mission Shaped Ministry Course will bestarting in the Black Country later this year. Here, the Revd Tom Fish writesabout his experience and explains what it's all about:
"Mission Shaped Ministry is for people who want to beinvolved in reaching the 95% of people in our nation who today dont go tochurch. Its about starting and sustaining fresh expressions of church groups that let people discover the good news of Jesus where they are, ratherthan hoping that theyre going to come in to us.
"You will hear stories of churches in pubs and housingestates, schools and parks. Youll hear about new churches and revivedchurches, in old buildings and new buildings. Youll discover (if you didntknow already) that you dont need to be ordained, or able to preach, or sing,or play an instrument, or go to the other side of the world. Youll get to findout what works, and what doesnt.
"And as well as the stories, youll have opportunities tothink about what you cando, where you are.If you come as a group from a church or local area, well help you go on thejourney together. If you come on your own, well offer mentoring to help youdevelop your thinking and plans. One of the things people value most about MSMis simply spending time with others who share their vision.
"But be warned. Youll also start to see church through neweyes. And if you really catch the vision, it could change much more than that.
"I first did MSM with Gloucester Diocese 3 years ago. Isigned up thinking I already knew most of it after all Id been hands-onplanting a new church for the previous 3 years. But every session enlarged myvision. Sometimes Id come home wanting to stop everything wed been doing andstart again! Other times there was just one thing that I knew we need tochange. The same thing happened when we ran MSM here 2 years ago, so I'mlooking forward to seeing what God will do as we run it again starting this autumn.
"MSM is Biblically-grounded, and culturally aware. It hasalready helped many thousands of people to reconnect with God's heart for thenation. Dont miss it!"
Tom Fish
Tom and Helen Fish started Brickworks, a church plant betweenLye and Stourbridge, in 2014. Tom will be co-leading MSM with Alicia Baker,vicar of Dudley Wood and Cradley Heath, who has previously led MSM in SouthWales and recently established the Community Link on Cradley Heath High Street,and Glenn Reading, vicar of Astwood Bank, who did the Black Country MSM coursein 2017 and launched a fresh expression in his parish last year.
Find out more about the Mission Shaped Ministry Course starting in September.
