New Monasticism might sound strange to those of us within the church because it conjures up images of people being overly pious and wearing medieval clothing. It does, however, very accurately describe when a community comes together intentionally to commit to a rhythm of daily life, to pray and meditate contemplatively, to be radically shaped by Christ, and to serve the surrounding neighbourhood.
This course is aimed at those who are interested in New Monasticism and new forms of Christian spiritual/religious ecclesial communities in the context of building new expressions of church, including the Fresh Expressions initiative. It is aimed at those who either have no, or little experience, of such communities, or who want the space to explore them more practically and theologically.
What You’ll Learn
This course will guide you in an exploration of distinctly missional forms of New Monastic Communities that invites you to:
- Understand the realities of the current cultural context and a focus on an apostolic and missional response,
- Appreciate the religious life and its basis in missional new monasticism,
- Get to know the various streams of new monasticism,
- Understand the vocation of new monastic communities, and
- Take time for proper reflection and learning in context.
How It Works
Join our instructor, Canon Ian Mobsby, and an engaged learning community of fellow clergy and parishioners live online and in online forums.
- Participate in six two-hour sessions with Ian and the learning community.
The learning community will meet weekly on Tuesday mornings, 9:00a – 11:00a (Ontario time), February 8 – March 15. - Practice in your context.
During the course you will be encouraged to apply your learning in your context to deepen your understanding. - Reflect within the learning community.
Your new knowledge and experience will become even more meaningful when shared with other learning practitioners like yourself. You will use the online forums between sessions and break-out sessions within learning community gatherings to further integrate your learning.
Meet the Teacher-Practitioner
The Reverend Canon Ian Mobsby
Canon Ian Mobsby has ten years of experience as a Lay Pioneer and sixteen years as an Ordained Pioneer Minister in the Church of England. He has been involved in founding five Fresh Expressions of Church including three new monastic communities and an alternative worship community in a Parish ‘mixed economy’ context in Central and South London. Ian is also the Guardian of the New Monastic Society of the Holy Trinity a Pioneering fraternity seeking to plant missional new monastic communities in the UK and beyond. Ian has in the past played a part in the National Fresh Expressions team.
He is currently pioneering a new more contemplative missional community just south of Blackfriars Bridge in Central London, and is the Diocesan Assistant Dean for Fresh Expressions and Pioneer Ministry and the Chair of the Diocese of Southwark Spiritual Formation Group. As a former Occupational Therapist Ian has worked within Mental Health services and complex disability rehabilitation. Ian is fully aware of the consequences and challenges of Pioneer Ministry, who himself experienced serious burnout as a consequence to his own inability to surrender and trust God in a difficult former working missional context.