learning communities
Learning Communities are a journey to support and train leaders and their teams to transition their culture and practice towards missional discipleship.
The Learning Community’s aim is to support and resource leaders and their teams on a journey of missional disciple-making. They each consist of an immersion event spent together as church leadership teams moving through three parts of a process, and then online coaching from the team leaders between immersions.
the process
1. What is?
Each team does an analysis of the organisation they are leading. They are encouraged to look at the strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness of the current models they are using. It is an opportunity for the leadership team to take an honest look at their current progress (breakthroughs and battles, successes and struggles). Each team will present some aspects of this to the other teams.
2. What could be?
Teams engage with input, with the aim of introducing new concepts, principles and ways of thinking or working. Experienced practitioners and consultants are invited to speak to the Learning Community as well as people from participating teams speaking out of their strengths and experience. Within this context each team looks at 2-year faith goals and are encouraged to allow God to inspire, challenge and stretch them.
3. What will be?
On the basis of the analysis and input from the previous two parts, each team applies the new information to their own culture, model and missional context. Each team makes a six-month plan with measurable and achievable objectives and confirms their 2-year faith goals. This plan will help improve their effectiveness in moving towards their God-given vision and the goals keep the big picture in form of them. Over the 6 months between each Learning Community gathering, the teams remain accountable for their progress towards their goals and for the implementation of their plans.
There are four key themes in the Learning Community process:
Disciple-Making Culture
Key principles, practices, values and learning points that help to create and establish a strong culture of missional disciple-making. We will look at how shared mind-set (paradigm), personal practices and core values (identity & call, invitation and challenge) can help people take personal responsibility for their own discipleship and begin to live out their identity, faith, vision and call being a living example as a disciple who makes disciples. The challenge to the team will be to become living examples as disciples and an embodiment of the vision you are pursuing.
Leader-Developing Culture
Identifying, developing, training and releasing leaders. Looking at vision and values, training infrastructure, intentional discipleship environments (Huddles) and leadership principles. Skills, strategy and self awareness will be developed in leaders and a culture of innovation, releasing potential in others & allowing the freedom to fail will be created, meaning the culture begins to multiple leaders not just recruit volunteers.
Community engagement & Influence
How to identify, develop, train and release leaders. This will include looking at vision and values, training infrastructure, intentional discipleship environments (Huddles) and leadership principles. Skills, strategy and self awareness will be developed in leaders and a culture of innovation, releasing potential in others & allowing the freedom to fail will be created, meaning the culture begins to multiple leaders not just recruit volunteers.
Movement Orientation & Activation
Teams look at the principles and practices of establishing a strong resourcing centre — how to establish prayer, develop training, practice hospitality, care and community. Teams focus on the mission centre as a resourcing base, with the aim is to create a legacy by reproducing and resourcing leaders. The culture of these movements should have passionate faith, a contagious community, missional zeal and rapid mobilisation.
Hear how others have engaged with Learning Communities >>
