What’s it all about?

Participating congregations will be discerning their unique answer to this question: “When you consider the gifts you have been given and the needs of our world, what future do you imagine God is bringing forth in our midst?” The answer needs to come from Christ and our willingness to ask hard questions and listen for answers, as well as our ability to take risks, secure in our standing in Christ.

Join the Learning Communities Initiative Facebook Group to connect with participants and share in the journey.

What is a Learning Community?

A learning community is a group of congregations who commit to one another in a learning experience. Through prayer, skill-building, action and reflection they address their most pressing questions about the future.

How will my congregation benefit?

• Train effective lay spiritual leaders through workshops and coaching.
• Learn to discern and respond to God’s leading.
• Deepen your congregation’s spirituality.
• Build connections with other congregations.
• Engage and inspire your membership.
• Affirm your faith that God has a vital role for your congregation to play.

2021 Workshops

Please join in the Learning Communities Initiative in 2021!

Three workshops will be offered on Zoom; attend one or all three:

• Saturday, February 6th (9:00-11:00 a.m.)
• Saturday, April 10th (9:00-11:00 a.m.)
• Saturday, June 5th (9:00-11:00 a.m.) (Please register by Wednesday, Jun. 2nd)

Each gathering will be structured around the LCI’s ~Listen~Act~Reflect~ process:

• Dwelling in the Word/ Listening with the heart
• Sharing our actions with each other
• Reflecting on what we have heard and what we have done, and considering how to incorporate our learning into the fabric of our parish and diocesan community

Everyone in the Diocese is welcome to attend any of the three workshops, whether you have LCI experience or not. A team approach works best, so if you can, please gather two or more people from the parish to attend each workshop and bring the process back to their congregation.

Videos

Hear from people who are seeing their congregations transform through the Learning Communities Initiative.

Becky: Learning to listen

Charles: A sense of call

Jennifer: Discovering what we didn’t know

Brooks: Something big is happening

Resources

Handouts & Tools

• Dwelling in the Word Exercise. A simple prayer exercise to do with your congregation or any small group.
• Listening to Others Exercise. An interview exercise to help you learn about the spiritual life of your fellow congregants.
• Community Leader Interview Exercise. An interview exercise to increase your awareness of the life of your town, city, or neighborhood.

The Rev. Michael Binder: How to lead “Dwelling in the Word”

The Rev. Michael Binder explains how to lead the ancient spiritual practice, Dwelling in the Word, to find where God may be leading your faith community. Download our Dwelling in the Word guidesheet.

The Rev. Michael Binder: Action Learning Experiments

The Rev. Michael Binder teaches the 2019 Central New York Learning Communities Initiative cohort about action learning experiments at the June 1, 2019 training. 

Leadership

Diocesan Coordinating Team 

The team receives a blessing at our 149th Diocesan Convention. 

Ms. Bambi Carkey
Ms. Kathy Dengler
The Very Rev. David Hanselman
Ms. Patricia Kinney
Mr. Doug Mouncey