Rural and Wild: A New Adventure in Outdoor Mission & Ministry (18th – 20th September 2026)

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Arthur Rank Centre is stepping outside — quite literally — with the launch of Rural and Wild, a new pilot weekend inviting church leaders to rediscover faith in the open air.

Created in partnership between The Arthur Rank Centre and The Methodist Church, this course is designed for lay leaders and clergy from all denominations who want to explore mission and ministry that breathes with the weather, listens to the land, and notices God in the wide open spaces.

Running at Cliff College, Derbyshire from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September 2026, (a re-arranged date from February 2026) the gathering will mix worship, story, silence, trail-based reflection, and practical ideas that churches can take home and adapt.

It will offer a chance to step away from routine, wander, wonder, and re-imagine what mission might look like when it grows out of the soil of a place rather than the structure of a rota.

Rural and Wild is intentionally earthy and hands-on. Expect time outdoors. Expect wellies. Expect relaxed pub chats. Expect creativity. And expect conversations that help leaders think about how outdoor mission and ministry can work across everything from multi-parish benefices to small rural chaplaincies.

The weekend sits alongside our wider training programme — but with a very different feel: spacious, grounded, and shaped by the landscape itself.

Full details and booking information are available here

We’re excited to see where this new strand of rural training leads — and what new directions emerge when we dare to step outside.

Join us !

Published: 2 December 2025

Rural Bitesize: New Online Training for Rural Lay Leaders Launches January 2026

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Arthur Rank Centre is pleased to announce the return of Rural Bitesize, a joint initiative delivered in partnership with The Methodist Church. This six-session online course offers accessible, practical support for rural lay leaders who want to explore mission, deepen confidence, and engage more widely with their communities.

Rural Bitesize begins on Monday 12 January 2026, running fortnightly from 7–9pm on Zoom. Designed around small, manageable steps, the course introduces key themes in rural mission and discipleship, grounded in real rural experience and shaped by the challenges and opportunities of the countryside.

The programme is ideal for those who are:

  • seeking to connect more deeply with their local communities

  • encouraging others in faith and discipleship

  • wondering how to “give things a go” in rural settings

  • questioning what mission and growth might look like where numbers are small and resources are stretched

Across the six sessions, participants will explore:

  • connecting with the agricultural community

  • rural margins and unseen hardship

  • intergenerational rural mission, including schools work

  • small-group discipleship in rural contexts

  • rural festivals, community events and co-created traditions

Rural Bitesize is open to all denominations, reflecting the breadth of rural mission across the UK.

Thanks to specific funding, the course is free for leaders in the Methodist Church and associated Local Ecumenical Partnerships (lay or ordained, paid or unpaid). Ecumenical friends from other traditions are warmly welcome; a small charge applies to cover resources, payable via The Arthur Rank Centre.

Course Dates (7–9pm on Zoom):

  • Monday 12 January

  • Monday 26 January

  • Monday 9 February

  • Monday 23 February

  • Monday 9 March

  • Monday 23 March

Participants will receive joining details by email after registering. Those signing up are encouraged to commit to all sessions to gain the full benefit of the course.

Booking

Places are now open for registration. Click here to book your place