Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland

Vineyard Worship

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The Leadership College is a key step in our movement’s pathway for leadership. That means that it could form part of your journey towards vocational ministry in the Vineyard.

It comprises of a year-long intensive part-time programme for those experiencing a compelling call to leadership and seeking to invest in that call in an intentional and deliberate way. We anticipate that many of those stepping into vocational ministry or church planting in the coming years, will be graduates of the Leadership College. If you haven’t participated in Leadership Essentials before, then this can be combined with the Leadership College.

If you have any further questions or would like to get in touch with a member of the College team, please email [email protected].

A training environment for the whole movement

The Leadership College is an evolution of a course that was run in the Scottish Vineyard churches for a number of years before we then launched across the entire movement in September 2022. It is aimed at students aged 21+ and you could be among some of the first students graduating and stepping into the next phase of your calling.

Church-based

You do not need to move house or church to study with the Leadership College. In fact the opposite is true, the home base for your learning and development is your local Vineyard church.

Multi-Campus

The other focal point for your course will be your nearest College campus, of which there are 6 spread across our nations. For those who live more than 45 minutes travel distance away from the campus, there is the option to participate in an interactive online hybrid classroom connected to your campus, meaning that you only need to attend in-person approximately once per month.

Our campuses are located in:

Nottingham (Midlands Campus)

York (North England Campus)

Aberdeen (Scotland campus)

Feltham, London (South England and London Campus)

Cardiff (Wales and South West England Campus)

Belfast (Ireland campus)

CAMPUS LOCATIONS

Multi-disciplinary

The aim of the course is to equip you for leadership in a way that matches your immediate sense of call. For this reason, one aspect of the course involves a ministry elective which focuses your learning into one of a range of ministry-specific options.

Find out more about the electives

Training Programme

This is a year-long part-time intensive course designed to accelerate the development of your understanding and the depth of your discipleship. It involves a significant time commitment, including attendance at the campus (either in-person or online) for a whole day on a Thursday, during the two 11-week terms and one 10-week term.

Our 4 Ministry Values

Education

The course follows a curriculum which has been designed by experienced and seasoned leaders from around the movement. It has been shaped by educators in a way that takes account of the most recent research into how people learn and process information in a way that sticks.

Transformation

Our intention is to create an environment in which your growth in knowledge and understanding is matched by a similar level of growth in faith, and expectation. Our desire is that each student would experience a significant measure of healing and spiritual development throughout the course of the year.

Community

It says in the book of Proverbs that “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” As soon as the College year starts, a rich and deep sense of mutuality and friendship will begin to form amongst the students, as a beautifully diverse student body is moulded by the Holy Spirit into a learning and growing community. These relationships will be formational during the journey and last for many years to come.

Caught and Taught

As well as high quality taught content from leaders and experts from the Vineyard around the world, a central aspect of the course is access; access to the leadership culture of your own church, and to many of the leaders at the heart of our movement. Deliberate space is created for informal conversation and observation, and there will be plenty of interaction and opportunity to ask questions.

Core Content

Several years ago, research was carried out amongst leaders across our movement, and the result was a set of observable qualities that were common in nearly all resilient and multiplying leaders. We call these the 5 Essential Characteristics of a Pioneering Leader. All the students of the Leadership College will follow a core curriculum, which is focussed around these characteristics, which are:

- Vision and Calling
- Spiritual and Emotional Capacity
- Evangelism and Mission
- Leadership and Multiplication
- Communication

As well as these core practical topics, all College students follow a foundational theological curriculum, centred around several modules of Vineyard Theological Training.

Practical Placement

It’s essential that everything that is being learned in the classroom finds its way into practical activity and ongoing development beyond the classroom. To this end, each student is provided with a significant opportunity to apply their learning in their local church setting.

Personal Mentor

During what is an intense season of growth and challenge, each student is supported and cared for by a personal mentor from their local church. This is a safe environment to surface long-held struggles and to work through patterns of thought and behaviour, as well as to laugh and to pray.

Stories from Students

The Confidence to plant

“If I hadn’t done College then I probably wouldn’t be co-leading this church plant with Allison!” - Alan Doo

(planting Gwynedd Vineyard, Wales)

Ready to

Apply?

First, we would encourage you to invite the thoughts, prayers and considerations of those who know you well, including your pastor.

Secondly, soak the whole thing in prayer and ask the Lord for his direction.

Finally, if you're ready to apply, the button below will take you to an application form which you will need to fill in.

College applications for the 2024/25 cohort are now open and must be submitted by 31st July 2024.

Apply

Student Testimonials

Student from York Vineyard

I am continually learning how to choose faith over fear in all circumstances and seasons and that saying yes in obedience involves action that will almost always include sacrifice. I now know that being a single female does not in any way, shape or form disqualify me in stepping out as a church leader; it has taken this year in College to lay down and surrender my singleness fully to God.

Students from Vineyard Church Cardiff

We absolutely loved our College year. It was a step of obedience - following God’s leading with no clear destination other than equipping us to serve his Church. Over that year we were able to journey with our College family and learn heaps along the way! In January of 2024 we started as site pastors for the North site at Vineyard Church Cardiff. It’s amazing to still be connected with our College contingent and have a toolbox of resources from our year. Really glad we took the risk and did the year!

Student from Trent Vineyard

The College has been an amazing journey! Continued spiritual and personal transformation, getting out of the ‘grave clothes’ (nearly everything I wore was black) and instead embracing life and colour! I had also not expected much regarding diversity- but was struck by the intentionality of the team to bring us diverse speakers. I also discovered that I can do theology!!

Student from Catalyst Vineyard (Aberdeen)

I feel like a completely different person and leader after spending a year at Leadership College. I had the space to hear God’s voice, be challenged and grow into all he has for me. I felt like during this year God rewrote my history, helped me repent of the nevers I’d spoken over my life and now I want to see others restored to the people God made them to be. There is so much more freedom, joy and adventure with God than I thought possible.

Student from Belfast City Vineyard

This year in College I have loved connecting with my campus community and wider Vineyard family. In a very personal way, God has challenged me to trust him more in where he is leading me and increased my confidence in stepping into that.

Student from Wokingham Vineyard

Having asked my College mentor how I've changed over the year, she shared how my passion for the Kingdom is infectious... "you went looking for the Vineyard and found the Kingdom". I couldn’t say it any better myself! As someone who is fairly new to the movement I wanted to understand the Vineyard better, but what I was seeking was not what I needed. What I needed was to let go of some old hang ups and fully submit myself to Jesus. This year I found the wonders of the Kingdom and never plan to let it go.

Download the

Prospectus

If you would find it helpful to read about the College more fully, we have created a downloadable prospectus. We hope this is helpful to you. If you have any questions please do email [email protected] or chat to your Senior Pastor. We would love to help you with your next steps.

Download

Frequently Asked

Questions

We've put together a list of the most popular questions, which we hope is helpful to you.

FAQs

Download some

Promo materials

To help visitors to your church website know that you're training leaders with the college, you can download some graphics to put on your website. You can also download some social graphics and a promo video to share with your churches.

Download here