Four Missional Leadership Courses Offered this Spring

The Niagara School for Missional Leadership (NSML) will be offering a third term this spring! Rather than boasting a full slate of eight courses, this “mini” term will feature four courses running from May to June. Full course descriptions, schedules, and registration links can be found on the NSML website.

Canon Ian Mobsby – Developing a Contemplative Prayer Life
Tuesdays, 9am-11am (5 weeks, May 3–31)

• One of the great challenges for all those involved in new forms of ministry and mission is that it can be utterly exhausting. Leaders are expected to make things happen often in very difficult contexts with scarce resources, and working in such a vocation can be bruising. It is very difficult to develop a spiritually nourishing prayer life in such a situation. Leaders are at risk of burn out, loneliness, and ill-health. How do we trust God when we have experiences like these? This course seeks to help participants explore four steps of the twelve-step approach to face themselves and the difficulty of letting go of being in control before God. Participants can then dig deep with personal insight to rebuild a trusting relationship of surrender to God to develop a personal prayer and spiritual life for the long-term.

Patrick Paulsen – Christian Foundations 2: Reformation and Transformation
Tuesdays, 7pm-9pm (4 weeks, May 3–24)

• While continuing the path forward in providing a grounding for a life of faith from Christian Foundations 1, participants are not required to have taken Christian Foundations 1. The modules explored in this course will focus on the historical and theological expansion of the church, serving as a foundational experience for those interested in the journey from the early church until the present day. If we are to share in God’s mission for the world, then we need to have a firm idea of “the-story-so-far”!

Cid Latty – Cafechurch as Missional Praxis
Wednesdays, 10am-12pm (6 weeks, May 3–June 8)

• This course is an opportunity to reimagine what church can be in a culture where cafes are commonplace. What cafechurch principles could transform our missional activities and shape our approaches to the way we do church? What tools do we need to make real connections with our communities? Join us for this transformational learning journey that will inspire your missional engagement.

John Bowen – Reimagining Church
Wednesdays, 7pm-9pm (6 weeks, May 4–June 8)

• Are you frustrated by the decline in church attendance and ministry participation at your parish? Perhaps you’re hearing the buzz around terms like missional church, discipleship and fresh expressions, but are baffled about what those mean or how they might relate to your own parish. This course defines these terms and connects them with your experience to inspire a new vision of the church that is actually life-giving for us and for the world.

Each course will cost $250, and bursaries are available to support participation where cost might be a barrier to registering. Visit the NSML website or contact NSML coordinator Charles Meeks for more information. All courses are offered online. 

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to help share the good news of what God is up to through the school.

Watch this promotional video to see what people are saying about the NSML.