The Central Readers Council Annual General Meeting Chair s Address Deuteronomy 1 two roads Choosing the road marked: Discernment: the plan seemed good to me but was it God s calling? Disruption: break camp. go but there are giants! Dependence: Remember how the Lord carried you, just as a parent carries a child. 1
Psalm 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. The Central Readers Council 18 Jan South East 23 Jan Midlands 12 Feb North East 7 Mar North West 13 Mar London 22 Mar South West 2
The Central Readers Council Consultations Where are we now? All consultations mentioned about being encouraged by the flexibility and width of lay ministry and that lay ministry generally is flourishing. Three recurrent concerns emerged: watering down of Reader ministry, by other lay ministries The high age profile Clergy expectations Dreams were about lifelong learning and equality of ministries 3
Readers as Enablers of mission Readers should be good role models for mission Readers should enable others to be missioners on their frontline Some use of LICC materials already, some awareness of other materials general approval that CRC could both signpost these resources and add to them Readers as Teachers of the Faith Readers should be infectious learners and inspirational teachers. Very few training courses currently include much on pedagogy / adult learning. General approval that CRC should both signpost existing resources and add to them. 4
Readers as Mentors and Coaches Leaders in Church and Society Yes to leadership, but don t lose the mentoring and coaching! Some awareness of CPAS courses and encouragement to explore more. Not just for Readers needs to be applicable to others (joint training with other ministers) Some more general comments Role of Reader / LLM needs to be defined with more clarity Need to define terms enabler of mission, teacher of the faith what do they really mean? Where s the radical edge / urgency? Must be done with Ministry Division Must support what dioceses are already doing (some already doing things quite differently Need CRC to help promote a national minimum standard Could CRC organise regional conferences? What about a rule of life for Readers? Language neither Reader nor Licensed Lay Minister means anything to people in wider society. 5
So what next? Discernment: is God calling CRC to do more to support dioceses in training? Disruption: is God calling CRC to begin to reshape Reader ministry? Dependence: how do we ensure any changes are rooted in prayer? So what next? Challenge we have little capacity to do more Opportunity we have historic reserves (approx. 180k) 6
Step One: a part-time project manager for three years Purpose of role: To enable the renewal of Reader (LLM) ministry across the Church of England and the Church in Wales, by shaping a culture of lifelong learning, and through new and existing training resources focused on teaching the faith, enabling mission and leading in church and society. Step One: a part-time project manager for three years To include: Further research on CMD in dioceses Link to Ministry Division online moodle Hub (all Common Awards courses and others) Develop some new materials in partnership with LICC, CPAS, and others Creative ways of marketing materials / encouraging lifelong learning 7
Step One: a part-time project manager for three years Financed from CRC reserves: Salary: 35k pro rata plus NI / Pensions Expenses: 5k Total for 3 years: 75k Website: 10k Resource Development: 10k After 3 years: restructure CRC funding e.g. replace capitation fee with direct marketing of resources. Step Two: restructure CRC to focus on Reader vocations, training and support Purpose: To become a community of practitioners with light, responsive structures focussed on growing the numbers of Readers / LLMs and developing a culture of lifelong learning. To include: Revised objects, constitution and regulations Reshaped committee structure 8
Discussion What questions arise for you from these proposals? Do you agree that CRC should: 1. Recruit a three-year, half-time Reader Training Project Manager? 2. Review its objects, constitution and regulations with a view to bringing proposals to next year s AGM (with the required two month notice)? 9