UPPER ROOM
Interested in Upper Room 2026-28?
Read on for more info
Register your interest below - register by 17 May 2026 to help us build mentor groups around your availability
Get in touch on upperroom@advancechurches.uk and one of our team can help you consider appropriate next steps.
What is Upper Room?
What do we want? Upper Room is a leadership development programme we have developed supporting the growth of leaders who lead with faith, think biblically and relate graciously. It trains leaders in an integrated way: combining theology and practice; considering the whole of life; and transforming hearts and minds.
How do we do it? Upper Room is centred on discipleship groups, each of 6-8 people, facilitated by a mentor, high quality self-study materials and regular day conferences. Upper Room provides:
Integrated learning: leadership learning and theological education.
Strong partnership: churches are working closely with the Upper Room team.
Flexible format: based around discipleship groups, with a range of self-study resources.
Mentors who are disciplers: learning for life, guided by seasoned leaders.
Robust approach: evangelical and considered, encouraging critical thinking in a relational context.
Who is Upper Room for?
Upper Room is open to church members (by which we mean formal/committed members) of churches within S&L Advance. Each participant should be in active mentoring relationship in their local church. We ask for a reference from your church leader.
Upper Room works best when you are already serving, or being open to serve, in some leadership role.
Upper Room works best following successful completion of School of Leadership, or equivalent experience of leadership.
To see more on how Upper Room fits alongside other training, please visit the training page and hit the ‘COMPARE’ button.
Dates
For the 2026-28 cohort, provisional dates for 2026-27 are Saturdays 19 September 2026, 9 January 2027 and 17 April 2027.
Costs
The course fee (2026/28) is £750 per year, which covers the costs of day conferences, the administration necessary, and time for those who support and oversee the course and its mentors. Local churches often subsidise ~50% of this, so please discuss this with your local leadership team.
Want more detail about the content?
To get a feel for what it involves, click below for a sample of self-study notes, a course brochure and overview.
Get in touch
For more information contact and talk to one of the following:
Core ‘organising’ team: Steve Jones (Oxford), Andy O’Connell (Abingdon), Paul Meathrel (Cheltenham)
Mentors (past and present): Al Barnett (Aston), Nick White (Didcot), Raych Bloomfield (Aston, The King’s School), Jeremy Blakey (Oxford)
Register your interest
We love welcoming people to join Upper Room! The course is a significant time commitment over two years, much of it spent in a mentor group. Please could you tell us a bit more about you, by filling in this form, to help us to see who might fit into what groups. As it becomes clearer what groups might form, we may contact you with a clear suggestion of which group to join, or we may have more questions for you or may let you know what else we think you need to do before being ready to start Upper Room.
Register your interest below - register by 17 May 2026 to help us build mentor groups around your availability