The Forge Gathering

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The Forge Gathering is a residential retreat hosted by the Parenting for Faith team for anyone who wants to put parents and carers front and centre, to help children and teenagers grow a deep and rooted faith that lasts. We have groups and teaching for church leaders and for children’s, youth and families’ leaders (both paid and voluntary). 

The next Forge Gathering will be 10-12th November 2026, at Cloverley Hall, Shropshire, SY13 4PH.

 
This video gives you a flavour from The Forge Gathering in September 2025:
 

What is The Forge Gathering for?

The goals of The Forge and are to provide time to:

• worship and reflect
• hear about new developments in children’s, youth and families work
• learn from each other
• have fun together!

It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet others working in the same field as you, and you’ll leave with loads of contacts and some great new friends.

What happens?

• A typical residential programme looks like this:

Day 1

• Arrival and refreshments
• Worship and teaching
• Free time (board games, country walk, nap, chat or read)
• Worship room
• Leadership seminar
• Dinner
• Worship and teaching
• Evening ice-cream, nibbles, games and entertainment

Day 2

• Breakfast (including optional breakfast seminars)
• Worship and teaching
• Working groups (see below)
• Lunch
• Free time (with optional activities)
• Leadership seminar
• Dinner
• Worship and teaching
• Evening ice-cream, nibbles, games and entertainment

Day 3

• Breakfast (including optional breakfast seminars)
• Worship and teaching
• Working groups
• Lunch
• Say goodbye to lots of lovely new friends!

A typical programme for an online Forge gathering looks like this:

Day 1 (7.15 – 10pm)

• Welcome, God-connection time and teaching
• Opportunity to meet your working group and get to know each other
• Optional evening entertainment

Day 2 (9am – 9pm with plenty of screen breaks)

• God-connection, teaching and ministry
• Working groups part 1 (see below)
• Optional brunch seminars
• Working groups part 2 (see below)
• Lunch and screen break (with options – journalling prompts, audio prayer walk, hosted topical conversations or a nap!)
• Working groups part 3 (see below)
• Optional leadership seminars
• Dinner break
• God-connection, talk and ministry

What are working groups?

Each morning we have time in working groups of about five people to gather together to support each other. Each of you will have around 45-60 minutes to use as you want in the group. You might want to use the experienced brains around you to input into your new curriculum, help you plan a new initiative, answer a question or advise on a tricky pastoral issue. Or you might just want to have a vent about your situation! Most importantly, everyone has time to be prayed for by the others in their group.

Come prepared with what you want to use your time for, and be ready to lighten each other’s load and bless the socks off each other with wisdom and resources.

Here’s what a Forge delegate had to say about working groups:

Initially I had no concept of what ‘working group’ meant, apart from it sounded like we’d be doing some sort of work! In fact, it was just the opposite. 

 Each member had a full hour where they could share anything they needed to with their group. This seems an odd thing to do with complete strangers, but it worked surprisingly well. I think this was because: 

a)    Everyone in the group was coming from a similar vocational background so they not only quickly understood the issues being talked about without the need for lots of questioning and explanation but were able to genuinely empathise.

b)    Not knowing the others was an advantage because it meant you had complete freedom to talk about anything or anyone troubling you, without fear that it might get back to those in your church setting (which can be hard to find in normal life.)

What about breakfast/brunch seminars?

We know that learning from each other is incredibly powerful, so each Forge we ask some of the delegates to share their wisdom. It’s optional, and it’s really informal – just grab your tea and toast and sit at their breakfast table for 30 minutes of sharing and chatting. You might hear about the way one church has started a breakfast club, or learn about how to maximise the power of social media, or get a sneak peek at someone else’s new course. We’ll let you know what’s on offer when you arrive.

What are leadership seminars?

Again, these are an optional activity – just a place where we can share or ask others to share what God’s been showing them as they lead in their setting.

What about our free time? What’s on offer?

During both afternoons and evenings on our residential forges, there is free time for you to use as you like. You can head out for a walk or for a drink in a coffee shop. There are always plenty of board games to enjoy (if you enjoy games, please bring your favourites to play with others!), and plenty of people to chat to. Depending on venue and location, we’ll often organise some activities too – perhaps to a local place of interest, or using a facility offered by the venue. You are also very welcome to sleep, read or enjoy the outside space – it’s entirely up to you.

In the evenings we generally chat, play games, eat ice-cream and relax together. Sometimes there are organised activities. Recent Forge evenings have included a Bake-Off watch party, a quiz, Disney karaoke and a Beetle drive!

 

What do people say about the Forge..?

“It’s just a really safe and secure place where you can come and kind of be your most honest self whether you’re having the best time in ministry or whether you’re finding it really challenging”

“The Forge for me is invaluable as part of my ministry. It forces me to stop and to put things down and to re-evaluate where we’re going, and to listen to God and to hear wisdom from other people – it’s had real impact in our ministry at church. It’s changed the way that we do things because of being at the Forge; it’s invaluable”

“The Forge is a really important part of my rhythm as a children and families worker. It’s a place that you can come where everybody just gets it, you don’t have to explain yourself or what you’re doing or why and you can learn from a community of people who just want to lift you up and want the best for you and for your ministry and it really has shaped me and the way that I work out my faith in my role”