London Pioneer School is a partnership between CCX, Church Mission Society (CMS) and St Cedd’s Centre for Pioneer Mission (St Cedd’s) that enables pioneers to launch and lead ministries across the diocese.
Our previous graduates have led projects including a residential prayer community, an evangelistic beauty therapy business, workshops in embodiment prayer, a new mothers and children’s spirituality group, a choir church and a house of mission – among many others!
An introduction to the year and what we mean by pioneer and mission. We’ll discuss the history of pioneering, look at examples of pioneer practice, and see how Jesus gives us our foundational model for pioneering.
How can we become more effective in our ministry? How do we best apply what we are learning to our practice? In this module we’ll consider what it is to be reflective practitioners in our pioneering.
How does pioneering shape the spirituality of our communities? How do we as pioneers develop a harmony between our mission and spiritual practices? In this module we consider the practices which shape our spirituality and look at how our communities are shaped by our view of faith.
An introduction to historical and theological perspectives on the ways the missional church has consistently implemented new approaches, including the opportunity to see how this works out in pioneering settings.
What is our role as leaders in pioneer communities? In this module, we look at what leadership is, isn’t, and how to avoid common leadership pitfalls. We’ll also explore the fivefold ministry model of leadership and how it works in our own practice.
An introduction to social enterprise and its relevance in mission, theological reflection on the nature of entrepreneurship, and the opportunity to learn practical skills to set up and manage a pioneering mission project.
For each module, we’ll get together onsite for a Saturday of teaching, before heading online for an evening session where we look at the same topic from a different perspective, or a specific part of the input day in more detail.
Pioneers in London Diocese meet regularly in learning circles. As a part of Pioneer School, you’ll be able to attend the learning circle to meet a wider range of pioneers and learn from their experience.
As well as meeting Pioneers in your area, we provide the option of matching you with a pioneer practitioner to meet with you regularly for one-to-one coaching. This will help you move forward in your ministry, as well as being a place where you can think through your Evidences of Learning and reflect on how the year is going.
To ground the content you’re hearing in each module into your own context, we’ll set an ‘Evidence of Learning’ which you’ll submit for a member of the School team to comment on and make suggestions for further thought. These ‘Evidences of Learning’ can be submitted as written work, or audio recordings or video.
