Schedule
This research project will take place over a 12-week period from August to November 2018. The participants will participate in a two-day orientation and learning event in late August. This face-to-face event will help build a collegial relationship that will continue primarily through video conferencing and e-mail communication for the next 12 weeks. The project will include five synchronistic online meetings using video chat software. These will be facilitated by someone experienced in leading online pastors’ groups. In November, participants will gather in Denver for a face-to-face debrief of the learnings from the project.
This project will focus on multiple ways of learning and experiencing the content. The first phase will be a face-to-face gathering. This meeting will include an introduction to the study, an introduction of the key topics that will be studied, and a review of the pre-event instruments used.
Second phase, will be the incremental study phase. The emphasis is breaking down the material into incremental sections. These topics will be covered in two formats. First, there will be a two page article on each topic to be read by the participants. Second, there will be an alternative way to approach the material. This might be a video, podcast, or experiential activity. Every other week, participants will use technology for an online small group meeting to discuss material. Finally, each participant will “coach” someone one aspect of the material. The goal of this phase is to experiment with ways that material can be learned and applied in an incremental and creative way.
The third phase is an assessment and reflection phase. Participants will retake the instruments. They will be gathered again for a time to discuss the material and how it applied to their ministry. Finally, they will be asked to reflect on the effectiveness of the intervention.
