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The approach to learning in CDI
This is a highly integrated
training experience that engages participants in the issues and
dynamics faced as leaders and consultants -- you end up dealing
with the congregational development situation in front of you,
the dynamics in the working group, theory, how to intervene for
faithfulness and health, and your own personality and impact on
the situation -- all at the same time. This involves learning to
see and act on the options before you and to expand your range
of intervention behavior. This is a powerful and intense
learning experience, it’s not for everyone, but it may be for
you, if:
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You are seeking
professional level training in church development
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You want a program that
integrates organization development and spirituality
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You are willing to work hard
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You know
that you, your competence and commitment, your emotional and
spiritual maturity, is the most important thing brought into
leadership and consultations. And you want to grow in all
these things.
1.
Experiential Work
We reflect
on and learn from our experience together. That may include
exploring:
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The "self" in
relationship to the system -- You may increase your
understanding of the impact of your behavior on others;
experiment with changes in behavior that will improve
the congruence between intentions and impact; and
increase your ability to learn from experience.
The working group
– You may learn ways to
help teams be more effective and efficient in their
work?
The organization
– You may learn how to improve the larger system
(parish, diocese, workplace).
In
reflecting on the experience we make use of:
The "Here & Now" experience
– We reflect on and what is happening in the group and
in each of us during a piece of work?
A
disciplined process for learning from experience
-- We explore what
has been happening by looking at our behavior and its
impact.
Theory --
From the fields of organization development, ascetical
and pastoral theology, and ecclesiology.
Just
as in parish interventions. groups don’t have time to do
it all. The process of deciding what to focus on, and
how to use time -- is itself an important skill for a
practitioner. The work of trying to become aware of a
number of dynamics that are all going on in any
congregational development intervention may help
participants have a closer to "real life" experience.
During at least one summer the participants will engage
local parishes as part of the learning process on
organizational culture. |
2. Working with models and theory
Participants
need to learn the theories and models that under-girt
organizational improvement work. A grasp of theory is a
significant tool in broadening our choices as leaders and
consultants.
3. Designing, Implementing and
Reflecting on Back-Home Interventions
There are
three rounds of designing and implementing back-home
interventions; with disciplined reflection after the first two.
Our assumption is that the ability to shape effective
interventions is an essential competency in congregational
development and organization development. We are operating on
the assumption that the practitioner only really begins to
understand the organization in the action-research process --
when we see how people respond to an intervention we learn more
about the organization's values, dynamics, and culture.
4. Using a Learning–Application
Team
The team is
a self-selected group of participants. Contact is usually by
e-mail and phone. The two primary purposes of the team are to
offer critique of the back-home interventions and to learn from
each other’s
work. A broader purpose in team-work is to reinforce the
practitioner's capacity for openness and collaboration in
ministry.
5. Participation in the Learning
Community
Full
participation in the worship, social gatherings and work of the
community.
Make-up work
Seattle CDI -- All
program work missed will need to be made-up.
Make up work Colorado and
Milwaukee CDI's |