Almost every Thursday evening between July 2020 and June 2021, I could be found in front of a Zoom call with people from every part of our Diocese who were current or budding small group leaders.

Over the 12 months we delved into Missio Dei, different understandings of salvation, the five marks of mission, the story of the Gospel through history, the history of Anglicanism in Aotearoa New Zealand, how to have crucial conversations, how to go from Good to Great!, fivefold ministry, rhythms of life and spiritual disciplines, exploring what it means to lead and be in community with others, and hearing inspiring stories of God at work in our Diocese. In addition, we were all part of Discipleship groups that took us deep into the world of discipleship and discipling leadership. All of this, and more, made up the content for the Leadership Development Course, offered in the wake of Lockdown 2020.

It was a totally mind-blowing year that continues to influence and shape me even now, eight months after it finished. Perhaps most significant for me was developing an appreciation of the significant role of the Anglican Church – Te Hahi Mihinare – in the historical roots of Aotearoa New Zealand, and of the Missio Dei (sending/mission) of God active throughout history, as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of rhythms of life and spiritual disciplines for keeping us anchored in God even in times of significant upheaval.

One of the key aspects of the course, and the one that was perhaps the most profoundly transformative, were the discipleship groups that ran alongside the lecture content. I had assumed that the groups would function along the lines of a university tutorial, but, as I quickly found out, this wasn’t the case. The discipleship groups were a tool for the participants – all small group leaders in their own mission units – to receive and provide investment, training, imitation, and accountability – in other words, discipleship. Discipleship tools with shapes/visuals to remember (you may already be familiar with the Kairos circle and the In, Up, Out triangle, for example) were used to illustrate some fundamental components of discipleship - including listening for God’s still quiet voice in the everyday moments of life, the need to abide in God in order to be fruitful, and the importance of being aware of the dance in ministry between the In, the Up and the Out. It was amazing to both watch in others and experience personally the spiritual growth that the shared discipling journey sparked.

If you’re part of a team in your mission unit and are currently wondering whether your team would benefit from the Teams and Leadership course from April onwards, let me help you: the answer is an emphatic YES! If nothing else, you’ll come away with a common language for understanding both each other and the way God is working amongst and through you and be able to better encourage and disciple each other as you journey together in the mission units where you have been placed.

I hope to see you there - we are working on getting some teams from our parish signed up too!

Miriam Freeman-Plume worships at St Andrew's in Plimmerton, which is part of the Parish of Pauatahanui, where she is involved with children's ministry, global mission and worship, among other things. She is passionate about seeing people come alive to the knowledge that they are beloved children of God and to God's invitation to join with God in mission.

• Watch Archdeacon Gendy’s video about the Teams and Leadership in Worshipping Communities course.

• Sign-up for the Teams and Leadership in Worshipping Communities course yourself, or with your team.

• Consider signing-up for the other courses we offer through our Christian Studies programme.

• Already done the Leadership Development course? Who can you encourage to sign-up? Consider signing-up with them.