Yarnton Gospel Workers Trust

Foundation training grants

Foundation training is full-time in a local church for 2 years, in partnership with an external training provider
In exceptional circumstances, part-time in a local church for 2 years or full-time for 1 year, in partnership with an external training provider
In many churches, foundation training will be an Apprenticeship, Associate, Internship or Ministry Trainee programme
The external training provider could be a Gospel Partnership training course or a portfolio of distance-learning courses like Union’s Grow programme
Foundation training is with the intention and expectation that the significant majority will go on to become full-time workers in local churches. We are setting a notional target of 80%
Currently, some Apprenticeship or Associate programmes in churches have that expectation, but many don’t. Research on training culture in local churches has found that these two types of programme are very different, in terms of who is recruited, the expectations of trainers and those being trained, the content of the programme, and the church’s level of investment in the programme. While both types of programme are valuable, Yarnton will partner with churches whose foundation training programmes are focused on preparing people for full-time gospel work

Important Documents:

The deadline for all applications and supporting documentation is 30th June 2026
Applicants and their Training Churches must read Foundation Training Grants: Principles for Awarding Grants before making an application
In addition, Training Churches must complete a Foundation Training Church Programme Questionnaire for any applicants for funding to be considered