Urban Life creates learning environments that offer practical, local and accessible training to Christian groups, intentional communities and churches in urban areas and marginalised neighbourhoods. If you are looking for accredited training for yourself, looking for a community to reflect with or want spaces for your group or team to learn together, then this is the place for you.

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Our new course  / mission on the margins practitioner track (developed with St Hild College) could be for you.  

https://www.sthild.org/mission-on-the-margins

URBAN THEOLOGY UNION is a member-led organisation of Christians in UK urban contexts. The Certificate in Theology and Discipleship for mission is designed specifically for people who are at a point where they are beginning to ask ‘Lord, what next ?’ about their life journey.The PhD is supervised at UTU by supervisors approved by the University of Manchester.   UTU has developed a unique collegiate style for PhD students where students are always supported by a team of supervisors and learn with a cohort of others who also share responsibility for peer-learning, challenge, and encouragement

ForMission equips Christian Leaders to transform their communities through accredited training, thought leadership and missional support. ForMission’s vision is to encourage and equip Christians to transform the world through missional presence and action. The college seeks to be a learning community of reflective practice, community engagement, leading-edge missional theology, and participation in God’s mission. Our core values are being relational and missional; committed to diversity, excellence, and service.

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NAZARENE THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE The Urban Mission pathway and the parallel Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate resources creative, transformative and innovative thinking and practice in Urban missions and ministry, and supports continuing professional development. It offers the opportunity to explore approaches to urban mission and ministry and provides a foundation in reading the multiple facets of the city, including its culture, nature, and needs. It engages with different approaches to ministry in urban environments helping to deepen understanding and sharpen practice.

URBAN MINISTRIES The Urban Ministry Program is a training program to equip people to make disciples who make disciples in the urban context.

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Urban Ministries exists to help Christian workers in Urban Communities. It aims to equip people by providing both resources and training for ministry in housing estates and inner city areas.

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A conservative evangelical approach.

The Greenhouse at Barnes Close

has been approved by the University of Manchester and Nazarene Theological College - Manchester as a “Partnership Campus”. This means that our Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership work, that designs and delivers post-graduate leadership programmes with NTC, can now be officially offered at The Greenhouse for residentials.

The Greenhouse is a former Cadbury family home that we took up as part of the Community for Reconciliation in February last year, just weeks before the Pandemic lockdown. It was in a near derelict state then, but through the thoughtfulness, hard work and sacrifice of our community and supporters it has been transformed and includes beautifully equipped training rooms, a 5,000 volume theological library and is able to host up to 30 students for residentials.

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Our 2022 MA units include:

Resilient Discipleship

Tutors: Dr Sally Mann (Red Letter Christians UK and Bonny Downs Community Church) and Dr Ash Barker (Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership)

When? 11-12 March, 18-19 March and 25-26 March 2022 based at The Greenhouse at Barnes Close, though online is available.

This unit explores the nature and call of Christian discipleship as a core motif to sustaining life and ministry in complex urban contexts. What are the biblical, theological and practical frameworks that can be discerned for faithful, resilient and relevant urban engagement as Christ-followers? How can Christian discipleship inform and inspire our spirituality, leadership practices and vision for God’s in-breaking, new urban world?

This unit can be taken for a number of MA in Theology pathways through NTC and awarded by University of Manchester. Please apply here.

Ecology and Theology I: Creation and Crisis

Tutors: Dr Jeremy Kidwell (University of Birmingham and Rooted) and Dr Deidre Brower Latz (NTC Principal). Guest Lecturers via Zoom: Brian McLaren (BrianMcLaren.net) and more to be announced.

When? 1-9 July, 2022 with the first sessions at NTC Manchester, before field-based study at The Greenhouse (accommodation, outdoor experiences and seminars).

What does Christian thought and practice have to do with the ecological crisis? In this module, we examine relevant biblical texts, Christian theology from across a variety of areas, and field experiments, in order to gain an awareness of the questions that Christian thought and practice brings to contemporary environmentalism and the ways that close examination of human impacts on God’s creation can illuminate Christian thought and practice.

This unit can be taken for a number of MA in Theology pathways through NTC and awarded by University of Manchester. Please apply here.

Community Engagement: Building Communities of Shalom

Tutors: Dr Sally Mann (Red Letter Christians UK and Bonny Downs Community Church) and Dr Ash Barker (Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership). Guest Lecturers via Zoom: Richard Rohr (Centre for Action and Contemplation), Brian McLaren (BrianMcLaren.net), Debra Green(ROC), Mike Royal (Cinnamon Network), Andre Van Eymeren (Centre for Building Better Community and Urban Shalom Society)

When? 1-2 July, 8-9 July, 15-16 July, 2022 based at The Greenhouse at Barnes Close, though online is available.

We need healthy and flourishing communities like never before. Engage with the best thinking and practice in community building with leading community activists and thought leaders in a supportive and inspiring environment. See a fresh vision of what is possible and learn what it takes to see the potential of your community realised in ways you haven’t seen before.

This unit can be taken for a number of MA in Theology pathways through NTC and awarded by University of Manchester.

The Greenhouse is nestled at the foot of the Waseley Hills between Birmingham and Worcester on five acres of grounds with direct access to the Waseley Hills Country Park. It’s a renewing place, but still accessible to urban leaders as it’s within a two hour drive for 40 million people and just a twenty minute drive from our base in Winson Green. We hope The Greenhouse at Barnes Close as an NTC Partnership Campus will create more opportunities to grow a new generation of community leaders into God’s fullness of life through accredited, practical and formative leadership programmes.

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CMS PIONEER TRAINING

A course by pioneers for pioneers. We get it and we will help you help others get it. Our students discover a language that works.

The pioneering gift should be recognised and appreciated. Our qualifications are accredited by Durham University.

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Connect and learn with others like you who have discovered the freedom of not fitting in