A New Cohort Begins: Catalyst Leadership & Theology Training 2026/27

This month a new group of leaders met at New Life Church in Milton Keynes to start Catalyst Leadership & Theology Training. [Add cohort details here, e.g. how many students, and which churches and nations they come from.] We're really encouraged to see them begin, and we'd love you to pray for them over the next two years.

What is the course?

Leadership & Theology Training is a two-year programme for new and experienced leaders. It's also for anyone sensing a call to lead in the local church. The course helps people grow in leadership skills, theology, doctrine and character, so they're ready for whatever God is calling them to.

Each year runs as ten two-day blocks on Fridays and Saturdays. Across the two years, students get forty days of teaching, covering:

• Biblical and systematic theology

• Church history

• Ephesians 4 leadership training

• Practical skills such as preaching and team building

• Regular character assessments

Every student also has a mentor who walks with them for the whole course. Students can choose to write essays too. These lead to a Catalyst Certificate in Theology & Leadership, which may count towards first-year credit on the BA (Hons) Applied Theology at Moorlands College.

What students say

We asked past students what the course meant to them. Here's what some of them said:

"If someone like me can go from nodding off in the back row to standing at the pulpit, trust me, anyone can."Jenny Dowse, Hope Church Worcester

"Rather than giving quick or simplistic answers, it equips you to think biblically and theologically for yourself."Mark Lloyd, Grace Church Wolverhampton

"The culture of the course is one of high encouragement and fun – it's a space where I've felt able to ask questions, learn from others and be cheered on."Izzy Hosier, Emmanuel Church Oxford

"Most of all, I've learned to see theology as worship – learning more about God helps me to love Him more!"Peter Bates, King's Church Edinburgh

Could next year be your year?

Maybe you're a new Christian, or maybe you've been following Jesus for many years. Either way, this course will stretch you, encourage you and help you grow as a leader. Our 2027/28 cohort starts next September. Join the waiting list now and we'll let you know as soon as applications open.

Join the 2027/28 cohort

If you’re looking for a scholar who reads Greek for breakfast, you’ve definitely got the wrong person.I’m much more used to just bumbling along.

Before CL&TT, I had the role of ‘Sunday spectator’ down to a fine art—usually found on a chair with my head down, occasionally nodding so it looked like I was deep in thought!

​However, this course has well and truly poked me out of my comfort zone. It’s been a massive deep dive into the Bible, and while my brain felt like it was doing gymnastics at first, it has deepened my love for God in ways I didn’t think I was ‘academic’ enough for.

​The biggest shock? It actually gave me the confidence to stop hiding and start preaching at my church. I’ve met some brilliant people who have spoken so much into my life along the way. If someone like me can go from nodding off in the back row to standing at the pulpit, trust me, anyone can.

– Jenny Dowse, Hope Church Worcester

I joined the Catalyst Leadership & Theology course thinking it was a one-year commitment—only realizing it was two years during my interview! So much for “attention to detail,” yet it has become the most significant and impactful two years of my life.

The theological grounding is exceptional. It provided a vital compass for the Biblical narrative and portrayed Christ so beautifully that my desire to know and love Him has deepened profoundly. This clarity gave me the spiritual boldness to step out and truly grow in my spiritual gifts.

The “Head, Heart, and Hands” leadership model has significantly raised my leadership ceiling, proving just as transformative in my career within the financial sector as it has been in the church.

The coordinators go the extra mile to foster a warm, family-like environment that is entirely void of competition. Our monthly meetings have become a necessary “retreat and reset” for my spirit and soul—a space of belonging I’ll truly miss. If you feel even the smallest nudge to join, I encourage you to simply give it a go.

– Abednego Kofie, River Church Dartford