The 10 Compass Points Cohort aims to help churches move beyond simply responding to what is happening around them and give leaders the tools to begin seeing in ways that empower them to create a future they sense God is inviting them toward. Local church leaders are either pushed by the pain of the present - this is often where adaptive leadership is necessary - or pulled by a preferred tomorrow. This is generative leadership, creating the future results we as local church leaders desire for both our churches and communities.
“Generative” is used here with very specific intent. Peter Senge, in the Fifth Disciple says: "Real learning gets to the heart of what it is to be human … This applies to both individuals and organizations. Thus, for a ‘learning organization it is not enough to survive. ‘Survival learning’ or what is more often termed ‘adaptive learning’ is important – indeed it is necessary. But for a learning organization, ‘adaptive learning’ must be joined by ‘generative learning,’ learning that enhances our capacity to create.” (Senge 1990:14).
Apply for 10 Compass Points Cohort
This cohort is cooperative ministry between the local church, the district and the Conference. We ask each church to contribute $1,000, the district will contribute some funds and the rest will come from the Center for Congregational Excellence. Our preference is for you to pay your portion by check. Please make checks out to Missouri Annual Conference and put "10 Compass Points" in the memo line. Mail checks to: Missouri Annual Conference, 3601 Amron Court, Columbia, MO, 65202.
If you are unable to pay the cohort fee, please reach out to Brittany McIntyre, bmcintyre@moumethodist.org. We don't want cost to be a barrier.
This is a year-long cohort experience is designed in monthly interactions between the facilitator and up to eight churches. Monthly engagements are large group in nature and include time for breakout discussions for each church to process information and explore potential applications. The first month will be an in-person meeting, while the next 11 months will be via Zoom.
In addition to the monthly meetings led by the facilitator, each church will have access to a tandem coaching team (one clergy, one lay). These monthly coaching calls will supplement the large group experience and will provide a means for processing the material, integrating it into the life of the church and accountability for hoped-for ministry results.
According to a Pew Research report, “Asked directly whether they now attend religious services more or less often than they did before the pandemic, more Americans indicate that their attendance habits have declined than risen.”
The church is different now than it was before. To help Missouri Conference churches live into this new reality, the Center for Congregational Excellences offers opportunities to dream, learn and try new things. The 10 Compass Points Cohort encourages the local church to try new things.
The experts for church renewal and revitalization are already within each individual church. This generative ministry cohort writes a permission slip for a church to experiment solutions to current problems as an application of the monthly learning sessions.
Questions? We’re here to help! Contact Brittany McIntyre at bmcintyre@moumethodist.org.