Trainees

Training up a new generation for gospel service is at the heart of our vision as a church.  We believe that the need is enormous, and that we are superbly placed to provide some of the best opportunities in the country for church-based training.

• Magdalen Road church itself is a lively, welcoming, dynamic, innovative and thoroughly evangelical community of believers.  It is large enough to provide good support, but still small enough to treat people as individuals.
• East Oxford is enormously diverse, providing opportunities to minister to Muslems, asylum seekers, students from two large universities, both undergraduates and graduates, visiting internationals from all over the world and many others.
• Trainees are enrolled on the South Central Ministry Training Course which provides teaching of the highest standard, and will also attend two Formation conferences run by Living Leadership.
• There are many opportunities to reflect, learn and gain experience within the church.  Magdalen Road Church is particularly strong at thinking analytically, theologically, and strategically about ministry and trainees would be invited to engage with the theology and practice of our vision.
• Magdalen Road has established relationships with organisations such as Friends International and Christians in Sport and a national respected outreach to Muslems.  The church has hosted interns from all these organisations.
• There is the opportunity to learn from Peter Comont who is a teacher on the South Central Ministry Course, the FIEC Prepared for Service Course, and also for Langham Preaching.

We now feel that the moment has come to develop our trainee scheme to make it a much more regular element of our life together.  To this end we are looking for interest from two directions.

Funding

We are looking for people with a vision for training a new generation for gospel work who will be prepared to help to financially support the trainee scheme.  Trainees will be expected to raise at least half of their support themselves, but we want to be able to help them with up to £3-4000 per person.  We are therefore launching a Training Fund in order to provide such bursaries.

If you may be able to help please contact the office for more information.

Applications

If you are contemplating training for gospel ministry and would like to take some first steps in that direction then perhaps the Magdalen Road Trainee Scheme is for you.  Why not download the fuller information and get in touch.