Preaching in local Circuits continued as in the 1950s, students travelling by car or public transport, usually train, for a double appointment (sometimes a treble if there was a nearby village with an afternoon service). Students went to some trouble to fill in the cards kept for each location, describing their experiences.

 

Towards the end of the decade, this was gradually, at least partly, replaced by student Circuit placements in their second year, enabling preaching to be concentrated in one context and linked to some pastoral work and Circuit involvement.

 

Sermon Classes continued on Wednesday evenings, and they were just that. There was no expectation that that the sermon would be surrounded by anything else than a Bible reading, a hymn and a prayer. It was not therefore an exploration in leading worship, and certainly experimentation was not encouraged.

 

In 1969, the practice began of the House going for a week’s ‘mission’ to a circuit, visiting, organising children’s and youth activities and holding special services. Whatever value these missions had for the Circuit, they were undoubtedly useful experience for the students.