The Queen’s Connexional Course is delivered through residential

weekends, study groups and supported online learning.
Students are supported by tutors based at the Queen’s Foundation,
Birmingham, regional ministry officers of the Discipleship and
Ministries Learning Network, and local ordained ministers who facilitate and supervise practice in the link church and on placement.
The course is designed for those who are in paid employment or who have other significant responsibilities which mean that they need to remain based in their home context during training.
However, it requires a significant weekly commitment (15 - 20 hours per week, including local church involvement) over three years.
Queen’s is entering into a new validation agreement with the
University of Durham and the expectation is that students will exit with a Diploma of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and
Mission. The proposed programme is outlined below.
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Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education
Somerset Road, Birmingham, B15 2QH www.queens.ac.uk
Director of Methodist Formation & Oversight Tutor with responsibility
Helen Dixon Cameron h.cameron@queens.ac.uk
0121 452 2617
Pastoral Studies/Diaconal Oversight Tutor
Eunice Attwood e.attwood@queens.ac.uk
0121 452 2660
Director of Studies for the Centre for Ministerial Formation
Rachel Starr r.starr@queens.ac.uk
0121 452 2622
Administrator for the Centre for Ministerial Formation
Karen Vincent k.vincent@queens.ac.uk
0121 452 2669

Residential weekends
There are eight residential weekends per year held at Queen’s. They begin on Friday evening with a meal, and end at Sunday lunch.
These Ministry and Mission weekends focus formational learning in the context of prayer and corporate life. These relatively brief periods of residence provide deep opportunities for the integration of heart, mind and hands, or being, knowing and doing. Each weekend contains three formational components:
 Shared worship throughout the weekend.

Shared learning

Meals and time for relaxation together.
Saturdays of residential weekend focus on theological reflection,
Methodist spirituality and worship, and aspects of ministry and mission.
Over the three years of the course, Sundays focus on preaching, inter-faith engagement and pastoral care.
Six weekends are shared ecumenical weekends. Two weekends are an additional opportunity for Methodist students to gather.
On-line Learning
Each term, one module will be delivered on-line, using written and audio-visual material, and a range of tasks and activities, such as discussion forums. Regular Skype seminars with the module tutor offer support and further opportunity to learn together as part of a small seminar group.

Regional Groups
Regional groups meet four times a year, most probably on a Sunday from 9.30 am until 4pm (this may be reviewed). They are facilitated by regional ministry officers.
The regional groups serve several purposes.

They give time and space for reflection on and integration of learning, enabling learning in different parts of the programme to come into conversation to help integrate what you think, feel, do and believe.

They provide opportunity for mutual encouragement and support, in prayer and fellowship.
Personal tutorial oversight and support
Each student has a personal tutor with whom they meet four times a year to discuss their ministerial formation and training experience.
Regional ministry officers act as personal tutors to QCC students.
They will make arrangements for tutorials with you at times and places that are mutually convenient, such as at residential weekends. There will be four personal tutorials each year, one per term plus one at the end of the year for report writing preparation.
At the end of the year, personal tutors, in dialogue with other
Queen’s staff, prepare a report on the student’s progress which goes to the Connexional Committee with oversight of student deacons
(DCPOC & the Warden of the MDO) and student presbyters (PCPOC).

Ministerial practice
Ministerial practice is developed in two contexts.
Students are based in a local or link church for the duration of training. Students engage with the life of the church in worship and service, giving several hours commitment per week, as agreed in discussion with the local minister and formalised in the Local Church
Agreement. Students are expected to lead worship and preach
(except non-preaching deacons), receiving feedback from ministers and congregation members to contribute to a Worship Portfolio which is built up over three years. The worship portfolio is written up in the third year of training.
In the summer term of the first year, students complete a churchbased placement (which may be a fresh expression church community), in a Methodist church/circuit. The placement is supported by regional seminars designed to foster skills and habits of reflective practice. Regional tutors have oversight of placement arrangements in consultation with the Placement tutor of the
Queen’s Foundation, and regional tutors will meet with placement
Supervisors to set up the Placement. Placement learning agreements are agreed at the beginning of the placement between student and supervisor. The supervisor’s report is discussed with student and regional tutor, and a positive report is necessary for progression.

Programme overview: Year 1 (Level 4)
Saturdays
Sundays
Ecumenical residential weekends
Introduction to Theological Reflection (10 credits)
Integrative Learning for Collaborative Practice: Methodist
Spirituality and Practice (10 credits)
Introduction to Christian Worship (part A) (10 credits)
Introduction to Preaching (10 credits)
Methodist residential weekends
Foundations for Reflective Practice in Context: Seminars
(20 credits – with placement)
Introduction to Christian Worship (part B)
Regional days
Ministerial practice
Term 1
Term 2
Local church practice (worship portfolio – not for credit)
Term 3
Foundations for Reflective Practice in Context: Placement
(credited with module seminars)
On-line learning
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Introduction to the Bible (20 credits)
No online module as students on placement

Programme overview: Year 2 (Levels 4 & 5)
Residential weekends
Saturdays
Sundays
Mission and Evangelism (20 credits)
Christianity and Inter-Faith Engagement (10 credits)
Methodist residential weekends
Christian Faith and Ethical Living: seminars (20 credits)
Regional days
Ministerial practice
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Christian Faith and Ethical Living: local church practice
(credited with module seminars)
Worship portfolio (not for credit)
On-line learning
Brief Introduction to Church History (10 credits) Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Brief Introduction to Christian Doctrine (10 credits)
Old Testament Study in Context (10 credits)

Programme overview: Year 3 (Level 5)
Residential weekends
Saturdays
Sundays
Preparing for Denominational Ministry (20 credits)
Christian Theology, Ritual and Pastoral Care (part A) (20 credits)
Methodist residential weekends
Christian Theology, Ritual and Pastoral Care (part B)
Regional days
Ministerial practice
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Reflective Practice in Context (Short) in local church (10 credits)
Worship portfolio (not for credit)
On-line learning
New Testament Study in Context (10 credits) Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Topics in Christian Doctrine (20 credits)