'Pioneer Ministers' and Training Pathways

While saddled with the term 'pioneer' from an earlier report its not all bad as a term for those in the 'fresh expressions' offered a different pathway to ordination for offering leadership to something 'new', missional and contextual.
We will later get a copy of the DVD to promote the training modules and opportunities in pioneer ministry from Steve Croft and by then I was thinking about who might partner in offering training for this 'track.'

There needs to be:

• encouragement for capable Youth Workers and others with experience in ministry with young people as those best able to bring skills in context, relationship building and having a go... there are others with this backgrounf too
• We need to initiator early and walk alongside these people [kind of what was hoped but not necessarily delivered by the Forge training... too much 'crap' masquerading as wisdom]
• Mentoring, formation not just training and not just UTC formation, plus extra support and resourcing

There will be different flavours depending on peoples backgrounds and the roles they take up:

The following might have in common a need for formation in:

• Reading the context
• Interim Intentional Ministry training
• An extended network opportunity for a continuing education conference
• Youth Workers and/or ministry focused with younger generations needing mentors, perhaps Interim Intentional Ministry training
• Assets in Community building stuff
• Reflective Practice
• Different styles of leadership
• Assertiveness
• Team building
• Networking

Those who could 'do the new thing' would include:

• Youth Workers and others with focus and background in ministry with younger people
• Ministers of the Word and Deacons stepping into experimental roles
• New and Younger Lay Leaders starting something new
• New 'Candidates' identified as having gifts and insights for 'new stuff'

What if any unique training and formation would these different groups require.... it will involve lay educators, youth workers, those with mission and leadership training skills and will need to be outside the current 'Ministerial Education Board' stipulations...

Plenty to think about...

AND THE MONEY...

• Sell property to fund new initiatives
• Increase commercial rent opportunities
• Seek bequests
• Open a 'Foundation'
• Increase Presbytery Resource Grants to 3.5 with a focus on 'pioneer' stuff
• Decrease the number of Presbyteries to 5 or 6
• Volunteer religious Order styled contract 'traineeships' at $35,000 pa
• A percentage of SMRF grants to 'pioneer' stuff
• Minimum of 6-10 year plans for SMRF Grants
• At least [1] of four new Youth Worker positions 'doing something new...