Training has always been embedded into church culture, from Jesus training the twelve apostles to Barnabas training Paul, who passed the baton to Timothy and commanded him to keep passing it on: ‘the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others’ (2 Tim. 2:2). Co-Mission has picked up that baton, with training one of its core pillars. Here’s a taste of what that means…

Once a month Co-Mission ministry trainees and junior staff meet for a day of training at the Gospel Ministry Workshop. There is a diverse mix of trainees, full-timers and part-timers, young and old, from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures. Traineeships nowadays are really flexible, and they don’t have to end up in full-time ministry to be useful. In the nineteenth century London was transformed through ordinary Christians giving their time to share gospel hope and care with the most vulnerable. Co-Mission is not doing something new here but continuing the good work started centuries ago. 

The Church Planting Academy meets at the same time as the Ministry Workshop, gathering church planters for bespoke training. The apostle Paul planted many churches, but relied on his co-workers in this (see, for example, Romans 16). Likewise the Planting Academy provides a space for these valuable relationships to form.  

Training isn’t just for those starting out in ministry; all Co-Mission staff are encouraged to come to Staff Focus each November, for three days packed with seminars on practical ministry skills, peer meetups and guest speakers. The monthly Theology for Ministry online lectures with specialists are for those who want to dig deeper into the theological issues pertinent to everyday ministry.

We’ve run out of space to highlight all the amazing opportunities in your local church for training, not to mention the Co-Mission Men’s and Women’s mornings and all the wonderful Christian books available (some written by Co-Mission authors) to help us grow and learn…

Training has always been a hallmark of authentic gospel ministry, and we long for that to continue. The harvest is plentiful but there is a shortage of workers, so please do pray for more. And please consider whether you could be part of the answer! Speak to your church leader or come along to the training seminar at REVIVE to find out more.