What is a Learning Community?
A Learning Community is a committed group of student ministry leaders who come together either monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly with the intention to grow and sharpen one another as disciplemakers who are following Jesus, together!
What is the significance of a Learning Community?
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Community facilitates greater growth.
Other people’s points of view help to stretch us, see past our own blind spots and cultivate growth. A Learning Community helps in providing adequate “inflow” a leader needs for sustainable “overflow”.
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Learning Communities guard against mission drift.
One of the great enemies of leaders is mission drift. With all the new ideas, books, web sites, speakers and conferences; it can be easy to get off course as we chase every new idea. What most us need, rather than more information, is someone in our lives asking us good questions that keep us focused on the mission Jesus has called us to as well as a community of people who are committed to this common cause together!
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Learning Communities keep people accountable to implementation.
What makes a Learning Community different than a typical ministerial network is that there eventually must come a commitment to the community so that an accountability to implementation of what is being learned can occur. A good Learning Community provides you with peer-coaching that moves you beyond “theory” and endless “dialogue” to experimentation and implementation with the goal of transformation.
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Bottom line: A Learning Community is about following Jesus, TOGETHER!
What is the essential DNA of a Learning Community?
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Prayer – A cornerstone of these communities is our communion and cooperation coupled with a sense of expectation of God’s presence and empowerment.
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Community– The goal is that the relationships become ones where people are truly committed to one another’s growth and success in both life and ministry.
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Head, Heart & Hand Learning– Each gathering will have a healthy, deliberate balance of learning that will challenge participants in ways that help them lead with greater integrity of heart, skill of hand and mind of Christ (Psalm 78:72, Romans 12:2).
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A Practice of “Passing It On”- Our practice will be to live out Ephesians 4:11-12 for an Ephesians 4:13 outcome. We place a high priority on implementation and multiplication so that the learning is shared beyond the learning community with others in our spheres of relational influence.
How do I get connected to a Learning Community?
To see if there is a Learning Community currently in your area, check under opportunities and resources on your district page. If there is not a Learning Community in your area, but you are interested in being a part of one, please contact your district mobilizer.
