Rural Renewal Learning Community

for multi-parish benefices and other groups of churches

June 2025 - June 2027

A learning community to renew and envision rural churches

With most rural churches grouped in benefices or teams of anything from three to more than twenty churches, it is virtually impossible for clergy to fulfil the expectations of a ‘traditional vicar’. Meanwhile lay people don’t always receive the training or encouragement to enable them to fulfil their potential in local church leadership.

There is a crying need to reimagine these patterns of mission and ministry.

This Learning Community enables a church or churches from a multi-parish or multi-church group to go on a two year journey of renewal, alongside others from similar backgrounds regionally. Our aim is that participants will discover new hope and courage, enabling them to reimagine their ministry, while giving them new confidence for mission.

The aims of the Learning Community are summarised in these three ways:

Renewal

  • Churches experiencing fresh encounters with God,

  • confident in the work of the Holy Spirit among them,

  • and filled with hope and inspiration for the future.


    Reimagining

  • God’s people confident in their call to serve Jesus not just in the church but in all the spheres of everyday life,

  • churches led by teams bound together by friendship and common purpose,

  • and clergy relieved of an impossible task and able to focus on their own

    gifts and calling.


    Resourcing

  • Churches engage with ReSource’s three core courses: Saints Alive, Alive in Christ and Your SHAPE for God’s Service, using them locally as appropriate.

  • They also follow the eight key steps of David Heywood’s Reimagining Ministry programme, enabling a transition to a pattern of shared ministry rooted in dependence on Christ and friendship with one another.

  • Clergy and lay leaders have the opportunity of one-to-one support through ReSource’s Alongside Scheme

  • Our network of ReSource Ministers offer tailored support to local churches, leading ‘Sanctuary Days’, retreats or other events

  • The Learning Community guides churches through this two year period of renewal and reimagining, providing advice and facilitating mutual support and accountability.

Outline timetable

The Learning Community involves two residentials, four day meetings, and a commissioning event, between JUNE 2025 and June 2027.

Gathering 1 - one-night residential (all churches in Learning Community) 27-28 June 2025 at Yarnfield Park, Staffordshire

Gathering 2 – locally-hosted day meeting (local/regional groups of churches) Autumn 2025

Gathering 3 – locally-hosted day meeting (local/regional groups of churches) Early 2026

Gathering 4- locally-hosted day meeting (local/regional groups of churches) Spring/Summer 2026

Gathering 5 – one-night residential (all churches in Learning Community) Autumn 2026

Gathering 6 – locally-hosted day meeting (local/regional groups of churches) Early 2027

Gathering 7 – local celebrations / commissioning April/May/June 2027

How much will it cost?

ReSource receives no central funding for its ministry, and works on an ‘expenses plus donation’ model. In faith, we hope to extend this approach to the life of the Learning Community.

We hope that PCCs, dioceses or local trusts may be willing to support local churches in the cost. We envisage that individuals taking part may also make donations.

The first of the two overnight residentials will be held at Yarnfield Park in Staffordshire on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th June, 2025. It is vital that all the clergy and core lay leaders, such as lay readers and any others playing a key role in ministry, attend the first gathering. ReSource asks for a donation of at least £450 for each of these core leaders, paid in three instalments of at least £150 at the beginning of the programme, before the 2026 residential, and early in 2027.

The five single-day gatherings will be hosted regionally, perhaps at a venue provided by one of the churches involved. We would expect the churches to organise and share the costs of catering and local travel. Arrangements for the second residential in 2026 will be made in consultation with the churches.

Following the first residential, we ask each group of churches to identify a team of potential local leaders, who will join the community for the
day-gatherings and the second residential. We ask a donation of at least £300 for each of these leaders, to be paid in three instalments of at least £100 before the first day-gathering, the 2026 residential and early in 2027.

These donations are to cover the costs of full-board accommodation at the residential gatherings, and ReSource’s input throughout the duration of the Learning Community.

The Trustees of ReSource have created a bursary fund for churches who are otherwise unable to raise the suggested level of donations to join the Learning Community. Please contact us if you would like to find out more about this support. 

Who is this for?

We aim to gather groups of clergy and lay leaders from different rural multi-parish benefices (or similar), willing to learn from each other as they journey through the life of the Learning Community.

We would expect that all the clergy in these benefices would be involved, alongside lay leaders from those churches within the benefices/groups that are ready to benefit from the programme.

This process will be particularly suited to benefices/groups seeking to grow lay leadership. We recognise that this is often in the context of a reduction in clergy provision, or adjusting to additional parishes joining a group.

ReSource seeks to serve the breadth of the church, but it will be helpful for churches to understand and appreciate our approach to spiritual renewal as they consider whether the programme is suitable for them.

How do I find out more or express interest?

The Learning Community is led by Revd Dr David Heywood, with additional input from other ReSource staff, ReSource Ministers and Alongside Companions.

Is there a deadline?

We hope to finalise the membership of the initial cohort by May 2025.

To find out more or register interest, please email David or call the ReSource office on 01952 371300