The course helps to complement - not replace - the work that is already being done by local eldership teams to develop new elders by providing high value, focussed training to prepare new and future elders for the demands of the role.
Over 3 weekends per year in March, June and November, trainees come together at residential weekends, including High Leigh Conference Centre, to receive live teaching from the team and other experienced leaders.
13-14 March 2027 (Norwich)
June 2027
November 2027
2028 dates - tbc
Further details of all dates in both 2027 and 2028 will be confirmed nearer the time.
Shepherd is not a substitute for local church input; rather, we encourage more of it. All students should be heavily involved in elder-related roles in a local context and we want eldership teams to journey alongside anyone they are sending on the course. We expect students to be given opportunities and receive input from their local eldership teams to help them grow.
One way in which the local eldership team will support their students is by mentoring: each student will have a mentor for the duration of the course. This mentor will ideally be an elder from their local church.
Each weekend will have a theme and is geared specifically towards equipping students for the demands of eldership:
Biblical Eldership in Life & Ministry
Biblical Leadership Culture
Pastoring through the Lens of Scripture (2 weekends)
Building a Spirit-filled Community
Building with a Vision of a Glorious Church
Each weekend will incude a high-value mix of the following:
Exegesis on a number of key biblical passages from a range of biblical genres
Pastoral Equipping (e.g. biblical foundation; counselling skills; marriage and divorce; church discipline…)
Family DNA - understanding our ways as a family of churches
Leadership skills, including lessons learnt from experienced elders (e.g. team dynamics; vision; culture setting; preaching & teaching)
Personal Life (e.g. spiritual growth; emotional wellbeing; devotional…)
Three times each year we go away for a residential weekend. Twice to King’s Community Church (Norwich, UK) and once to High Leigh Conference Centre (UK).
“This course will strengthen our planting and flourishing of churches in a big way! The importance of focussed preparation and equipping from seasoned leaders can't be over-emphasised.”
The Shepherd course is overseen by Goff Hope, and delivered by a wider team representing a range of experience in both church leadership and the workplace
Angie and Goff Hope
Goff Hope is the course leader and is responsible for shaping the overall content of the course. He is based at King’s Church Norwich and has been involved in training for Relational Mission and Newfrontiers for a long time. He has decades of experience in ministry.
Angie Hope plays a vital role providing support for the course.
Alongside Goff and Angie is an experienced team with backgrounds in church life and ministry. Together they bring a wealth of experience to the course, a passion for pastoral ministry as well strong mutual friendships that spill over into the training weekends.
“I’ve been an elder before and recently stepped into being an elder again, and I found Shepherd to be a good time for me to be reminded of the principles of being a good shepherd of the people that God has entrusted to our care. ”
“I took four other guys from the Netherlands to this course, and because it’s not a one-off conference and you come back every few months, you make new friends, you’re building relationships.”
“It’s been brilliant to get to think about not just what it means to be a church pastor but a bi-vocational leader, both in the workplace and the church.”
“I initially discounted myself from coming on Shepherd because I’ve been an elder for twenty years, but then God said ‘Maybe come and have a bit of a refresher’ - and that’s why I came. I work full time and don’t get much opportunity to get input or training, or even to connect with other people at RM events, and I’ve really enjoyed meeting people, getting some input, and coming alongside the younger generation coming through.”
Fees for the course are £850 per year, payable before the start of each year and non-refundable. The fees will cover:
The cost of tuition
Three residential weekends (accommodation and all meals)
Application is a joint responsibility between the student and the local eldership. Once a potential applicant has discussed this application with his local eldership team, he can begin completing the application form.
Please note that in order to create the most effective learning environment, numbers are limited to 30 students for the 2 years.
If you would like to find out more, please email angie@kings-norwich.com
Shepherd is run and administered by Revelation Church London