Explore
Discover your place in God’s mission in Ireland
The Home Mission Team walk alongside individuals and churches as they explore mission, equipping and challenging them to discover their place in God’s mission in Ireland. Here are some of the ways we offer support to help you to step into the mission of God!
Coaching
One-one support for ministers, church leaders and church members exploring mission in their contexts
Coaching provides one-to-one support for ministers, church leaders and church members to explore mission in their context in an intentional and ongoing way. The role of the coach is to ask questions and give space for thinking out loud rather than giving all the answers. The individual is helped to imagine and design the best way forward, discovering new opportunities for stepping into God’s mission.
Pioneer Mission
Innovative, culturally relevant mission among non-churched people that helps form new followers of Jesus and new Christian community
Pioneer Mission is an alternative way to explore mission within the Methodist Church in Ireland - the hope of Pioneer Mission is to see new followers of Jesus made by engaging in culturally relevant mission and creating new Christian communities among non-churched people over an extended period of time.
Training
Mission-focused training to equip and empower local churches to step into mission in their context
The Home Mission team facilitates mission-focused training at Connexional Events and for
local churches. We will explore with you what training might be helpful for you in your local context. The Home Mission Team may facilitate this training or arrange for another mission-focused organisation with specific expertise to deliver this.
Pioneering Cohort
If you are interested in pioneering something new this cohort aims to support pioneers thinking creatively and innovatively about mission and the church. The cohort will provide some input, support and story sharing to help you begin something new and receive support and coaching from others. This cohort is run with Praxis.
Twenty Percent
A new initiative to release ministers to spend 20% of their time engaged in mission beyond their church in a new context, town or area
This new pilot initiative will release some ministers to give a day per week or two half days a week exclusively to some sort of new mission beyond their current roles and responsibilities, giving space for creative and diverse expressions of mission and church to emerge. This could look like exploring a new context, new town or area through prayer walking, listening, exploring meaningful relationships or meeting a need, all with the intention of sharing the hope we have in Jesus.
Financial Assistance (Individuals)
Financial assistance that releases churches, groups and individuals for mission
The Home Mission Department makes grants available to Circuits, groups and individuals to encourage and equip them to step into the mission of God. This could be support for a circuit that has a clear missional calling but is struggling to cover expenses, a grant for a specific missional purpose such as to employ a new staff member, or to fund pioneer mission or a new mission project. During the Covid 19 pandemic we offered Micro Grants - small amounts (circa £200/€250) payable to Circuits for a specific missional purpose without ‘means testing’.
Training
BMLD have a training budget to assist Ministers and Lay Workers with Course Fees. However, if the course is in line with Home Mission strategy (e.g. Coaching), then a small Home Mission grant may be available towards Fees. This will usually be mentioned when the relevant course is advertised.
Financial Assistance (Circuits)
Ordinary Grants
These are grants made to Circuits who do not have the means to cover all their expenses. These must be applied for each year, using the Ordinary Grant Application Form on the website. The Form should be sent to the District Superintendent by the 31st August and a decision on the amount awarded for the following Calendar Year will be normally be made by the 30th November.
Mission Ireland Grants
These are grants made to Circuits for a specific missional purpose, for example to employ a Lay Evangelist or to undertake a Pioneer Mission or to cover the expenses associated with a mission project. These must be applied for using the Mission Ireland Application Form on the website. The Form should be sent to the District Superintendent as early as possible and a decision on the amount awarded will be made in due course. It is helpful if these applications come at the same timeframe as for Ordinary Grants, but this is not a requirement.
Extraordinary Grants
As the name suggests, these are grants made to Circuits that do not fit into the above categories. An example would be a Circuit that finds itself in financial difficulty and needs a short-term grant until staffing levels can be restructured.
All the above grants require a full set of Circuit Accounts so that the need for a grant can be assessed.
Micro-grants
Introduced during the COVID Pandemic in 2020, micro-grants are small amounts (circa £200/€250) payable to Circuits for a specific missional purpose without ‘means testing’. During COVID, micro-grants were used to fund things like Zoom subscriptions and webcams. Applications are made via a simple web form.
Manse Expenditure
In the past, the Home Mission Department gave grants towards Manse upkeep. From July 2020, these will be handled by the Property Board.