A Learning Community is a group of ten to twelve pastors and their leadership teams. This group comes together four times over 18 months to learn, collaborate and strategically plan the future of their parishes. A Learning Community is not a program or a one-time conference, rather it is a unique process that promotes innovation and invites teams to grow with one another in making disciples.
We identify pastors from across the country who have demonstrated creative leadership skills and who are eager to grow their parishes in innovative ways.
We invite pastors and key members of their pastoral teams to join a Parish Catalyst Learning Community.
We ignite the imaginations and plans of pastoral teams in a unique process of collaborative learning, which challenges them to stretch their visions of ministry beyond the current strategies in play at their parishes.
We want to meet him! Nominate your pastor for Parish Catalyst.
A Learning Community is a group of no more than twelve pastors and their pastoral teams. This group comes together to share with one another and to learn from one another. A Learning Community is not a program or a one-time conference, rather it is a unique process that invites teams to grow with one another.
Parishes are nominated to be a part of a Learning Community. After a nomination is received, a member of the Parish Catalyst team interviews that pastor to determine if he would be an appropriate fit for our process.
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage a pastor to nominate himself. See our nomination page for more details.
Here is a link to the questions asked in a pastor interview.
We convene in Los Angeles, California.
Yes. The fee involved covers 25% of the cost of the gatherings. Our generous donors pay for the rest.
Each Learning Community will meet four times over the course of 18 months.
By agreeing to be a part of a Learning Community, a parish is committing to four three-day sessions over the course of 18 months, regular follow-ups and check-ins by the Parish Catalyst staff, and an open mind and heart ready to learn and grow their parish.
The initial fee covers the cost of the pastor and two team members. However, a pastor may bring additional team members. A pastor should bring team members who are innovative thinkers and who are able to be honest about their parish life.
Over the course of three days, Learning Communities will hear from elite speakers and thought leaders from various industries and religions, have the opportunity to collaborate with other high impact teams from across the country, and work to develop plans to continue to strengthen the life of their parish.
Parish Catalyst is grounded in extensive research and has proven to accelerate original thinking in parish ministry. Parishes that have completed their time with a Parish Catalyst Learning Community have shown measurable growth and positive change in the life of their parish.
