CMD events
Learning events from the diocesan CMD team and curated external offerings.
This list of learning events includes both those organised by the CMD Team at Church House and a curated selection of external opportunities, in date order.
Bookings for our learning events usually close about a week in advance. If you would like to attend a Church House learning event after bookings have closed, please email us and we will try to accommodate late registrations.
To receive termly CMD email updates, click here and select CMD News. You can also access recordings and other resources from previous CMD events.
Equipped for Ministry: Science and the Life of the Church (External)
2026: Mon 16th Nov
2027: Mondays 18th Jan, 22nd Feb, 22 Mar
Online: 7.30-9.30pm
Worship, teaching, pastoral care.
At the Faraday Institute we are well aware of the ways in which science can speak fruitfully into the core activities of the Church’s ministry and mission. For example, images of distant galaxies can inspire wonder and worship, science is a source of modern parables to help the whole congregation, including scientifically minded people, to see the Bible with fresh eyes, and pastoral care is often informed by psychology. The life of the Church also feeds into science.
For instance, many scientists find their Christian faith inspires them to value, explore and take care of creation – human as well as everything else – and prompts consideration of the limits of the experimental method. We and those in our network want to grow in learning how to live out these principles of faith informing science and science informing faith in our teaching and service in our own churches and beyond. What wisdom can we draw from science to help us in different areas of church life? How can key aspects of Christian faith feed into science?
Details and booking here
Beginning Funerals Ministry
17th October, 9.30am – 4.00pm
Christ Church, Flackwell Heath
Who is it for? Curates, LLMs, and any Ministers wanting a complete refresher on Funeral Ministry.
This Learning Event is hosted by IME2.
Led by Revd James Dwyer, Vicar of Flackwell Heath, this Learning Event will cover:
- Perspectives from a funeral director on effective partnership with parish ministers
- The basics of preparing for a first funeral
- Introduction to the CW funeral liturgy and its theology
- The legal and canonical framework for Church of England funerals
- How to care for yourself as a funeral minister
Please note: Please remember to bring your own lunch, as it is not provided at this event.
Autumn Retreat
Wed 21st Oct 10am – 3.30pm
Yarnton Manor, Church Lane Yanton, Kidlington, OX5 1PY
Who is it for?: All Clergy and Lay Ministers
Led by Revd Pete and Ali Wheeler. Enjoy a day of rest and renewal in the beautiful surroundings of Yarnton Manor. We’ll be exploring some Caravaggio themes, listening to beautiful music and finding lots of space to allow God to speak and refresh us. (And, importantly, please feel permission to simply find your own space to breathe, if that’s what you need).
Lunch is provided.
Oxford Diocese Low Income Communities (LInC) Ministry Conference
22 Oct 2026, 9.30am – 4pm
Reading Gateway Church, South Reading, RG2 8DE.
Who is it for? Clergy, Lay leaders, Ministry teams, NWC practitioners & Pioneers, and CYP & Family workers.
The Oxford Diocese Low Income Communities (LInC) Network Conference is a day of inspiration, encouragement and practical learning for anyone passionate about serving in and alongside low-income communities. The conference will explore mission, discipleship, justice and community transformation in areas of deprivation. It’s an opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners, hear stories of hope and connect with others from across the Diocese who share a heart for seeing God’s Kingdom flourish in social housing estates and low-income neighbourhoods.
The day will feature keynote talks from Bishop Mary Gregory, Revd Dr Cris Rogers, Revd Preb Helen Shannon and Revd Ben Woodfield, alongside opportunities to meet mission partners including Proximity, Kids Matter, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), Parish Nursing Ministries UK, Missional Church Network and CCX.
Breakfast (coffee & pastries) & Lunch are provided free of charge!
PCC Day: Exploring the Practicalities of Leading a PCC (External)
Thurs 5th Nov, 10am – 4pm
Hope Church, Chesham.
Who is it for? Clergy, Lay Ministers, PCC Lay Chairs
Run by CPAS: Fun, faith-filled and fruitful PCCs make such a difference to the life of a church. But they aren’t always like this. CPAS are on a mission to make PCC meetings the best meeting people attend. And we not only believe it is possible, but have a track record of helping church leaders make the most of their PCCs. On this day we’ll explore the practicalities of leading a PCC, including: Identifying the common dysfunctions; Creating a code of conduct; Crafting great agendas; Handling difficult discussions; Working well together so that everyone contributes their best; Managing multiple PCCs across a multi-parish benefice.
Details and booking here (£45)
Remaking After Trauma: The Role of the Church (External)
Sat 7th Nov 2026, 9.30am – 4.30pm
Westminster College Cambridge & Online
Around 70% of adults have at least one traumatic experience at some point in their lives. For many people around the world, these experiences will be multiple, deep or lasting. In some circumstances, being a Christian can result in an increased risk of trauma. In nearly every setting, Christians have the opportunity to serve others who have been traumatised. How can the church support people who have experienced trauma, and do so in biblically and theologically informed ways? How can we become aware of the impact of trauma at multiple levels? How can we support each other, and those in our wider communities, through traumatic experiences? What does post-traumatic growth, or remaking after trauma, look like? Join us to explore this vital area of the Church’s work, alongside experienced practitioners and teachers. This course is designed as continuing professional development for church leaders, as well as training for active church members and parachurch volunteers. A certificate of attendance can be supplied on request.
Details and booking here
Money Training for Clergy
12th November, 10.00am – 3.45pm
Church House Oxford
Who is it for? This learning event is specifically for Clergy and Curates
Hosted by the IME2 Team.
Andy Green, Finance Director for Oxford Diocese will explain how Parish and Diocesan finances work and how best to manage them (including info on how to deal with parish trusts). Joshua Townson (Diocesan Generous Giving Adviser) will show you how to encourage generous giving in your parish.
Arrive from 9.30am for tea, coffee and networking.
Please note: you will need to bring your own lunch.
Studying the Lectionary Gospel: Mark
Sat 21st November, 10am – 3.30pm
Church House Oxford
Tues 24th November, 10am – 3.30pm
Yarnton Manor
Led by Revd Dr Andy Angel, this learning event will explore some of the background and important themes of Mark’s Gospel – the gospel for Year B. Together, we will journey through the unfolding Christological plot in the Gospel of Mark, discovering how Mark develops his, and our understanding of Jesus throughout his narrative. We will also explore some of the evidence as to what Mark believes and proclaims the ‘good news’ of Jesus Christ is, and whether we might understand it as ‘the victory of God and the peace established thereby through self-sacrifice and ultimately the cross’.
Revd Dr Andy Angel is the Director of Formation for Ministry and Warden of Readers in the Diocese of Oxford. He has spent a decade plus in parish ministry and a decade plus teaching in seminaries. He has published books and articles in biblical studies, his main research work being in Divine Warrior myth and apocalyptic in the gospels and Second Temple Judaism.
Lunch is provided. (NOTE: 24th is a repeat of 21st)
Book 21 November | Book 24 November
ReEquip: A Day On The Story Of Joseph In Genesis – Prof. John Lennox (External)
Wed 9th Dec, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Yarnton Manor
It’s one of the most gripping stories in all of Scripture, and one of the most pastorally rich. Sibling rivalry. Betrayal. Slavery. Temptation. Wrongful imprisonment. Sudden and dramatic reversal. And then, in one of the most moving scenes in all literature, forgiveness offered to the very brothers who tried to destroy him. Few narratives in the Bible carry such weight for those of us who walk with people through suffering, injustice, broken families and the long, slow work of forgiveness.
John Lennox has spent decades immersed in the relationship between faith, reason and Scripture, and in recent years has turned his attention to the great Old Testament narratives – Daniel, Joseph, Abraham – tracing what he calls the “seed project”: the thread that runs from Genesis through the whole Bible, of God’s grace and purpose worked out through flawed, messy and suffering people.
This day is an invitation to sit with this story slowly – not just as a sermon resource, but as a narrative that has something to say to us about our own sufferings, our own temptations, and our own capacity (or otherwise) to forgive.
£15 includes lunch.
Understanding & Responding To Christian Nationalism
Tues 12th Jan, 10.00am – 1.00pm
Church House Oxford
Who is it for?: Anyone
We’re currently updating the format of this Learning Event, so ticket sales are on pause. Check back soon!
This learning event is hosted by the Social Justice (Discipleship) Team, with CMD.
Arrive from 9.30am for tea, coffee and networking.
Lunch is provided.
Pensions, Housing & Finance For Clergy
Wed 21st Jan, 10.00am – 3.30pm
Church House, Oxford
Who is it for?: This event is specifically for Clergy
An opportunity to learn and ask about Clergy pensions, post-retirement Housing, and planning Finances well for later life – this Learning Event is for clergy at all stages of ministry who want to plan ahead for a healthy retirement. Led by advisers from the national church and Ecclesiastical Insurance Ltd.
Arrive from 9.30am for coffee and networking.
Lunch is provided.
Pastoral Care: Divine Spaces or Wounding Encounters (‘Theology For the Parish’ Series)
Wed 27th Jan, 10am – 4.00pm
The Barns, Christ Church Abingdon OX14 1XP
Who is it for?: Clergy, Lay Ministers, Pastoral Care Teams
The Church is called to be a community marked by mutual love for one another. Indeed, Jesus declared that it is by our love for one another that the world would know we are his disciples. Nevertheless, there are times when it can be profoundly difficult to know how to express this love. Sometimes the pastoral space can become flooded by feelings from past experiences. As these historic dynamics emerge into the present, both clergy and congregants can feel overwhelmed, disoriented, and isolated.
This training day will seek to raise awareness and understanding of how past experiences can create challenges in pastoral care, while also helping all ministers of pastoral care (Clergy, Lay Ministers, Pastoral Care Teams, etc) to develop confidence in responding to these challenges. We will explore psychological work on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), attachment patterns, and projections, as well as how we might understanding these phenomena theologically. In doing so we will consider, Christ’s presence amidst suffering, our adoption as Children of God, and what it means to remember our past with God. At the heart of the day will be an exploration of the role of all ministers of pastoral care, emphasising how we are called to witness to God, as opposed to being charged to make all things right.
This Learning Event is led by: Prof. Josh Horden (Professor of Ethics at Oxford University), Dr Daniel Maugham (Consultant Pyschiatrist, Oxon), Gwen Adshead (Consultant Forensic Pyschiatrist & Pyschotherapist) and Rev. Dr Ed Stroud (Research Fellow at Faculty Of Theology & Religion, Oxford University).
This learning event will draw on real-life narratives of pastoral encounters, making sure that the discussion is rooted in the lived reality of ministry.
Note – Please bring your own lunch.
Transforming Conflict 1: Leadership, Discipleship and Community (External)
31st Jan – 5th Feb 2027
Bestwood Lodge, Nottingham NG5 8HT
Who is it for?: This course is designed to help anyone in a church leadership role who is looking for encouragement to face conflict constructively.
Leading and living well with difference: Bridge-Builders’ flagship course, designed for those with leadership responsibility, laying the foundation for recognising our call as Christian disciples to live well with difference and tension. Five days packed with opportunities to learn through teaching, group work, skills practice, prayer and personal reflection. Conflict is a normal and inevitable part of life, yet leaders often feel ill-prepared to face conflict, and disturbed that it is present in Christian communities.
ReEquip: Not So With You: Power & Leadership Dynamics In Christian Ministry (External)
Wed 3rd Feb, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Yarnton Manor
Who is it for?: Anyone leading ministry
Power is one of those things ministry leaders are trained to preach about but rarely trained to hold. We can quote Philippians 2 in our sleep, but knowing what to do when we’re the one setting the agenda, shaping the culture, holding the authority – that’s a different matter.
Left unexamined, power doesn’t disappear because we’re uncomfortable naming it. It just goes underground, shaping how we lead through unspoken assumptions and quiet self-protection rather than anything we’ve thought through – and the cost usually lands on the people we lead.
Dr Mark Stirling has spent years wrestling with this, as a pastor and now as he trains others for ministry at Highland Theological College and the Chalmers Institute as well as Oakhill College. This reEquip day is a chance to think that through properly – what power actually is, and what it looks like to lead well, rather than merely lead.
£15 includes lunch.
Save the date: AI And Ministry (‘Theology For the Parish’ Series)
Wed 23rd Feb, 10.00am – 3.00pm
Venue: Church House Oxford
Who is it for? Clergy, LLMs and Lay Ministers
A day exploring the impact and theology of AI in the context of parish ministry.
The day will include reference to the recent document ‘AI Guidelines For Christian Ministry Document’ which can be downloaded here.
Following this learning event, we are also offering the opportunity to be a part of a AI Learning Community, meeting three times year. Get in touch if you are interested in joining.
Arrive from 9.30am for tea, coffee and networking.
More details to come!
Booking link forthcoming.
New Worshipping Communities / Planting / Pioneering / Fx Networking Day
Wed 24th Feb, 11.00am – 1.30pm
Venue: TBC
Who is it for? NWC / Planting / Pioneering / Fx Practitioners
A day for practitioners to connect! If you are involved in New Worshipping Communities, Church Planting, Pioneering, or Fresh Expressions, come and enjoy some time both connecting with others, encouraging and being encouraged, learning, praying and discovering what God is doing around the Diocese.
This Meetup will include the opportunity to give your thoughts on creating a Learning Community for your specialism, or in your area, that will enable you to connect, learn, reflect and share experiences and practice more regularly with others. Please be praying on whether that would be something that you’d benefit from.
Lunch is provided.
‘Hope For All Creation’ – A Key Theological Response To The Environmental Crisis
Thurs 4th March, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Venue: Thame Barns Centre, Thame
Who is it for?: Anyone
Led by +Mary, Bishop of Reading with Margot & Martin Hodson, ‘Hope For All Creation‘ is a key theological response from the Church Of England to the environmental crises – the first for some time, containing new insights and applications. This Learning Event will include theological teaching and practical application for everyone considering how to respond well and locally to the Climate and Environmental Crisis.
How might we articulate the hope for all creation in our everyday lives, as well as our teaching and preaching, amidst world climate events? If you are participating in Creationtide events, thinking about how your building contributes to creation care, or wanting to create a greenspace or a community garden, this will help equip you with the practical theology to support these activities.
This learning event is from the OD Discipleship: Creation Care Team, in partnership with CMD.
Lunch is provided.
Transforming Conflict 1: Leadership, Discipleship and Community for Senior Leaders (External)
18th – 23rd April 2027
Wydale Hall, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9DG
Who is it for?: This course is designed specifically for those in senior Christian leadership roles who are looking for skills and encouragement to face conflict constructively.
Conflict is a normal and inevitable part of life, yet leaders often feel ill-prepared to face conflict, and disturbed that it is present in a Christian community. It is focussed on conflict in church and other Christian settings, and through the themes of leadership, discipleship and community will help you to be a more resilient leader, and to understand more of the work of reconciliation in practice for a community of faithful disciples. Drawing on the Bridge Builders’ theological roots in the Mennonite tradition, the course explores the call of all Christians to be entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, that begins with facing and blessing enemies, and calls us to live faithfully in a spirit of power, of love and of self-control.