Purposes of the Program

1. To provide a quality comprehensive learning experience in congregational development for participants.

2. To develop the diocese’s capacity to conduct the program using local trainers who are members of CDI Trainers.

3. To generally increase diocesan capacity in congregational development.

Sample Format with Schedule

All CDI’s provide about 110 hours of workshop time, the designing and implementation of projects, work with a learning – application team, and readings in the field. The format used in diocesan CDI’s has been successful in drawing significant lay participation because it limits the time a person is away from work. The format below is very intensive and requires participants to come prepared for such an experience. Other formats have been used and are possible in consultation with, and the approval of, CDI Trainers.

Eight Weekend Sessions Over Two Years

The program is conducted in two cycles. Each cycle includes four weekend sessions. New participants may enter the program at the start of a cycle. Participants remain in the program for two cycles regardless of when they begin. Participants register on the basis of signing up for the whole program (8 weekends, readings, application projects, Learning-Application Teams, and so on.) Dioceses may have participants pay their fees in installments. If that is done it’s important that most of the total fee be collected at the front end of the program.  For example, you might collect an advance registration fee of around 25% of the total, another fee on the first weekend that is another 50 – 70%, and the balance at the beginning of the second cycle. This is best done as a residential event. However, dioceses have done it successfully at a parish church that hosts the weekends. In that case some dioceses have provided help with housing costs for participants driving a longer distance.

FRIDAY

10:00 – 12:00 Work Session

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Work Session

5:15 p.m. Evening Prayer (on the  3rd or 4th weekend a Holy Eucharist)

6:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00 – 9:15 p.m. Work Session

Social Time

SATURDAY

7:30 a.m. Breakfast

8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

9:00 – 12:00 Work Session

12:00 p.m. Lunch (sometimes this is a working lunch)

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Work Session

 Costs

1. Trainer Fee - The diocese pays a fee to the trainers based on CDI Trainer standards. The fees are negotiated with the lead trainer.

The lead trainer who oversees the program is usually paid between $6,000 - 15,000 per year depending on trainer experience. A trainer who has conducted more CDI’s as a lead trainer is paid more, a trainer with experience assisting in CDI’s but who is being the lead trainer for the first time would get less.

Assisting trainers are paid a fee based on experience.

In some cases the trainer is part of the diocesan staff. In that case the work is usually seen as part of the person’s job.

Plus expenses - travel, room, meals, phone, materials, and so on.

2. Other Costs for the Diocese or Participants

a. Participant Manual

Available from your trainer. The trainer may produce and ship the manuals and send a bill. Or may send an original copy (or a disk, or as e-mail attachments); the diocese produces the manuals. Additional handouts are usually sent for coping before each weekend.

b. Workshop materials - newsprint (large sheets), masking tape, magic markers (chisel point, dark colors), easels (unless the conference center has useable wall space), name tags.

c. Conference center - rooms and meals

d. Advertising – A web page. Creating and distributing brochures. Articles in the diocesan paper.

e. Participant books -- required readings

f. A CDI Trainer licensing fee for each cycle (full year). Currently this is $2,000/cycle. The fee is used to advertise CDI, cover some CDI Trainers costs, and provide a coach-consultant to the diocesan CDI (if needed). The diocese is responsible to send the fee Made out to “CDI Trainers.” Before the cycle begins.

Trainers

1. There is a need for one trainer for every 8 – 12 participants. If a diocese recruits 42 participants that requires 4 trainers. That might include a lead trainer, a second trainer qualified by CDI Trainers and a couple of interns. The interns might have their expenses covered by the diocese.

2. Trainers may come to the diocese in one of several ways, for example:

a. There are people already in the diocese qualified to be a CDI trainer and join CDI Trainers. The diocese may have sent them through the required training or they may have gone on their own.

b.  CDI Trainers can arrange to send a training team into the diocese. A contract is made between CDI Trainers, the diocese, and the trainers. The diocese works with the trainers and CDI Trainers during the two years of the diocesan program to identify and train people in the diocese who can qualify as CDI trainers (and members of CDI Trainers) and continue the program after the original trainers leave. The original trainers may stay at least a third year to coach and supervise the new trainers and may stay for a forth year if there is a need.

3. Working out agreements

In most cases a diocesan official has a conversation with a CDI trainer about conducting a CDI. The assumption is that the trainer will help the diocese explore what’s involved in setting up a CDI. The trainer might provide contacts in other dioceses to talk with about how CDI worked in that those diocese; develop a sample budget or help the diocesan staff do that, and so on. It’s assumed that the trainer will become the lead trainer of that diocesan CDI.

If the diocese would like to talk with additional trainers to compare experience and costs that is done by contacting Bob Gallagher [206-300-3700]. He will provide the diocese with contract information on other trainers eligible to serve as a lead trainer. If a diocese begins looking at other options for trainers after first working with another CDI trainer the diocese should be billed for any time that trainer has provided unless that trainer receives the contract. Dioceses might check on the eligibility of a trainer or the appropriate process by contacting Bob Gallagher early in the course of any discussions.

Program Quality

The diocese and CDI Trainers both have an interest in maintaining program quality. This list highlights a few elements of maintaining program quality:

1. Use CDI Trainer standards in the program. These have been developed after reflecting upon ad learning from the experience of other CDI’s.
2. Keep your diocesan participants linked to CDI Trainers as well as to the local diocese. Have links on your web site to CDI Trainers.
3. As you develop your own capacity to conduct a CDI keep the interns you are developing connected with CDI and LTI training. It is usually best to have them do things such as: do their CDI with the national CDI, intern with the national CDI, do most of the required lab training with LTI. This is both a way of insuring program quality and also of developing the needed interpersonal connections.
4. Work with Bob Gallagher regarding intern feedback and assessment processes.

Income

Dioceses have dealt with this in a variety of ways. The diocese may decide to offset some of the total cost from its budget or special funds. Participants should be expected to cover a significant portion of their

Title of Program

The diocese may title the program "The Church Development Institute in the Diocese of __" or the diocese may want to give its own title to the program and use the above as a subtitle.

Certificates

Certificates will be offered by the diocesan CDI. CDI Trainers will provide a model that the diocese may use or slightly modify. Certificates are to be produced on photo paper or other good quality card stock. The lead CDI trainer is to sign the certificate. To be awarded the certificate a participant must:

1. Participate in all workshop sessions.

2. Fully participate with the learning community; its worship and social life.

3. Complete two congregational development projects and related reports and design a third project.

4. Participate in a Learning-Application Team to review and critique each other’s projects and support one another in learning congregational development skills and knowledge.

5. Complete all required readings.

Only certificate holders are authorized to use CDI program materials after they have completed the program.

The Diocese Needs to:

1. Recruit participants.  Take into account the need to recruit new participants for each cycle. Participants sign up for the whole program, e.g., all workshop weekends; reading between sessions; participation in a "back home" learning-application team with other participants; and designing, implementing and reporting on projects in which they apply their learnings.

It is the responsibility of the diocese to clearly communicate to potential participants that full participation is expected if they register for the program. All assigned work must be completed to stay in the program. Those who know they are likely to miss several sessions should postpone participating in the program. Emergencies may be accommodated; however, the sessions need to be made up at the participant’s expense. Some dioceses have tried to accommodate such situations by having diocesan staff members in the program offer "make up" sessions. Advertising should be congruent with CDI Trainers standards.

2. Decide on your own fee structure.

3. Arrange for materials to be available at the center, e.g., newsprint (large sheets) masking tape, markers, nametags, wine, bread, vessels, books for the Daily Office and Eucharist, bell, alb, vestments, hymnals, hospitality costs, etc.

4. Arrange for the conference center or other location.

5. Communicate with participants about logistics and handle all registration matters.

6. Provide participant manuals and handouts.

Timing

If you want a diocesan CDI to
 
Begin in early in the year  -- You need to have a lead trainer selected and other things in motion by the Spring of the year before.
Begin in the fall of the year --  You need to have a lead trainer selected and other things in motion by the Spring of the year before..  
 

 
Involvement from the diocesan staff
Bishop – Needs to give a go ahead to doing the CDI. Needs to involve self in:

1) recruiting participates (identifying and urging some people to participate, and 2) shaping and implementing the strategy to make best use of CDI and those who complete the program.
 
Bishop or other professional level – As above; and also –

1) in collaboration with me selecting the lead trainer and making the overall agreement with CDI Trainers and

2) in collaboration with the lead trainer, and Bob Gallagher, making several core decisions (location, timing of weekends, budget, etc.) and working out the strategy to develop internal capacity to run CDI within 3 – 4 years. In light of all that the lead trainers would recruit other CDI trainers or interns to assist in the first few years.

Logistical support – This gets done in many different ways but the diocesan office needs to deal with things like getting manuals printed, handouts copied, and facilities arranged for.
 
 
Web pages
Pages related to getting started
 
Diocesan CDI’s – Overview
http://www.cditrainers.org/diocesan_cdis.htm

Description of what is involved in establishing a diocesan CDI
http://www.cditrainers.org/diocesan_based.htm

The agreements
http://www.cditrainers.org/diocesan_cdi_agreements__this_is.htm

Recruiting participants
http://www.cditrainers.org/recruiting_participants_for_a_di.htm


 

More Information: If you would like to talk with someone about CDI Trainers or in general about ways in which diocesan CDI’s work contact Peggy Worzalla 414-272-3028, Richard Downing 202-546-2116; or Patricia Downing 301-593-3282. If you want set up a diocesan CDI speak with Bob Gallagher 206-300-3700  If you want to talk about the Seattle CDI contact Bob Gallagher  206-300-3700.

If You Are Also Interested in Starting a Diocesan Consulting Team For Congregational Development

Please call to discuss a consultation. Here are a few basic assumptions:  All potential consultants can use the CDI program as their core training.  A complete training program needs to include (in addition to CDI):

1. Consultations Skills Training (5 days), a Group Development workshop, (5 days), a Human Interaction workshop, and design skills training.

2. Interning with a more experienced consultant or at least under supervision.

3. A process of certification by the bishop

It is a good idea to have all diocesan consultants go through the same training and intern program. Specialization can come after having a solid base (e.g., specialization such as search process, stewardship, evangelism, conflict, overall parish development, etc.)  For more information on a consultation to start or improve a diocesan consulting network – call Bob Gallagher at 206-300-3700 or write to odct@comcast.net