Diocese of Oxford Local Ministry Programme Ordinands Handbook 2016 Contents A. Welcome 2 B. Staff 3 C. How the scheme operates: overview of the training 4 D. Preparing for your training 8 E. Support 9 F. Reporting 10 G. Student responsibilities 11 H. Resources 12 I. Placements 13 J. Governance 14 K. Financial matters 15 L. Ordinand working agreements 16 M. Dates for ordinands programme 2014-15 18 N. Worship Policy 20 O. Policy on community and corporate life 22 P. Diocesan Equal Opportunities Policy 24 Q. What to do when things go wrong 26 R. Student complaint procedure 28 S. Student code of discipline 34 T. Harassment policy 37 U. Safeguarding 38 V. Accessibility Issues 39 W. Learning Partnerships 40 X. Data Protection Notice 41 Y. Ordinands Personal Data Record 43 1 A. Welcome to ordination training on the Diocese of Oxford’s Local Ministry Programme Starting training for Ordained Ministry is a significant moment. We hope you are going to enjoy your training, and learn a great deal about yourself and about God who is calling you to serve in the ordained ministry. During the next 2 or 3 years you will have a great many opportunities to develop your gifts in ministry, and to gain new skills and knowledge. We hope these learning opportunities will provide you with theological tools which will be useful in the future, but the training is also designed to enable you to develop as a person who will be ready to take up a different role in the church. As you know, part of your training is delivered through a collaboration with Ripon College Cuddesdon. This means you are part of a larger institution, benefitting from its resources and with the opportunity to meet a wider group of ordinands. However overall responsibility for your training is in the hands of the diocesan Local Ministry Programme and its staff, overseen by the diocese’s Local Ministry Programme Oversight Body. The Local Ministry Programme is also part of the South Central Regional Training Partnership Local Ministry Framework; this links it with training offered in the Dioceses of Bath and Wells, Guildford, Salisbury and Winchester. We also collaborate with these dioceses and with Sarum College in offering Durham University validated awards. Together we aim: to educate, train and form God’s people for discipleship, mission and ministry in the contexts to which God has called us. 2 B. Staff Diocesan Staff involved in your training The Revd Dr Phil Cooke is currently Coordinator of Local Ministry Training; his role includes responsibility for ordinands training on the Local Ministry Programme. Address: Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF. Telephone: 01865 208282 Email: [email protected] Carolyn Main works with him in an administrative capacity. Address: Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF. Telephone: 01865 208257 Email: [email protected] The Revd Dr. Phillip Tovey is the Deputy Warden of LLM and Director of Postgraduate Training in the diocese. He is also currently Principal of the LMP and you will meet him at various points during your training. During your training, you will still relate to your DDO. Cuddesdon staff involved in your training During your training you are likely to engage with a number of Cuddesdon staff. Contact details for individual staff are available via the college website, www.rcc.ac.uk (choose the relevant option from the ‘Contact Us’ menu). Key staff for the organisation of the Local Ministry Programme at Cuddesdon are: Phil Cooke, who is seconded by the Diocese to Cuddesdon for an average of one day per week, and is the first point of contact for matters relating to the Local Ministry Programme. Please use the contact details above. Revd Dr Tim Naish is the Dean of the Oxford Ministry Course, and liaises with Phil over the training of LMP ordinands. Rt Revd Humphrey Southern is the Principal at Cuddesdon. Ripon College Cuddesdon Oxford OX44 9EX United Kingdom Telephone: 01865 874400 3 C. How the Scheme operates: Overview of the training The training you will be doing is designed both for ordinands and also for the development of the parish. It is intended to deepen and extend ALL your journeys of discipleship: It is for Church members who want to join in with the development of their church and parish and take their part in the opportunities which the training has to offer. Ordinands who have been recommended to train towards ordination by the national church. Incumbents who have the responsibility for supervising you in the parish. Local Ministry Team members who are at the heart of the parish development dimension of the training. All 4 groups are walking in the way of the Lord together with the LMP staff who have the responsibility to design and deliver the training, and we need to uphold and pray for each other. There are 5 elements to the training: A. Ongoing learning in your parish/benefice A key part of your training is learning from experience and developing your ministerial role in practice, especially through your continuing engagement with your parish/benefice. You will formally be on placement here throughout your training, and you will have a designated supervisor (often the incumbent) with whom you should meet regularly. You need to put in place a training/partnership agreement with your incumbent (see section L below) to ensure you are both clear about the expectations you have. You need to think about how you can best use your time to grow in ministry, both in terms of the general shape of what you do and then as you study particular topics. For example, if you already preach occasionally, you may agree that you should preach once per quarter during your training, so that you continue to learn more about preaching but don’t have to give too much time to an area of ministry where you already have some experience. When you study mission and evangelism, you might ask to gain experience of an Alpha or Pilgrim course, if you haven’t had this previously. B. A Rolling Programme of Courses Most students are expected to attend the Diocesan Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Course programme. This consists of 10 evenings per term, 3 terms per year, put on in different venues, organised by the Diocese. These courses are also attended by people training for Licensed Lay Ministry (LLM) or for general growth in Christian discipleship. They are a key resource for all church members and everyone who is being drawn into the lay leadership, or who is catching the vision of having a ‘home-grown’ ordinand deployed in their parish/ benefice (and what that can mean for the development of the whole parish/benefice), is strongly encouraged to consider following a number of them. They support and deepen the structured parish development work. 4 Information about the Learning for Discipleship and Ministry courses will be widely available and bookings are made online at http://ldm.eventbrite.co.uk. The Diocesan Local Courses are taught at National Qualifications Framework levels 4 and 5: level 4 is the standard of a first year university course, i.e. just above A level. Each ordinand will have an individual learning track, with a clear pathway drawn up showing which courses will need to be attended. Students will normally be expected to study at the start on Level 4, before progressing on to Level 5. Autumn Spring Summer 2016-17 Level 4 Mission and Introduction to the Pastoral care evangelism Bible Level 5 Doctrine New Testament Old Testament 2017-18 Level 4 Worship Introduction to Christian Preaching church history and discipleship doctrine Level 5 Doctrine New Testament Old Testament C. Preparing for Ordained Ministry: The Ordinands’ Programme Formation for ministry happens throughout the training but there are some parts of it designed for ordinands in particular. These are designed partly to cover particular topics of relevance, but also to help you to be formed towards an ordained role through interacting with others preparing for a similar ministry, in class sessions, worship and informal interaction. Each term there is a residential weekend for all ordinands on the Local Ministry Programme. Normally this is shared with ordinands on the Oxford Ministry Course. All will worship, eat and spend time together, though sometimes there will be several teaching programmes, for different year groups and/or for ordinands on the LMP and those on OMC. Each term there will also be a Saturday training day when you will be working together on aspects of ministerial formation and leadership. One of these will be for the whole ministry team, not just for the ordinand. There will also be a termly tutorial Saturday. During this day you will work together on a variety of topics, as well as meeting with your tutor. (On occasion tutors may ask whether you are willing to meet at an alternative time.) There is also an annual two-day retreat. (If this falls late in the summer term, those in their final year of training may not be expected to attend this.) During your training you will also do at least one additional placement, in a setting which is new to you. Placements are negotiated by ordinands and overseen by the Director of Local Ministry Training. 5 OTHER MEETINGS WHICH ARE ALSO PART OF THE ORDINANDS’ PROGRAMME Meetings for Incumbents and Ordinands to reflect together on the way your parish is developing in the autumn term and summer term of each year. These are essential meetings and we ask that you both do all you can to attend.