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• Flexible courses that take into account your prior learning and experience. This means (for example) that graduates in another subject can be studying at Master’s level in their second year with us.

• Highly qualified staff, with a good mix of academic and ministry experience. In addition we have some of the country’s leading practitioners and thinkers about mission, culture and ethics teaching as visiting lecturers.

• A commitment to innovative and participative ways of learning and living in community.

• We are fully committed to the church's agenda on Mission-Shaped Church. All students training for ministry undergo a placement in a 'fresh expression' of church as well as a placement in an 'inherited mode' church, and contribute to research about fresh expressions with George Lings.

• Spacious and attractive grounds which are part of the green belt around Nottingham.

• Good location with fields opposite, the countryside of the Trent Valley five minutes one way, the M1 five minutes another, and we are 12 minutes from the centre of Nottingham, a few years ago voted the best city in Britain to live in.

• Affordable housing very near to college; most of those who live off campus are within 10 minutes’ walk of college.

• Good local schools and amenities

The benefits of residential learning are fourfold:

• It gives people plenty of time to read, think and pray. For instance, we give one morning a week to focus on spirituality. Investment in people at this critical stage of their development lays strong foundations for future ministry.

• Secondly, it helps staff and students to be open to God, who consistently works to bring people to maturity - it is hard to run away from God in this setting.

• Thirdly, it allows people who have often had very little Christian background, and so may have little understanding of the scriptures, to get to grips with the Bible.

• Fourthly, it offers a significant chance for people to learn from one another and form the kind of relationships which support one another for a lifetime of ministry.

A former ordinand reflects on his time at St John's

Revd Richard Young trained at St John's 2003-2004. Here he reflects on the value of his time at college after he had been in ministry for the first six months. The article was published in Christianity magazine in February 2005. Click this link to see his article.

For reflection from an Extension Studies student click here

The Rt Revd Pete Broadbent

'I am really pleased to be associated with the work of St John's at this particular time. The Church of England is at a crucial moment of history - we grow or we die. St John's is in the business of training leaders who will, under the hand of God the Trinity, be pioneers for growth and agents of the new life of the Spirit.'

The Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, member of the leadership team of Spring Harvest and Chair of St John's Council

Mike Pilavachi

'As someone deeply committed to mission, ministry and leadership training among young people today, I am excited about being involved with St John's in the challenge of growing leaders with vision, understanding and creativity to serve God in a rapidly changing world.'

Mike Pilavachi, Executive Director of Soul Survivor and President of St John's

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