workers
for
the harvest
Field
Ministry
Apprenticeship
Programme
Ministry Apprenticeship Meeting a Need
We live in godless times. Hundreds of thousands of people live without God and without
hope. How do we reach them? How do they hear the news that saves them? How do we
mobilise the church in this day and age? How do we equip the saints for works of ministry
and how do we get better at doing ministry ourselves? One thing we can do is consider
whether or not the Christian ministry you’re called to as a believer should be done in a paid
full-time capacity. And the best way to explore that is by enlisting in a Ministry
Apprenticeship Programme.
The Ministry Apprenticeship Programme at Charlotte Chapel promises to equip you with the
tools you need to glorify God by making disciples of all nations. That’s our vision. And if the
Lord chooses to call you into paid ministry, like pastoral ministry, church planting or crosscultural missions, we offer a clear, manageable path towards that destination. Let us tell you
more…
Immersing You in Local Church Ministry
The Ministry Apprenticeship Programme at Charlotte Chapel plunges people into the
everyday workings of local church ministry. That’s the beauty of it.
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It provides opportunities to work alongside
experienced gospel workers who teach and
model what ministry should look like.
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It provides a range of ministry areas where an
apprentice can get their hands dirty, learning
through supervised practice and constructive
feedback.
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It engages an apprentice in a process of
intentional discipleship where holiness is as
much a pursuit as honing any preaching gift.
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It introduces an apprentice to a range of
essential doctrines and ministry practicalities
that matter in the life of a gospel worker.
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And it enters every apprentice into a serious
exploration of suitability for ministry.
All of that together means that in addition to making the path into ministry possible, Ministry
Apprenticeship makes that path formative. It’s not only doable, but life-changing. So what
do we seek to develop in our apprentices? What will an apprentice learn? What do Apprentices Learn?
When you take and cluster what the Bible says about the necessary qualifications for gospel
ministry, three vital categories emerge: CHARACTER, CONVICTION & COMPETENCE.
The table below outlines what we, with God’s gracious help, hope to teach our apprentices.
That gives you a flavour of what an apprentice will learn. But how will they learn? What will
an apprentice do?
CATEGORY
CHARACTER
CONVICTION
OUTCOME
GOAL
To see every
apprentice walking
in a manner worthy
of the gospel
To see every
apprentice thinking
theologically and
growing in biblical
knowledge
Our intention is to train Ministry Apprentices to:
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Happily submit to the Word of God in obedience,
making specific changes in thinking, attitude and
actions.
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Demonstrate a commitment to personal integrity,
especially in the areas of faithfulness, truthfulness,
purity and self-control.
•
Cultivate a humble, self-giving attitude towards
others.
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Exercise sober judgement and pastoral sensitivity.
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Grow in their listening abilities and skills in
building rapport and trust.
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Be teachable and open to feedback.
•
Work cooperatively with others and submit to
leaders
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Explain why the Word of God is reliable.
•
Explain the meaning of specific passages within
their immediate context and the whole message
of Scripture.
•
Explain the gospel with clarity and with biblical
reference.
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Explain the nature of sin, God’s righteous
judgement, the person and work of Christ,
justification by faith.
•
Explain the doctrine of revelation and critique
alternative views of knowing God.
•
Explain the elements of evangelical ministry and
critique alternative views of Christian ministry.
COMPETENCE
To see every
apprentice serving
practically with
humility and
gladness in the
local church
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Exegete and explain a passage of the Bible.
•
Preach the Bible in a way that demonstrates
faithfulness to the text and care for the listener.
•
Lead Bible studies in both group and 121
settings.
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Train others in personal evangelism / leading a
Bible study / 121
•
Provide pastoral care (under supervision) in a
range of situations (e.g. funerals, hospital visits,
church non-attendance).
•
Work at motivating, inspiring and organising
people to work together in teams.
•
Develop and implement ministry plans, providing
leadership and direction for an identified area of
ministry.
•
Demonstrate the ability to pursue productiveness
through time management and task prioritising.
What do Apprentices Do?
Given our focus on the ‘three C’s’ above, it’s no surprise to find them shaping the layout of
our programme.
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To help our apprentices to ‘walk worthily’, we provide mentorship.
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To help our apprentices ‘think theologically’, we provide training.
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To help our apprentices ‘serve practically’, we provide opportunities.
The table below details some details (not all) regarding what apprentices do.
DRIVER
AREA OF MINISTRY
INTENTIONAL
DISCIPLESHIP
Apprentices Will:
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Read the Bible and pray every day with their ministry mentor.
•
Meet weekly with a pastor to explore the personal, spiritual and
missional elements of life as a follower of Jesus.
•
Be involved in the life of pastors and their families to experience
ministry in ‘close quarters’.
TRAINING FOR
MINISTRY
HANDS-ON MINISTRY
INVOLVEMENT
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Study Bible handling in-house and via Proclamation Trust Resources.
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Attend selected local training workshops run by establishments like
Edinburgh Theological Seminary.
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Enrol in tailored study specific to one’s ministry pursuit and passion in
keeping with your mentor’s advice.
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Participate in a weekly RTG (Read To Grow) group, reading, critiquing
and discussing books that are essential to ministry.
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Read and discuss a book a week with pastors.
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Prepare and deliver talks on texts from a range of bible genres in a
range of ministry contexts (e.g. on Sundays, to men’s ministry, youth).
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Serve in at least one ministry area in the life of the church (e.g. students,
youth, children, internationals).
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Undertake a ministry project in an area allocated to them.
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Lead services.
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Attend weekly pastoral team meetings and biweekly Elders’ meetings.
•
and more…
The Nuts & Bolts You Need to Know
Here’s what you need to know about the Ministry Apprentice at Charlotte Chapel:
•
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An apprentice Enters into a 1 year, Full-Time programme that runs from 1st
September to mid July.
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Undertaking part-time work is not advised given the commitment to the programme
and the flexible nature of local church ministry.
•
Holiday allocation is in keeping with the pastoral team’s annual leave plan. You
receive 5 weeks holiday but there certain times in the year are restricted
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You will work 5½ days a week.
It is a volunteer training position and therefore not salaried.
•
•
All apprentices are required to sign a volunteer contract.
Charlotte Chapel encourages apprentices to fund their apprenticeship by in a
number of ways.
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Applying to grant making bodies like the Bonar Trust. Apprentices can apply for a
grant of up to £7000.
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Seek prayer and financial support from your sending church, family and friends. Upon
acceptance to the programme, you will be given a finance pack. You will be given a
letter of endorsement from Charlotte Chapel that you can pass on to friends in order
to garner their support.
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Every book assigned, every conference attended, every course studied is paid for by
Charlotte Chapel. We pay all training costs.
•
Applications are usually submitted between the end of October and the start of
March. A successful applicant can usually expect to have their enrolment in the
programme confirmed by 31st March.
Charlotte Chapel
Charlotte Chapel is an independent evangelical church and part of the Fellowship of
Independent Evangelical Churches. Our building is situated in the centre of Edinburgh but
our church is spread all over the city. On Sundays the church gathers to express our love for
God and each other. We sit under the hearing of God’s word so that we might grow to
become more like Jesus. We seek to serve one another in love, building each other up in as
many ways as we can. And we go out in the hope of spreading God’s glorious fame in our
city and to the nations.
God has very graciously provided us with many things that make it a great place to engage
in ministry training. We have a wide range of opportunities for service.
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Children’s Ministry
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Youth Ministry
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Student Ministry
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International Ministry
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Men’s Ministry
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Women’s Ministry
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Evangelism
We not only have a range of opportunities for service, we have a team of pastors who serve
as mentors and examples.
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Paul Rees is the Lead Pastor. He’s responsible for preaching, leadership and pastoral
care.
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Liam Garvie is the Associate Pastor. He’s responsible for preaching, discipleship and
ministry training.
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Matt Round is the Assistant Pastor. He oversees the student ministry and is
developing our church planting strategy.
In addition, we have a Women’s Ministry Co-ordinator, a Women’s Pastoral Visitor, and 2
Pastor’s In Training.
Find out more by logging on to www.charlottechapel.org
Why You Should Consider
Gospel Ministry
In Luke 10:2 Jesus looks out over a city full of lost
people and sees an unparalleled need: a harvest without
any harvesters. More labourers. That’s what is needed.
That’s what Jesus calls people to pray for. We need
gospel workers. We need more pastors, planters,
missionaries to help equip the church for works of
ministry and proclaim the gospel to the nations.
Jesus not only teaches us what is needed, he models what we should do. In Matthew
10:1-10, Jesus takes those he has trained and sends them out to do the same things they’ve
watched him do. He’s multiplying ministry by training up gospel workers and sending them
out into the harvest field.
The same need exists today. Only 2% of people in Scotland today are bible-believing,
gospel-centred, mission-oriented followers of Christ. We need to multiply ministry in this
nation by training up and sending out gospel workers. Could you be one of them?
Contact Us
To find out more or to ask for an application form, contact the church office by
Email info@charlottechapel.org
Phone 0131 225 4812