CCM CHURCH GAP YEAR
CCM’s church gap year programme is an opportunity to spend a year investing in your personal growth, receiving high quality training, and putting your skills to use in serving the church.
CCM CHURCH GAP YEAR
CCM’s Church Gap Year program is an opportunity to spend a year investing in your personal growth, receiving high quality training, and putting your skills to use in serving the church.
what is involved in
A CHURCH GAP YEAR
The CCM church gap year runs from September to July and we ask people to commit to this programme for these ten months. You will take part in various ‘projects’ that support the mission of the church under the guidance of a line manager. You will be involved in the day-to-day running of the church, including both supporting the admin team, and setting up Sundays and other church events.
You will also go to a regional training base in Bedford for regular training blocks to receive teaching in theology and skills for ministry. Between these blocks, your weekly schedule will include study time, where you have the opportunity to process and look more deeply into the things you have learned, plus in-house training at CCM, including enrolment into the CCM School of Leadership, the CCM School of Theology and a specialist training track designed to accompany the gap year..
Most of all doing, the gap year means being devoted to serving the members of the church. This includes being proactive in meeting and welcoming new people, facilitating people getting involved in Community Groups and making real friendships, and empowering and equipping others to grow in their spiritual gifts.
The CCM church gap year is designed to be a year of personal growth and equipping for ministry, and training plays an important role in the year.
Included in the training you will receive is the following:
- Training Blocks at the Bedford Training Base. Six times a year you will come together with people from other churches who are also doing a church gap year for a week of theology and skills training, delivered by experienced leaders from around the country. Five of these training blocks will be at the Bedford base, and the other one will be a trip to Center Parcs. You will be set additional assignments during these training blocks to complete in your own time.
- In-House Gap Year Training at CCM. Each Friday morning you will gather with other gap year students in the church and receive training on practical Christian living.
- CCM School of Theology. You will be enrolled into the CCM School of Theology where you will receive monthly Saturday morning sessions covering the big story of the Bible and going deep into some particular theological topics.
- Discipleship Training. You will regularly meet with a ‘discipler’ who will be able to offer you support and help you as you grow in your walk with God.
- Skills Training. Based on the stream of ministry that you choose for the year, you will agree further training with your line manager to help you develop in your chosen area.
TRAINING
TRAINING
The CCM church gap year is designed to be a year of personal growth and equipping for ministry, and training plays an important role in the year.
Included in the training you will receive is the following:
- Training Blocks at the Bedford Training Base. Six times a year you will come together with people from other churches who are also doing a church gap year for a week of theology and skills training, delivered by experienced leaders from around the country. Five of these training blocks will be at the Bedford base, and the other one will be a trip to Center Parcs. You will be set additional assignments during these training blocks to complete in your own time.
- In-House Gap Year Training at CCM. Each Friday morning you will gather with other gap year students in the church and receive training on practical Christian living.
- CCM School of Theology. You will be enrolled into the CCM School of Theology where you will receive monthly Saturday morning sessions covering the big story of the Bible and going deep into some particular theological topics.
- Discipleship Training. You will regularly meet with a ‘discipler’ who will be able to offer you support and help you as you grow in your walk with God.
- Skills Training. Based on the stream of ministry that you choose for the year, you will agree further training with your line manager to help you develop in your chosen area.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have other questions that are not covered here, please email Andy Brownlee, the gap year overseer, and he will be happy to help you.
What Will the Year Focus On?
The CCM church gap year program is designed to help you make the most of your own skills and areas of interest in church life, and at the beginning of the year, you will be able to choose a ‘stream’ of church life in which you would like to grow and develop. During your year you will receive specific training and ministry opportunities in the stream that you have chosen.
Examples of streams include worship/music, student work, youth work, kids work, evangelism, discipleship, church operations, church planting, Bible teaching and mercy ministries. This is not an exhaustive list, and if there are other areas that interest you, it may be possible to develop new streams in those areas.
What Does a Typical Week Look Like?
To a large extent it will depend on the stream that you choose, and your timetable will be agreed with your line manager at the beginning of your year.
As a guideline, your timetable will include:
- Weekly study time/coursework
- Day to day serving at church site (admin, setup, staff meetings etc)
- Personal and spiritual development
- Training and outreach sessions
- Streams
- Community group
- Bedford training
- Sunday meetings
Who Runs the Gap Year Program?
The CCM church gap year is an enhanced version of the FP Impact gap year offered by the Catalyst Network.
The year includes everything that is part of the FP gap year, including the training weeks, the Center Parcs residential and the Mission Trip. These elements of the year a run by the Catalyst Network and overseen by Martin Tibbert, who leads Woodside Church in Bedford.
In addition to these components of the FP year, Christ Church Manchester is offering additional training opportunities and ministry streams. The CCM co-ordinator of the gap year program is Andy Brownlee.
Mission Trip. Say What?
The FP year also includes an overseas mission trip in June and you are invited to participate in this trip as part of your church gap year. This is optional and would cost around £500.
What Is the Cost of the Gap Year?
The FP year in Bedford usually costs a total of £1350. Christ Church Manchester does not add to this cost for the elements of the year that we provide, we subsidise the cost of the Bedford training.
As a church, CCM will contribute £850 of these fees for each gap year student, plus travel expenses to and from Bedford for the training blocks. The remaining £500 needs to be paid by the individual before the gap year begins.
Is It Possible to Combine the Gap Year With a Part Time Job?
Yes. A lot of people find this the most effective way to support themselves during the year.
The main expenses to be aware of for the year are living costs. We are happy to help you set a budget for the year, and it would be possible to combine the FP year with part-time work that can pay your rent and bills.
COURSE LEADER
The CCM church Gap Year is led by Andy Brownlee.
Andy has an MA in Church History and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Missional Leadership. He is an elder at Christ Church Manchester and leads CCM:Withington.
COURSE LEADER
The CCM church Gap Year is led by Andy Brownlee.
Andy has an MA in Church History and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Missional Leadership. He is an elder at Christ Church Manchester and leads CCM:Withington.
GET INVOLVED
If you are interested in doing a church gap year with Christ Church Manchester, fill out your details below and Andy Brownlee will be in touch with you to discuss it further.