Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
54.9 Opportunities for Higher and Further
Education students and careerstarters:
Two centres currently offer
accommodation and related support
for students and career-starters in
London. These centres offer a safe
and supportive place to live, and can
allow access to advice and life-skills
input within a Methodist environment.
See in particular paragraphs 82.14
and 82.16 below.
55 Connexionally-resourced postholders
also design and deliver pathways
within Circuits, Districts and regions
in the areas of: adult education,
candidating, change, children
and youth, collaborative working,
discipleship, faith-sharing, leadership,
Methodist identity, the ‘Missing
Generation’, mission, safeguarding,
visioning and vocation.
People: Expert staff
Tutors
56 The longest-standing cohort of
expert staff are tutors deployed
within institutions, colleges and
centres to support and oversee
the education and formation of
student ministers. The existence and
distribution of tutorial posts have
naturally been closely connected
to the existence and distribution of
institutions, colleges and centres,
and these are considered at greater
length in paragraphs 75-82 below.
Today a nominal 18 tutorial posts
are supported by connexional
resources across 10 institutions
primarily to oversee the education
and formation of student ministers,
but also to nurture and contribute
to communities of formation,
scholarship and research.
57 As well as tutors overseeing the
education and formation of student
ministers, connexional resources also
support tutors within a wider range
of institutions, whose emphasis is
on training, theological education,
research and development for a wider
audience. The Inspire Network, a
connexional project of the Methodist
Church, has its roots in the work of
tutors at Cliff College. Similarly the
Step Forward pathway, mentioned
above, is designed and supported by
staff within the Guy Chester Centre.
District Youth Officers
58 As well as tutors at institutions,
colleges and centres, Methodism
has a long tradition of supporting
officers working within and across
Districts. This tradition began in the
1950s with the post of District Youth
Officer. A report from the Division of
Education and Youth to the 1996
Conference noted that the strengths
of the provision of District Youth
Officers included:
l
l
l
the development of strong
ecumenical working relationships
in youth and children’s work
the establishment of training
programmes, including
Kaleidoscope and Spectrum
the promotion of the
Conference Agenda 2012 663