Innovator Learning Academy
“Thus, I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand” (Romans 15:20-21).
St. Paul was an apostle who was called by God to plant new churches in places like Ephesus and Philippi. After starting those new faith communities, he continued to nurture them by sending envoys (Apollos, Timothy, Titus, Chloe) who carried and delivered detailed letters. St. Paul had a gift and a passion for planting and nurturing new communities.
During this past Saturday and Sunday, a group of innovators gathered at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein in Maria Stein, Ohio, for an Innovator Learning Academy weekend. We were led by Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck, who serves as the Director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. We spent time in conversation about the importance of fully understanding our contexts and trusting the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit. We also learned a prayer discipline (Labyrinth Prayer) and took time to celebrate (and learn from) our failures. Much of our learning also took place as we gathered for meals, games, and an awesome campfire.
The purpose of the Innovator Learning Academy is to equip lay and rostered innovators to plant and nurture new Christian communities within their unique contexts throughout Northwest Ohio. Working in collaboration with a team of scholars and practitioners, cultivators and coaches, the academy values practical learning, personal reflection, individualized coaching, and collaborative conversation.
We are now in the process of forming our second class of innovators. The application for the Innovator Learning Academy is now open and will remain open through November 8. Lay folks and rostered ministers alike are welcome and invited to apply!
Click here to apply today for the 2021-2023 Innovator Learning Academy!
Lifelong Learning
"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). One of the guiding principles that we pursue as a staff in the Northwestern Ohio Synod is the principle of lifelong learning. As a learning community devoted to Christian...
Solitude and Motivation
"Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode.I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon's Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I...
Prayers and Plans
"Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So, I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, so that I may...
Practicing Prayer
Dear Friends in Christ, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2) In Luke chapter 11, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, "When you pray, say, Father, hallowed by your name..." In the Book of Acts chapter 3, Peter and John...