Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
Part 2: Our Recommendations
Section G: A Discipleship and Ministries
Learning Network
Recommendation: The establishment of
the Discipleship and Ministries Learning
Network.
115 The Ministries Committee has
sought to “be ardent in spirit” over
recent months. We have sought to
engage prayerfully and thoroughly
with significant quantities of data and
analysis drawn from a wide range of
sources. We have sought to do justice
to the information and the reflections
which were shared with us during the
consultation period and beyond. We
have sought to keep before God in
prayer all those who are likely to be
affected by our recommendations.
Above all we have sought the Spirit’s
guidance in our discerning and our
conferring.
116 The outcome of our reflections
and deliberations is a primary and
over-arching recommendation: the
establishment of the Discipleship
and Ministries Learning Network. The
Network is a gathering together of
pathways, opportunities, programmes
and resources; it is a connecting
together of expert resources: staff,
spaces, centres, funds and assets;
it is a means of coordinating the
development and delivery of a
range of pathways, opportunities,
programmes and resources; it is a
sharing of energy, enthusiasm and
Purposes
expertise across the Connexion to
better serve the Methodist people.
117 We recommend that the purposes
of the Discipleship and Ministries
Learning Network should be as
follows:
Discipleship development
118 The first core purpose of the
Network is to support discipleship
development across the Connexion:
supporting Circuits and Local
Churches to nurture and equip the
Methodist people to be Christ-like
disciples in an often un-Christ-like
but never Christ-less world. “Do not
be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your
minds, so that you may discern what
is the will of God – what is good and
acceptable and perfect.” 14
119 As a submission from a grouping
of Superintendents made during
the consultation period noted, “it is
important that the whole people of
God are offered learning pathways.
It is right to end any suggestion that
only ministers matter. Equipping
people to engage in ministry both in
church but, even more importantly, in
their everyday life and work is vital.”
This will involve, as a regional forum’s
submission noted, a “re-focussing [of]
resources on the spiritual formation
of lay people as disciples and
14
Romans 12:2
690 Conference Agenda 2012