Section outline

  • Welcome to the Licentiate in Diaconal Ministry

    Interested in this course?

    You are welcome to read this course in full as a visitor — we publish our outlines openly. Places are offered to selected candidates following an enquiry and discernment. If you believe you may be called to the diaconate, begin with an enquiry and we shall be glad to talk with you.

    Start your enquiry →

    Institute of Ministry · Course welcome

    Welcome to the Licentiate in Diaconal Ministry

    You are entering a serious pathway of theological study, spiritual formation and practical preparation for the diaconate. The purpose is not simply to teach you about ministry, but to help form the habits, judgement and accountable service that ministry requires.

    Study commitmentApproximately 440 guided hours across eleven modules.
    How it is deliveredOnline, cohort-based formation with a monthly rhythm, mentor contact and a Christmas–New Year recess.
    AssessmentQuizzes, written work, reflection, practical ministry evidence, discussion and final readiness review.
    Who may beginSelected adult learners preparing for diaconal ministry in compatible Western Rite and independent sacramental contexts.

    What this course is about

    The LDM brings Scripture, doctrine, Church history, sacramental theology, liturgy, the Daily Office, preaching, pastoral care, ethics, governance and mission into one integrated formation pathway. It is ancient in faith, practical in method and attentive to the realities of small communities, house churches, online ministry and bivocational service.

    Who this course is for

    It is for teachable, prayerful adults who are seriously discerning or preparing for diaconal ministry and who can sustain study alongside work, family and existing responsibilities. It serves learners from compatible jurisdictions; jurisdiction-specific material is confined to the clearly marked Unit 1.3.

    What you can expect

    You will read closely, write carefully, participate in cohort formation, use the Institute’s Scripture Study tool, complete varied assessments and build a portfolio of evidence. The standard is demanding because ordination is a matter of service and trust. Completion is an ecclesiastical formation award and does not itself guarantee ordination, faculties, appointment or employment.

    Before you begin

    Plan for a sustained weekly study rhythm, reliable internet access, a device suitable for written work and video calls, and honest communication when circumstances change. Read the course expectations and Formation Policies, and arrange any reasonable adjustment as early as possible.

    Support, accessibility and communication

    Your course pages explain where and how to ask academic, pastoral and technical questions. Monthly cohort contact and mentor support are part of the formation design. For academic guidance, pastoral concerns, accessibility or reasonable adjustments, contact director@ministry.institute. For account access or technical learning-space support, contact getsupport@ministry.institute. The Formation Policies set out the Institute’s expectations, assessment processes, complaints and appeals.

    How to begin

    First complete Getting Started with the Institute of Ministry if you have not already done so; it is completed only once. Then work through the LDM Scripture Study Tool Orientation in this welcome section before opening Module 01.

    Required, assessed and further reading

    Your course guidance tells you what forms part of the assessed content and what is optional enrichment. Where a source table uses the key, ✓ means that teaching drawn from the source forms part of the assessed content; it does not mean that you must leave the course and read the linked source in full. ✕ means that the source is optional enrichment and is not assessed directly.

    Further reading is offered in the spirit of generous formation, not formal obligation. You will not be asked to reproduce specific content from an external source merely because it is linked. Those who engage with these materials often approach their work with greater depth, reflect with greater honesty and bring something richer to their formation. Think of them as an open door: the Institute has gone to the trouble of finding it for you, and there is much worth walking into.

    External links open on third-party websites. The Institute does not host, control or endorse third-party content, and links may change over time. If a link no longer works, a search using the source title and publishing body will usually locate it.

    I am Bishop Ashley Deutschmann, Course Director of the Institute of Ministry. I am glad to welcome you. Please begin carefully, ask when you need help, and give the work the honest attention it deserves.

  • 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 the Unit 1.3 Book and pass its quiz with at least 80%. External learners studying through a partner body or their own jurisdiction upload proof of equivalent governance training through the Unit 1.3 external-evidence assignment. The Course Director must review the evidence and award a passing grade before you may proceed; submitting a file alone does not unlock Unit 1.4. Once the applicable route is passed, you 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.

    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 the Institute Scripture Study tool and STEP Bible for Old Testament word and passage study.
    • Apply Old Testament themes to diaconal service and preaching.
    Required and supporting resources

    The module introduction leads you through the four units. Required Institute teaching and complete CPDV passages are supplied in Moodle. The Scripture Study panels support each day’s work. Yale’s Old Testament lectures and Mark Yarbrough’s further reading are supplementary, link-only and not directly assessed. No paid book is required.

    Scripture and StepBible work

    Read the assigned passages in context, use the embedded word studies, and distinguish lexical evidence from a ministry application. Use the Scripture Study worksheet template and Daily Office guide.

    Assessment and evidence
    Monthly cohort discussion

    How does the Old Testament form a deacon’s ministry of service? Attendance is required. The cohort has a minimum of two learners. Session choices and joining arrangements will be published by the Course Director. Mentor feedback is strongly encouraged where a mentor is in place, and does not control completion.

    To complete this module, you will need to:

    Complete the introduction and all four unit Books, pass the Unit 2.1 quiz, submit each of the three written assignments separately, and attend the cohort discussion or complete an expressly authorised alternative. The Course Director records attendance. Keep daily working notes and your private discussion summary in your own portfolio; they are not additional uploads.

  • 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
    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). The pass mark is 80%; your highest grade counts. This module has one quiz, assessing Unit 3.1.

    Monthly cohort discussion

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

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • All four units read and their Books marked complete; Unit 3.1 quiz passed.
    • StepBible worksheet submitted.
    • Reflection submitted.
    • Discussion participation recorded.

    Begin with the Module 3 introduction. The STEPBible-based Institute Scripture Study plugin is embedded in every Day chapter, with twenty guided practices. If you have a mentor, the mentor feedback form is supplied for optional formation support.

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

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours | Section: Scripture and Doctrine

    This module forms you to confess and teach the Creeds and the Lord’s Prayer as living formation texts. It traces the Church’s history from the apostolic era and persecution through the councils, the Great Schism, the Reformation, the Old Catholic movement and the wider independent sacramental movement. Moral theology, ecumenism and the pastoral teaching of doctrine follow in Module 05.

    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 independent sacramental movement.
    • Distinguish universal Church history from the jurisdiction-specific due diligence confined to Unit 1.3.
    Your four units

    Unit 4.1 — The Apostles’ Creed
    Unit 4.2 — The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed
    Unit 4.3 — The Lord’s Prayer
    Unit 4.4 — Church History: From the Early Church to the Independent Sacramental Movement

    Required and supporting resources

    Each Book contains five Day chapters, the Institute’s teaching, an embedded Scripture Study practice each day and a linked complete CPDV collection. Use the approved received texts, Lord’s Prayer worksheet template, teaching-piece guide and rubric and optional mentor form. Supplementary sources are linked with their rights and relevant theological cautions. All required study material is supplied.

    Scripture and Scripture Study

    Compare the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, examine words in their actual passages and prepare a Scripture-grounded explanation of one line of the Creed. Use the STEPBible-based Institute Scripture Study tool throughout all four units.

    Assessment and evidence

    The single module knowledge check follows Unit 4.4. It draws 20 questions from a bank of 60, allows 25 minutes and two attempts, and requires 80% to pass. Your highest grade counts; answers and feedback appear after grading. Submit the Lord’s Prayer worksheet and approximately 1,000-word teaching piece as separate PDF or DOCX files. Private daily notes support these tasks and are not additional uploads.

    Monthly cohort discussion

    “What does the Church’s long history teach a deacon about faithfulness across change?” Your cohort has a minimum of two learners. Attend the required discussion or complete the Course Director’s expressly authorised alternative.

    Before Module 05 opens

    Read the introduction; complete all four Books; submit the worksheet; pass the module quiz; submit the teaching piece; and have attendance recorded. Begin with the Module 4 introduction.

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

    Workload: Approximately 40 hours | Section: Scripture and Doctrine

    This module forms you in Christian moral theology, ecumenical discernment and the pastoral art of teaching the faith with clarity and charity. Work through the four approved units in order: virtues and the Decalogue; conscience and human dignity; ecumenical relationships; and teaching doctrine pastorally.

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:

    Apply virtues, the Decalogue and formed conscience to pastoral situations; uphold human dignity; assess ecumenical relationships honestly; and explain doctrine with truthful, patient and inclusive pastoral care. Distinguish faithful teaching from private invention and analytical frameworks from the actual authority and discipline of a community.

    Required and supporting resources

    Your primary material is the original Institute teaching in the four unit Books and the supplied public-domain CPDV Scripture collections: Unit 5.1, Unit 5.2, Unit 5.3 and Unit 5.4. Each unit links its supplementary reading with rights and perspective notes. Supplementary resources strongly support development; their restricted wording is not directly assessed.

    Scripture and STEPBible work

    Every Day includes an embedded Institute Scripture Study panel based on STEPBible. Examine the selected words in their passage, compare suitable translations and explain the pastoral significance without treating a word study as a substitute for context.

    Assessment and evidence

    The quiz follows Unit 5.2 and assesses Units 5.1–5.2 only: 20 random questions from a bank of 60, 25 minutes, 80% to pass and a maximum of two attempts. Submit the 600–900-word ecumenical framework reflection and the approximately 1,000-word pastoral teaching piece as two separate PDF or DOCX uploads. The complete guides explain the feedback criteria and teaching rubric. Daily exercises and post-call notes remain private preparation.

    Monthly cohort discussion

    “How do we teach the faith without becoming gatekeepers?” Your cohort has a minimum of two learners. Attend the arranged discussion or complete an expressly authorised alternative; the Course Director records completion. An optional mentor guide supports your preparation.

    Before you move to the next module

    Complete the introduction and all four unit Books, pass the quiz, submit both written assignments separately, and have cohort participation recorded. These nine required completions open Module 6. Continue to respond to tutor feedback and requested revisions.

  • 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
    • Institute teaching on sacramental theology in Units 6.1–6.3.
    • The rite specimens and reading resources linked within this module. Use local rites only within the permissions and authorisation of your own jurisdiction.
    • Required CPDV readings and source guidance in the Unit Books.
    • Institute course notes on deacons and faculties in Unit 6.4.
    • Sacramental Theology: Theory and Practice from Multiple Perspectives (Bruce T. Morrill, ed.) — supplementary advanced reading, not assessed. The collected volume is CC BY-NC-ND; individual articles have their own CC BY notices. Access it through the publisher’s link. Its comparative perspectives do not determine your faculties or replace the Institute’s teaching.
    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 passed with at least 80%.
    • Boundaries scenario quiz passed with at least 80%.
    • 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
    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 passed with at least 80%.
    • Rule of Life submitted.
    • Daily Office demonstration submitted or assessed live.
    • Reflection submitted. Cohort participation confirmed by the tutor.

  • 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 the Institute Scripture Study tool, based on 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 course’s theology of evangelisation as proclamation and presence.
    What this module covers

    This module is grounded in the course’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
    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

    This module is assessed through four separate practical submissions and tutor-confirmed cohort participation. There is no timed quiz in Module 8. The instructions and marking criteria are provided in each assignment activity.

    • 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. Cohort discussion with a minimum of two people completed and confirmed by the tutor.

  • 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 course’s 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 course’s moral teaching to diaconal practice and personal conduct.
    • Create a personal Code of Conduct for ministry.
    What this module covers

    The course’s teaching on the theological and cardinal virtues, the Gospel, the Decalogue, conscience and human dignity informs pastoral practice here. Prudence guides judgement, justice protects fair dealing, fortitude sustains difficult action, and temperance keeps relationships accountable. Teaching on reconciliation, correction and repair helps you write a personal Code of Conduct grounded in moral formation.

    Required and supporting resources

    Further reading is strongly encouraged. No purchase is required; all assessed teaching and Scripture are supplied in the course.

    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

    The confidentiality and limits quiz assesses Units 9.2–9.3 only: 20 questions drawn from a bank of 60, 25 minutes, 80% to pass and two attempts. Your highest grade counts. Explanatory feedback is available after submission; the assessed scope excludes supplementary resources and local reporting rules.

    • Pastoral case study.
    • Confidentiality and limits scenario quiz.
    • Personal Code of Conduct, approximately 1,000 words, grounded in the course’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 passed with at least 80%.
    • Personal Code of Conduct submitted.
    • Cohort discussion with a minimum of two people completed and confirmed by the tutor. Safeguarding clearance remains a separate requirement before public ministry, practicum or ordination review.

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

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

    This module prepares you to serve small communities, house churches and dispersed gatherings with hospitality, inclusion and patient, responsible growth. You will consider how the New Testament's household gatherings inform ministry today, while attending carefully to the people, resources and ecclesial responsibilities of your own setting.

    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.
    • Apply the course's ecumenical framework 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

    You will bring together the theology of smallness, sustainable gathering, practical welcome and truthful cooperation with other Christian communities. Building on Module 5 and Unit 10.3, distinguish conversation and shared service from formal agreements or sacramental sharing. Local friendship does not itself authorise intercommunion: seek the appropriate ecclesial authority before making commitments on behalf of your community. Your six-month plan will identify whom you hope to serve, a manageable rhythm, safeguarding boundaries and a process for review.

    Required and supporting resources

    The required teaching and CPDV passages are supplied within the four Institute Books. Read all five days of each Book, including its source register and practice work:

    The following copyrighted books are supplementary further reading, accessed through external links. You are encouraged to explore them where available through a library or lawful personal copy; no purchase is required. They are not assessed. Their approaches to church leadership, growth and ministry arise from evangelical or charismatic settings and may differ from the Institute's sacramental and inclusive approach. Read them in conversation with the required teaching.

    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Study Acts 2:42–47; Romans 16:1–16; Philemon 1–2; and 1 Corinthians 14:26 in relation to household gathering and shared ministry.
    • Examine John 17:20–23 in relation to Christian unity.
    • Use the Institute Scripture Study panels, powered by STEP Bible data, to examine the terms and cross-references supplied in each unit. Prepare a short biblical reflection on mission as presence and service; explain each word in its passage rather than treating a dictionary meaning as a complete interpretation.
    Assessment and evidence

    This module has four separate written submissions and a cohort discussion. There is no timed quiz. Follow the word limits, file requirements and marking criteria in each linked assignment:

    Monthly cohort discussion

    What does responsible church planting look like in a small gathered community? Bring one element of your plan that needs testing. Participate with a minimum of two people. Your tutor confirms attendance or an authorised alternative through the cohort discussion record.

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Read the introduction and all four Books, complete the practice work and mark each Book as done.
    • Submit the theology of smallness response.
    • Submit the six-month plan.
    • Submit the ecumenism reflection.
    • Submit the inclusion explanation.
    • Receive your tutor's passing attendance record for the cohort discussion or an authorised alternative.

  • 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

    Use the Institute teaching and your own submitted work from Modules 1–10. The final module supplies four Books, each with five days of teaching, practice and Scripture Study:

    Revisit your Rule of Life, Personal Code of Conduct and six-month plan, together with your tutor's feedback. Use the supplied Unit 7.1 Daily Office resource for the Office demonstration. Supplementary continuing-formation reading remains linked in the Books; it is encouraged but not directly assessed and requires no purchase.

    Scripture and StepBible work
    • Prepare the private 250–300-word Scripture reflection specified in Unit 11.1.
    • Use the Institute Scripture Study panels, powered by STEP Bible data, to examine words in their passage context and explain how Scripture has shaped your practice.
    • Select one course passage that will continue to guide your ministry, and prepare to explain why at the oral review.
    Assessment and evidence

    There is no timed quiz in this module. Complete each practical activity separately; your reviewer considers the six records together:

    Follow each activity's format, assessment focus and feedback requirements. The proclamation and Office activities allow an assessed live demonstration arranged in advance. For an accessible equivalent assessment, contact director@ministry.institute. A recorded practical grade completes its activity; the final review still considers required corrections and integrated readiness.

    Submit the final portfolio checklist and evidence index as a separate file. Earlier submissions remain the evidence records; do not upload a duplicate archive. Your tutor must verify the portfolio and record a pass before the final oral review. The separate clearance confirmation is required before the practicum and oral review. Ask the Director about the secure process; do not upload sensitive clearance documents to coursework. Mentor feedback is encouraged where available, and any specifically requested report is handled separately; it is not a universal additional completion condition.

    Monthly cohort discussion

    How will I continue formation after the programme ends? Participate with a minimum of two people. Your tutor records attendance or an authorised alternative in the final cohort discussion activity.

    To complete this module, you will need to:
    • Read the introduction and all four Books; complete the private practice work and mark the Books as done.
    • Have the separate clearance requirement confirmed by staff.
    • Complete all six practical evidence activities and receive your tutor's assessment and feedback.
    • Have the final portfolio checked and passed by your tutor.
    • Receive the tutor-confirmed passing cohort attendance record or authorised alternative.
    • Complete the final oral review by video call and receive the written formation outcome, recorded in the final oral-review activity.

    Completion records that the required formation and review process has taken place. It does not grant ordination, faculties, a licence, employment or authority to minister. The reviewer communicates the formation outcome separately.

    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.