Transforming Communities
Developing healthy, trustworthy organizations to tackle your community’s most pressing problems
Your organization doesn’t need just another program. Instead of prescribed “one size fits all” practices, we offer processes that help you learn to listen and adapt to your specific context.
Framework
Organizations that make the biggest impact are filled with people who stay attentive to the rapidly changing environments where they serve. They pay close attention to what is happening internally, and work to build a strong sense of identity, belonging, and mission before turning their attention to listening to their community.
Our framework for Transforming Communities provides the tools to be adaptive now and in the future. At the end of this project, participating teams gain:
- Greater clarity on their people and organization
- Foundations for healthy teamwork
- Replicable process to understand identity, belonging, and mission in your context
- New skills based on the social sciences such as shared leadership, design thinking, better listening, ethnography skills, and community development.
Transforming Communities is offered through a variety of workshop-type trainings depending on your organizations’ needs. These training are conducted onsite and can be for both individuals and teams.
Transforming Communities helps you understand your local context and match your organization’s strengths to the needs and opportunities of the community.
Adding to Your Ministry Toolbox
4 Hour Workshop
The training will better equip and prepare individuals to facilitate Transforming Communities in any context. It includes an overview of the listening process and your choice of ONE area of focus:
- Practical how to’s for interviewing and data gathering, inside the org and in the community
- Design thinking process and practical “how to’s” of identifying themes from interviews
- Building congregational capacity through developing functional teams
Understanding the TC Model and Gaining Skills
Full Day Workshop
This is a deeper dive for individual leaders that includes the the materials from Ministry Toolbox training plus TWO areas of focus:
- Practical how to’s for interviewing and data gathering, inside the org and in the community
- Design thinking process and practical “how to’s” of identifying themes from interviews
- Building congregational capacity through developing functional teams
Training to Lead Congregations through Transforming Communities
2 or 2.5 Day Training
This experiential training will immerse your staff in the Transforming Communities process, giving them a full understanding. Participants will not only gain the understanding of the concepts and convictions of the framework, but will be guided through an actual design process of an imagined sample congregation in order to get a felt sense of each step of the process and to see how those components fit together. Each participant will leave equipped with the book and workbook and a felt experience of what it is like to run this process.
Facilitation Skills
2 Hour Workshop
This team training, on site at your location, includes a booklet on facilitation for each participant. The time includes instruction on facilitation skills and how to give and receive feedback, ending with an opportunity to practice.
This workshop is designed for a single team (staff team, vestry, session, board, etc.); to host the workshop with multiple teams at once, please inquire for pricing. Limit 7 congregations, 6+ months advanced scheduling required.
Building Organizational Capacity
4 Hour Workshop
This team training includes an overview of the listening process and our convictions – theological and practical – of the process in practice. The bulk of the time is spent building congregational capacity through developing functional teams by training facilitation skills, constructive group behaviors, and reflecting on individual contributions to group dynamics.
At the end, teams will have more language, skills, and tools for working together on any projects in their future.
Equipping Teams for Transforming Communities
2 or 2.5 Day Training
This team program prepares teams to start Transforming Communities in their context. In addition to everything in “Building Congregational Capacity,” (above), teams will design congregational and community listening projects.
The curriculum adds content and activities that develop the team and grow their capacity for honest engagement, productive conflict, and fruitful work together for years to come.
Who Will Benefit from Transforming Communities Program?
This is a good fit for organizations facing internal change, a new context, revitalization, or looking to develop sub areas.
Let’s Connect!
Let us know which program you are interested in and we will email you with more details and when the next offering will get started.
