South East Church Training Day

For Such a Time as This – The Church Training Days

God does not make mistakes! What a comfort to know that in his providence, he has chosen and placed us in our local church for such a time as this. Yes, we do not live in easy days, and yes, we can often feel that we’re not up to the task, but we must never lose sight that God knows what he is doing, and he promises to give us all that we need for the work.

Come and join other church leaders for a morning of refreshment, teaching, equipping, fellowship and encouragement at the Church Training Days 2025.

The morning is open to all who serve in their local church as Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Leaders in Evangelism and Children/Youth ministries, and any others who may benefit from the day. Realistic, honest, practical – come to be encouraged, equipped and resourced to serve Christ and his people.

A morning to meet with other leaders from gospel churches across your region.

Programme:

9:30 – Arrive

10:00 – Encouragement from the word

10:45 – Bacon Butties and drinks

11:15 – Seminar 1 (Elders, Deacons, Evangelism, Children and Young People, Miscellaneous)

12:10 – Seminar 2 (Elders, Deacons, Evangelism, Children and Young People, Miscellaneous)

13:00 – Finish

When?

• South East Wales – Saturday Morning 25 January @ Malpas Road Evangelical Church, Newport

Book your place now by purchasing a ticket (£15 each) via our online shop – https://emwbooks.com/collections/emw-events

Seminars for each track

Bible Encouragement (first session)

• South East – Alun Ebenezer (Ebbw Vale) – I will be with you (Judges 6:16)

Elders track

• Generational differences are a blessing, not a curse! (Matt Francis)
  In society, generational differences can be deeply ingrained and lead to misunderstandings, with social media often becoming a battleground between generations. Church shouldn’t be like this, but how do we stop these misunderstandings from coming into our churches, which usually contain five or six generations? In this session, Matt will help us understand why generations think and respond differently, but rather than a curse, he will show how diversity is a God-given blessing.
• How does the Church deliver Pastoral care? (Panel discussion – Ian Parry (chair), Paul Whiteley (Cardiff), Gwydion & Catrin Lewis (Cardiff), Hywel George (Maesycwmmer)
• Paul tells the elders at Ephesus to ‘pay careful attention to …all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God^, which he obtained with his own blood’ (Acts 20). This is not just a theological statement but a deeply practical command that has consequences for all elders and leaders of a church. In this session a panel of local church leaders will share how they organise and conduct pastoral care within their own churches.

Deacons track

• Being responsible for the work of a church operating within the UK is no joke. As Christians, we want to do things well, but we can often feel overwhelmed with all that is required of us at a practical level. Safeguarding, health and safety, insurance, and complaints are only a few areas where we may need to form policies within our churches. It’s ok for larger charities, but how on earth can a small church do all that is required of them? Using his exposure of working at a national charity level with the EMW, and drawing on his experience of helping many small churches and charities, Steffan will aim to give practical guidance and examples to allow you to thrive in this area as a Church. His seminars will be split into two:
• Doing, Drowning or Disregarding? Developing a Biblical attitude towards policy-making in your church. (Steffan Job) The first session will examine developing a Biblical attitude toward our responsibilities in this area. Drawing on five Biblical principles, we will see how this work does not need to be all-consuming but can be a healthy way to develop the church’s work.
• Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Whistleblowing, and other manageable policies for your church). (Steffan Job) The second session will examine practical examples of policies and structures within a small—to medium-sized church. There will be opportunities for QandA.

Evangelism Track

• Personal Evangelism with the needy
• It is no coincidence that those who were in need often came to Jesus for help. As the perfect man, he knew how to deal with people and whilst he didn’t ignore their problems, he could bring spiritual truth and focus to the encounters. Fast forward to today, and we continue to see the same problems and needs in our society. We know that Christ is the answer, and in this session, we will explore how we can help and communicate the gospel with the needy.
• Evangelism in the workplace (Andy Pitt – South East and West)
• In this seminar, Andy will show how we can share the gospel with our friends and colleagues at work – a vital part of evangelism in a society where it is not the social norm for people to attend church.

Youth and Children Track

• It is clear throughout the Bible that we have a responsibility to pass on the gospel to the following generations, but how do we do that in a culture which is so fast-moving and increasingly hostile to the things of Jesus? In our first session, we will be considering what research shows us about the traits of Gen Z and Gen Alpha and how this impacts our evangelism. In the second session, we will look at how we can support families within our churches as the primary disciplers of their children. Both sessions will include time for practically thinking through what this looks like in our different contexts.
• Reaching the Next Generations with the Gospel – Challenge or Opportunity? (Hannah Mitchell South East and West)
• Supporting Families within our Church – Challenge or Opportunity? (Hannah Mitchell South East and West)

General Track

• How can I get truth from my head into my heart? Matt Francis
• What do you think of when you hear the word ‘meditating’? Jesus is held up in Psalm 1 as the ‘Blessed Man’ who meditated upon God’s word. That’s how he could call upon the truth of the Psalms and walk by faith even in the darkness of the cross. Getting the truths of the Bible from our heads into our hearts so that they take root is a crucial part of the Christian life. During this session we will think practically about how we can follow the example of Jesus and get truth from our heads into our hearts.
• Déjà Vu in the Bible – Gaining and Growing Confidence in Handling Scripture Hywel George
• Reading the Bible ought to be completely natural to the Christian life, yet many of us lack confidence in just that. Doubting our own grasp of scripture, we can be daunted about how to help others grow in their own confidence too. When Hywel ran a Bible handling class with pastor Alun Johnson, they discovered just how common this struggle is. This seminar aims to tackle this by equipping you with tools with which you can approach the Bible with courage and to inspire others to do the same.
• The seminar will unfold in two parts. First, ‘What Is the Bible For?’ places the focus on the Lord Jesus as the start and heart of all Bible reading. This foundational perspective makes sure the whole exercise is not a total waste of time.
• The second part discusses the usefulness of ‘Déjà Vu’ as a tool to read scripture. You will realise just how deeply you already appreciate the Bible, how to use déjà vu to see more in the pages and to encourage others to grapple with God’s word themselves.
• Whether you’re seeking personal growth or ways to disciple other Christians, this seminar will encourage you in your present capacities and equip you to expand those in order to bless others. There will be opportunities for Q&A.

Speakers

• Hannah Mitchell is the Children and Youth Worker at Pontrhydyrun Baptist Church, Cwmbran. She has been involved in various youth and children’s ministries for 15 years and is a member of the EMW management board.
• Alun Ebenezer – Headteacher and member of Zion Baptist Church, Brynmawr. Alun is a member of the EMW management board with particular responsibility for Camps and Young People.
• Steffan Job is Acting General Secretary of the EMW, and an elder at Capel y Ffynnon, a Welsh Evangelical Church in Bangor. As part of his work, Steffan is currently responsible for operations within the EMW charity.
• Hywel George is pastor at Mount Pleasant Church, Maesycwmmer. He teaches Church History at the Valleys School of Theology and serves on the committee for the Itinerant Preachers Network.
• Matt Francis is minister at Christ Church Deeside. He is married to Susie with four adult children, a dog and a guinea pig. He is a lifelong supporter of Luton Town Football Club.
• David Norbury is a member of Llanelli Free evangelical Church and has been leading various missions for many years.
• Andy Pitt is the pastor of Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Newport having previously served as a pastor in Merthyr Tydfil for eighteen years. He is married to Viv and is passionate about sharing the Gospel with his community in a variety of ways, Andy is also a trustee of the Wales Leadership Forum.