A research project by Tim Jacobson Andrew Lunau Smith Sponsored by SIM Canada

1. Collaborative Equipping for Urban Ministry in the Greater Toronto Area: The Needs and the Prospects Part 3: Implications for SUBS A research project by Tim Jacobson Andrew Lunau Smith Sponsored by SIM Canada

2. Our Burden • For churches to become genuine training centres • For all God’s people to become mature in Christ, be equipped for mission and be prepared for leadership (at some level) • For new Canadians to be well integrated into the mission of the Canadian Church • Christ-centered leaders – See The Cape Town Commitment, pp. 35,36

3. The Purpose of SIM... Is to glorify God by planting, strengthening, and partnering with churches around the world as we: • Evangelize the unreached • Minister to human need • Disciple believers into churches • Equip churches to fulfill Christ’s commission

4. Our Beliefs • Intentional leadership development should occur in the context of missional ministry • Equipping for ministry should be for everyone and life-long • Teaching and equipping are essential ingredients of becoming missional • Barriers to access need to be removed • Mass collaboration (capital “C” Church) changes everything • In clusters or affinity groups • In regions – including schools, agencies • Nationally – resources made available at a distance

5. Our Strategy • To support local churches to equip God’s people for spiritual growth and ministry so that the churches can be vital communities of faith that will bring hope and transformation to their local and global neighbourhoods. • To be a platform for collaboration in missional training • To co-create the means of training, together with other partners, particularly church clusters and affinity groups as part of a prosumer learning community • To walk with partners through the process of developing networks of collaboration

6. Shifting Paradigms for Equipping Missional Churches • See “Shifting Paradigms” handout • See “Rethinking the University” handout

7. Our God Is Able • Recognize the improbabilities of the vision. • Is the vision of God? If so, he is able to overcome issues of culture, paradigm, momentum. • We have seen God work in the past. • God is at work in the present. • Our role is to be faithful to the vision he has given us.

8. Theological Education Mattersby Dr. Linda Cannell • The flurry of literature on the crises afflicting theological education seems to have abated somewhat, but concerns about the future of institutionalized theological education linger. Some efforts to deal with these concerns simply recycle existing conditions. It is likely that the more effective efforts will be international in scope, learning focused, deeply concerned about theological education in relation to a biblical ecclesiology, committed to service within society, and increasingly decentralized in structure and affiliations.

9. Imagine... • A church full of trained ministers • A church with an over-supply of emerging leaders • A church that has the capacity to meet its own needs as well as serve their local and global neighbours • Church members expected to receive the equivalent of a Bible college certificate (1 yr FT) and diploma (2 yrs FT) in the context of their church over a 4 – 10 year period • This training would qualify them for Level 1 Credentialing in their denomination or commissioning with a mission agency

10. Imagine... • A consortium of Bible colleges and seminaries who form the open source Canadian Virtual Seminary • The Canadian Church-Based Missional Training Network or the Ephesians 4 Nexus in which local churches, denominations, schools and agencies participate • Annual modular training weeks offered in Canadian cities by the consortium • Continuing education expectations being set by denominations for the annual renewal of pastors’ credentials and these being met through the network • A culture of training in Canadian churches

11. Recovering the Role of Training for the Local Church • Envision churches without teachers – what would be the result? • Envision churches where pastors no longer do all the ministry but primarily equips others to do ministry. • Teaching, equipping, mentoring move to the top of the pastor’s job description. The board mandates the pastor to bridge the training gap between pastor and people. • Seminaries train pastors to emphasize teaching, especially with an emphasis on competency-based training. • Training is in the context of mission – God’s mission in us and through us.

12. The Quiver of Tools • Within local congregation – pastor and other gifted teachers • Within church cluster – pool of teachers • Partner with ministry agencies for specialty practitioner equipping and for networking role • Partner with local formal training program • Partner with national network that supports church-based training • Open seminary – online distance education support • Database of training programs

13. Start with the End in Mind – Our Mission • How will our neighbourhoods be transformed by the Gospel? • Lack of unity among Christians is a HUGE barrier to the transformation of our society. • The power of love and of working together are guaranteed to bear fruit. • The richness of the Gospel reflected in different traditions is needed to be effective in reaching our diverse society. • What kind of leader do we want? Start with “Leader’s Covenant” (see handout) • The path we need to walk includes: building unity, changing attitudes, growing in maturity and becoming equipped for ministry.

14. Models of Church-Based Theological Education • The Local Church Designed and Operated Model • Curriculum-based Model (print) • The BILD (Biblical Institute of Leadership Development) • Following the curriculum and materials of outside provider • Distance Education Model (internet) • The Network Catalyst Model (old SUBS) • The Prosumer Community Model (new SUBS) • See handout

15. A Different Pathfor Church-based Training • Build on collaboration • Built on idea of prosumer community • Not curriculum based but supplemented by selected resources – print, video, internet • Centered on the teaching gifts of local pastors and teachers • Competency-based, in-ministry training • Co-labour with formal training programs and ministry agencies in Canada • Missional • Accessible

16. Next Steps:1) Identify Key “Learning Churches” • Receive indications of interest • Resource churches with information about training options • Meet with church leadership to discern commitment and to facilitate development of a local strategy and plan • Link training with mission vision so training is in the context of ministry • Network with other churches in the community

17. Scenario 1: Print curriculum facilitated by pastor or teacher • Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development = accredited • Biblical Institute of Leadership Development (BILD) • Five levels of training • Study by Extension for All Nations (SEAN) • Center for Church-Based Training (CCBT) • Bible Training Center for Pastors

18. Scenario 2: Distance Education facilitated by pastor or teacher (~ like a satellite school) • Cost may be negotiated with Bible college or seminary if not for credit; if taken for credit, tuition would be paid • Open source, free tuition is possible (not accredited) • Pastor could become volunteer adjunct faculty and run a satellite school (unaccredited) • Facilitate extension site training • Possible partners: Heritage, Tyndale, Emmanuel, Briercrest, Prairie, Providence, etc. • Wikiseminary – coalition of Canadian distance education programs; re-design courses around competency-based training

19. Scenario 3: Geographical Cluster Prosumer Learning Community • Through neighbourhood ministerial associations or other affiliations, churches agree to work together in training. [True City (Hamilton); Love Stouffville] • Start healing the brokenness in our cities by healing the brokenness between churches • Training events in each church are promoted in other churches in cluster; share resources, combine initiatives, barter services. • Churches develop own plans in collaboration with cluster; cooperate whenever possible. • End goal = transformation of community

20. Scenario 4: Affinity Group Prosumer Learning Community • Affinity types: • Linguistic or ethnic affinity • Denominational affinity • Interest group affinity

21. Next Steps:2) Create Community-based Learning Clusters • Churches and ministry agencies in a neighbourhood agree to collaborate by pooling their resources for leadership development and equipping for ministry • Identify key churches who will be the hub • Identify ‘champions’ within each church • Work out issues of resourcing, funding and sustainability • Initially work with a limit of 3-4 clusters to ensure that they become well established

22. Next Steps:3) Develop SUBS’ Capacity for Ministry • The primary need is for someone to help in office management and administrative support. The sustainability of the model is best served if this person were a volunteer. • Other roles possible, depending on how things develop • Promotion and awareness – various media (blog, Facebook, published articles) • Local committees, regional and central boards • Possible independent charity status • Look at affiliation with established CBTE projects

23. Next Steps:4) Partner with Formal Training Programs • Local volunteer teaching (tithe time to churches) • Support satellite cluster school at certificate and diploma levels by empowering them to primarily do training themselves; add some missing pieces; joint recognition of training with churches • Grant advanced standing (2 for 1) to their own programs for those who wish to continue at degree level • Open source distance education; network • Freely serve churches (capacity is limited, but re-direct volunteer efforts toward Church-based training; tithe human resources) • Schools co-sponsor training with the church cluster

24. “Faith”-based Economics: How can churches and seminaries collaborate so that the seminary is sustainable? • Industry standard: 1% of revenue = learn organization • EFC CRCE – about 50% of Cdn churches invest avg $1500 annually – in their pastors • Reciprocal Generosity – a biblical idea • Depending on God and his people – a biblical idea • A Canadian Church-based training network based on mutual care and generosity • For an extra 4% of budget (Cdn avg ~150,000) = $6,000 invested in lay training at discretion of church • Imagine having a Bible college / seminary in your church for just $6,000 per year! • At $150 per student per course = 10 people @ 4 courses or 40 people at 10 courses (or seminars, etc.)

25. Blended Training • Not a one-size-fits-all approach • Customize for each cluster or church • Church is the steward of training, but supported by cluster and network • Blend local resources with curriculum-based resources and/or distance education resources • Distance Ed resources would gradually need to be re-designed to be competency-based • Primary network input is on pastor/teacher training, coaching churches, and clusters and catalyzing role of schools

26. Next Steps:5) Partner with Non-formal Training Programs • Identify ministry areas for which the non-formal training qualifies them • Promote training; develop culture of celebrating training • Reciprocal recognition arrangements between CBTE and other training programs

27. Next Steps:6) Partner with Denominations and Mission Agencies • Network existing training opportunities • Learn from each other and actually serve each other • Establish training expectations for ministry roles (“credentialing”) • Re-focus priorities toward equipping

28. Next Steps:7) A Role for EFC • A Church-based missional training roundtable

29. A Canadian Network • Canadian Church-Based Training Network • Canadian Network for Missional Learning • Ephesians 4 Nexus • Church-based Training Consortium • See handout