Reader TrainingIncumbents’ Guide

September 2016

Reader Training in

Bath and

Wells

Contents

1. Foreword......................................................................42. Introduction.................................................................52.1 Theological Knowledge and Practical Skills...................52.2 Personal Spirituality and Witness.................................52.3 Reflective Practitioners................................................52.4 CMD............................................................................52.5 Selection.....................................................................53. Key Contacts................................................................64. The Training and Licensing of Readers in Bath & Wells...74.1 Training.......................................................................74.2 Licensing.....................................................................75. The Structure of the Course..........................................95.1 .................................................... IME 1-2 Exploring Christianity 95.2IME 3-5.........................................................................96. The Responsibilities and Role of the Training Incumbent126.1 Making appropriate opportunities for Ministerial Practice available

12Preaching........................................................................126.2 Providing Supervision, feedback and pastoral support.137. The Role of the Training Parish....................................157.1 Cost...........................................................................157.2 Changing Role............................................................157.3 Preachments and Parish study....................................168. Appendices.................................................................17Appendix i - - Bath & Wells Reader Training Policy 2016....18Appendix ii - Excerpt from Reader Handbook on Selection. 24Appendix iii - Incumbents report on Reader in Training.....28Appendix iv - Criteria for Licensing...................................29Appendix v - A Ministry Specification for a Reader.............31Appendix vi – The Moral Contract......................................34Appendix vii - Specimen Ministry Specifications................35Appendix viii - Preaching Teams - Information..................36Appendix x - The Supervisory Conversation......................48

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Appendix xiii - Giving Feedback........................................50Appendix xii – Parish Study..............................................521. Foreword Reader ministry celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and in this Diocese we have been very blessed with a strong body of Readers, who faithfully offer their gifts and time to their local churches. We currently have about 300 active Readers and each year new Readers are added to the number.

As you begin the journey of being a Training Incumbent for a Reader candidate, we hope that this booklet will be of help to you and the parish.

Its purpose is to bring together all necessary information for Reader training, specifically giving details of IME 3 to 5. As a Training Incumbent you will also receive a copy of the candidates’ guide, Becoming a Reader for IME 3 and after licensing, the booklet entitled Beginning Reader Ministry which covers IME 4.

I am extremely grateful to the Revd Frances Trickey who undertook the task of ascertaining the needs of training incumbents and bringing all the relevant documentation together into one document. The booklet includes various appendices, all of which can be downloaded from the diocesan website.

This is the first year we have produced such a document and it is very much a pilot. We hope that, as you make use of it during the next few years, you will be giving us feedback, so that we can improve what is on offer for Training Incumbents of Readers in the future.

Revd Jennifer Cole MBACourse Leader for Reader Ministry

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2. IntroductionThe purpose of Reader Training in the Diocese is to provide initial training for those who are preparing to be licensed as Readers.

The Diocese of Bath & Wells has defined a Reader as the following:

a trained lay theologian who holds a Bishop’s license to lead worship and preach in the pastoral context of the Church and who is a messenger of the Word of God to the world.

The training is designed to prepare candidates for ‘the exercise of a preaching, teaching and liturgical ministry in a pastoral context.’1

Please also read the document ‘Bath & Wells Reader Training: Reader Training Policy 2016’ included as Appendix i below. 2.1 Theological Knowledge and Practical SkillsUpon completion of some foundational theological training (most commonly the two- year diocesan course, Exploring Christianity) - which is now referred to as IME 1 and 2- the Reader in Training completes three more years training (IME 3-5). The Reader is licensed at the end of the IME 3.

2.2 Personal Spirituality and WitnessAnother vital aspect of training is in spirituality and personal witness: each candidate comes to this ministry with a particular gift and calling to share the Good News, to be a messenger of God and support and build God’s Church.

2.3 Reflective PractitionersThe training also aims to provide candidates with the resources to become reflective practitioners and to establish good practice in ministry so that their ministry is sustainable, supported and fruitful both for them and the community they serve.

2.4 CMDThe Continuing Ministerial Development programme is open to Readers and the online information is available to all serving Readers. Evidence of engagement with on-going opportunities for training is also part of the annual Reader Review.

2.5 SelectionA separate document is available which outlines the process of Selection of a candidate for Reader Training in the Diocese of Bath & Wells. This is available below as Appendix ii and on the diocesan web-site. 1Bishops’ Regulation for Reader Ministry, January 2000, Ministry Division, p.11

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3. Key ContactsThe main contact for any matters to do with Reader Training is:

Jennifer ColeJennifer is Assistant Director of Reader Studies and leads the course. Jennifer has responsibility for the implementation of the programme and will be present at most of the units. She can be contacted using the following:

Phone: 07749 079 276Email: jennifer.cole@bathwells.anglican.org

In addition,Yvonne Fry, a Reader at Farmborough, Marksbury and Stanton Prior attends all the sessions in her role as Reader Training Assistant. Yvonne acts on behalf of the candidates to help with pastoral concerns and can be contacted via this email address: yandrfry@btinternet.com

Bath & Wells Diocesan Reader officers:

The Diocesan Warden of Readers is the Archdeacon of Taunton, the Ven Simon Hill.Phone: 01823 413315E-mail: adtaunton@bathwells.anglican.org

The Wardens of Readers for each archdeaconry are as follows and are happy to be contacted with regard to any aspect of Reader Ministry:

Archdeaconry of Bath Revd Canon David HarrexPhone: 01934 833772Email: davidharrex@hotmail.com

Archdeaconry of Wells Revd Graham WittsPhone: 01278 782991Email: thewittsonweb@hotmail.com

Archdeaconry of Taunton Revd David WeirPhone: 01643 831330Email: exmoorbenefice@gmail.com

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4. The Training and Licensing of Readers in Bath & Wells4.1 Training

The scheme of training which we have adopted in the Diocese of Bath & Wells lasts for approximately five years: three years prior to licensing and two years after it. The whole training period is referred to as Reader Initial Ministerial Education (Reader IME).

Reader Phase 1 is the term we use for the training and formation which occurs prior to the Reader’s Licensing. This typically lasts three years (i.e. IME 1-3*), depending upon the previous learning of the candidate. During IME 1-2 the Reader in Training undertakes the Exploring Christianity Course. IME 3 covers Units 0 -8 (see 5.2 below).

Reader Phase 2 is the post-licensing training provided over the final two years (IME 4 and 5*; Units 9-18, see 5.3 below). This leads on to CMD (Continuing Ministerial Development) which is provided centrally in the Diocese for all Readers, Clergy and other lay-leaders.

* Please note: prior to Sept 2016 IME 3-5 were referred to as Formation Years 1-3.

4.2 LicensingLicensing is the fulcrum around which the training of Readers takes place. It normally occurs on the first Saturday in October at the end of IME 3 and just before the start of IME 4. Readers go on retreat from the Thursday to the Saturday.

A candidate can only be licensed as a Reader provided certain unwavering deadlines are met which involve both the Training Incumbent and the PCC. These are as follows:

Reports

1) Training Incumbents reportThe Archdeaconry Warden of Readers will send out a form for the incumbent to complete by the end of May in the Reader’s IME 3 year (see Appendix iii). A document entitled Criteria for Licensing is also included below as an appendix (Appendix iv).

2) Training report – the Assistant Director of Reader Studies reports on the training, based on the Criteria for Licensing (Appendix iv).

Discernment meeting

A meeting will take place between the Reader in Training, the AD Warden and the Assistant Director of Reader Studies during June and July. The incumbent’s report and the report on training form part of this meeting, which will involve a conversation with the Reader in Training about their vocation and learning.

The meeting will focus on the following questions: What do you feel God has said to you about your vocation during your training period? What changes have you noticed in yourself with regard to Reader ministry?

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What stands out for you/draws you towards Reader ministry? In what way do you think your ministry as a Reader will enable the mission of the church

(es) you will serve? In what way is your church supportive of your ministry (give a brief example)? Is there anything that you feel those discerning your call need to know with regard to you

being licensed?

Other areas may be covered as well.

After this, names of those to be recommended for Licensing are forwarded to the Bishop and the Reader Council informed. Readers in Training and their Training Incumbents will be informed promptly of their success or otherwise.

Reader Ministry Specification and PCC approval

Following the approval by the Bishop, the Training Incumbent and Reader need to work together to create a Ministry Specification as soon as possible (see Appendices v-vii below). This document needs to be approved by the PCC and a copy sent to the Warden of Readers by the end of September. With many PCCs not meeting in August it is vital that the Reader’s Ministry Specification is on the PCC agenda for either July or September at the very latest.

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5. The Structure of the Course 5.1 IME 1-2 Exploring Christianity

This is the Diocesan course for any lay people who:

…want to explore faith, deepen their commitment and learn together with other interested students, whether or not they wish to pursue a calling to recognised official

ministry although it can form the first part of Reader training or an introduction to further study.

The majority of those who train as Readers in the Diocese of Bath & Wells will need to undertake this two-year course. If it is clear that the individual undertaking the Exploring Christianity Course intends to go on and train for Readership then the Parish/Benefice will need formally to sponsor the candidate from this early stage. This is likely to have financial implications too for the PCC (see 7.1 Costs below).

Rev Jennifer Cole is the Course Director and further information can be found on the Diocesan web-site. There is a downloadable form for information and an application form on the web-site.

5.2 IME 3-5Induction – Unit 0This is a compulsory part of the course which the Training Incumbent attends with the Reader in Training. It is held in the Old Deanery on a morning in September, ending with lunch.

The meeting is designed to enable you and your Reader in Training to meet Jennifer Cole, Assistant Director of Reader Studies and Yvonne Fry, Reader Training Assistant as well as other course participants and their incumbents.

The purpose of Reader ministry, the scope of the course and how to get the most out of the course will be discussed, amongst other issues. Preaching teams may also be set up and the journal which the Reader keeps will be started.

A Learning Style Questionnaire will be handed out and discussed for your Reader in Training to complete in readiness for Unit 1, Learning how to Learn, to help discover their learning style. The Readers in Training will also begin to work on a Group Learning Agreement, which will inform the way in which their particular cohort of Readers learns together.The on-line support and access to documents for Reader Training will also be explained.

Specific guidance will also be given to Training Incumbents about holding a supervisory conversation and feedback. You will also be given an opportunity to ask any questions you have.

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IME 3-5 Course Units

There are 18 Course Units spread over three years (see below). The venue for all of them is the Old Deanery. These are included with dates below.

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IME 3 – dates for those to be licensed in 2017/8

3rd Sept ’16 Unit 0 Induction

11th Sept ’16 Unit 1 Learning how to learn

9th Oct ’16 Unit 2 Community: Inside and Outside

5th & 6th Nov ’16 Unit 3 Preaching Techniques I

15th Jan ’17 Unit 4 Preaching Techniques II

5th Mar ’17 Unit 5 Translations of the Bible

2nd Apr ’17 Unit 6 Leading Services

14th May ’17 Unit 7 Leading Services

9th Jul ’18 Unit 8 Becoming a Reader

18th Feb ’179.30-3.30 OD Wells Giving Voice to the Word

Voice Workshop led by the Herbert Trust

IME 4 – dates for those licensed in 2016

16th Oct ’16 Unit 9 Pastoral Care

11th Dec ’16 Unit 10 Funerals I

15th Jan ’17 Unit 11 Funerals II

5th Mar ’17 Unit 12 Readers as Pioneers

2nd Apr ’17 Unit 13 Mission

14th May ’17 Unit 14 Preaching revisited

18th Jul ’17 Unit 15 Leading small study groups

Theological ReflectionsAfter each of the above units, Readers and Readers in Training take part in a reflective group discussion. The process for this is as follows:

The final 30 minutes of each training day is given over to group reflection based on the topic of the day. A reflection question will be given to the group to begin the process of becoming reflective practitioners. The Assistant Director of Reader Studies and the Reader Training Assistant facilitate this process. Readers in Training are then asked to join a closed Facebook page to continue the discussion and reflection.

Preaching Teams

Preaching is a major part of the future ministry of Readers and as part of their training from IME 3 onwards each Reader in Training is part of a Preaching Team based on their geographical location. Members of each team will visit each other’s churches in order to hear and comment upon preachments using set guidelines. There will therefore be some Sundays when your Reader in Training is not at their home church as they travel to hear others’ sermons. Likewise, there will be occasional Sundays when the Preaching Team will visit your church to hear your Reader in Training preach. Further information about Preaching Teams is available in the Preaching Teams document (Appendix viii below). See also the section on Preaching 6.1 below.

Placement

During Reader Training Phase 2 all Readers are encouraged to go on a Placement of 4- 6 weeks as part of their ministerial development. Clergy are potentially involved in this in two different ways. First, the Reader in Training needs to agree with the Training Incumbent the timing of a Placement. During this period the Reader will be unavailable to fulfill any responsibilities within their home parish or benefice so it is important that the Placement is planned well ahead at a suitable time for all concerned.

Clergy can also be involved in helping the Reader in Training choose and set up their Placement, although the responsibility for arranging it rests with the Reader in Training. Further helpful information about the Placement is given in the Reader Phase Two booklet, Being a Reader and in Appendix ix below.

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IME 5 - dates for those licensed in 2015

13th Nov ’16 Unit 16 Ethics

5th Mar ’17 Unit 17 Reconciliation

18th Jun ’17 Unit 18 Mission and Evangelism

6. The Responsibilities and Role of the Training IncumbentAs the ministry and training of a Reader are focused primarily in a local context, the roles of both the incumbent and the parish are vital in the training of candidates for Reader ministry. Both incumbent and parish will have been involved in the selection of the Reader in Training - for which there is additional information available: see 2.5 above. Once training begins the main responsibilities and roles which the incumbent needs to fulfil include:

a) making appropriate opportunities for ministerial practice available;b) providing supervision, feedback and encouragement; c) taking a pastoral interest in the candidate and their circumstances; particularly how they

adjust to the new pressures placed upon them by integrating study and practice with the rest of their lives;

d) inducting the candidate into the parish’s pattern of leadership and ministry; e) helping the candidate make the transition to a role of authorised ministry;f) continuing to ensure the candidate has support from the wider congregation and

particularly the PCC (for example, in terms of opportunities to minister and especially in regard to expenses: see section 7.1 Costs below).

Further information on each of these roles will be given at the Induction Morning (IME 3 Unit 0).

6.1 Making appropriate opportunities for Ministerial Practice available

Preaching There is no set requirement; the pattern and frequency of opportunities to preach in your parish or benefice needs to be agreed between you and the Reader in Training. However, it is especially important that those in training are given opportunity to practise the preaching techniques which they are taught in IME 3 and 4. As a rough guide, once licensed, Readers preach about once a month. Preaching during training should be supervised and appropriate feedback given (Congregational feedback is also sought- using form available on line and in Appendix viii below). Between January and May of IME 3 you will need to contribute to the formal assessment of one sermon as part of Preaching Teams. Please ensure that your Reader in Training is given the opportunity to preach on at least one occasion before their Preaching Assessment especially if they have never preached prior to the start of their Reader training. (See section 5.2 Preaching Teams above and Appendix viii below for Evaluation Forms for Preaching.)

Leading ServicesLeading services should also form part of the Reader in Training’s practical experience from the beginning of IME 3. The Reader in Training will need help to plan and discuss ideas beforehand as well as supervision and feedback after the event.

Funerals

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No Reader in Training should take a funeral as it is a requirement of the Bishop that training should be given before engaging in this ministry. However, once they are in IME 4 and studying the units on Funeral Ministry (Units 10 and 11), it is important that the Reader in Training sees this ministry modelled and is given appropriate opportunities for reflection and discussion.

Pastoral MinistryOpportunities for this should arise out of the ministries above and will need to be discussed and agreed upon by the Training Incumbent and Reader in Training. For some individuals there will need to be a setting aside of some roles in order to learn new ones (see section 7.2 below).

6.2 Providing Supervision, feedback and pastoral supportThe early creation of a schedule of regular meetings and supervisions is fundamental both to the success of the candidate’s training and flourishing within their context and to the benefit which the parish will gain from the Reader’s ministry. There is no set pattern or frequency for this so the Training Incumbent and Reader in Training will need to work out a pattern which suits them.

From responses garnered from previous cohorts of Readers in Training it is important that meetings between Readers in Training and their Training Incumbents meet both the formal requirements of supervision and also provide pastoral support to the Reader in Training (and their family) throughout their training. It may therefore be wise from the outset to make clear which meetings are formal supervisions and which are intended primarily as pastoral conversations or to allocate time within each meeting for both whilst fulfilling the requirements of the Supervision, which is intended to last for an hour.

SupervisionThe training for Reader ministry is not simply about the acquisition of skills. As it states in section 2.3 (above), Readers (in a similar way to Curates) need to become reflective practitioners. This is

continued and developed in the interactions between practice, prayer, conversation in supervision and continued theological study.

From A Handbook for Curates and Training Incumbents

IME Phase 2 in the Diocese of Bath & Wells, p.7

This process of change and learning (‘formation’) is promoted by regular, focused supervision sessions led by the Training Incumbent. More information and guidance will be given to you in Unit 0 - the Induction Morning. However, an important principle for the Supervision is that it is for the Reader in Training’s (‘supervisee’s) benefit and the Supervision element of your meeting should last an hour. Appendix x below provides detailed guidance and an account of the aims of the Supervision and the various stages through which it should proceed.

FeedbackFeedback is required at various stages of the Reader’s training, some of which is formalised

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(for example, feedback on preaching- see Appendix viii) and some which is less formal (such as feedback after leading services). Feedback plays a vital role in helping a Reader in Training develop their gifts and hone their skills. Informal feedback- a brief, encouraging comment- should be given on every occasion that the Reader in Training does anything within their new role. A promise needs then to be made to discuss this in further detail at your next meeting. Giving appropriate, constructive feedback which develops your Reader in Training is a skill which some Training Incumbents may find comes naturally but which others may need to work on! Advice will be given at the Induction Morning (Unit 0) and Appendix xi gives further helpful information about the principles involved. Pastoral supportThose who are training as Readers need to feel valued, not just for what they are learning and increasingly contributing to the life of your church or congregation, but for who they are. In some cases, you will have known the person for some time prior to their training. At the other extreme, you may ‘inherit’ a Reader in Training who has moved from another parish for some reason, or you may be a new incumbent. In all cases, the Reader in Training is walking a path which they have never trodden before and so they may easily be feeling more vulnerable or overwhelmed than usual. Their loved ones too may be finding adjustment to having a member of the family in public ministry unexpectedly difficult, so they may need support and pastoral care. As their Incumbent you also have a role in helping your church members to understand how life might be for the Reader in Training and their family during the lengthy and costly process (see section 7.2 below) from IME 1-5.

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7. The Role of the Training ParishThe local Church (whether a benefice or parish) is the primary, vital context and field of practice within which most of the training takes place. The parish and the incumbent therefore share in the responsibility and privilege of helping the candidate in their formation and development. The PCC will already have been aware of the Reader in Training’s selection process and hopefully therefore be in sympathy with the candidate’s training.

7.1 Cost The cost of becoming a Reader is borne by the parish or benefice. An invoice is sent at the beginning of IME 3, 4 and 5 to the Training Incumbent. Currently, these costs are:

IME 3 £220 IME 4 £210IME 5 £ 60

The Reader in Training will also present their travel expenses to the Training Parish or Benefice at an interval agreed with the PCC. *

As examples of good practice, PCC’s are also encouraged to: Buy - or at least contribute significantly to the purchase of - the Reader’s robes. Buy the Reader’s scarf- the parish/benefice is invoiced by the Reader Council who purchase

them centrally on behalf of all Readers. Currently the cost is approximately £50. Purchase the Reader a copy of each of the following:

Common Worship; Daily Prayer; Pastoral Services and an annual Lectionary Booklet. Pay the Reader annual subscription which currently is £40.                      Award a book grant.

Supporting the Reader in Training in these tangible ways provides those in the local context with the opportunity formally to recognise the immense contribution to the life and ministry of the local Church that the Reader makes.

*Please note: There is a subsidy for Readers who have to travel further than the average distance. Applications should be made to Jennifer Cole.

7.2 Changing Role Congregations need to be helped to understand that the Reader in Training has now responded to a call which God is making upon their lives. This is a journey of learning and discovery which is certainly demanding and hopefully fulfilling. The Reader in Training is moving from the things they have done in the past into new roles and giftings which are only gradually revealed. Therefore, the home church or benefice needs to be helped to understand that the Reader in Training is no longer able to fulfil the roles which they once occupied and may not know exactly what their future roles will be. The course also requires that the Reader in Training is absent from their own church at some points (for example, when attending another church as part of Preaching Teams or

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on Placement- see section 5.2 above).For many Readers in Training there is a profound sense of bereavement at what has to be laid down as well as an excitement (mixed with fear!) about what might lie ahead. Any help and understanding which their local context can give them during this (sometimes painful and demanding) process is extremely valuable.

7.3 Preachments and Parish studyThe Reader in Training is required to preach regularly in IM3 3-5 (see also 6.1 above). As part of the feedback used to hone their preaching skills, selected members of the congregation are asked to provide feedback using the forms contained within the Preaching Teams document (see Appendix viii below). Guidance about how to complete these forms is also given in the same appendix. It is very important to note that feedback needs to be constructive rather than devastating: ‘gentle honesty’ is better than ‘brutal honesty’ (see also Appendix xi).

For anyone to minister effectively within a particular context the development of a deepening awareness of that context- its makeup and values- is important. To this end the Reader in Training is required to undertake a Parish Study early in IME 3; a research project which will include their own guided observations as well as listening to the stories of the congregation and access to the archival material about the congregation. Further information is given in Appendix xii below.

8. AppendicesThe following appendices appear below:

Appendix i Diocese of Bath & Wells Reader Training: Reader Training Policy 2016Appendix ii Selection of a candidate for training as a Reader Bath & Wells DioceseAppendix iii Report form sent out by the Archdeaconry Warden of ReadersAppendix iv Criteria for LicensingAppendix v A Ministry Specification for a ReaderAppendix vi The Moral ContractAppendix vii Specimen Ministry SpecificationsAppendix viii Preaching Teams information, including feedback forms for Training Incumbent and

Congregation Appendix ix Going on Placements Appendix x The Supervisory ConversationAppendix xi Giving feedbackAppendix xii Parish Study

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Appendix I - - Bath & Wells Reader Training Policy 2016Preamble In the ongoing review of training for Readers it is helpful sometimes to revisit first principles. The team did this in 1996, 2002 and 2012 (Reader training policy 2013). In the light of the PER in 2015 and the subsequent recommendations, the following policy on Reader training has been reformed and shaped to the needs of the Diocese. In line with the self evaluation required by SCRTP and the Ministry Division this review is being carried out annually. In all cases, it is helpful to restate the definition of the ministry of Readers which leads on to the training policy to achieve it.

RationaleBath & Wells Reader ministry is shaped by three main influences upon it, as follows:

Our diocesan strategy requires Readers to be lay theologians, practitioners of theological reflection and enablers of the people of God through preaching, leading worship, pastoral care that emerges from these activities and leaders of small groups, whether for learning or Church management

The national Church requires a standard of achievement for Readers with outcomes of training and formational indicators

Resources in the Diocese are finite and Reader training needs to be flexible to cope with varying sizes of group and changing budgets

FormationWe believe that formation, in God’s economy, is formation into the likeness of Christ. We are all born in the image of God, and our journey through life is towards the likeness of Christ. The servant and leader ministry of Christ was ultimately shown in his sacrifice of salvation, which at its heart emanates from his passionate love for humankind. This is the context of our formation as his disciples and the aims are to be made whole in the image of God and the likeness of Christ.

Leaders of Christ’s church are part of Christ’s body and foundationally followers, disciples of his example. Readers are part of this leadership and therefore are required to first and foremost be disciples who demonstrate an ability and desire to follow Christ and enable others to walk in his footsteps. Reader formation, then, is not only the acquiring of skills and knowledge in order to fulfil their own ministry of being a lay theologian, a preacher and minister of God’s care and teaching, but also an aptitude for enabling others to discern their gifts and service, sometimes costly, sacrificial service.

The support and training necessary for such leaders needs to be modelled by their educators and trainers and considered in depth during the initial training period. This will then form a foundational level of aptitude, knowledge and skill to lead and serve the church and wider community.

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The programme for Reader training therefore needs to be an amalgam of theological knowledge and reflection, technical skills of preaching, liturgical leadership and pastoral care, and the sapiential learning of a confident Christian environment. If these elements can be fused then the candidates will have access to and examples of good Christian leadership.

Formation is of the body, mind, heart and soul, exploiting strengths and making weaknesses acceptable to eliminate unacceptable practice. However, the cost should not be underestimated and support groups beyond licensing are essential to deal with the challenges of ministry as well as rejoicing in the many joys.

Shaping the Future and the Bishops’ Guidelines for training The guiding document which informed our planning and setting up of the training programme has been Shaping the Future, Church House Publishing 2006. This document was superseded in 2014/15 and this new document is the basis for Reader training provision in Bath and Wells from 2016. The redesigned programme for 2016 is therefore based on this set of criteria.

What is a Reader?We continue to affirm that ‘Readers are trained lay theologians who hold a Bishop’s licence to lead worship and preach in the pastoral context of the Church and who are messengers of the Word of God to the world.’ We believe that Readers should be exemplars of faithfulness as Christian leaders in the world and the church. To spell this out a little further, here is a list of roles which come under this heading.

Their specific ministry should demonstrate:

Ability to reflect theologically on the world and the specific local context Ability to preach which offers inspiration and accurate exploration of

Scripture Competence to lead worship in a creative and appropriate way within

their context Good skills of adult education as teachers A pastoral management of people and administration Confident leadership which models good collaboration A personal maturity and integrity as the basis for care and support of

congregations and the wider community

What will enable Readers to achieve their roles in ministry? (Aims)The licensing of a Reader is a pivotal moment in a candidate’s journey into and through Reader ministry. The period around licensing we term Initial Ministerial Education (IME). This can be a period of 5 years, three before licensing and two after it. Training and formation which occurs before licensing is termed Reader Training Phase 1 (IME 1-3) training and formation post licensing is termed Reader Training Phase (IME 4 & 5) . The length of the Phase 1 programme depends upon the previous learning of the candidate. However, if a candidate has not received any formal theological training then this will normally be three

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years of study. The length of Phase 2 is usually two years, leading into CMD which is shared with clergy and other lay leaders in our diocese.

Therefore, the IME provision for a Reader candidate is

IME 1-3 pre-licensingIME 4 & 5 post licensingIME 1 & 2

We offer Exploring Christianity as our diocesan contribution to this component. The course is a two year, six term opportunity to learn about the Bible, Church doctrine, ministry and mission, spirituality and ethics.

Assignments are assessed in line with contemporary validation processes. Exploring Christianity is one route, perhaps the main one, qualifying Readers for their ministry in terms of theological components of initial Reader training. Other routes, such as St John’s College Nottingham, other Reader schemes, theological study by distance learning are all suitable alternatives. We assess every candidate individually at the time of selection and exempt them of specific modules as and when appropriate.

In the past we have been in partnership with Marjon to provide accredited HE qualifications. We have not pursued this over the past 10 years for the following reasons:

The provision of higher educational qualifications is dependent on an institution’s view of ministerial provision. This has not always coincided with the broad spectrum of theological views within the Diocese and would limit the accessibility of the qualification on offer.

Our philosophy is to work from a bottom up perspective recruiting members of congregation to deepen their faith with study. Many candidates for Reader ministry are in the category of having left full time education many years ago and need to enter their studies from a basic and foundational level leading on to deeper reflection. In reality this is achieved by pitching parts of our Exploring Christianity course at level 0 and encouraging a steeper gradient to stretch candidates.

We have found the cost of HE CATS points too expensive for churches or individuals to bear

Having surveyed potential and actual students on the Exploring Christianity/Christian Foundations courses fewer then 5% suggested that they might use academic transfer points for further qualifications.

IME 3The licensing of Readers occurs on the first Saturday of October each year at the annual service for Readers in the Cathedral in Wells. Therefore, IME 3 begins in September the previous year and concludes with the licensing in the next October. IME 3 consists of a discrete group who come together approximately eight times in formal sessions and five times in local groups for voice workshops and preaching teams.

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The formal sessions involve modules on learning how to learn, preaching, mission, leading worship, biblical studies and administration. The candidates lead prayer and worship, eat together, learn and study together, engage in theological reflection together.

IME 4 & 5Post licensing, the IME 3 group reform and meet for seven sessions (IME 4) throughout the following year which extends their learning from Reader training phase 1. The curriculum is spiral and includes sessions on funeral ministry, preaching at funeral services, pastoral care, leading small groups and mission. IME 5 consists of three formal sessions and includes work on reconciliation, ethics and mission and evangelism.

CMD provisionEach year a raft of courses is offered to licensed Readers in order that an individual may select what will be most useful to study. The selection emerges from the Reader review which constitutes the basis of an annual return completed by every Reader in collaboration with their incumbent. This review notes areas of development and suggests possible training that might be useful. The collation of training needs as written in the annual return forms the basis of the provision of pathway and enrichment training events which will appear in the following year’s brochure.

Clearly this action reflection loop which is operative in the production of a brochure will not necessarily cater for every Reader. Therefore, individual requests are dealt with by a pastoral process of conversation between the Reader, possibly the incumbent and the Assistant Director of Reader Studies

Bridging the transition into CMDIt has been noted in secular education that the the transition between primary and secondary education, from Key Stage 2 to 3, can sometimes lose some educational advantage and opportunity. The transition from IME to CMD may be prone the same potential dangers. Initial training involves a discreet group in the pre- and post-licensed years, usually numbering 10-12 students. Ongoing training is located in the context of clergy, Reader and lay leader events, often attracting 40-50 learners. The movement between the smaller group and the larger group can create a disincentive to ongoing learning. Whilst initial training is mandatory and provided centrally by the Diocese, ongoing training is selective, ie the person has to select which sessions they attend, and this is sometimes not provided centrally but offered as a course held possibly outside the Diocese. Issues of autonomy and responsibility for self-directed learning need to be addressed. Participants in IME 5 are offered guidance toward making the best of the excellent CMD provision offered later. We believe that this offers good practice in terms of modelling ongoing training whilst recognizing the enrichment of a discrete learning community which Readers have experienced through their pre- and post-licensed years.

PlacementsThe programme also includes a placement element which Readers are required to complete within three years of licensing. Guidance is given to candidates

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and supervisors are appointed as the candidate selects and draws closer to engaging in a placement.

Supervision of IME Phases 1 & 2All the modules are supervised by the DRS and ADRS and involve reflective evaluation upon learning. The hermeneutical cycle provides the methodology not only for the individual sessions but the courses as a whole. Course and session design is carefully monitored to reflect the latest learning and thinking about each subject. Participants are offered induction, a course manual and constant updates as to the direction of the learning. Moderators of the course scrutinise the Exploring Christianity component of the course and the Reader training make suggestions annually as to how to improve it. This is then implemented by the DRS and ADRS.The Exploring Christianity components and formation years are reviewed annual by the Warden of Readers, Archdeaconry Wardens, DRS and ADRS.

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ObjectivesIME 3

1. To provide students with an understanding of the crafts involved in preaching

2. To enable students to gain some experience in preaching skills in a local church setting

3. To examine the theological basis of current preaching techniques4. To work together with colleagues to promote the conversational aspect of

preaching, thereby promoting collaboration5. To promote skills in leading worship and the pastoral care that emerges

from preaching and leading

IME 4 & 5 1. To provide student with an understanding of funeral ministry 2. To enable students to minister in a pastoral context 3. To discover ways of leading a variety of liturgical events4. To know methods and processes of engaging with adults in an

educational context

Content

IME 3 – Foundational tools and techniques0 Induction morning 1 Learning how to learn 2 Community inside and outside 3 & 4 Preaching techniques I and II 5 Translations of the Bible 6 & 7 Leading services8 Becoming a Reader

IME 49 Pastoral Care 10&11 Funerals I and II12 Readers as pioneers 13 Mission 14 Preaching revisited 15 Leading small study groups

IME 516 Ethics17 Reconciliation 18 Mission and evangelism

Beyond IME 5 – CMD Formation Year 3 usually includes three sessions as a transition into the

full CMD programme which is for clergy, Readers and lay leaders. Readers are required to attend two courses a year as part of their

continuing ministerial development. As part of their training Readers undertake a placement within three

years of licensing

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ResourcesThe course comprises of a number of different kinds of resources including:

A variety of staff drawn from the Diocese and outside Materials such as course books, handouts etc Access to mentors, spiritual directors and support groups The opportunity to speak with members of staff concerning personal

progress and vocation Venues, meeting points Finance for travel, visits, course fees and robes

Method of assessment Reader candidates are selected usually before they begin the discreet Reader training course.

The method of assessment for Readers in training is by written assignments in IME 1 & 2, a viva in IME 3, a review in IME 4 and by annual return in IME 5 and beyond.

The criteria for written assessments is outlined in the Exploring Christianity documentation. The description of the viva for IME 3 is outlined in Becoming a Reader and the Reader Training Incumbent’s Guide. The annual return is administered by the Archdeaconry Wardens in conjunction with the Training Department.

Review of this documentThis policy will be next reviews in early 2017.

Diocese of Bath & Wells 2016

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Appendix ii - Excerpt from Reader Handbook on Selection revised September 2015

Selection

1 Hearing a callThe call to become a Reader may be felt by an individual or come about as the result of asuggestion by their Incumbent, a member of the congregation where they worship, or someone who does not even attend church but recognises certain qualities in the individual which suggest they are being called by God to serve Him in the Church through this ministry.

There is no single profile for a Reader in terms of sex, age, educational background oremployment; however those thinking God is calling them to Reader ministry need to consider these questions:

• Do you think God is calling you to serve him more fully in ministry?• Are you being called to the teaching and preaching ministry of a Reader?• How do you currently witness to Christ in your daily life? Do you pray and

study the bible daily? Are you a regular communicant?• Have you talked over the possibility of Reader ministry with your spouse

and family? • How do they feel about your sense of vocation?

If Reader ministry seems the right course the next step for the potential Reader is to talk this over with their Incumbent. This conversation will cover a number of areas:

• Some reflection on the conclusions you have drawn from your answers to the questions above

• Practical things regarding how and where you will serve as a Reader. Are there

• commitments in the parish or benefice and elsewhere which you would have to give up in order to train and to be able to exercise a Reader ministry?

• Consideration of the following questions: Is your Incumbent willing to support your selection? Is your Incumbent willing to ask the PCC to agree to your nomination as a candidate?

In considering the above the following may be helpful.

2 General qualities of a potential readerA potential Reader must be able to exhibit a maturity of Christian commitment and be able to show evidence of a sense of call from God to this work.

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A potential Reader should fulfil most of the following:

• Be a communicant member and regular worshipper in the Church of England, and a committed member of their local church

• Be a person who has a well rounded spirituality based on a regular prayer life informed by the reading/study of scripture and other Christian literature

• Have a real heart for sharing the Gospel. [Although many people feel daunted by the prospect of preaching and teaching it is necessary to realise that this is the core function of Readership so the ‘heart’ for this should be there]

• Be a person who is a good communicator. Someone who is able to reflect their faith to their daily life outside of the Church in an integrated way

• Be a wise and mature Christian able to function as part of a team• Be a person who has proved their worth in other areas of the Church’s

life and ministry• Someone who will be able to keep up with a fairly demanding training

and be open to continued learning once licensed through various forms of continuing ministerial education

• Be a person who is known and trusted by the Incumbent and congregation in general

• Be somebody who has something very important to contribute within the life, worship and leadership of the Church

3 Discerning your vocationDiscerning your vocation can be a long process and it is important that the decision reached is right from everyone’s perspective. At the start of the process you will be listening carefully to what God may be asking you to do. Pray about what you are hearing and feeling. Have conversations with family, trusted friends and your Incumbent and listen to what they say. Often other people perceive a person’s call to ministry more clearly than the person themselves.

If it seems right to continue the exploration, either ask your Incumbent or your Archdeaconry Warden of Readers [addresses in Appendix J] to refer you to a Vocations Chaplain. He or she will offer you time and space to explore things further, to see what feels right and comfortable.

The Vocations Chaplain will refer you back to your Archdeaconry Warden [unless you have decided to investigate other forms of ministry] who will invite you to a formal interview to consider your vocation in light of the selection guidelines for Reader Ministry from the Archbishops' Council - Ministry Division. Your Archdeaconry Warden, may wish to have further conversations with you and will also take up your references and check that you have the full support of your parish priest and PCC.

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After due consideration of your application and if your Archdeaconry Warden is happyfor you to proceed, you will be referred to the Selection Conference Secretary. The selection process to be followed is given in full as a flow chart below

4 Possible next steps• Suggestion to explore vocation in other directions and have further

conversations to try and clarify the nature of the calling• In the case of a person who has not yet started the Exploring Christianity

course, to start the course and to see how it goes for a few months and then discuss possible vocation again

• Proceed to the formal selection process.

If a call is apparent the potential Reader should make an appointment with a Diocesan Vocations Advisor [address can be found the in Diocesan Directory or through the Diocesan office] who will help them discover whether God is actually calling them in this direction or to some other form of ministry. If the call is to Reader Ministry the process to be followed is given as a flow chart in Appendix A. If the call seems to be something else the Advisor will help direct the person in the right direction.

5 The selection conferenceThis is a one day conference which normally takes place on a Saturday at The Diocesan Office in Wells. Each candidate will be interviewed by four Selectors. The Selection Panel is made up of ordained and lay people with an appropriate age/gender balance. Candidates are considered under the following headings.

Vocation: Candidates should be able to speak of their own sense of vocation to ministry and mission, referring both to personal conviction and to the extent to which others have confirmed it. Their sense of vocation should be obedient, realistic and informed.

Faith and Mission: Candidates should show an understanding of the Christian faith and a desire to deepen that understanding. They should demonstrate personal commitment to Christ and a capacity to communicate the Gospel.

Spirituality: Candidates should show evidence of commitment to a spiritual discipline which involves individual and corporate prayer and worship. Their spiritual practice should be such as to sustain and energise them in their daily lives.

Relationships and personality: Candidates should be people of integrity, who are sufficiently mature and stable to show that they can sustain the demanding role of a minister and to face change and pressure in a flexible and balanced way. They should show the potential to offer wise leadership in the Church community and to some extent beyond it. Candidates should demonstrate self-awareness and self-acceptance as a basis for developing open and healthy personal and pastoral relationships as ministers. They should show ability and willingness to work both as team members and as leaders.

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Potential for training: Candidates should be capable of undertaking satisfactorily a course of study and ministerial preparation with an open and enquiring mind.Further information on Selection is contained in the booklet ‘Selection for Reader Ministry’ ABM Policy Paper No.7.

6 Procedure following the selection conferenceThe decision of the Selection Conference is notified to the Archdeaconry Warden. This takes place as quickly as possible and usually within a week.

The Archdeaconry Warden notifies the Candidate and his/her Incumbent of the Selector’s decision. The Archdeaconry Warden will inform the Candidate of the Selector’s remarks and issues that they think should be addressed. Candidates may request to receive a copy of the full Selector’s Report if they so wish.

Candidates who have been recommended for Reader Training will be contacted by The Assistant Director of Reader Studies to discuss the next steps in their training.Candidates who have not been recommended for training may wish to appeal against the decision. Notice of appeal, giving the grounds, should be made in writing and addressed to their Archdeaconry Warden. The Archdeaconry Warden will then handle the appeal and notify the candidate of the decision and the reasons for it.

Finally, it should be noted that the whole selection process will take some time. It is important that it is not rushed so that suitable time for prayer and reflection can be given to try to ensure the right discernment is made by all involved in the process.

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Appendix iii - Incumbents report on Reader in Training The incumbents report is an integral part of the Reader discernment process. This report affirms your support and commitment to the candidate and their future public ministry. Please write as fully as possible to demonstrate that support and commitment.

Your own report alongside that of the discussion between the Reader in Training, the Revd Jennifer Cole and the appropriate Archdeaconry Warden of Readers determines the suitability for recommending this candidate for licensing by the Bishop. Thank you for your commitment to this process. Archdeaconry Wardens of Readers: David Weir, David Harrex and Graham Witts Name of Reader in trainingParish

How has the vocation of the Reader in training been affirmed during the training period? Give examples

What changes have you noticed in your RIT with regard to Reader ministry?

In what way do you think the  ministry of your RiT will enable the mission of the church (es) he/she will serve?In what way is your church supportive of this ministry (give a brief example)?

Are there any issues that need to be taken into consideration with regard to discerning being licensed? 

We the parish(es) of …………… support …………………… to become a Reader

Signed: ………………………… Date: ……………………….

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Appendix iv - Criteria for Licensing

At the June meeting of Warden, Archdeaconry Wardens and the Reader training team decisions are made about the Readers in training regarding licensing.

Below are the kinds of things that we are looking out for which help us with the decision. These criteria are gathered through records, observation and discernment throughout the training period.

Implicitly within these are the criteria for selection. They are:

Attendance We are primarily concerned with attendance at the training units, voice workshop, induction and any other events the Reader in training is invited to. Clearly absence for good cause is acceptable. However, it is important that Readers honour their agreement to make training a priority. Punctuality will be noted and the ability to be courteous and clear. This will be taken into account in the decision whether or not to license.

Engagement with the group We know that there are different types of personality, particularly the introvert and extravert. We might expect the introvert to spend more time on their own and the extravert to enjoy socialising. Quite often preachers will portray an introvert preference. In the first two residential components of the course it is important that the group bonds together in order to support one another on the journey towards the practice of ministry. Conflict within the group and how it is resolved, signs of isolation, good integration and those who seek to build the social structure of the group will be noted. Clearly people should be allowed to be themselves and exercise the ministry God has called them to through their personality. However, we are committed to no one working alone. This must form part of the discernment for licensing.

Engagement with the course The difference between a candidate who simply is attending the course and those who are participating as members will be noted. This may show itself in candidates asking questions, offering their opinion, engaging the tutors over the content on the course, submitting written work and other tasks when asked to and on time.

Reflective abilityTwo areas here that are important are reflection on preaching and reflection on time of training. Reflective ability means thinking through the implications of a given opinion and interpretation, forming a critique and allowing theory to direct new insights. Here we are looking for expressions of reflective ability within candidates.

Integrity

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We are looking for signs of growth in stature of the candidate and will hope to see the Formation of the Reader as a preacher and leader of worship. Alongside this, a willingness to undertake pastoral implications of these ministries should be in evidence. This is not to say that these skills will be finely honed but an enthusiasm to engage with them is necessary. In terms of preaching, we are looking for the Reader in training to find their voice.

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MaturityOften a period of training involves de-formation before re-formation. The Formation Years are times of change in the faith of the Reader in training and commitment. A mature candidate will devise strategies to cope with the struggles the Formation Years present. We are looking for a holistic exercise of ministry developing so that the emergent Reader will be both focused and rounded.

Spirituality The course members embrace a wide view of spirituality ranging from the contemplative to the charismatic. Evidence that the Readers in training have come alive to the task of ministry will be noted. Given that spirituality may be seen as an umbrella over the physical, mental and emotional a lively spirituality will affect all three of these attributes. Examples of sacrificial giving (even the smallest evidence of such) especially shown through commitment will be noted. We will also note how the Reader is able to be tolerant and respect other views, accept other ways of being, articulate their faith and form a discipline of devotion.

CompetenceClearly we want competent preachers and leaders of worship who are able to exercise genuine pastoral ministry. The portfolio will begin to show some evidence of this and will be inspected towards the end of the first year. The Reader will be expected to complete administrative forms during their ministry and it will be noted how the Reader has performed during their training period, eg keeping the leaders up to date with changes of address, e-mail etc.

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Obviously we are not looking for perfection, but we are looking for a high standard of those who exercise Reader ministry. Assessment of these attributes and qualities is of course subjective. Where evidence is possible to gather, it will be. Decision about the likelihood of the Reader in training being licensed will depend upon a broad discussion based on reports from Incumbent and parish as well as the engagement of the Reader in training with the first year of Formation.

Appendix v - A Ministry Specification for a Reader

As part of your preparation for Reader ministry, you are required to draw up a ministry specification with your incumbent. This will form the basis of your work over the coming year. We have enclosed some questions, a moral contract and a specimen ministry specification, which will guide you when you produce your ministry specification. You should read all of it before attempting to put your own specification together.

How to write a Reader ministry specificationAs part of this you have been given a Grove Booklet 'Reader Ministry Today' and a copy of the Bishops' Regulations for Reader Ministry. Please read these before attempting to write a specification. You should also consider the questions outlined in the moral contract section. Then try to answer the questions on the page. These questions should be the basis of a discussion between incumbent and Reader. It may be of help to write notes of possible answers before you meet. When the specification is complete, it needs to be given to and approved by the PCC and a copy sent to the Warden. At the date of review the Reader and incumbent might evaluate how the specification has worked out and make adjustments for the future.

IntroductionThe object in drawing up a ministry specification is to ensure that the Reader, the incumbent, the PCC, the churchwardens and the whole ministry team (whether formally constituted or not) know what the Reader is expected to do. A copy should be sent to the Warden for information. The specification must be agreed between incumbent and Reader and approved by the PCC. It provides a basis for periodic review of experience and achievement. The following headings and notes provide a framework for the compilation of a ministry specification. They are intended to prompt systematic, careful thought about a Reader's ministry in a particular place and at a particular time. The resulting specification should be factual, specific and concise.

1. Preamblea. What is the formal status of Reader?b. How would you summarise the role of a Reader?c Where will the Reader exercise his or her ministry?d. How do the legal and official C of E documents describe Reader ministry?

This provides an opportunity to state the formal position of Readers in the Church of England together with any important facts about the Reader's ministry in the parish (es). (See The Bishops' Regulations for Reader Ministry)

2. PurposeIn one sentence, what is the main purpose of the Reader's ministry

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Not to be confused with tasks, this heading is intended to give a broad overview of the Reader's ministry in the parish (es). Especially in places where other Readers are already working, it is important to identify the particular contribution, which the Reader will make.

Please note that Readers are not automatically ex-officio members of the PCC. If the PCC has already taken a decision to admit Readers then the ministry specification should reflect this. However, if the PCC still need to take a vote on this, the ministry specification should indicate the intention.

3. Accountabilitya. Describe the line of accountability of the Reader (example given in

specimen)b. What opportunities are intended for meetings between the

incumbent and Reader?c. What freedom to make decisions will the Reader have?

In accordance with the Bishop's licence, the Reader is accountable only to the Bishop and the incumbent. This is worth stating. This heading also provides an opportunity to set out the means by which the Reader and incumbent will keep in touch, eg by the frequency and timing of saying the office together and meetings at specific intervals to review experience and plan future participation in worship and other activities.

The incumbent and Reader (and others) must be clear about what authority and responsibility has been delegated to the Reader and on what matters the Reader must consult the incumbent (and/or others). Where authority is delegated, the Reader must get on with the job without seeking constant reassurance; equally, he/she must be allowed to do the job without constant intervention or oversight.

4. Tasksa. In which areas of ministry will the Reader seek to operate?b. In what ways will the Reader exercise his or her ministry in those areas?c. List the specific tasks that the Reader will fulfil.d. Group this list into the areas in a above.

Initially, every task (no matter how small) that the Reader undertakes or will undertake, should be listed. At a second stage, these tasks can be ranked in order of importance and some may then be grouped together. Some tasks currently performed by the Reader may, more appropriately, be transferred to other lay people so that the Reader can concentrate on the more important aspects of ministry for which he/she has been trained. Each task should be briefly described in specific, positive terms

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5. Allocation of time/workloada. How will we assess an appropriate workload for the Reader?b. How will we assess if the Reader is being overloaded/under used in

his or her work?c. What steps will be taken if the workload becomes excessive or under used?

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It is important to estimate, as accurately as possible, the amount of time, which the Reader will devote to his/her ministry. This is best expressed in hours per week or month and must include training, study, drafting and preparation, attendance at meetings and all associated travelling time.

6. Expensesa. What expenses are claimable by the Reader?b. When should the Reader claim expenses and what method should be used?

The ministry specification needs to have a clear statement of what expenses are to be claimed. This needs to be communicated to or approved by the PCC. It is also helpful to consider how funeral expenses work.

7. Reviewa. When will the Reader's ministry be reviewed and by whom?

The ministry specification will include a date for its review by the incumbent and Reader (and a third, independent person). The fact that a ministry specification has been written down does not mean that it cannot be changed. Indeed, it will need to be changed in the light of experience. Nor does the existence of a specification preclude changes, at short notice, in an emergency.

The ministry specification is not a contract. It is a guide, an aid to clarity in relationships, a benchmark for the future and a form of reassurance for all involved in building God's kingdom in a particular place and time.

Once you have agreed this with your incumbent, please send it to the

Warden of Readers, The Archdeacon of Taunton, 2 Monkton Heights, West Monkton, Taunton, TA2 8LU

Please include a copy in your portfolio file. This should be completed by 1September in good time for licensing

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Appendix vi – The Moral Contract

These questions refer to any licensed minister or volunteer within the church and are for use in the drawing up of a ministry specification. You may wish to discover the answers to these questions as 'raw' information before writing the specification.

1 What exactly do you want me to do?2. What freedom to make decisions will I have?3. Over what period?4. How much of my time will it involve?5. Where will I do it?6. Who will I answer to and how?7. What resources will be available to me?8. What support will I receive and from whom?9. How will any possible problems between us be handled?10. Will I be able to talk through with someone how the job is going and when?11. What will count as success?12. What particular objectives do you want me to fulfil?13. What preparations/training will I receive and from whom?14. What opportunities for further training will there be?15. Who will I work with?16. How will I relate to others in the pastoral team?17. Will there be other opportunities for ministry in the parish, which I

might be able to undertake when I have done this?18. Will I be able to give up the job gracefully at the end of this period,

or if I find that it is too much for me?19. Who will arrange for my replacement?20. How will people know what I have been appointed to do?21. Will the church reimburse me for expenses incurred in doing this

appointment?

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Appendix vii - Specimen Ministry Specifications

1. PreambleThe lay ministry of Readers is voluntary, nationally-accredited, episcopally-licensed and governed by Canon. The role of Reader is often summarised as: ‘preaching and teaching in pastoral context’. The following paragraphs describe … role in his/her first year of ministry as Reader in the parishes of ………… During this year he/she will not undertake any form of Reader ministry outside those parishes unless exceptionally agreed.

2. Purpose……will exercise her ministry in … by learning to serve God and all his people in those communities. In worship, he/she will endeavour to raise the hearts and minds of all people to God. He/She will persevere in prayer, Bible study, and in the understanding of our faith. He/She will encourage her fellow men and women to exercise and extend their personal ministries.

3. Accountability.... is licensed by the Bishop and is accountable to the …. As …, for such tasks and responsibilities as he/she may, by agreement, allocate to him/her. The Reader and Incumbent will maintain close contact by:Attendance when possible at staff meetings A monthly meeting to review recent experience and make detailed plans for participation in forthcoming services and other church activities.

4. TasksPreach not more than once a monthLead, or share in leading, the worship at Morning and Evening Prayer, and other services as and when agreedShare in the planning and leadership of All-Age ServicesRead lessons, lead intercessions and distribute the Holy Sacrament, publish banns of marriage and receive and present the offerings of the people, as and when appropriateServe as co-opted member of the PCC (to be confirmed by vote)Undertake continued Reader training

5. Allocation of workload… will have no set number of hours, but will regularly review with the ………… the level of commitment with which he/she feels comfortable.

6. ExpensesAll reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. Car mileage will be reimbursed at the Diocesan mileage rate. Claims should submitted on an expenses form quarterly to the PCC Treasurer.7. ReviewThere will be a review of this specification every six months by the … and one member of the ……… congregation chosen by ……

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The next review will be in …………………….

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Appendix viii - Preaching Teams - Information for Readers in Training, Colleagues, Congregations and Training Incumbents

This document covers information about preaching teams and processes involved for a group of people to listen to a sermon given by a Reader in training and to provide feedback in a constructive way

Information for the preacher Notes for training incumbents Guidance for congregation members (2 copies included in pack) Evaluation form for preaching (2 copies included in pack) Template for reflection from the preacher – sent electronically to

preacher

Please read through all the sections of this document so that you know how the whole process works and what is being asked of you and other people.

Information for the preacher Part of the Reader training course involves preaching a sermon in the presence of a small preaching assessment team. We are sure you will find this process both helpful and informative in your formation as a preacher. We hope that the preaching team might stay together longer than the present duration of ME 3

When you come to preach, there will be 3 categories of people who will be listening to you formally:

1) your incumbent or Rural Dean or his/her substitute2) two members of the congregation selected by your incumbent3) your colleagues selected by yourself – preaching team

Incumbent Your incumbent or Rural Dean will be asked to assess the same two questions.

What did you hear? What enabled you to hear this?

Because of their prior training and their responsibility for your training as a preacher, they may wish to elaborate on this. It may be that your incumbent for one reason or another cannot be present at the service at which you preach. We will encourage your incumbent to offer a substitute (curate or fellow Reader). However, this may not always be possible. Arrange a time to meet with your incumbent and hear his/her assessment.

Congregation

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Some members of the congregation will be selected by your incumbent to fill in a form at home after the service to give you written feedback. We will not be encouraging them to meet with you, simply to send their comment to you. However, if you wish to meet, that may be appropriate. We enclose a copy of the form.

For the listeners (incumbent and colleagues) Remember the questions that we have asked in our sessions

What did you hear? What enabled you to hear this?

Don't make notes during the sermon but at the end of the service spend a few moments jotting down what you can remember. Set a time collectively to meet together. This could be at the end of your service or an hour during the next week. Let the preacher speak first, giving his/her impressions. Then in turn say something of what you heard. Offer each other opportunities to say how the sermon might have been improved, bearing in mind what we have learnt on the course.

What do I do after I have preached the sermon?As part of this pack there is a template for you to complete. It includes some specific question to enable you to reflect on the whole process of preaching this particular sermon, including your feelings about preaching, things you have learnt from your colleagues, the congregation and incumbent and how you might seek to improve your preaching in the reflection coming months and years.. This template will be sent to you electronically. This process will enable us to keep track of how you are progressing.

Please send your reflection to Jennifer Cole within three weeks of preaching including your sermon and all copies of the feedback you received from colleagues, congregation members and incumbent.

Notes for incumbents Your Reader in training is part of a preaching team. As part of this he/she will preach in their home church and also go and listen to their colleagues from the preaching team when they preach.

What do you need to do? We are hoping you will be present at the service and make a

systematic evaluation of the sermon, which you can share with your Reader in training afterwards. If you are not able to present could you please appoint somebody else tod o this.

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You are not being asked to write anything to us. Your Reader in training should produce a reflection on the process and experience.

Please choose two congregation members, who will engage in listening and give feedback to the Reader in training. Guidance for Congregation Members and a feedback form are part of this pack. Hard copies are also included to be given to the two congregation members you have chosen.

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AimsThe purpose of this exercise is not to assess preachers with the result of a pass or a fail. It is to guide preachers, encourage and support them and seek to build on what they have already learnt. Therefore, the evaluation forms are not critiques of the craft of preaching but are a record of how one sermon spoke to one person. From this the preacher will be able to reflect on what he or she said, and how it was heard.

The task It is assumed that you will use your own experience and knowledge of preaching to form an impression of the preacher’s sermon. We do not want to lay down hard and fast rules for how this happens. However, this should include some or all of the following:

StyleIdentify what kind of sermon was preached: in the course we have identified these as Argument (using apologetics) and/or Image (using word painting, symbolic language etc) and/or Story (using narrative language). How well did the preacher handle the style? Were there any moments or phrases within the style that particularly rang true or were lost or simply did not work?

StructureIdentify the structure of the sermon: was it a linear rational exposition, a phenomenological approach (coming at the passage or topic from various angles), a story which unfolded perhaps with a surprise ending etc. How well did the preacher handle the structure? What might have improved it, eg more focus, less points, clearer delineation of sections etc?

PresentationIdentify the way in which the sermon came across to the hearers. Were there any affectations and were they irritating or off putting? How did the preacher present him/herself visually? How did they use their voice? Did they preach from the right place? Any other presentational comments?

ConclusionRemember, you are trying to guide the preacher, not be prescriptive of the way they ought to preach. Always try to check out how the comments made are being received. We also want to critique the content of the sermon, so if there are theological points to raise, inconsistencies or confusions please try to sort them out.

It is important in any feedback to allow the preacher opportunity to make their comments first. Then each person can say what they heard. Allow the preacher an opportunity to respond at the end.

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Read back over the notes you have made. You may wish to leave these with the preacher for further reflection. We need to be honest with one another, but gently rather than brutally.

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Guidance for congregation members As a leader of the Reader training course we seek to make sure that all Readers are given as much guidance and confidence to preach as well as they possibly can. As part of this process Readers preach in their local church. As part of the evaluation of their sermon, it is very helpful to have one or two members of the congregation, who will also be able to make comment on how the sermon was received.

We are not looking for congregation members to make major criticisms of the sermon, but to reflect on the message that the preacher brings. If there are any particular or general points, which you would like to make to the preacher, please write them in the ‘Any other comments’ section at the end of the form. The kinds of comments that sometimes arise are ‘he fiddled too much with his glasses’, ‘she could not be heard adequately’, ‘he never looked at us in the congregation’, ‘she spoke too fast’ etc. Any comments of this nature should be written at the bottom of the form, but please bear in mind that the form will be handed directly from yourself to the preacher. Therefore ‘gentle honesty’ is perhaps better than ‘brutal honesty’.

The first two sections of the form are concerned with the content and the method of preaching. In the first one, please write down what you heard the preacher say. This might be what you believe God said to you through the preacher’s sermon. It is very important that preachers know how thoughts and words are being understood. In the Readers course we have described the sermon as a conversation. Obviously, as you hear what the preacher says, you will be assessing whether you believe it, whether it is appropriate for your life and it may be that the Holy Spirit prompts you to think of other things that emerge from what the preacher is saying. In some phrases of your comments you may be repeating what was said, which again is very helpful to know, for it shows with what clarity the preacher made his or her point.

In the second section of the form, we are primarily concerned with the vehicle of communication. Did the preacher speak with clarity? Did he or she use story to help us to understand the message? What kind of images were used? Were they used effectively and did they strike you as relevant? Was the preacher arguing persuasively? Did the preacher use moments of silence to reflect upon the message that he or she was trying to get across? Or was everything too rushed and so densely packed, that it was impossible to follow? Sometimes a preacher uses a very formal structure of three points, beginning with the same letter. If so, was that helpful? If not, why not? Sometimes the preacher asks the congregation to picture in their own minds a particular scene - were you able to do that and how helpful was it? These are the kinds of things to listen for as the sermon is being preached.

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May we stress that it is not appropriate to write these things down during the sermon. As soon as possible afterwards, spend a little time thinking how the sermon was preached and what you heard and what, in terms of the technique used, enabled you to hear what was being said. After you have completed the form please give it straight to the preacher. If you wish to talk about it with him or her, then please make a time to do so. In anticipation, thank you very much for taking part in this period of training for Readers. Reader ministry is becoming more and more crucial to the Church of England and your part in the learning process is greatly valued and appreciated.

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Reflection from preacher

Please complete this form after you have preached and reflected on the feedback you received from the two appointed congregation members, colleagues and your incumbent.

When you have completed this, please return this to me with a copy of your sermon, the feedback sheets you received from your colleagues, congregation members and incumbent within 3 weeks of preaching.

Name

Place and date preached

1. Please answer the following

From the feedback you received, in what ways can you see that your sermon contributed to building up the Kingdom of God?

What inner resources helped you in preparing for this sermon? What factors from the world around you including local issues,

contributed to your sermon? If you were to preach this sermon again, what would you do

differently and why?

2. From feedback from your colleagues and the congregation choose one comment or statement and reflect on this. This may be a comment that surprised you or one that was repeated by others.

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Appendix ix - A Guide for Reader Placements

Reader Placements in Initial Training - IntroductionAll Readers are encouraged to take the opportunity to go on a placement (of 4 to 6 weeks) as part of their ministerial development. This leaflet shows what might be gained from a placement, how to organise a placement, how to get the most from the experience, and how to reflect theologically on the placement. As part of this a placement supervisor will be available to help the reflection process. Why go on a placement?

A placement offers many positive opportunities including1. Seeing a different situation and gaining new experiences2. Heightening awareness of ministry and mission3. Renewing vision4. Refreshing spirituality5. Getting new ideas to apply in your own place of ministry6. Developing the ability to reflect theologically in different contexts7. Affirming you in what you already do

Practicalities

Below is a brief outline of the processes involved in going on placement. The section ‘Going on Placement’ looks at these in more detail.

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Agree with your incumbent that it is practical

for you to go on placement.

Arrange suitable

placement

Do the placement

Within one month of completing the placement, write a

report on the placement

Going On Placement - Arranging the placement

1. Agree with your incumbent that a placement is possible and any constraints about when you can go. Discussion on this might help clarify the sort of placement you wish to go to.

2. Find a placement that is different from your home church. Consider churchmanship, socio-economic setting, whether it is large or small, rural or urban, single parish or multi parish benefice, or non-parochial, (such as hospitals, prisons, the homeless, Street Pastors – anywhere that gives you the opportunity to reflect your ministry)

3. To find a suitable place to go you could Use contacts you have Use contacts your incumbent, or

others, have. Ask the Archdeaconry Warden of

Readers for suggestions4. Contact the potential receiving

incumbent, or equivalent, to see if a placement is practical.

5. When the placement is agreed the sending incumbent should be asked to contact the receiving incumbent, or equivalent, to confirm arrangements.

6. A meeting should be arranged, by the Reader, with the receiving incumbent to agree a framework for the placement, including

Dates

Activities the Reader will be involved in

Times of preaching and leading services

Times of supervision when the incumbent, or equivalent, will be able to talk through the experiences of the Reader

During the placement

Immerse yourself as fully as is practical for you in the life of the church and parish.

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Be sensitive to the people you are with on placement, eg Respect what might be very different

traditions from your own

Do not go round trying to find out information in a way that could in any way detract from the life of the receiving church

Keep a journal of your experiences, in which you record and reflect on what is happening.

After the placement1. A theological reflection on the placement should be written up and

sent to the Assistant Director of Reader Studies within one month of completing the placement

2. Avoid simply recording what you saw and did. What is required is to engage with issues that came to light for you during the time on placement and to reflect on them. (see ‘Theological Reflection on your placement’)

3. The theological reflection should be 2000 words (plus/minus 10%). Any background information on the placement, if necessary, could be covered in an additional introduction of no more than 300 words

4. Discuss with your incumbent what the placement has meant to you and whether there are ideas to reflect on for initiatives in your parish

Theological Reflection on your placementWhat is Theological Reflection?

Whilst theological reflection is described differently by different people, it is essentially about engaging with God and with the context you are considering. It involves thinking about a given situation in the light of the Gospel and finding evidence to back up the experiences and thoughts one has.

Theological reflection should be on-going, implicitly and explicitly in our regular ministry. The placement offers an opportunity for focussed reflection in a different context.

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Theology can be seen as faith seeking understanding. In reflecting theologically, we are trying to see where a situation fits into God’s mission.

Theological reflection brings together our knowledge of who we are, our understanding of God, the context we are living in and skills we have acquired through other disciplines.

Effective theological reflection is not a theoretical exercise but should lead to action.

Theological reflection makes use of the learning cycle:

The cycle is effectively an upward spiral, continually building on experience. This cycle can be used on placement.

1. ExperienceOn placement keep a diary of what you do and your feelings, including first impressions and insights you gain.

2. ExplorationBuild on the experience by researching around what you have experienced. Consider aspects of the situation like history, geography, socio-economic factors etc.

3. ReflectionStep back and use your insights, the evidence you have and (either alone or in conversation with others) reflect on what is going on.

4. Response

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The report that you write will be part of your response to the placement and will also help you to reflect on what other responses might be appropriate.

In your own home parish, the response to your placement experiences and reflection might be to re-focus on your ministry, to start something new, amend patterns of ministry or sometimes, having gone through the whole process, to leave things as they are, having reflected in this ordered way.

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Why do we do theological reflection?Theological reflection should help us to hold together the people we are, the situation we find ourselves in and God. Laurie Green gives five reasons for doing theological reflection:

Immersing ourselves in faith traditions helps us to view our experience from the alternative perspective of the Divine

We want to know whether we are telling the Jesus story or whether we are relating a different story altogether, perhaps one of our own making

Some of the faith traditions themselves will require checking against the authority of present experience and our understanding of God’s present actions

Making connections between faith and life provides occasion for our God given creative imagination to become inspired in the process of seeking what the traditions have to say to our situation

We need to positively engage with the world as Christians and that requires reflection on how to do that in a distinctively Christian way.

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I felt welcomed but my eyes were certainly opened as to how someone not used to going to church might feel walking into a building and not really being sure of what might happen! At St ….. we have always tried to make visitors feel comfortable but it is a hard balance not to put pressure on people yet show we are glad to see them

Undoubtedly the hardest thing so far was that evensong! Although I have tended to reflect on the differences, what strikes me are the similarities. The longing to bring people into contact with the love of God trough our relationships. The desire to be a channel of that love. The challenge of trying to express that love through our frail humanity, especially when that brings us into conflict with the frail humanity of others!

If this were the only church in town, how would I feel? Certainly I would not want to be involved with the Sanctuary party too often because it seemed a distraction from personal communication with God. I had taken part in some of the rituals, like making the sign of the Cross but why and what was I doing when I did it? Just copying was not enough so I had to say to myself each time that I was acknowledging the /presence of the Trinity in my worship. Several of the other gestures, like genuflecting, were a sign of reverence before God, not to the Altar or to the other Saints. Making the sign of the Cross is not something I usually do but it was no more threatening than charismatic raising of hands in worship. Trying to experience worship in the same way as the congregation, I felt, was a worthwhile experience, if only as a one off. As a Reader, I felt this was not really a church where there was a lot of room for my Ministry. Apart from preaching, opportunities would be very limited. However as an experience as part of Reader training, it was a very good way of making me examine my own beliefs and prejudices, and certainly there are some.

Some reflections from placements

Ideas for further reading

Paul Ballard and John Pritchard, Practical Theology in Action, SPCK1996

Laurie Green, Let’s Do Theology, Mowbray 1990

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I heard it said that worship patterns need to change every few months to keep up with the needs of the parish. I witnessed a continuous evolvement of Church life. The congregation was growing. Change appeared necessary to help new Christians settle in. their church leadership did not find it at all easy to cope with this ongoing change, but saw the need for it and took faith

Appendix x – The Supervisory Conversation

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Appendix xiii - Giving Feedback

Although there are forms for formal feedback at various points on the Bath & Wells Reader Training Course (such as those for preaching, for example- see Appendix viii), for a good deal of the time feedback is delivered in more informal ways by the Incumbent to the Reader in Training. Giving feedback which strikes the difficult balance between being encouraging, up-building and enabling but at the same time helpful, honest and direct is a skill which some Training Incumbents feel ill-equipped to give (of course, others may have had extensive training and experience in this area). Whatever your level of expertise this document lists the principles that those responsible for Reader Training in the Diocese of Bath & Wells regard as good practice. This document will also be referred to at the Induction Morning (Unit 0) in September.

Two stages of feedback

a) An immediate encouraging comment

Make some affirming comment as soon as possible after any planned contribution which the Reader in Training makes, however small or large it has been. It is very important that your immediate comment is affirming and positive, even if there is plenty to com-ment upon later. Find something good to say!

Body language is very important here: eye contact and a smile underline your words. Timing is important too: try to catch them before they leave the venue so that they do

not go home to stew on how well or badly something went. Try also to make this com-ment so that only the Reader in Training hears it. A quick, prompt e-mail is good too if it is not possible to say something in person but saying something face to face is usually preferable at this point.

Make notes as soon as possible after the event so that you have an accurate record of what needs to be commented upon at your next meeting. Research shows that feed-back given sooner after the event is most effective so try not to let too much time lapse before this happens.

b) Planned feedback

An important principle is that feedback is not a monologue with only the Training Incum-bent speaking. You will need to say some things but it is good practice at the outset to ask the Reader in Training how they felt it went; the positive and the things which they imagine ‘went wrong’. Remember, we are training Readers to become reflective practi-tioners.

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Some Readers in Training will be unreasonably harsh on themselves whilst others may perhaps have little self-awareness. Asking them to comment first lets you begin to see where your Reader in Training is on this spectrum and to respond accordingly.

Begin with affiring comments before moving on to areas for development (note that it is good practice not to use the terms negative and positive or good or bad).

It is very important that you do give clear suggestions for improvement. Sometimes, this can feel uncomfortable. However, it is absolutely necessary to tell it like it is in a loving manner.

Make your comments as precise as possible, using your notes to give examples. This means that there is less room for misunderstanding.

Do not comment upon everything. Think through carefully beforehand what for you are the priorities for each session of feedback and end by suggesting only 2 or 3 things for the Reader in Training to work on (even though there may be plenty of others!).

Make sure that these 2 or 3 things are heard and understood before you part. This process may sound formulaic but if you practise it, it will gradually become more

natural and ultimately helpful for the Reader in Training. Remember, if you feel that you need help with this (or any other aspect) of your

Reader’s training then please just ask using the contact details given in Section 3.

Good and effective feedback conversations are a treasure which benefit us as well as those whom we are helping to train in God’s service. We hope that they will ultimately be something you feel has enhanced your ministry as well as enabling you to build a good relationship with your future colleague.

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Appendix xii – Parish Study

Preaching can be described as an act of constructing local practical theology. To take account of the local context and make preaching relevant and contextual requires an understanding and deeper awareness of the make up and values of your congregation(s) and wider community. Over the next few months you are asked to become an ‘amateur cultural anthropologist’ by looking at and interpreting symbols of congregational and community life.

Leonora Tubbs Tisdale in her book Preaching as Local Theology and Folk Art has identified the following symbols and signs that can help to enhance our understanding of the local congregations and community

1 Stories and interviews2 archival material3 demographics4 architecture and visual arts5 rituals6 events and activities7 people – the leaders and those on the margin

For our purposes we are going to use the following categories over the next few months as outlined below:

When by Category 1. Unit 2 Demographics 2. Unit 3 Events and Activities3 Unit 4 Stories4.. Unit 5 Archival material 5. Unit 6 Rituals6. Unit 7 People – the leaders and those on the margin

So how do we go about this? Each of the categories will require you to do some research, such as speaking to people, reading material, finding out facts and observing what is going on. It is best to do this over a couple of weeks rather than trying to do this in a day or two.

There are three stages involved in the process.

The first is the process of gathering the required information by listening, reading and observing

Then you need to record what you heard, read or observed Finally, you need to look at all your data and begin the process of

interpreting this. What is this saying? What does it mean?

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At unit 2,3 and 4 we will take some feedback from you and gradually build up a picture of your congregation. Please bring your findings to the units 2, 3 and 4 and be prepared to share this with the group.

By the end of the study you will be able to answer the following in relation to your congregation:

What are the most powerful and revealing signs and symbols of your congregation’s life together?

To what extent are the members of your congregation/community like you or unlike you?

How might this affect how you approach preaching?

Demographics Here we are looking for statistical information on the make up of your congregation and the local area such as age, race, sex, ethnicity, social class and educational level. In your analysis of the data you may provide a profile of the congregation’s and the community’s typical member, indicate the degree of diversity in the congregation, and do a comparison with previous statistics. Your interpretation of the data should provide you with insights into your community and church membership.

Events and ActivitiesOne way of tackling this is to draw up a list of all the activities that happen in your church and community. Then you may look at the following questions:

Which types of activities/events receive the most attention, time, energy and investment of resources (personal and financial) and which are comparatively more neglected?

Which activities/events are the most controversial? Of which activities/events do people speak of with greatest pride? Which activities have been added in recent years? What do they

suggest in terms of the direction the church/community is currently heading?

What activities/events distinguish this congregation/community from others in the surrounding area?

In summary what does this tell you about your community and church?

Stories

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You will be doing this for each of the categories and when all have been done, you need to look at your findings from all of the research and write a page of A4 as a summary, which will show what you have discerned about your congregation and community and how this might impact on your preaching. The three bulleted questions above should guide you.

Please send your Parish Study report to Jennifer Cole by 30 June and we will spend some time discussing this at unit 8 in July .

If you can, recall the stories you know about your church and community and in addition go and listen to the stories others tell. Record this and then begin your analysis with the help of the questions below:

Who are identified as heroes in the community’s and congregation’s stories and what are the qualities that make them so? Or who are the villains and what are the characteristics that made them so?

Where are the silences in the storytelling (the things everyone knows but no one talks about)? What do these silences tell you?

Are there any recurring images or metaphors that give insight into how they perceive themselves and their world?

Is there a common dream or vision? If you were to plot the story of the community and congregation,

like the plot of a novel, what would the line look like?

Archival material You may need to get permission to look at archive material in your church. Below are some suggestions of documents you may like to look at:

Documents relating to the founding of the church Minutes of decision making bodies Financial records and fundraising material Records/stats of wedding, baptism and funerals Newsletters, weekly notice sheets, printed sermons Pictures and other representational material Artefacts no longer used

After reading through your material, you should be able to gain some insights into continuities and discontinuities of the congregation’s identity as it has been formed and reformed through the years.

RitualsThe suggestion is to distinguish between the regular rites called calendrical rites and critical rites which are performed only occasionally, such as baptisms, funerals and weddings. So the first task is to identify the significant rites and rituals in congregational life, ie

What rituals are observed regularly, ie weekly, monthly or annually? Which ones are unique to your church or congregation? Which of the critical rites are emphasized and which de-

emphasized?

What do your findings tell you about your congregation and church?

People Its people that make up the community and the congregation and this section explores who the leaders are and who those on the margins are.

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Who are the respected members of your community and congregation?

What qualities and attributes do they bring? Who are the people on the margins? What is it that separates them from the rest of the

community/congregation? When did the last new adult member join the congregation? How

long did they stay?

From this study you should be able to discern what is valued within the community and congregation and where the ‘cultural’ boundary lines lie that separate ‘us’ and the ‘not us’

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