Better Together – RePlant Hub

PEER LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Isolation is one of the greatest and most common challenges in ministry.

PEER LEARNING COMMUNITIES were created with this in mind. What is a PLC? A connected group of pastors (in renewal church settings) that gather regularly to provide & experience:

a safe place to share their heart
learning opportunities
community with others
connection with God & His work within us.

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Quick Start Guide

1. DISCOVER THE WHAT AND WHY

Read the PLC Manual.

Adjust the model for your context and setting.
Spread the word on multiple platforms (website, social media, newsletter, email, personal invitation, etc.).

2. PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Read the PLC Manual.

Enlist and equip facilitator(s) for the process.

Set a schedule for the community gatherings.

Download all necessary materials.

3. WORK THE PROCESS EFFECTIVELY

Read the PLC Manual.

Follow-up appropriately.

4. DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TO EXTEND

By the 4th session, have leadership and schedule in place to continue.
OR, provide appropriate closure.

5. DEVELOP A NEXT STEPS STRATEGY

Decide how to encourage participants to stay connected.
Celebrate the end of the process.
Announce opportunity(s) for them to stay connected.
Check in on them occasionally and encourage them to do the same.

6. REPEAT WITH OTHER PASTORS

Evaluate the experience and lessons learned.
Determine if and when the process should be repeated, as well as who should be invited in.
Begin the process again.

Teaching Materials

Manual

Click here to the PLC manual by David Jackson: Better Together - Peer Learning Communities: A Together Journey for Pastors Seeking Personal Support & Church Renewal.

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Overview

Click here for an overview of the content for the gatherings including summaries for each individual session.

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Curricula Slides

Sessions Intro-6

Sessions 7-12 (Available Soon)

Sessions 13-18 (Available Soon)

Sessions 19-24 (Available Soon)

Extra Sessions (Available Soon)

Facilitator Training

FAQ'S

Do we have to follow the order and content given?

No, you do not. Of course, there is a “method to our madness,” and we have thought through the process at length. We have also field-tested it over the past four years and in many different settings. As a result, we have found this format to be the best. However, you may think it better to use the curriculum in a different order, and we are fine with that. While we’d encourage you to consider using it “as is,” at least the first time you use it, you in your field of service know what is best and what is needed. So, use it—or ignore parts of it—as you see fit.

Can I turn this into webinars or more lecture-driven teaching opportunities?

Again, you can use it as you see fit. However, this was not the original intent. Our objective was not to major on providing information to the participants, but instead to focus on developing relationships with peers, who will be a constant resource and reminder that pastors are not alone in this endeavor. God is with them, and they have a band of brothers who are in this “army” for God, serving together “for such a time as this.”

I cannot say this strongly enough, though: Please do not choose to do the one-hour overview simply to rush through the material and complete it! That’s diametrically opposed to what we’re hoping to accomplish here—the spending of time with God, the wooing of the Spirit, and the yearning to return to a closer relationship with Jesus than we have currently. You cannot rush the process; however, we do hope your congregation will make the most of it.

Can I customize the material and/or adjust the group makeup to fit my context?

Can two associations work together to do this?

We have done this ourselves in the field-testing work of this tool and have it successful...but not as successful or effective as the groups where all participants are from the same church or association. The “connectedness” of the group seems to make a difference. However, your results and impact may be different, so feel free to attempt this if associational leadership is united in this priority.

Are these resources available in other formats or languages?