Introduction to Pioneer Ministry and Church Planting 2026

Application deadline: Wednesday 14 January 2026

Start date: Saturday 24 January 2026

Course dates:

Have you ever dreamed of a church which enables the Gospel to live and breathe directly within the rhythms of what is around you in everyday life? Where a new worshipping community forms itself with people and in places where the good news of Jesus Christ now seems entirely silent?

The purpose of the course is to equip you with a grounding in the knowledge and understanding, both in knowledge and practical application, that might be needed to begin new worshipping communities or ‘fresh expressions of church’, through pioneer ministry and church planting.

The course is led by Rev. Dr Sandy Forsyth, Senior Teaching Fellow at New College and parish minister; and by Rev. Peter Wood, Honorary Fellow at New College and Mission Director for the Presbytery of Lothian & Borders. Individual sessions will feature experienced teachers and practitioners. The course is open to all within the church, with or without prior theological training.

• The course is in a blended format involving two in-person workshops on Saturdays at New College and six online classes during the weeks in between on Wednesday evenings. The dates and intended topics are below.
• The course can be taken for SQA credit (10 credits) or on a not-for-credit basis. If a student is taking the course for credit, there will be one final project to complete in essay format. The project/essay may also be completed for informal feedback by those not seeking credit.
• The course fee is £210 per student, whether taking the course for credit or not.

In line with fire safety regulations attendees to in-person sessions using a wheelchair must be able to self-transfer to an evac chair in order to safely evacuate the building.

This venue is fully accessible however, if you require disabled access, please provide details when requested as part of your application.

We will accept cancellation of your place on a course and refund course fees within 14 days of completing payment.

Personal data: We will use the personal data you provide in the online application to process your application and communicate with you about this course. We retain core data about course participants for 3 years (in case you require us to provide evidence that you have attended or that you have successfully completed the assignments) and financial details for 7 years.

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