Click here for a library of resources, including recordings from previous CMD events.
Saving Souls, not Seals?
14 May (10am - 3.30pm, Yarnton Manor, Church Ln, Yarnton, Kidlington OX5 1PY)
How central is Creation Care to the Christian faith and mission? Is it a distraction from more central tasks like evangelism and worship? Or, as its addition to the Five Marks of Mission and to our baptismal promises suggest, is it a vital, if often forgotten, component to who we are as Christians?
This study day, focusing on Biblical passages and Early Christian theologians, will seek to help preachers and other ministers integrate Creation Care into their theological thinking and ministry.
Leader: Revd Dr Darrell Hannah
Working with volunteers and safer recruitment
15 May (10am - 4pm, Church House Oxford OX5 1GF)
Growing your Church workshop
4 June (12.30pm - 3pm, St Michael and St Mary Magdalene Church, Easthamstead, Bracknell)
How can we connect with people not coming to our churches?
In this café-style session for clergy and their teams, the New Congregations team offer time, hospitality and a simple structured approach to help you take the next steps. Come for an afternoon, leave with a plan. You, other church leaders (lay and ordained) are very welcome.
We’ll be asking and answering questions such as:
- How might those, such as children young people and families, be part of church when they are distant from a culture of Sunday church attendance?0
- How can what we are already doing and the connections we already have result in the growth of our church family?
- What can we apply from what we know about the steps towards discipleship?
Follow up support for leaders and teams will be on offer.
Leaders: Sarah Flashman (New Congregations); Sue Hughes (Pioneer); Rhodri Bowen (PDA)
"It was great! Time out of a busy week, but I’m glad I took it..." Previous participant
Lunch from 12.30pm. Session starts at 1pm. No charge.
Parenting as a Church Leader Day
11 June (9.30am - 2.30pm, online)
Being a church leader affects every part of our lives, including our children. We all want to be good parents and good leaders. We want to see our children flourish spiritually and emotionally. But how? Parenting as a church leader requires unique skills and choices, and it can feel like a lonely journey. Join other church leaders for an online day designed especially for you – as a parent. Hear the results of research, share your experience with others, talk honestly about your journey and hear from those who’ve walked this path before.
This day is offered by Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF).
Ticket price: £30. Don't forget that you can claim this back from your CMD grant allowance for the year.
Moving from pastoral to spiritual conversations
27 June (10am - 3.30pm, venue tba)
Through teaching, discussion and the application of spiritual discernment and practical skills, participants will explore and work with the transition point between pastoral and spiritual conversations.
Leader: Revd Joanna Gallant
Bible Week
The Kingship of God in the Psalms
1 July (10.00am – 3.30pm, St Andrew’s, Linton Rd, Oxford)
Exploring the ways in which God is portrayed as king in the Psalms, asking questions like: what does the reign of God in this life look like? How does God establish peace and justice? What do the mythical bits in Psalms of God’s kingship mean? Where is the reign of God when life seems to be falling apart? Open to all.
Leader: Revd Dr Jenni Williams
Book here
Visions of Restoration and Renewal in Isaiah
2 July (10.00am – 3.30pm St Andrew’s, Linton Rd, Oxford)
Exploring the ways in which Isaiah picks up on images describing God’s reign, peace and justice in the Psalms and develops them – and asking questions like: how do Isaiah’s visions pave the way for Jesus’ visions of the kingdom? How do they present the interplay between faith and politics? How do we read them in the life of faith today? Open to all.
Leader: Revd Dr Jenni Williams
Book here.
The Kingdom and the Law in Mark
3 July (10.00am – 3.30pm St Andrew’s, Linton Rd, Oxford)
Exploring the ways in which Mark links Jesus’ vision of the kingdom to his interpretation of the Law, asking questions like: what place do God’s commands have in the life of the kingdom? Did Jesus replace the Law with love, or didn’t he? Exactly what was Jesus’ disagreement with the Pharisees? How does all this relate to the life and vision of the church today? Open to all.
Leader: Revd Dr Andy Angel
Book here.
The Coming of the Son of Man in Mark
4 July (10.00am – 3.30pm St Andrew’s, Linton Rd, Oxford)
Exploring the ways in which Mark develops the language of the hope of Israel that has variously been called prophecy of the Second Coming, apocalyptic eschatology, cosmic-catastrophe language, and Divine Warrior myth, asking questions like: what exactly is this language, where does it come from, and what does it mean? What did Mark’s Jesus mean when he spoke about the coming of the Son of Man? And when was it fulfilled, or will it be fulfilled, or whatever else? And how might this frame our understanding of mission and ministry today? Open to all.
Leader: Revd Dr Andy Angel
Book here.
The Kingdom and the Cross in Mark
5 July (10.00am – 3.30pm St Andrew’s, Linton Rd, Oxford)
Exploring the ways in which Mark shapes his gospel to transform the hopes of Israel and offer a radical new vision of the kingship of God and the life of the covenant people, asking questions like: what exactly is the gospel for Mark? How does Jesus preach, teach, live, and embody the gospel in Mark? What does this teach us about how we should live the gospel? Open to all.
Leader: Revd Dr Andy Angel
Book here.
Digging Deeper into the NT Texts on Same-Sex Relationships
NEW DATE: 12 September (venue tbc)
Participants in our recent LLF training days have requested that we explore in-depth the NT texts that have been central to the debates in Living in Love and Faith. So, we will address them on this study day.
As this will be in-depth study, we will move at the pace of those attending but we will aim to work through as many as we can cover during the day, beginning with Romans 1:18-32. We will be contextualising them in their literary context and in their cultural context in second Temple Judaism and Hellenism.
Please bring your Bible. You are also welcome to bring your Greek New Testaments, but no knowledge of Greek will be necessary to fully participate in the day.
Presenter: Revd Dr Andy Angel
Booking link tba.
Building a Healthy Team and Dealing with Conflict
19 September (Church House Oxford)
Building a healthy team and constructively dealing with conflict when it arises. A workshop for clergy and LLMs in Oxford Diocese. The workshop is provided by Thrive Worldwide, in partnership with the Clergy Support Trust.
Participants will:
- discover how conflict often arises and how it can be resolved
- understand the principles of building a healthy team
- recognise how past life experiences can impact working relationships
- develop listening skills to support team relations
- gain confidence in having difficult conversations
- learn that a healthy team is not absent of conflict but rather one that is able to address conflict when it arises and find creative, constructive ways to move forward together
"this training ... was excellent both in content and delivery - really helpful in many ways ... I think it should be mandatory for all clergy!" (a previous participant)
For further information, email cmdevents@oxford.anglican.org
Clergy Wellbeing Day
24 Oct (10am - 3.30pm, Church House Oxford)
The day is led by JR Corporate Health Ltd, in partnership with the Clergy Support Trust. More information soon.
Click here for a library of resources, including recordings from previous CMD events.