The process begins by asking two questions, “Are we called to the work of engaging with young adults?” and “Are we called to respond creatively, do we hold the capacity and curiosity to innovate, and are we committed to being part of a learning community?” 787 Collective Leadership provides guidance and tools for engaging the questions. 787 leaders and individual congregations determine mutually whether or not to covenant towards full participation in the Collective.
THE PROCESS
Once members, congregations can expect the following from the 787 Collective:
- The opportunity to learn about the fundamentals of innovation in theory and action
- Guided reflection and coaching around design implementation and evaluation, with particular attention towards an integrated theological praxis
- Grants of up to $30,000 to support project development and implementation
- A robust community of peer learners and designated time and space for gathering
- Other resources (instruction, coaching, connecting) as needed
Collective Membership Requires Submission of a Portfolio
The core members of The 787 Collective were chosen in January 2018. If you are interested in participating in the Collective moving forward in this or any other capacity, please contact us. Depending on the scope of congregational projects and the capacity of the Collective, we may add core members in the future and always welcome participants and conversation partners to our learning journey. We also encourage churches interested in this work to consider using The Discernment Guideand the resources around Narrating Your Congregational Story. Many of our core members discovered that their passion and resources for engaging young adults were available in and with their congregational community aside from any grant funding. We are happy to connect with you about your work or questions you might have at any point, and also have The Discernment Guide available in hard copy.
To give you a sense of the what we look for in church partners and core members, here is an overview of our portfolio process:
- Discernment Reflection. Click here to find the Discernment Reflection, or follow this link if you are beginning your Discernment Process and are interested in reading or following the full 787 Discernment Guide.
- Completion of Narrating Your Congregational Story: A Guided Tour. To access the companion to our Discernment Guide, click here to read Narrating Your Congregational Story, a comprehensive guide to the group process of considering your congregation’s story.
- Letter of Support from a member of the pastoral staff. This can be written per email or in hard copy, either scanned, emailed or sent by regular mail.
All materials should be submitted to Martha Lynn Coon at mcoon@austinseminary.edu, or mailed to:
The 787 Collective
attn: Martha Lynn Coon
100 E. 27th Street
Austin, TX 78705
The 787 Collective expects that member congregations will maintain a core group committed to the project, participate in 787 Studio and Learning Intensives, attend gatherings of the Collective (estimated at twice a year), and stay engaged with core learning partners throughout the course of the project. Member congregations must also comply with grant reporting requirements, financial and programmatic, for the duration of the grant cycle.
The 787 Collective anticipates a three-year time span to cycle through Phases 2 through 5. This is an average projection, and each congregation will proceed at a pace that is relevant and helpful to their project scope.
Phase I
Discernment
Preparation
Application
Phase III
Continue Learning Intensives
Individual Congregational Ideation
Continue Experimentation
Design Innovation Plan
Phase V
Refine and Retool
Re-implement or Design Where Necessary
Continue Implementation
Feedback and Reflection
PHASE II
Learning Intensives
Rapid Cycle Prototyping with Funding
Establishing Core Partnerships
PHASE IV
Begin Implementation
Integrate Feedback Loops
Collective Reflection on Process with Core Partners.
PHASE VI
Reflect
Celebrate and Convert Learning Into Commitments Toward The Future To Support Ongoing Transformation.
Phase I
Discernment
Preparation
Application
PHASE II
Learning Intensives
Rapid Cycle Prototyping with Funding
Establishing Core Partnerships
Phase III
Continue Learning Intensives
Individual Congregational Ideation
Continue Experimentation
Design Innovation Plan
PHASE IV
Begin Implementation
Integrate Feedback Loops
Collective Reflection on Process with Core Partners.
Phase V
Refine and Retool
Re-implement or Design Where Necessary
Continue Implementation
Feedback and Reflection
PHASE VI
Reflect
Celebrate and Convert Learning Into Commitments Toward The Future To Support Ongoing Transformation.