This list of events includes both those organised by the CMD Team at Church House and a curated selection of external opportunities, in date order.
Bookings for our events usually close about a week in advance. If you would like to attend a Church House event after bookings have closed, please email us and we will try to accommodate late registrations.
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All | Theology | Bible | Ministry Skills | Leadership | Mission | Wellbeing & Resilience | Rest & Renewal | Learning Communities | Ministry Milestones | Misc
The Problem of Evil (External)
Over 5 days - 31st August to 4th September, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.
Wycliffe Hall Intensive with Michael Lloyd. Join us in Oxford, where C.S. Lewis wrote his book on The Problem of Pain, for the inaugural Wycliffe Hall Intensive - an exciting week of theological learning, conversation, and fellowship with an expert in their field. Open to students, academics, clergy, and all with an interest in theology, participants will learn through lectures, discussions, and field trips. We will begin each morning with a time of worship, including a sermon series on the book of Job. More details and booking here.
Building a Healthy Team and Dealing With Conflict
Tuesday 1st September 2026 10am - 3.30pm
Church House Oxford
Who is it for?: A workshop for clergy and LLMs at which 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
Lunch is provided.
Transforming Conflict 1: Leadership, Discipleship and Community(External)
6th - 11th September 2026, St Columba’s House, Woking
Leading and living well with difference: Bridge-Builders' flagship course, designed for those with leadership responsibility, laying the foundation for recognising our call as Christian disciples to live well with difference and tension. Five days packed with opportunities to learn through teaching, group work, skills practice, prayer and personal reflection. Conflict is a normal and inevitable part of life, yet leaders often feel ill-prepared to face conflict, and disturbed that it is present in Christian communities. This course is designed to help those in leadership roles who are looking for encouragement to face conflict constructively. Details and booking here.
Times and Seasons: Poetry for the Church’s Year (External)
9th - 11th September 2026, Gladstone’s Library (nr Liverpool)
This three-day course led by Professor Helen Wilcox and Reverend Canon Dr Judith Maltby will consider the church’s year as explored and expressed in the rich tradition of devotional poetry in English. Beginning with the first period of the liturgical calendar, Advent, the sessions will proceed through Christmas, Lent, Passiontide and Easter, ending with poetic responses to occasional festivals as well as the everyday spiritual experience of ‘ordinary time’. Details and booking here.
Godly Play - Training (External)
14th - 16th September 2026, St Mark’s Church Leamington Spa
A three-day accredited course led by members of the College of Trainers of Godly Play UK. This training enables you to use the Godly Play method and understand its principles. The training follows an action/reflection model of learning, through hands-on experience and reflection, rather than lectures. A certificate of completion is awarded at the end of the course. The Trainers for this course are Peter Privett and Cathryn Hoard. Info and booking here.
Rural Mission Day
Wednesday 23rd September, 10am - 3.30pm
St Mary's, Long Crendon
Who is it for?: This event is specifically for Clergy.
Come and 'dream small' with rural clergy colleagues and enjoy sharing missional experiences and ideas (including the possibility of setting up regular meetups for those exploring mission in Rural contexts). We hope to share best practice, pray for each other, read Scripture and reflect on God’s calling on us with an eye to how we bring more people to faith in Christ and share his love in and with our communities 'wholistically'. The CMD Team would also like to listen and hear what would best support you in this rural ministry to which God has called you.
Lunch is provided.
Equipped for Ministry: Science and the Life of the Church (External)
7.30-9.30pm, Mondays: 21 Sept 2026, 12 Oct, 16 Nov, 18 Jan 2027, 22 Feb, 22 Mar, Online.
Worship, teaching, pastoral care… At the Faraday Institute we are well aware of the ways in which science can speak fruitfully into the core activities of the Church’s ministry and mission. For example, images of distant galaxies can inspire wonder and worship, science is a source of modern parables to help the whole congregation, including scientifically minded people, to see the Bible with fresh eyes, and pastoral care is often informed by psychology. The life of the Church also feeds into science. For instance, many scientists find their Christian faith inspires them to value, explore and take care of creation – human as well as everything else – and prompts consideration of the limits of the experimental method. We and those in our network want to grow in learning how to live out these principles of faith informing science and science informing faith in our teaching and service in our own churches and beyond. What wisdom can we draw from science to help us in different areas of church life? How can key aspects of Christian faith feed into science? Details and booking here.
Effective Line Management
Tuesday 29th September, 10am - 3.30pm
Church House Oxford
Who is it for?: This workshop is particularly suited to incumbents, church wardens, and others with leadership responsibility (whether paid or volunteer). This workshop will offer practical guidance, shared learning, and reassurance.
An opportunity to explore good practice when managing paid staff and volunteers in churches. Led by members of the HR team, this workshop will equip anyone with a role in managing people with essential skills in communication, performance management, delegation, and coaching to boost team performance and engagement. Key topics include conducting one-to-ones, providing feedback, managing teams, and handling HR issues like absence and discipline.
Through a mix of input and guided discussion, the workshop will provide space to reflect on real-life scenarios commonly faced in parish ministry, such as managing performance for staff, handling conflict, and supporting staff wellbeing, whilst ensuring we are rooted in the values and responsibilities of the Church of England.
Lunch is provided.
Preparing for Advent: Rediscovering the Kingdom of God
Thursday 1st October, 10am - 3.30pm
Church House Oxford
In Advent, we look forward to the coming of the kingdom and encourage our congregations to do this. However, there are many competing visions of the kingdom around in our churches. This day will look at the teachings of Jesus (primarily from Matthew, Mark, and Luke) to question two popular understandings of the kingdom, assess whether and how far they fit the data we have about the kingdom in the gospels, and construct an understanding of the kingdom which fits the data more fully.
Lunch is provided.
Emotionally Healthy Leadership - Learning Community (External)
1st Semester: 8 weeks ONLINE from Wednesday 7th October - Wednesday 9th December, 9.30am - 12 noon
2nd Semester: 8 weeks ONLINE in Spring Term dates tbc (online)
Who is it for?: For all Clergy, Lay Leaders and Team Leaders.
This is an online learning community that meets for a total of 16 weeks in two 8 week blocks in the Spring and the Autumn. It covers both spiritual health in the form of spiritual and contemplative practices that sustain us such as silence and solitude and sabbath keeping as well as emotional health in the form of Emotionally Healthy Relationship skills such as Incarnational Listening, Clarifying Expectation or Exploring the Iceberg of our emotions.
The Autum Semester runs from Wed 7th October - Wed 9th December (with a two week break for half term). See the Syllabus and Course Requirements here.
Click here for the Application Form or contact Rev Danny Wignall at danny.wignall@cofeguildford.org.uk or 07544 425408 for more information.
(If you are not familiar with Pete Scazzero's book 'Emotionally Healthy Spirituality' give it a read here. As a Christian, Scazzero admits to routinely having avoided healthy conflict, suppressed or ignored emotions, used work for God as an excuse to run from God, and living a hurried life without limits. He unpacks core biblical principles that guide us into a lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your life with Christ. I gave this book to loads of my congregation! - Pete W)
Where Stillness Sparks Spiritual Growth (External)
Friday 16th October 2026, 9:30am – 4:00pm
St Katherine’s, Parmoor, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 6NN
Who is it for?: Anyone involved in children's & young people's ministry; School Teachers
A practical training day run by BeSpace in partnership with Wycombe Deanery, designed for churches and schools to explore together how stillness and contemplative practices can support children’s spiritual growth and wellbeing. Through shared experience, reflection, and practical ideas, including retreats, pilgrimages and prayer spaces; participants will be equipped to create spaces for spiritual development within school life.
We particularly encourage people to attend as a church and school partnership, where possible, so that ideas can be explored, developed and applied together.
Register Here - Cost £10. Lunch provided.
SAVE THE DATE: Winter Retreat
Wed 21st Oct, Yarnton Manor, Church Lane Yanton, Kidlington, OX5 1PY
Who is it for?: All Clergy and Lay Ministers
Retreat Program and Details forthcoming. Retreat at the beautiful Yarnton Manor.
Booking link forthcoming!
PCC Day: Exploring the practicalities of leading a PCC (External)
Thursday 5th November, 10am-4pm, Hope Church, Chesham.
Who is it for? Clergy, Lay Ministers, PCC Lay Chairs
CPAS: Fun, faith-filled and fruitful PCCs make such a difference to the life of a church. But they aren't always like this. CPAS are on a mission to make PCC meetings the best meeting people attend. And we not only believe it is possible, but have a track record of helping church leaders make the most of their PCCs. On this day we'll explore the practicalities of leading a PCC, including: Identifying the common dysfunctions; Creating a code of conduct; Crafting great agendas; Handling difficult discussions; Working well together so that everyone contributes their best; Managing multiple PCCs across a multi-parish benefice. Details and booking here (£45)
Remaking After Trauma: The Role of the Church (External)
Saturday 7th Nov 2026, 9.30am-4.30pm, Westminster College Cambridge & online:
Around 70% of adults have at least one traumatic experience at some point in their lives. For many people around the world, these experiences will be multiple, deep or lasting. In some circumstances, being a Christian can result in an increased risk of trauma. In nearly every setting, Christians have the opportunity to serve others who have been traumatised. How can the church support people who have experienced trauma, and do so in biblically and theologically informed ways? How can we become aware of the impact of trauma at multiple levels? How can we support each other, and those in our wider communities, through traumatic experiences? What does post-traumatic growth, or remaking after trauma, look like? Join us to explore this vital area of the Church’s work, alongside experienced practitioners and teachers. This course is designed as continuing professional development for church leaders, as well as training for active church members and parachurch volunteers. A certificate of attendance can be supplied on request. Details and booking here.
Studying the Lectionary Gospel: Mark
Saturday 21st November, 10am - 3.30pm
Church House Oxford
Tuesday 24th November, 10am - 3.30pm
Yarnton Manor
Explore some of the background and important themes of Mark's Gospel, the gospel for Year B.
Lunch is provided. (NOTE: 24th is a repeat of 21st)
Book 21 November Book 24 November
SAVE THE DATE: Understanding & Responding To Christian Nationalism
Tues 12th Jan, 9.30am - 1.00pm
Church House Oxford
Who is it for?: Anyone
Led by Dr Helen Paynter: Tutor in OT and Executive Dir. of the Centre for the Study of the Bible and Violence.
Program and Details forthcoming. This learning event is from the OD Discipleship: Social Justice Team, in partnership with CMD.
Lunch is provided.
Booking link forthcoming!
Transforming Conflict 1: Leadership, Discipleship and Community (External)
31st January - 5th February 2027, Bestwood Lodge, Nottingham NG5 8HT
Who is it for?: This course is designed to help anyone in a church leadership role who is looking for encouragement to face conflict constructively.
Leading and living well with difference: Bridge-Builders' flagship course, designed for those with leadership responsibility, laying the foundation for recognising our call as Christian disciples to live well with difference and tension. Five days packed with opportunities to learn through teaching, group work, skills practice, prayer and personal reflection. Conflict is a normal and inevitable part of life, yet leaders often feel ill-prepared to face conflict, and disturbed that it is present in Christian communities.
SAVE THE DATE: 'Hope For All Creation'
Thurs 4th March, 10.00am - 4.00pm
Venue: TBC
Who is it for?: Anyone
Led by +Mary, Bishop of Reading with Margot & Martin Hodson, 'Hope For All Creation' is a key theological response from the Church Of England to the environmental crises - the first for some time, containing new insights and applications. This Learning Event will include theological teaching and practical application for everyone considering how to respond well and locally to the Climate Crisis.
How might we articulate the hope for all creation in our everyday lives, as well as our teaching and preaching, amidst world climate events? If you are participating in Creationtide events, thinking about how your building contributes to creation care, or wanting to create a greenspace or a community garden, this will help equip you with the practical theology to support these activities.
Lunch is provided. This learning event is from the OD Discipleship: Creation Care Team, in partnership with CMD.
Booking link forthcoming!
Transforming Conflict 1: Leadership, Discipleship and Community for Senior Leaders (External)
18th - 23rd April 2027, Wydale Hall, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9DG
Who is it for?: This course is designed specifically for those in senior Christian leadership roles who are looking for skills and encouragement to face conflict constructively.
Conflict is a normal and inevitable part of life, yet leaders often feel ill-prepared to face conflict, and disturbed that it is present in a Christian community. It is focussed on conflict in church and other Christian settings, and through the themes of leadership, discipleship and community will help you to be a more resilient leader, and to understand more of the work of reconciliation in practice for a community of faithful disciples. Drawing on the Bridge Builders’ theological roots in the Mennonite tradition, the course explores the call of all Christians to be entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, that begins with facing and blessing enemies, and calls us to live faithfully in a spirit of power, of love and of self-control.