Join a Parish Collective Learning Community

Connecting parish practitioners with local peers, diverse perspectives, and embodied practices for the future of the Church in the neighborhood.

WHAT ARE LEARNING COMMUNITIES?

Are you a leader learning what it means to be faithfully present to your parish? It’s formative, beautiful and sometimes lonely work, isn’t it?

Over the past 10+ years we’ve learned the importance of local networks that foster an environment where belonging and shared learning propel personal, vocational, and organizational development. We’ve created a regional expression of Learning Communities (LCs) to serve this very purpose.

LCs exist to connect local practitioners, explore diverse perspectives, and embody sacred practices in ways that energize the Church in neighborhoods across a particular region. Together, we’ll discover the significance of faithful presence, forming a team, and collaborating across difference.

If you’re serious about faithfully pursuing the dreams of God in your neighborhood and interested in investing relationally across your region, this experience is for you!

Hear from Past Participants…

“I’m encouraged to connect with a diverse group of people passionate about holistic peacemaking in their neighborhoods. It re-enforced for me how much God cares about our daily lives and those around us. I really appreciated the details that created the energy of the group. Those details, along with the lunches, made it a time of real connection. I felt valued and like I had a place there.”
– Mary Everitt, 2022-23 Portland LC Participant
"The ability to learn together in a local context, to meet others on this pathway to Spirit-led expressions of local church, and to reignite the spark of human interaction, reminds me that a Parish church is one who listens to, engages with, and walks with our neighbors and friends in our local community. I would recommend the Learning Community to all my friends along this journey of faith."
– The Rev. Joshua Dunham, Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church
“My group responded really well as I shared about the way that whiteness is affecting my experience of living in Portland, Oregon. The nuances of my experience of “local ministry” is different than the rest of the group. The contemplative approach of the Learning Community gives me some space to process that.”
– Joel Sommer, Pastor at Access Church
“This learning community is giving me a whole new vocabulary for thinking and talking about what it means to be the church.”
– Rev. Amanda Nicol, Lead Pastor at Community United Methodist Church of Coeur d'Alene

FAQs

Each Learning Community spans 9 months and includes:
Three, 2-day, in-person immersions:
Immersion 1: Becoming Present
Immersion 2: Becoming a Team
Immersion 3: Becoming Linked
Virtual connecting calls in between immersions
Immersion Assignments:
Presentations & Homework
Readings & Reflections
The total investment is $600. See below for scholarship information.
Across multiple denominations, networks, and congregations, our Learning Communities welcome community development practitioners, social entrepreneurs, pastors, church planters, community leaders, environmentalists, artists, and anyone else passionate about the Church in the neighborhood. If you’re already on the journey of learning what it means to be the Church in the neighborhood, consider this an invitation to participate–no matter your role or scope of practice.
Individuals are invited to participate and small teams are especially encouraged to join. Each LC has 25 spaces available.
In 2023-24, our Learning Communities will also include Grounded Faith participants across Spokane, San Diego and Seattle LCs. We’ll invite congregational leaders + young adults to join us as they learn and discern what faithful presence looks like in their own neighborhoods. Click to learn more about Grounded Faith.
We are able to provide Learning Communities in cities where engagement with the Parish Collective is strong and momentum for the parish movement is building. If you’re interested in what it would look like to bring a Learning Community to your place, email anthony@parishcollective.org to start the conversation.

LC’s are currently ongoing. Stay tuned for the Fall ‘24-Spring ‘25 cohort announcement

Scholarships Sponsorships

Parish Collective is committed to ensuring that Learning Communities are accessible and equitable. As a part of this commitment, we offer a limited amount of scholarships to help diminish financial barriers for those interested in participating. If you have questions, contact anthony@parishcollective.org. If you would like to financially support a scholarship, visit our contribution page or consider sponsoring a Learning Community.

Parish Collective partners with churches and denominations in each region to bring this transformative learning experience to leaders and practitioners. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for any LC location, click to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and benefits and email anthony@parishcollective.org.

We are able to provide Learning Communities in cities where engagement with the Parish Collective is strong and momentum for the parish movement is building. If you’re interested in what it would look like to bring a Learning Community to your place, click the button below to start the conversation.

I want to see this in my city!

Endorsements for Parish Collective’s Learning Communities…

“Parish Collective uniquely grasps the truth of our need for incarnate community, and they invite us to engage the story of G-d’s presence in the places our bodies inhabit.”
– Derek McNeil, President of The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology
“Not only did this learning community give me a new vision for what the kingdom could look like, but it set me on a trajectory that has forever changed the course of my life and my faith community.”
– Jessica Ketola, Pastor at The Practicing Church
“Parish Collective’s approach is literally transforming leaders in The Navigators. I highly recommend their learning approach to anyone wishing to grow and join God in transforming the place right where they live.”
– Bob Adgate, Navigators Leadership Initiative Director