1. What is a Pastor's Learning Community?
Learning Communities are comprised of pastors and key leaders from a cluster of 3-10 churches. The churches in the clusters have undergone qualifying assesments, possess some baseline characteristics which make them possible candidates for a successful revitalization process, and have demonstrated a desire to participate in the revitalization process by signing on to a covenant which makes them accountable to the revitalization process as well as to the other members of the cluster. Learning communities are regionally based, because it is best for the group to meet in person; owever the clusters need not adhere to circuit or even district lines. The relative size or history of the participating congregations is also not a factor; the common denominator is a desire to see outreach become the primary value of each parish and a willingness to make a significant commitment to the revitalization process.
2. What is a Church Leader Learning Community?
Each pastor in a Pastor's Learning Community makes a commitment to form a learning community in his own congregation comprised of people who are passionate about sharing the Gospel and seeing the church grow in its mission. The materials for this local learning community are based on the same topics which are discussed in the Pastor's Learning Community.
3. Who are the participants in the Pastor's Learning Community?
The Learning Community clusters of churches is primarily for pastors. In congregations with more than one pastor, all the pastors may participate, or one may be chosen to lead the revitalization process in the congregation. From the experience of the pilots, it has also been very helpful for one key leader from a congregation to also participate with the pastor. It is the responsibility of the participants to form local learning communities of leaders in their own congregations, interpreting the learnings from the clusters on the parish level.
4. What happens in the Pastors' Learning Community?
Participants covenant to meet every 4-6 weeks. Evident in each meeting are three aspects of learning: personal spiritual growth (heart), professional growth (head), and specific practical assignments (hands). Typical cluster meetings follow an syllabus provided by the LCMS Revitalization Process which includes a devotional exercise, prayer, a learning activity from the TCN Learning Community Manual, an assignment to read and review a book, the assignment of activities in the local parish and reports back of the same, and a case study of one of the cluster congregations. Participants in the cluster are encouraged to be in contact with one another between meetings for mutual support and accountability. A brief powerpoint outlining the function of a Pastors' Learning Community is downloadable from this website.
5. Who Leads the Pastor's Learning Community?
Llearning communities are being conveined by the TCN Team and by qualified district personnel who have been trained by the TCN Team. Currently there are more than 50 learning communities meeting regularly in 25 different districts. TCN has also begun two on-line Learning Communities for pastors who reside in places where there are no other churches in the TCN process nearby.
6. How can we get involved in a Learning Community?
Contact your LCMS district to see if there are any Learning Communities meeting near you. If not, register your interest in starting one in your region in the near future. If you cannot find a Learning Community near you, contact Terry Tieman at TCN to see if there is space open for you in an online Learning Communithy.
7. Learning Community Materials.
Both Pastor's and Lay Leaders Learning community manuals are available on the TCN web site, or can be ordered via e-mail: june@missions.com. The first series (LC1) are abailable for Pastors and for Lay Leaders. A new series is in process and the first sessions for pastors (LC2) are available on this web site. Additionally there is a series of sessions designed for school administrators.