Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
Values
for example, “...biblical scholars
of international stature such as
Arthur Peake, Norman Snaith, Morna
Hooker or James Dunn. Historically,
the discipleship ethos of British
Methodism has encouraged our
people, ordained and lay (and three of
the above names were not ordained),
to excel in academic and other
study.” Nurturing apt and excellent
scholarship, research and innovation
as a core purpose of the Network
will ensure that these activities
can be supported with renewed
vigour, while also being aligned
with the mission-focused needs of
the Circuits and Local Churches
and the developmental priorities
of contemporary Methodism. By
supporting scholarship, research
and innovation “intentionally and as
part of our missional strategy,” so
might we, in the words of one Circuit’s
submission, “obey the command to
love the Lord our God with all our
mind, as well as with all our heart and
soul and strength.”
127 The Discipleship and Ministries
Learning Network will take the lead
in designing, offering and overseeing
a range of pathways, opportunities,
programmes and resources. We
recommend that these pathways,
opportunities, programmes and
resources should share and
demonstrate the following values:
127.1 They will be accessible, contextual,
responsive, well-communicated,
coherent, comprehensive and
excellent. As a submission from a
Local Preachers’ Meeting noted, it is
important to “recognise and facilitate
a variety of models and styles of
teaching and learning, recognising
that people learn differently.” As
a tutor’s submission noted, “each
element of a pathway [should] contain
a sufficient range of alternative
learning materials to ensure that
different learning styles were taken
into account. For example, the current
Faith & Worship course tends to
assume that all learners complete
similar tasks and exercises. There is
much potential for developing more
creative and varied resources which
give alternative ways for exploring
each element of a topic, enabling
people to engage with the material
in a variety of ways, and helping
people to relate their learning to their
particular circumstances, contexts
and needs.” As a District meeting’s
submission noted, we “need to make
it attractive for people to learn how
to be better stewards, treasurers,
secretaries, etc.”
127.2 They will be developed through
interactive relationships and in
dialogue with local communities
– their diverse and continually
developing contexts, needs and
aspirations. It will be vitally important,
as a submission from a Local
Preachers’ Meeting made during the
consultation period noted, to “listen
to the requests of the churches.”
As a tutor’s submission noted, “if
the whole people of God (in all of
Conference Agenda 2012 693