Welcome
Welcome to davidheywood.org. David Heywood was an Anglican vicar for 20 years, from 1986 until 2006, before becoming Director of Pastoral Studies at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. On this site you can find some of the work David has done over the course of his ministry. The site contains, among other things, an introductory course to the Old Testament, a series of daily readings covering the whole Bible, articles and stories for assemblies.
New Book: Reimagining Ministry, Out now !
Based on David's teaching courses at Ripon College, Reimagining Ministry is a response to the growing sense of dissatisfaction with inherited models of Christian ministry and especially the ministry of the ordained. It diagnoses the problems of our traditional understanding and proposes a new model that embraces both the ministry of the whole church and of the ordained within it. The book draws on significant areas of scholarship in a number of fields and weaves these into a satisfying and coherent whole. It places mission at the heart of the church’s life, explaining the way in which the church’s understanding of mission has developed over the past generation and showing how the shape of the church and its ministry grow out of the mission of God. Described by Prof Martyn Percy as 'a must-read for all those who practise ministry and want fresh vision for tomorrow's church', Reimagining Ministry is an intensely practical book, drawing on concrete examples, placing these within a well-argued biblical and theological framework and making proposals for the future of ministry.
Order a copy of Reimagining Ministry here
Revelation and Learning
Published by Ashgate in 2004 and described as "bristling with integrity, economy of expression, theological substance, spritual sensitivity and practical import", the book charts the connection between the psychology of learning and theology of revelation.
Old Testament
A course David first prepared for people training to be readers in the Diocese of Southwark. It requires only basic background knowledge but leads to a thorough understanding of how to read the Old Testament Scriptures. One student commented that the course was, "like pulling back the blinds in an ancient house. It felt like you led us from room to room and showed us how to explore for ourselves and how to investigate the hidden treasures further."
Daily Bible Study
David's one-year Bible study course, Word of Life, takes you through the Bible in 365 daily readings and provides a brief but informative commentary on each passage.
Ripon College
This section contains teaching material for David's courses at the college.
Articles
David has published articles in the field of Christian education, ministerial training and other related subjects. Most of these are available here.
Stories
David has also written stories for school assemblies and family worship. This section includes some of the best.
Biography
David Heywood is Director of Pastoral Studies at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. He was ordained as an Anglican Priest in 1986 and has worked in parish ministry for 20 years. He has published one book and several articles and contributed to training courses in three Dioceses. Click here for a fuller biography and links to other sites