This course guides participants in developing the skills necessary for leading a congregation through change and innovation. It focuses on discerning and developing an appropriate plan and vision for a congregation; gathering, analyzing, and making use of important data related to a congregation and its community context; and developing a wholistic plan for directing and leading a church towards a more faithful life together.
About the courseThis course is entirely online and takes place over six weeks. It involves six asynchronous learning modules, where participants complete a set of readings and assignments within a specific time frame, and three synchronous learning Zoom sessions, where participants join the instructor and others in the course for a live discussion of the material. The synchronous Zoom sessions for this course will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursdays, October 17, November 7, and November 21, 2024.
The textbook for this course is Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church by Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr., and participants need to secure their own copy of this book prior to the course. Additionally, each learning module will involve a combination of readings, videos, podcasts, and online discussion board posts, and participants will be expected to complete all the assignments and tasks within the allotted time frame.
Course schedule and outline
- Course begins October 12 and November 22, 2024
- Zoom Sessions: Thursdays, October 17, November 7, and November 21 from 10-11:30 Eastern
- Learning Module One: An Introduction to Discerning a Vision
- Learning Module Two: The Importance of Vision
- Learning Module Three: Understanding Congregational Identity
- Learning Module Four: The Internal Congregational Context
- Learning Module Five: The External Congregational Context
- Learning Module Six: Discerning What's Next
If you have any questions or problems, please email pathways@wesleyseminary.edu.