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TransformingChurch.org Leadership Learning Community: A Vision Unfolds
Collegial groups of six pastors/mission developers join together for a four-year learning journey. Each year 60-70 new participants start the journey. Participants have been nominated as bright, gifted leaders of the next generation. They gather for five days with peers from other cohorts for one main learning event a year. Two other times, the Collegial Group visits a mentoring church for four days of meetings with pastors, staff and lay leaders to learn with the best of today’s leaders and learn about the signature ministry of that congregation. One of these mentoring events takes place in a diverse ethnic ministry, to broaden understanding of our changing culture. Spouses of the participants take part in the program, have opportunities to work as a couple on holistic health and relationship issues, and to develop a support group of their own.
From basic building blocks like deepening their personal practice of spiritual disciplines to articulating their personal vision of call, emerging leaders engage in peer learning, coaching and accountability. Each time they are together, they review the goals they committed to at the last gathering, and set new goals for the next four months. In between, they reach out to each other for support, ideas and direction. The program concludes with a ten-day international mission trip to an established Lutheran mission in the developing world.
Are We Dreaming?
Is such a vision feasible? It exists today in the Pastoral Leadership Institute (LCMS). Since 1999, the PLI has brought 50+ leaders a year into such a program, and have had astounding success. Today, PLI pastors are in such demand that mobility papers are being modified so pastors can indicate if they are PLI alumni.
The TRANSFORMINGCHURCH.ORG Board has been studying this model and adapting it to create an appropriate learning model for the ELCA. At our Founding Board Meeting in July, we adopted our purpose, mission and vision. We await approval of our 501C-3 status, and are building teams to develop our vision.
We are working to develop partnerships with Luther Seminary, ELCA Churchwide and Synods, and with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to create a viable foundation for a successful project going forward. We plan a Stakeholder Summit in January to move forward with our plans. We will hold another Focus Group for our community at the Creative Ministry Gathering in Orlando in January.
Purpose: Equip Disciple-Making Leaders
Mission:
We are a Learning Community of Leaders:
· Grounded in the Risen Christ
· Living as Disciples
· Using Our God Given Gifts
· Serving the Community, Church, and World
· Connecting People to Jesus
Vision:
The TransformingChurch.org Leadership Learning Community is beginning its first year of a four-year learning journey with 60-70 participants, by 1Q 2008. The mentors, coaches and facilitators have created a safe environment for learning with clear outcomes and measures in mind. This process has been formed, informed, and will continue to be formed in prayer and discernment of God’s guidance.
TRANSFORMINGCHURCH.ORG Leadership Learning Community Strategy Questions:
What is the offer?
Learning Community unlike anything they have experienced
Collegial Learning Group networked together
Accountability for excellence
Transformational journey for you and your congregation
Enrich your pastoral ministry and increase your level of satisfaction
Work with leaders who share your values
Certification
Dmin Credit
New skills and paradigms for your ministry
Congregation based
Leaders mentoring leaders
Peer coaching
Ongoing relationships
Connection to the Transformational Leader Gathering
Who will participate?
In the first phase, we are looking for pastors who have enough experience to know what they don’t know, to have hit bumps in the road, which prepare them for learning. We will target those with 3-5 years of parish experience who have demonstrated initiative and leadership. They must demonstrate support from key lay leaders, their Bishop, and peers who recommend them. We seek a multicultural cohort, diversity in gender/ethnicity/culture. We seek leaders from small and large settings. In the future we will expand this group to include lay and staff leaders, and perhaps ecumenical partners.
What do they want?
To be peers in a learning community
To do their job with excellence
Practical help/theologically grounded
Vital/Healthy congregations
Access to Key Leaders
Leadership/Management tool kit
Deeper/Developing Spiritual Life
A Caring/praying community
To be loved/acknowledged
A safe environment for nurturing
A place to explore ministry in new ways
What do we want?
1st century leaders for the 21st century
We want to change the church
Be in touch with Spirit in a new level
See creative pastors have a place
Mentors with experience who are proven leaders
Lower burnout and turnover among the best and brightest
Healthy pastors
Leaders making disciples
Encourage entrepreneurs/risk takers
Safe place for people to be who they are
A chance to learn
Pastors to realize they can learn from the laity
Full utilization of the gifts of the Body of Christ
Affirm and build
Reach more souls for Christ
For more information on this project, look at the following articles:
The Case for a Leadership Learning Community
Luther's Kingdom on the Left
Founding Board creates the TransformingChurch.org Leadership Learning Community
Transforming Church Initiative: a Leadership Learning Journey and Transformational Leaders Initiative are copyrighted by TransformingChurch.org.
To see and learn more about Transforming Leaders Initiative on its home website, click here.
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Comments on this Entry:
This sounds great and there's no question it's desperately needed. Will it be focused only on leaders who are working to transform conventional congregations? What about people who are moving into the house church movement and hoping to bring their Lutheran gifts with them? That's where I am. After 12 years in the parish, I resigned and am now on leave from call and looking at starting house churches that might be free-standing or linked/tethered to existing congregations.
Posted by: Timothy Thompson at December 6, 2006 05:21 PM
We hope to create collegial groups for pastors and mission developers from all contexts of the church. The key is identifying mentoring churches that are relevant for the participants. That is currently a work in process. We are certainly hopeful we can connect and serve those doing various types of postmodern ministry as well as those working to renew existing churches and plant new ones.
Posted by: Gregg Burch at December 7, 2006 01:26 PM
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