Thursday October 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th, 2021
1:30pm EDT - online
As pastors and lay leaders, we're always investigating different forms, models and programs for our life together as the church. As we steward congregations, seeking to follow and be formed by Jesus, are we willing to critique our desire for models in the first place?
This 4 week series features Canadian thought and practice leaders, Jesse Sudirgo, Rachel Tulloch and Steve MacDouell. Together we'll reflect on the mechanization of the church, community and missional movement here in Canada. How have modern techniques shaped our assumptions around models, templates and the desire for multiplication in our churches? What is the consequence of our embedded modern values of efficiency, scaling, and disembodied influence? What does it look like to consider a more present, immediate and local expression as the way forward for the church in Canada?
Join other like-minded pastors, ministry leaders and Jesus followers from across Canada in this brave, relational space to process together in community. If you can't make the live sessions, not to worry. You'll receive access to all the Learning Centre recordings for a refresher or for your own continued learning and development.
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If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.
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If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.
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Schedule
Session 1 October 7th: Efficiency - with Jesse Sudirgo
In this session we'll discuss the subtle but powerful preoccupation we as Jesus followers and leaders can have with efficiency. We'll uncover the underlying modern assumptions of scaling, multiplication and objectivity found in the way ministry is often carried out. Our hope is to explore together what the church can be when it isn’t being utilized as a tool for our own lofty ambitions.
Session 2 October 14th: Presence - with Jesse Sudirgo
As those called to lead in the way of Jesus, how do we prepare and strategize for ministry? In this session, we'll be examining the impact of invisible-arm processes in the way we understand church and mission in Canada. How do templates and predetermined outlines impact the way we are led by the Spirit? How do universal and generic training packages impact the contextualization process and leadership development in our ministries?
Session 3 October 21st: Embodiment - with Rachel Tulloch
In this session, we will discuss “Church as Sanctuary” and how to discern the body of Christ at the intersection of worship, community, witness, and poverty. What does it means to embody the gospel by prioritizing those who are materially poor and socially excluded in the local church rather than relegating their care to professional service-providing organizations? How does this affect the identity of the church and the shape of its life together? What tensions emerge when encountering people's deep needs in a non-professional context?
Session 4 October 28th: Scale - with Steve MacDouell
Scale matters. It can shape the way we interact with the built environment; it can impact our approach to being good neighbours; and it can position us for more sustainable, place-based work over time. Together, we'll explore the importance of scale as it relates to the church—in particular, how it goes about becoming a more attentive, faithful presence in the neighbourhood.
Expert Presenters
There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-session pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.