Catalyst Teams Training – online
John Greenall writes about our first online Catalyst Team training
‘If you could see God do one thing in your region, what would that be?’ Such was the opening question to 60 nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and medics gathered on Zoom for our first online Catalyst Teams Training on Saturday 5 September. We now have 14 Catalyst Teams across the UK. It was great to hear stories of what God has been doing in these teams, reminding us that we are called to pray and trust God to move in us first and foremost and then out to those around us.
Ros Loaker from Transform Work UK exhorted us to speak out confidently and be a blessing to our workplaces, reminding us that religious belief is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Dr Steve Sturman shared the growing pastoral care work around the UK, and Fi McLachlan taught us about working as high-performing teams. It was great to share and pray with one another too.
We long to see Catalyst Teams embody the work of CMF locally with members fulfilling both the call God has placed on their lives – using their gifts to serve him gladly – as well as fulfilling the mission of CMF where they are. This may include Pastoral Care Partners in team regions who then link up for training nationally. It might be Christian Workplace Groups who are salt and light in their organisations, who also link nationally.
This locally vibrant and nationally networked pattern is what we want to extend through other roles including students, medical school links, global catalysts, small group catalysts and much more. That’s the power of an envisioned and equipped network of teams across the UK. Do be praying for our teams and that we might, by God’s grace, see the UK covered by Catalyst Teams over the next three years of CMF’s strategic plan. In the words of some of the delegates:
‘(It’s) exciting to see how the Lord is empowering medics and nurses in the workplaces’‘(It gave me a) sense of being part of a bigger vision across the country.’
Ros Loaker from Transform Work UK exhorted us to speak out confidently and be a blessing to our workplaces, reminding us that religious belief is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Dr Steve Sturman shared the growing pastoral care work around the UK, and Fi McLachlan taught us about working as high-performing teams. It was great to share and pray with one another too.
We long to see Catalyst Teams embody the work of CMF locally with members fulfilling both the call God has placed on their lives – using their gifts to serve him gladly – as well as fulfilling the mission of CMF where they are. This may include Pastoral Care Partners in team regions who then link up for training nationally. It might be Christian Workplace Groups who are salt and light in their organisations, who also link nationally.
This locally vibrant and nationally networked pattern is what we want to extend through other roles including students, medical school links, global catalysts, small group catalysts and much more. That’s the power of an envisioned and equipped network of teams across the UK. Do be praying for our teams and that we might, by God’s grace, see the UK covered by Catalyst Teams over the next three years of CMF’s strategic plan. In the words of some of the delegates:
‘(It’s) exciting to see how the Lord is empowering medics and nurses in the workplaces’‘(It gave me a) sense of being part of a bigger vision across the country.’
‘(I) so enjoyed this morning. Great to hear what is happening in other areas.’
‘My ideas for training? How to engage people/build support for your work. Ideas for how CMF could serve local churches and approaches to evangelism.’ You can see video highlights from the event on a YouTube playlist at cmf.li/3jb9Yfq
