LEARNING COHORTS

We are not currently facilitating any Learning Cohorts but if there is a topic or area you would like to explore, let us know.

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PAST COHORT – ‘MISSION AND CONTEXT’

This is a unique cultural moment that offers us a new opportunity to speak about Jesus to those around us. Through content, discussion and collaboration this cohort will provide a space to explore how culture shapes understanding of the gospel for those inside and outside of the church, considering how the gospel is good news for all cultural settings – north, south, east and west.

Week 1: Considering the cultural moment that we find ourselves in.

Week 2: Examining the broad cultural narratives in Ireland and how they shape understanding of the Gospel.

Week 3: Developing postures and practices that help us to better understand the cultures of those we encounter day by day.

Week 4: Sharing the gospel as “good news” in a context where Christianity is often bad news.

  • Content Sessions facilitated by Kathryn Harte (Northern Ireland), Marian Edwards (West of Ireland), Roy Angle (Dublin)
  • Support and camaraderie through Learning Hubs that happen once a month with potential to continue on after
  • Personalised Coaching through one on one coaching (option for once per month one on one coaching (45/ 60 mins) for 3 sessions with potential cost)

Facilitators

kathryn harte

Kathryn Harte

Lives in Northern Ireland & works with the Methodist Church.

roy angle

Roy Angle

Lives in Dublin and works new expressions of church & mission.

Marian Edwards

Lives in the West of Ireland & works with Churches Together.

Registration

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start something cohort PAST COHORT –  ‘START SOMETHING’

Do you have a heart for something new, do you have an idea for a new initiative? This cohort aims to support pioneers thinking creatively and innovatively about mission and the church. The cohort will provide some input, support and story sharing to help you begin something new and receive support and coaching from others. This cohort will consist of monthly sessions with the option of personalised one on one coaching. These sessions will be online on Wednesday evenings, 745-915pm.

This session will begin by exploring calling, both our calling to live a Jesus-following life and a calling into a new endeavour. What it means to be called by God into something new. How might God use our personality, story and passions to build His kingdom through us? We will include time and space to hear from God and journal and ponder.

In this second session we will begin to think about our ideas – what are they, where did they come from? How do we form an idea, how do we expand on an initial idea? How do we involve others in shaping the idea?

Before we start into something we need to know the spaces and places we hope to see the Kingdom grow in. Understanding our contexts is crucial – who are the people, what is the prevailing culture? How do the answers to these questions shape our prayers and desires and motivations and actions?

Starting something rarely happens in isolation – doing this with others is really important as we discover the need for different gifts and abilities. What kinds of collaborators are we looking for? How do we go about gathering a team? This session will explore who we might ask and how we might ask them. Who is doing something similar elsewhere? Can we learn from them?

A lot of the time there is no blue print for starting something so we have to dream and imagine and plan but we also need to start and learn as we do. This session will look at experimentation and starting something without a lot of meticulous planning.

Our final session will look at what we are learning as we are doing. As we try and see our dream and idea come into fruition what are we learning and relearning? How do we record and remember learnings? This session will help us reflect on what has been and what we need to iterate and adapt.

This cohort includes:

  • 6 Sessions from Simon Kilpatrick & Sean Mullan exploring how to start something new through creative experimentation.
  • Support and camaraderie through action learning together during the sessions.
  • Each participant will receive Personalised Coaching through one on one coaching (option for once per month one on one coaching (45/ 60 mins).
  • Opportunity to be part of an ongoing Pioneer Network.

Facilitators

simon kilpatrick

Simon Kilpatrick

Praxis Team Leader, School Chaplain & Home Mission Dept of MCI
sean mullan

Sean Mullan

Church Leader & Business Owner

Registration

Click here to express interest.

PAST COHORT – ‘GROWING SMALL’

Are you a church or community struggling to work out to be the church in this time? Are you struggling with how to meaningfully meet face to face? Are you looking for a new adaptive way to be the church? A church that prioritises mission? The Small Church Cohort may be an option for you.

Previous Cohort: Over the 3 sessions we explored what the church is, how the church can adapt to think small and networked. We thought about remodelling and reimagining church into small and networked elements. Alongside those monthly content sessions there was an opportunity to be involved in a Learning Hub and the opportunity to have one on one personalised coaching sessions.

Includes 3 elements:

  • 3 Content Sessions from Brian Sanders exploring how churches might consider smaller expressions of the church within the church
  • Support and camaraderie through Learning Hubs that happen once a month with potential to continue on after
  • Personalised Coaching through one on one coaching (option for once per month one on one coaching (45/ 60 mins) for 3 sessions with potential cost)

Registration

We ran this cohort in 2020 but if you’re invested in this topic, let us know here and we will get back to you.

Express Interest

discipleship cohort PAST COHORT – ‘GROWING A DISCIPLESHIP CULTURE’

Dallas Willard once asked: “Do we have a plan for making disciples? And secondly does our plan work?” These questions are still incredibly relevant.
Discipleship is at the core of what the church is about but yet many of us struggle to know what to do and how to do discipleship well. Add in a pandemic and a mix of in person and online options and it becomes even more challenging. Join us as we explore a framework for discipleship and how that can apply in your setting.

This cohort will help you:

  • Understand what really helps people grow in faith (and what doesn’t), including some reflection on pandemic learning
  • Identify how you can grow personally in your own discipleship
  • Develop practical approaches that grow disciples both in-person and digitally in your group/church/parish

Includes:

  • 4 Content Sessions from Sam Moore & Ann Marie Kerr exploring how to develop practical approaches that grow disciples
  • A Personalised Coaching session to help deepen and apply your learning

Facilitators

sam Moore

Sam Moore

Church Leader, Trainer & Director of Innovista Ireland

Ann Marie bio pic

Ann Marie Kerr

Church Planter & Innovista Ireland Trainer.

Registration

Express Interest

WHEN ARE THEY HAPPENING?

discipleship cohort

Growing a Discipleship Culture

TBD

pioneering cohort

‘Start Something’ Cohort

TBD

mission and context cohort

Mission and Context

TBD

Growing Small

TBC