Design your own Pastoral Skills Programme (PSP)

What is the PSP?

The Pastoral Skills Programme or PSP is intended to offer participants the opportunity to develop their knowledge of God, Church Teaching and practical skills for pastoral ministry, with the support of one to one mentoring and/or spiritual direction.

What it is not!

• There is no formal registration process.
• There are no written or oral assignments
• No certificate is awarded.
• There is no additional fee for the PSP; there is a suggested donation for each of the courses and workshops.

Who is it for?

While the PSP is open to all and requires no prior disposition or knowledge, it is offered as a service to all who wish to reflect on and develop pastoral skills – laypeople, church volunteers, deacons, priests and religious.

How does it work?

The main components of the PSP are:

• On-going Faith Formation
You can choose from the variety of courses on offer at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre. These offer introductions to some of the key areas of Scripture and theology. The courses are listed in this programme with a brief description of each, under “Ongoing Faith Formation”.

• Spirituality
We offer a variety of opportunities - from one day workshops through short courses to a nine month Ignatian course - for participants to gain greater knowledge and love of God, of themselves, the world and their place within it. These are outlined in the “Spirituality” section of this programme.

• Volunteering
If you would like to offer your services outside of the parish context we offer opportunities for pastoral placements in the work of social outreach through our London Jesuit Volunteer (LJV) programme. The placements are arranged on an individual basis with our LJV coordinator. See the Social Justice Ministries section of this programme.

• Mentoring
A distinctive element of the PSP is the opportunity for personal mentoring. The role of the mentor is to offer support and guidance to participants and to discuss and explore links between pastoral skills, theology and work. It may also be the forum to discuss future opportunities and pathways for the individual. If this is of interest to you, it is suggested that you meet once a term with your mentor.

• Spiritual Direction
As the development of a deeper relationship with God is an essential factor in the formation of a pastoral volunteer, we offer the opportunity to meet with a trained guide to share with them your spiritual/life journey and develop your awareness of God in all things. There is also the opportunity to take part in a Lent Retreat in Daily Life.

If you would like to explore the PSP further, please contact: Brian Purfield, Dominic Robinson or Lynne Galloway on 020-7495-1673 or email brian@mountstreet.info.