St John’s House hosted the first-ever Focal Leadership Focus Day on Saturday, with attendees ranging from Focal Leaders who are due to be commissioned next week, to people who are simply curious and want to learn more about the role. It was an informative, fun and interactive event filled with group activities, talks, videos, and guided discussions – plus plenty of pastries, cakes and of course, tea and coffee.
The morning began in worship and prayer, before Beverley Angier, Focal Ministry Officer, welcomed attendees and encouraged them to locate Focal Leadership in their own specific contexts. It is a role whose definition is evolving and will be different for each Focal Leader depending on the specific needs of their church. Following a group discussion and feedback, Mike McGurk, head of Church Growth in Manchester Diocese, then gave a thought-provoking talk considering how Focal Leaders respond to a call from God, and how they can help to create a culture of invitation in church.
After lunch, everyone partook in three workshops: ‘Mission Community: Sharing the Vision’, ‘Stress Bucket: Keeping the Balance’, and ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’. Each was designed to prepare Focal Leaders for stepping into their roles, whilst prompts were placed around the event where people could write down their hopes and queries regarding this new ministry.
Speaking about the new Focal Leadership role, one attendee said there was a “real willingness to make it work”, whilst many found the group workshops especially helpful.
Our first cohort of Focal Leaders will be commissioned on 15th October at St Mary's, Rawtenstall. All are welcome to attend and you can reserve your space via this link.