Introduction to Sexuality Studies

Sunday 9th to Thursday 13th November 2008

at Sedgley Park Centre, Manchester, UK

The course will start on Sunday 9th November 2008 with worship at MCC Manchester at 4pm. Please visit the MCC Manchester website to obtain information about our location and our Sunday worship.

The residential venue for the course is a 15 minute drive from church, in the Prestwich area to the north of the city.  We can make lifts available for those who come by train.

Church itself is 2 miles south of the city centre and on good public transport links - if folks are coming by train into Manchester Piccadilly it's easiest to get a cab from the station, which will cost about ?5.

Detailed travel arrangements will be confirmed well in advance with everyone who registers for the course.


Saint John Chrysostom's Anglican Church - the home of MCC Manchester.


Andy Braunston

 The course is being taught by Andy Braunston and Jane Clarke.

Andy is the pastor of MCC Manchester, he holds a degree in theology, a teaching certificate and a diploma in management. He has been pastor of MCC Manchester since 1996. He is also a serving magistrate and police chaplain. He has been teaching the sexuality course for many years.

Jane is the pastor of MCC in Glasgow which is a new MCC church plant. Prior to this she was the pastor of the MCC in East London which she served for 12 years. She holds a degree in theology and is an experienced trainer having taught many courses for the Trades Union Congress.

After worship we will travel to Sedgley Park Centre, our venue for the week. Sedgley Park is a former country house and convent. The nuns who owned it, the Faithful Companions of Jesus, were a teaching order and they taught education students who went on to teach in Catholic schools.

The old student's block has been refurbished and provides 90 en-suite study bedrooms, kitchens on each floor with cookers, fridges, equipment for cooking, tables and chairs, and a TV lounge. There is a lift to each floor and disabled-accessible bedrooms. There is plenty of safe, secure parking on site.

Once we have settled in we will go for a meal together which will give us a chance to get to know each other and start to settle in.


Sedgley House
Residential block
Study bedroom


Restaurant

 On the other course days we have the chance to either eat in the subsidised restaurant or to self-cater. Breakfast should cost no more than £4 (for a cooked breakfast) and the other meals no more than £5.


Alternatively students may wish to bring food to cook or shop at the local supermarket and cater for breakfast and the evening meal. Teas, coffees and refreshments during the day will be taken at the restaurant too.

On Monday morning we will gather for worship and work in the light airy, newly refurbished chapel. We will weave the themes we study each day into our daily services of worship. Each day will start and finish with worship offered in a variety of styles. The chapel is multi-purpose and is able to accomodate us for worship, whole group sessions and work in smaller groups.

We will be looking at many and varied aspects of human sexuality. The intention is to consider these areas in relation to Christian ministry. This will include looking at live issues, ponder on how best to minister to different types of people, and generally equip folks to deal with a range of sexual and gender issues with confidence.

The course is required for anyone who wishes to become an ordained minister in MCC but is also of huge interest and use to everyone else - particularly those who wish to think more deeply about how we integrate sexuality, theology and pastoral practice.


Chapel Suite

We will use an on-line learning site which is part of the MCC Manchester website to give more information about the venue, and assign pre-reading exercises and to give work on that pre-reading. After the course the on-line site will be used for the assignments and can also be used for tutorials as there is a facility to have an "online" discussion if needed. Access to the internet is a pre-requisite for the course.

Course fees include tuition and accomodation (not food). The residential cost is £235 and the non-residential cost is £100. There is an easy payment scheme for both options which is explained on the booking form. Please complete the form - click here for download - print off and return to Andy at the address shown on the form.


Link to the MCC Manchester web site