Posted on: 20th June 2023

Leeds School of Theology is pleased to partner with Lighthouse West Yorkshire in facilitating a dynamic learning community that will serve Christians already working alongside the marginalised or who have a heart to pioneer in this area. Lighthouse is a fresh expression of church that serves adults with multiple and complex needs including poverty, mental health, homelessness, trauma, and addiction.

COURSE OVERVIEW

The course will include passionate teaching which fuses together Biblical studies, theological reflection, interviews with people with lived experience, cultural analysis and cutting-edge research on addiction and trauma to inspire and equip the church to engage with those on the margins in a way that looks and loves like Jesus. This course will be delivered online so you can engage with it wherever you are based. The course starts in September 2023 and runs over ten Monday evening sessions across the year with breaks for Christmas and Easter.

TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE

Missional Theology for the Margins
Justice and the Heart of God
The Image of God
Suffering, Lament and Spiritual Warfare
Building Community & Leading Accessible Worship for Vulnerable Adults
Why the Hell do Bad Things Happen?
Addiction and Recovery
Trauma Informed Discipleship
Helping without Hurting

SESSION DELIVERY

This course will be delivered fully online. Each month the online content will consist of a live-streamed Zoom session, video resources, reading material and opportunities to discuss the content with the course leaders and other students who are ministering with those on the margins.

COST

The cost of the course is £250 per year. This includes all the teaching sessions, any resources and access to our online discussion forum. Some local churches may be able
to subsidise the course costs for their students. Please contact your church leaders to enquire about this possibility.

TUTORS

Rev Jon Swales MBE

Rev Swales heads up Lighthouse - a church for those who are battered and bruised by the storms of life. Jon has been a New Testament Tutor for Westminster Theological Centre having studied Theology at the University of Leeds, and Biblical Studies at both Sheffield University (M.A ) and Trinity College, Bristol (MLitt, ADMT) and has taught Old Testament at St Hild Theological College. Jon is passionate for the church to engage more fully its missional calling to reach out to the most vulnerable in society.

Katie Dowds

Katie Dowds is Senior Pastor at Lighthouse, a Christian community for those who have been battered and bruised by the storms of life. A refl ective practitioner and passionate communicator, Katie has a particular interest in trauma informed discipleship and how the church can respond to some of the most vulnerable and hurting in society in ways that are both radical and sustainable. She sits on the advisory board at Just Love and has led seminars and performed spoken word poetry at national conferences such as Proximity and ISAAC. She loves Jesus and is hungry to see his Kingdom come.