Section outline

  • Orientation — Before You Begin

    Collapse all Expand all

    Welcome to the Institute of Ministry. Before you begin Module 01, please work through this short Orientation. It introduces the Moodle platform we use for the whole programme, shows you how to move forward and backward through a unit and through the course, walks you through submitting assignments and taking timed quizzes, and gives you a full, careful introduction to the AOCM Scripture Study tool (built on STEPBible) that you will use in every module from here on.

    Orientation should take under an hour. Module 01 will remain locked until you have completed it. This is not a formality — candidates who skip it consistently struggle later with mechanics that have nothing to do with their vocation. Better to learn the platform now, in a low-stakes setting, than under the pressure of a real deadline.

    If anything here is unclear, or something does not work as described, please contact us — the details are in the final chapter below.

  • Module 01 - Orientation, Ecclesiology, and the Rule of Formation

    Foundation

    Readiness, Discipline, and Identity

    February 2027 | Approximately 40 hours | 4 units

    What this module is about

    This module prepares you for the seriousness and sustained discipline of a 440-hour formation pathway. It establishes the formation rhythm, builds the cohort community, introduces you to ecclesial accountability, and begins shaping the attitudes and habits that will carry you through eleven months of study alongside work, family, and existing commitments.

    This is not a gentle introduction; it is an honest beginning. You are expected to confront your own capacity, motivations, weaknesses, and readiness for serious formation. If you cannot sustain the discipline of Module 01, you are unlikely to be ready for ordination. It is better to discover that now than two years into ministry.

    Units 1.1, 1.2, and 1.4 are for all learners. Unit 1.3 is jurisdiction-specific and clearly marked. Learners of the sponsoring jurisdiction complete Unit 1.3 here. External learners studying through a partner body or their own jurisdiction engage the equivalent governance documents of their own jurisdiction, submit written confirmation from their bishop or formation director, and then join the full cohort for Unit 1.4.

    What you will learn

    • Explain what the LDM is, what it requires, and what it does not guarantee.
    • Describe diaconal formation as service, not status.
    • Identify the attitude, self-discipline, teachability, and relational maturity required for 440 hours of intensive formation.
    • Plan your time concretely and honestly for eleven months of sustained study.
    • Explain the weekly and monthly rhythm of the programme, including the December–January recess.
    • Describe the ecclesial authority under which you are being formed and the responsibilities that this creates.
    • Explain the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer as formation anchors.
    • Explain inclusion as a sacramental conviction, not merely a social policy.
    • Begin your formation portfolio and identify the role of your formation mentor.
    • Begin praying the Daily Office as the primary prayer rhythm of an ordained minister.

    Units in this module

    • Introduction to Module 01: read this page before opening any unit.
    • Unit 1.1 – Entering Formation: expectations, rhythm, commitment, StepBible, the Formation Covenant, and your Formation Readiness Plan.
    • Unit 1.2 – Attitude, Teachability, and Self-Leadership: humility, self-discipline, emotional maturity, relational integrity, perseverance, and servant character.
    • Unit 1.3 – Jurisdictional Identity, Polity, and Governance: sponsoring-jurisdiction governance or an external learner’s equivalent jurisdictional engagement.
    • Unit 1.4 – Creed, Prayer, Inclusion, and the Cohort Begins: the Creeds, the Lord’s Prayer, inclusion, vocation reflection, and the first cohort call.

    A word before you begin

    Formation is not passive. You will not absorb it by reading. It requires you to engage honestly with the material, write carefully, sit with genuinely difficult questions, and allow what you study to change the assumptions you brought with you.

    Ten hours of study each week is a floor, not a ceiling. The discipline of showing up consistently — not brilliantly, not dramatically, but consistently — is itself part of what is being formed.

    Open Unit 1.1 and begin.

  • Module 02 — Scripture I: Old Testament, Covenant, and the People of God

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Scripture and Doctrine

    This module gives you a serious working grasp of the Old Testament as Christian Scripture: creation, covenant, Exodus, law, worship, prophecy, wisdom, exile, and restoration, together with the Psalms and the Deuterocanon. Throughout, the focus is on how these texts shape diaconal service, justice, prayer, and preaching — not merely on background knowledge for its own sake.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Describe the broad structure of the Old Testament and Deuterocanon.
    • Explain covenant, worship, justice, mercy, exile, and hope as theological themes.
    • Use the Psalms as part of Christian prayer and the Daily Office.
    • Use StepBible for Old Testament word and passage study.
    • Apply Old Testament themes to diaconal service and preaching.
    Required and supporting resources
    • Selected Yale Open Courses lectures from Introduction to the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible (RLST 145).
    • A complete Bible with Deuterocanon. The Catholic Public Domain Version is the standard course Bible.
    • AOCM course notes on Scripture, canon, and the Catholic use of the Old Testament.
    • How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor (Mark Yarbrough) — optional further reading.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Word study: covenant, mercy, justice/righteousness, servant, worship, sacrifice.
    • Passage comparison: Genesis 1; Exodus 3; Isaiah 58; Psalm 23 or 130; Wisdom 3 or a Sirach selection.
    • Prepare a short note on how one Old Testament text shapes diaconal service.
    Assessment and evidence

    All timed quizzes in the LDM, including this module’s structure quiz, draw 20 questions from a bank of 60, run on a 25-minute timer, and allow one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Old Testament structure quiz.
    • StepBible worksheet on covenant, justice, or mercy.
    • Reading response based on the included AOCM material and selected open resources.
    • A 1,000-word reflection: The Old Testament and the diaconal ministry of justice, worship, and mercy.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “How does the Old Testament form a deacon’s ministry of service?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Quiz completed.
    • StepBible worksheet submitted.
    • Reading response submitted.
    • Reflection submitted.

  • Module 03 — Scripture II: New Testament, Christ, Church, and Mission

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Scripture and Doctrine

    This module grounds you in the New Testament as the apostolic witness to Christ, the Church, sacramental community, mission, ordered ministry, and discipleship. Historical-critical material may be useful background, but the Institute receives the New Testament as Scripture within the life of the Church, and this module is taught accordingly.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Describe the broad structure and witness of the New Testament.
    • Explain Jesus’ ministry as mercy, table fellowship, proclamation, healing, cross, and resurrection.
    • Explain Acts, Paul, and early Christian communities in relation to mission and ministry.
    • Use StepBible to study key New Testament ministry terms.
    • Connect New Testament teaching to diaconal identity.
    Required and supporting resources
    • Selected Yale Open Courses lectures from Introduction to New Testament History and Literature (RLST 152).
    • AOCM New Testament course notes.
    • A complete Bible with Deuterocanon.
    • Optional: selected excerpts from the Letters of St Ignatius of Antioch.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Word study: diakonia, doulos, ekklesia, koinonia, apostolos, presbyteros, episkopos, charis, charisma.
    • Close reading: Acts 6; Mark 10:35–45; John 13; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12.
    • Prepare a brief explanation of New Testament service for a small group.
    Assessment and evidence

    All timed quizzes in the LDM, including this module’s structure quiz, draw 20 questions from a bank of 60, run on a 25-minute timer, and allow one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • New Testament structure quiz.
    • StepBible worksheet on diakonia and service.
    • A 5-minute video or audio reflection: The New Testament vision of diaconal service. A written equivalent is permitted.
    • Participation in cohort discussion.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “What kind of servant does the New Testament form?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Quiz completed.
    • StepBible worksheet submitted.
    • Reflection submitted.
    • Discussion participation recorded.

  • Module 04 — Creeds, the Lord's Prayer, and Church History

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours | Section: Scripture and Doctrine

    This module moves beyond introductory catechesis and forms you to confess and teach the Creeds and the Lord's Prayer as living formation texts, not historical curiosities — and traces the historical arc of the Church from the Early Church through the ecumenical councils, the Great Schism, and the Reformation, to the Old Catholic movement and the wider independent sacramental movement. Moral theology, ecumenism, and the pastoral teaching of doctrine now form their own module (Module 05), so that each area has room to breathe.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Explain the Apostles’ Creed as baptismal faith.
    • Explain the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed as conciliar faith.
    • Explain the Lord’s Prayer as doctrine and prayer.
    • Trace the Church’s historical arc from the Early Church through the Great Schism and the Reformation to the Old Catholic movement and the independent sacramental movement.
    • Distinguish this universal Church history from the Mission’s own particular historical roots (covered separately in Module 01, Unit 1.3, and in A Guide to Formation and Ministry).
    What this module covers

    Unit 4.4 traces the Church’s history as a single continuous thread: the apostolic era and the age of persecution; the ecumenical councils that defined the Creed; the Great Schism of 1054; the Reformation; the Old Catholic movement and the Union of Utrecht; and the wider independent sacramental movement in which the Mission stands. This is universal Church history, distinct from the jurisdiction-specific material in Unit 1.3 and complementary to — not a repeat of — A Guide to Formation and Ministry’s account of the Mission’s own particular historical roots.

    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM course notes on Church history — the Early Church, the ecumenical councils, the Great Schism, the Reformation, the Old Catholic movement, and the independent sacramental movement.
    • AOCM Catechism and doctrinal notes — §§1–6 as doctrinal background.
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry — Chapter 1 (the Mission’s own particular historical roots, distinct from the universal history covered here).
    • Public-domain spiritual classics where appropriate: The Confessions, The Imitation of Christ, The Rule of St Benedict.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Compare the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11.
    • Study key terms: faith, forgive, kingdom, one, holy, catholic, apostolic.
    • Prepare a Scripture-grounded explanation of one line of the Creed.
    Assessment and evidence

    All timed quizzes and knowledge checks in the LDM, including this module’s, draw 20 questions from a bank of 60, run on a 25-minute timer, and allow one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Church history knowledge check.
    • StepBible exercise on the Lord’s Prayer.
    • A 1,000-word teaching piece: Explaining the Creed and its historical origin to an adult Christian preparing for ministry.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “What does the Church’s long history teach a deacon about faithfulness across change?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Knowledge check completed.
    • StepBible exercise submitted.
    • Teaching piece submitted.
    • Discussion participation recorded.

  • Module 05 — Ethics, Ecumenism, and Teaching the Faith

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours | Section: Scripture and Doctrine

    This module forms you in Christian moral theology, the Mission’s ecumenical commitments, and the pastoral art of teaching doctrine with clarity and charity. It is newly separated out of what was, in earlier drafts of this course, a single shared unit within Module 04 — surfacing material already grounded in the Mission’s Catechism and Ecclesiology, with no new doctrine introduced.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Apply the Mission’s moral teaching — virtues, the Decalogue, conscience formation, human dignity — to diaconal ministry.
    • Articulate the Mission’s ecumenical commitments and the appropriate stance toward Christians of other traditions.
    • Teach doctrine pastorally, without arrogance or cruelty.
    • Recognise the difference between faithful doctrine and private invention.
    What this module covers

    This module carries three areas that belong together in pastoral formation: moral theology, ecumenism, and the pastoral communication of doctrine. Christian ethics is treated not as rule-keeping but as the shape of sanctified love, grounded in the Mission’s Catechism §7 (the virtues, the Decalogue, conscience, human dignity). The Mission’s ecumenical framework — the Dialogue / Association / Full Intercommunion ladder of Statutes §5, the Catechism §9, and the Lima Text material in Ecclesiology and Doctrine §22 — gives you the theological conviction and the practical posture for engaging Christians of other traditions and people of other faiths. Throughout, you are formed to hold doctrine and charity together: teaching clearly without becoming a gatekeeper, correcting gently without cruelty, and living the principle in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM Catechism — §7 (Faith and Christian Life: virtues, moral vision, Decalogue, conscience, human dignity).
    • AOCM Catechism — §9 (Unity and Dialogue: ecumenism, interfaith encounter).
    • AOCM Statutes and Governance Principles — §5 (Ecumenical Relationships and External Affiliations).
    • AOCM Ecclesiology and Doctrine — §22 (Ecumenical Theology and the Lima Text).
    • AOCM Ecclesiology and Doctrine — full document.
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Study key terms grounding the Mission’s moral and ecumenical teaching: love, neighbour, one body, reconcile.
    • Use StepBible to examine one passage that grounds the Mission’s moral teaching or ecumenical vision.
    • Prepare a short reflection connecting one Scripture passage to a pastoral teaching situation.
    Assessment and evidence

    All timed quizzes and knowledge checks in the LDM, including this module’s, draw 20 questions from a bank of 60, run on a 25-minute timer, and allow one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Virtues, Decalogue, and conscience knowledge check.
    • Ecumenical framework reflection.
    • A 1,000-word teaching piece: Explaining Church doctrine pastorally to someone preparing for ministry.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “How do we teach the faith without becoming gatekeepers?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Knowledge check completed.
    • Ecumenical framework reflection submitted.
    • Teaching piece submitted.
    • Discussion participation recorded.

  • Module 06 — Sacramental Theology and Diaconal Boundaries

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Sacraments and Liturgy

    This module forms you in the theology of the seven sacraments and, just as importantly, in a precise understanding of what a deacon may and may not do. It is deliberately not a priestly formation module — a core purpose of this module is to distinguish diaconal ministry clearly from priestly and episcopal ministry, so that you serve confidently within your own order.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Explain sacrament as visible sign of grace and ecclesial act of the Church.
    • Identify the seven sacraments and their basic theology.
    • Explain matter, form, intent, validity, licitness, and faculties in plain language.
    • Distinguish diaconal, priestly, and episcopal roles.
    • State clearly what deacons may and may not do.
    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM Ecclesiology and Doctrine — Sacraments section.
    • AOCM authorised rite and missal library: baptism, Mass, marriage, funeral, Daily Office, and approved resources where legally available.
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry.
    • AOCM course notes on deacons and faculties.
    • Sacramental Theology: Theory and Practice from Multiple Perspectives (Bruce T. Morrill, ed.) — optional faculty or advanced reference.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Study biblical language around washing, table, laying on of hands, anointing, covenant, forgiveness, and service.
    • Use StepBible to support a short explanation of one sacrament without proof-texting.
    Assessment and evidence

    All timed quizzes in the LDM, including this module’s, draw 20 questions from a bank of 60, run on a 25-minute timer, and allow one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Sacramental terminology quiz.
    • Diaconal boundaries case-study quiz.
    • Short written task: explain to a layperson what a deacon may and may not do.
    • No priestly Eucharistic presidency video is included in the Licentiate in Diaconal Ministry — this module keeps diaconal and priestly formation clearly separate.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “Why do limits protect both the minister and the faithful?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Terminology quiz completed.
    • Boundaries case study completed.
    • Lay explanation submitted.
    • Discussion participation recorded.

  • Module 07 — Liturgy, Daily Office, and the Sanctification of Time

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Sacraments and Liturgy

    This module forms you into a person of ordered prayer who can lead public prayer reverently and assist at authorised liturgy. The Daily Office (also called the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours) is treated as a sustainable rule of prayer for bivocational, dispersed ministry — not an ideal reserved for full-time clergy or religious communities.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Explain the Daily Office / Divine Office / Liturgy of the Hours as the prayer of the Church.
    • Lead Morning or Evening Prayer reverently.
    • Understand the liturgical year, lectionary, collects, seasons, and feasts.
    • Explain the deacon’s role at Mass or authorised liturgy.
    • Create a sustainable personal Rule of Life.
    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM Daily Office / Divine Office resource.
    • AOCM Why We Worship This Way booklet.
    • Authorised AOCM worship and rite library, including missals and rubrical guides where legally available.
    • Yale Divinity School: Foundations of Christian Worship — selected lectures.
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry — sections on prayer, spiritual formation, and ministry rhythm.
    • The Care of Souls (Harold L. Senkbeil) — optional further reading for pastoral spirituality.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Psalm study: Psalm 23, Psalm 51, Psalm 63, Psalm 95, Psalm 130, or the appointed psalm.
    • Study Gospel canticle language: the Magnificat, the Benedictus, the Nunc Dimittis.
    Assessment and evidence

    All timed quizzes and knowledge checks in the LDM, including this module’s, draw 20 questions from a bank of 60, run on a 25-minute timer, and allow one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Liturgical year and Daily Office knowledge check.
    • Personal Rule of Life, approximately 1,000–1,500 words.
    • Video or live demonstration: lead Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer, normally a 5–10 minute excerpt or the full Office as directed.
    • Reflection: prayer as formation rather than performance.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “How can a bivocational deacon remain rooted in prayer?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Knowledge check completed.
    • Rule of Life submitted.
    • Daily Office demonstration submitted or assessed live.
    • Reflection submitted.

  • Module 08 — The Diaconal Ministry of the Word

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Diaconal Ministry in Practice

    This module trains you to proclaim Scripture, prepare short homilies or teaching reflections, lead small Bible studies, and communicate responsibly in public and online settings. The emphasis throughout is faithful proclamation, not performance: a deacon must be able to speak clearly, teach humbly, and handle Scripture with care.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Proclaim the Gospel clearly and reverently.
    • Prepare a short homily or teaching reflection rooted in Scripture.
    • Use StepBible in sermon and teaching preparation.
    • Facilitate a small group Bible study without dominating.
    • Communicate publicly with pastoral maturity.
    • Ground proclamation and witness in the Mission’s theology of evangelisation as proclamation and presence.
    What this module covers

    This module is grounded in the Mission’s theology of evangelisation as proclamation and presence: the Church exists for mission, every liturgy leads to service, and every Eucharist is a sending forth. Evangelisation here is invitation, not coercion — calling others to encounter Christ and share in the fellowship of His love, whether in homes, workplaces, communities, or online spaces. Digital ministry is treated as a real and serious extension of diaconal service, not an optional extra: you are formed to represent Christ and the Church online with the same care, dignity, and accountability you would show in person.

    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM homiletics and catechesis notes.
    • AOCM Catechism — §4.9 (The Church in Mission), §7.12 (Witness and Mission in the World), §12.6 (Our Witness in the World).
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry — §6.7 (The Minister and the Wider World).
    • StepBible preparation templates.
    • AOCM digital conduct and communication guidance.
    • From Social Media to Social Ministry (Nona Jones) — optional further reading for digital ministry.
    • The Gospel-Driven Church (Jared C. Wilson) — optional further reading for gospel-centred teaching.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Prepare a Gospel reading using StepBible: context, key terms, cross-references, and pastoral application.
    • Develop a 45-minute Bible study using StepBible rather than relying on unexamined proof-texts.
    • Study speech and witness texts: James 3; Ephesians 4; 2 Timothy 2.
    Assessment and evidence

    Where this module’s assessment includes a timed quiz element, it follows the LDM-wide format: 20 questions drawn from a bank of 60, a 25-minute timer, and one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Video or live assessment: Gospel proclamation.
    • A 750-word homily or teaching reflection.
    • StepBible-based Bible study plan.
    • Short digital-conduct and missional-witness reflection.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “What does responsible speech look like for clergy?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Gospel proclamation assessed.
    • Homily/teaching reflection submitted.
    • Bible study plan submitted.
    • Reflection submitted.

  • Module 09 — Pastoral Care, Boundaries, and Clergy Ethics

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Diaconal Ministry in Practice

    This module forms you in pastoral presence, limits, confidentiality, referral, humility, and ethical conduct. It is not the safeguarding course — safeguarding remains a separate requirement, tracked outside the LDM. This module addresses the general pastoral ethics and limits that credible diaconal ministry requires, grounded in the Mission’s own moral theology rather than policy compliance alone.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Practise pastoral presence before advice-giving.
    • Recognise emotional, relational, financial, digital, and liturgical limits.
    • Explain confidentiality, discretion, and appropriate record awareness.
    • Identify risks of clericalism, dependency, manipulation, and spiritual abuse.
    • Apply the Mission’s moral teaching to diaconal practice and personal conduct.
    • Create a personal Code of Conduct for ministry.
    What this module covers

    The theological grounding for this module is the Mission’s Catechism §7 (the theological and cardinal virtues, the moral vision of the Gospel, the Decalogue, conscience formation, and human dignity) and the Ecclesiology and Doctrine §28 (reconciliation, conscience, and the pastoral care of sin). You will engage these not as abstract doctrine but as the soul of pastoral practice: prudence in judgement, justice in dealing, fortitude in difficult situations, and temperance in relationships. Your personal Code of Conduct flows from this moral formation, not merely from policy compliance.

    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM pastoral care and limits teaching.
    • AOCM Catechism — §7 (Faith and Christian Life: virtues, moral theology, Decalogue, conscience, dignity).
    • AOCM Ecclesiology and Doctrine — §28 (Reconciliation, Conscience, and the Pastoral Care of Sin).
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry.
    • AOCM Code of Conduct and Clergy Covenant.
    • AOCM guidance on records, communication, and ministry accountability.
    • The Care of Souls (Harold L. Senkbeil) — optional further reading.
    • Pray for the Flock (Brian Croft) — optional further reading.
    • From Social Media to Social Ministry (Nona Jones) — optional further reading for digital pastoral care.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Study shepherding and care texts: John 10; 1 Peter 5; Acts 20; Psalm 23; Galatians 6.
    • Distinguish pastoral care from control, domination, or status-seeking.
    • Prepare a brief biblical reflection on humility in ministry.
    Assessment and evidence

    Where this module’s assessment includes a timed quiz element, it follows the LDM-wide format: 20 questions drawn from a bank of 60, a 25-minute timer, and one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Pastoral case study.
    • Confidentiality and limits scenario quiz.
    • Personal Code of Conduct, approximately 1,000 words, grounded in the Mission’s moral teaching.
    • Separate checkpoint: safeguarding course completion evidence must be recorded outside the Licentiate in Diaconal Ministry before public ministry, practicum, or ordination review.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “Why are limits part of love?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Case study submitted.
    • Scenario quiz completed.
    • Personal Code of Conduct submitted.
    • Safeguarding checkpoint recorded by the Institute.

  • Module 10 — Small Groups, House Churches, and Local Mission

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Diaconal Ministry in Practice

    This module prepares you for the realistic ministry context of the Mission: small communities, house churches, online-first mission, local service, inclusion, hospitality, and slow, responsible growth. This is the normative early-church and house-church model, not a compromise or a temporary arrangement — the deacon here is a servant of a gathered community, not a curate in a cathedral.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Explain the theology of smallness and local mission in the early Church and house-church pattern.
    • Plan a small group or house church with realistic rhythm and pastoral purpose.
    • Practise inclusion as ethos, not mere tolerance.
    • Understand the Mission’s ecumenical framework and apply it in local ministry relationships.
    • Articulate the theology of mission as proclamation and presence appropriate to a dispersed context.
    • Design a six-month local mission plan with accountability and sustainability.
    What this module covers

    Candidates in dispersed ministry contexts will encounter Christians of other traditions. The Mission’s ecumenical framework provides the pastoral approach: the three levels of relationship in Statutes §5 — dialogue, association, and full intercommunion — are living descriptions of how trust develops honestly, not bureaucratic stages. The Lima Text’s convergence on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (Ecclesiology and Doctrine §22) gives you theological language for ecumenical conversation, and practical formation in explaining what the Mission can and cannot share with a given community — without either false intimacy or unnecessary hostility — and in engaging in joint service such as chaplaincy, community outreach, or prayer vigils where genuine common ground exists.

    Required and supporting resources
    • AOCM Catechism — §4.9 (The Church in Mission).
    • AOCM Statutes and Governance Principles — §5 (Ecumenical Relationships and External Affiliations).
    • AOCM Ecclesiology and Doctrine — §22 (Ecumenical Theology and the Lima Text).
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry — §6.7 (The Minister and the Wider World).
    • AOCM teaching on small groups, house churches, and local mission.
    • House to House (Larry Kreider) — optional further reading on house church.
    • What Every Small Group Leader Should Know (Larry Kreider) — optional further reading on small group leadership.
    • Starting Small (Ben Reed) — optional further reading on small groups.
    • You Lost Me (David Kinnaman) — optional further reading on pastoral response to disengagement.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Study Acts 2:42–47; Romans 16:1–16; Philemon 1–2; 1 Corinthians 14:26 — the house-church pattern in the New Testament.
    • Examine John 17:20–23 as the theological basis for ecumenism.
    • Use StepBible to prepare a short biblical reflection on mission as presence and service.
    Assessment and evidence

    Where this module’s assessment includes a timed quiz element, it follows the LDM-wide format: 20 questions drawn from a bank of 60, a 25-minute timer, and one retake (a maximum of two attempts).

    • Course-material response on the theology of smallness and the house-church model.
    • Six-month small group, house church, or local mission plan.
    • Short reflection: how the Mission’s ecumenical framework shapes local ministry relationships.
    • Inclusion explanation: how to welcome the person who feels unwelcome.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “What does responsible church planting look like in a small independent sacramental mission?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Course-material response submitted.
    • Six-month plan submitted.
    • Ecumenism reflection submitted.
    • Inclusion explanation submitted.

  • Recess — Christmas and New Year (no new module)

    Approximately 6 December 2027 – 16 January 2028 | No new content or assessment

    The cohort pauses over Christmas and the New Year. No new module opens during this period, and no assessment is due. Candidates use the recess to bring their portfolio of evidence up to date and to complete or re-record any outstanding practical or video assessments from Modules 01–10 — rest is also a legitimate and expected use of this time.

    How to use the recess
    • Review your portfolio and confirm all evidence from Modules 01–10 is complete and up to date.
    • Re-record or complete any outstanding practical or video assessments (for example, Gospel proclamation, Daily Office leadership, or homily recordings).
    • Rest, pray, and keep sabbath with your own household and community over Christmas and the New Year.
    Completion evidence — Recess

    No graded evidence is required during the recess. The cohort resumes with Module 11 in the third week of January 2028.

  • Module 11 — Integration, Practicum, and Readiness for the Diaconate

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours  |  Section: Integration and Readiness

    This final module gathers the whole course into a structured readiness process. It does not simply reward completion; it asks whether you have become more faithful, more accountable, more prayerful, more teachable, and more practically prepared for diaconal ministry over the eleven months of formation, including the Christmas and New Year recess.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:
    • Integrate Scripture, doctrine, prayer, liturgy, ethics, pastoral care, and mission.
    • Demonstrate basic diaconal practical competence.
    • Complete the final portfolio.
    • Participate in the final oral review by video call.
    • Receive a clear formation outcome.
    Required and supporting resources
    • All previous AOCM course notes and submitted assignments.
    • A Guide to Formation and Ministry.
    • Your Rule of Life and Personal Code of Conduct, from Modules 07 and 09.
    • Authorised AOCM liturgical and formation resources.
    • Selected continuing formation reading from the course reading pool.
    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Prepare one final Scripture-based reflection on diaconal service.
    • Identify how Scripture has shaped your vocation during the programme.
    • Select one passage that will continue to guide your ministry.
    Assessment and evidence
    • Final portfolio submission.
    • Final practical evidence: Gospel proclamation; Daily Office; short homily/teaching; sacramental limits explanation; small group/mission plan; ecumenical positioning reflection.
    • Final oral review by video call.
    • Mentor report or formation feedback, where applicable.
    • Separate safeguarding clearance confirmed before ordination review.
    Monthly cohort discussion

    “How will I continue formation after the programme ends?”

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Final portfolio complete.
    • Final practical evidence complete.
    • Final oral review completed.
    • Formation outcome recorded.
    Possible final outcomes of the programme
    • Recommended for ordination review.
    • Recommended for further formation before ordination review.
    • Delayed pending specific growth areas.
    • Not recommended for ordination.
    • Withdrawn or discontinued.