University of Cumbria - It takes a course to open a church

A course to help people set up new types of church has been accredited by the University of Cumbria. The one-year part-time course run by Fresh Expressions, an initiative set up by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Methodist Council to encourage new forms of church, has helped students set up churches on housing estates and even a double-decker bus. So far Cumbria is accrediting the versions of the Mission Shaped Ministry course currently running in Cumbria and North Lancashire. Fresh Expressions will run the course in 20 centres with 1,000 students expected by the end of 2008. It eventually aims to provide the course within an hour's travelling distance of everyone living in England and also provide it in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.