What is taught on the course?

DY at St Thomas’ has three core elements - local teaching, local experience, and a national programme of residential trips and serving opportunities.

Local Teaching

Our teaching at St Thomas’ is based around six modules, which are run on Mondays.

Over the course of the year you will study:

1. Introduction to Biblical Theology

2. Introducing the Spiritual Disciplines

3. Secure Forever: The Christian Identity

4. Discipling Others through the Word of God

5. Ministering in the Power of God

6. A Faith Worth Sharing: Evangelism & Mission

As we’re part of the New Wine Discipleship Year nationally, our curriculum is designed to answer the five question framework common to all NWDY Hubs:

1. How has God uniquely revealed Himself in Scripture? This includes the big picture story of the bible, and an in depth study of a book of the bible.

2. How is God experienced today through the Spirit? This includes training in how we minister to one another through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and spend time in his presence both individually and collectively.

3. How is God calling us to a life of joyfulness and holiness? This includes understanding our identity in Christ, and how this understanding changes how we live here and now. 

4. How does God meet us through the spiritual disciplines? This includes how we put into practice spending time in the presence of God.

5. How does God work in and through his church to build his kingdom? This includes training in how to help someone start following Christ, disciple others through God's word, and engage in culture.

Local Experience

Each DY Student is placed either at St Thomas’ or another local church where they get experience in ministry, and put into practice what they've learned about in the teaching programme. These placements provide both excellent experience for a CV, and also a really good basis for going into a full-time church-based ministry role (like a youth worker, administrator, or exploring ordained ministry).

Our current placements include, or have included in the past:

• Youth

• Children's

• Worship

• Media and Creative

• Administration & Ops 

• Students

• Pastoral Care

In addition, we’re also open to conversations about placements involving social justice and church planting.

It may also be the case that if you have a particular interest there will be the capacity to create a placement that allows you to exercise or experience that type of ministry.

National Programme

The national DY programme consists of two residential trips, and two conference serving opportunities.

The first residential is based in the UK and covers the core topic of identity in Christ. This is often a life-changing three days for people, where God does a profound work of revealing afresh his love and power in our lives. We spend time in worship together, and the teaching is always working through a book of the Bible, asking God to apply his word by the power of his Spirit. There are also seminars on various topics relating to how we put into practice our call to follow Jesus. This is held in November.

The second residential is based in Spain and covers the topic of kingdom life. This is a five-day trip to allow more time for bible teaching and seminars, hosted in a beautiful location! Similar to the first weekend, there will be plenty of time for worship, practical seminars and workshops, and working through a book of the Bible - with other talks and sessions as well. This is held in February.

There is also the opportunity to serve at two conferences. Everyone serves at New Wine in summer - your team place, catering, camping, and ticket are all included in the year. There is also the chance to serve at another conference run by New Wine - either the New Wine Leadership Conference, one of the Women's Conferences, or the Worship Tour.