Journey Groups

Journey Groups as a model of continuing pastoral education at Journey, Center for Learning at Western Theological Seminary began in 2004 through a generous grant of the Lilly Foundation Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program. This learning group model places high value on pastoral peer learning with an added feature. Journey Groups bring together 5-8 pastors (or similiar pastoral agents) who commit themselves to a learning covenant that is focused on a common learning journey in a particular field of ministerial identity and practice. Journey Groups are formed by matching those whose learning needs and goals at the present juncture in their ministries converge around a specific growing edge for the pastor and their congregations.

The Journey Groups model forms learning communities who travel together over time, around a common learning theme, within the context of their congregation. Journey Groups pastors create a cohort of learners within their own ministry context who learn alongside them. At the end of the learning process, Journey Groups share their learning with the seminary and broader denomination during their final Celebration Gathering.

It is exciting to see what God can do with ONE GROUP as they learn together over time, around a common learning, within their context of ministry, and share their learning with others.

• Journey Groups

  Have you ever wanted to get together with a group of pastors who are interested in learning and reading about the same things that interest you and your congregation?  Wouldn't it be great to have the added resources necessary to learn from the "expert" and/or go to the places to experience greater learning. Wouldn't it be exciting to participate in the planning of this journey? In 2009, Journey Groups received a sustainability grant from the Lilly Foundation Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program to continue to allow pastors to do just that! 

  Beginning in 2009, every two years, two new Journey Groups will begin.  This two year Journey Group process takes the peer group through a journey of formation, cultivation, exploration, transformation (with a congregation cohort joining the journey), and celebration.  The 2009-2011 groups were based on learning around the themes of Multi-ethnic Ministry and the Missional Church. Currently, the Journey Groups are learning around the themes of Discipleship and Social Justice.  The learning themes for Journey Groups beginning June 2013-May 2015 will be around the themes of Spawning New Churches and The Soul of Leadership.  We are always open to new ideas for themes, so if you have a group of pastors desiring to learn around a common theme, let us know!

  Learn more by downloading a one page description and a grid of the two year process.

• Theme Groups

  THEME GROUPS developed out of the Journey Group model. For some, a two year commitment that involves extended periods of time for learning is not feasible for their lifestyle or their congregational life.  Theme Groups allow for a learning community to form around a common theme for an eight month period.  The group begins in October with an overnight retreat and ends in May with an overnight retreat.  Monthly one-day gatherings occur between these bookend retreats.  Past theme groups focused on Youth Ministry and Worship and the Arts.  Currently a group is learning about Leadership at the Intersection of the Word and World.

   

  Theotogs: Photographic Interpretations of Life & Faith

  Bring your camera and your “eyes of life and faith” (September 2013-May 2014)
  Individually, and as a group, we will identify Biblical themes that set us on monthly “photo shoots”.  At each gathering, there will be time for viewing and discussing our photographs.  In addition, several professional photographers are scheduled to share their skills and creative “eyes” with us along our journey.  Seeing the world around us, expressing our faith and view of life through the lens of a camera, composing photographs are what “theotogs” is all about.

  Theotogs begins on Monday, September 9th at 9:00 am at Western Theological Seminary.  The entire series encompasses nine monthly day-long photography experiences from September to May with the following practices when we meet:

  Practice #1: Photographic Meditations

  Practice #2: Skill Development

  Practice #3: Lunch Together

  Practice #4: Theme Selections

  Practice #5: Photo Shoot Time

  Theotogs also include an October "field trip" to Ludington State Park for a day with professional photographers Todd and Brad Reed and a tour of their art gallery in downtown Ludington.  Check out their website at www.toddandbradreed.com.

  Cost: $275 for the series which includes monthly lunches.  We will attempt to meet once a month on Mondays, from September, 2013 to May, 2014.

  Expectations:  Everyone contributes photos and meditations, basic DSLR camera skills (and a DSLR camera) and an eagerness to learn and experiment with others.
  
  Facilitator: Keith Derrick, Director of Journey Center for Learning
  Western Theological Seminary

   

  If you have an idea and group in your location, let us know.  We would invite a discussion about facilitating this learning process in your area.

• History of Journey Groups

  

  Journey Groups began when Western Theological Seminary embarked on a bold new venture by establishing the Western Theological Seminary's Center for Learning.  In July of 2002, Dr. George Hunsberger became Dean of the Center and the first of its cluster of faculty whose role it was to mentor the church.  To place the accent on the continuing education of the church does not mean omitting from view the continuing education--the lifelong learning--of the pastor.  The scope of the implied vision of the church as a learning community will only deepen and intensify the mentoring of the learning pastor. 

  Growing out of this vision, a grant was submitted to the Lilly Foundation for Sustaining Pastoral Excellence to enable WTS Center for Continuing Education of the Church to develop a program called Journey Groups.  The pilot program received a grant to initiate, mentor, and resource a pilot set of six Journey Groups over a period of four years (2003-2006) in order to institute this method of work in the center and test its usefulness for pastors and congregations.

  Six Journey Groups learning around the themes of The Missional Church, The Emergent Church, Ministering in Changing Community, Women in Ministry, Clergy Burnout and Transition and Developing Learning Opportunities for Congregations were blessed to meet with people like Eric Law, Gordon Cosby, Pablo Richard, The Iona Community, Inagrace T. Dietterich, Eddie Gibbs, Craig Van Gelder, Darrell Guder, Sue Joyner, David Daniels and Peter Steinke to name a few.

  At the end of the Journey Group process, all the groups came together at Western Theological Seminary for a Showcase Conference where each group shared their learnings with each other and the Seminary.  At the end, the groups journeyed to a pillar of stones errected to remember the good things God accomplished in and through them.

• Facilitation of Journey Groups

  The Journey Groups are self-directed, self-determined peer learning groups, but a facilitator helps guide and oversee the process.  In many ways, the facilitator is a co-learner who keeps the group on course. . 

  Journey Groups are facilitated by someone who has a passion for the theme chosen by the group.  In the past, Keith Derrick has facilitated The Missional Church Group, Bruce Menning facilitated the Multiracial Journey Group, and currently Wes Granberg-Michaelson facilitates the Social Justice Journey Group and Kirsty DePree and Keith Derrick facilitate the Discipleship Journey Group. 

  For 2013-2015, Kyle Small will facilitate the group The Soul of Leadership and George Hunsberger will facilitate the group Spawning New Churches.

  Traveling together is a big part of the Journey Group experience.  Tara Macias, the administrative assistant of the Journey Groups program serves as the person who handles all the details so the group is able to concentrate on their learning objectives.