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Pepperdine University

Graduate School for Education and Psychology

EFFECTIVENESS OF LAY LEADER TRAINING WHEN SUPPORTED BY ONLINE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE

A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts, Educational Technology at Pepperdine University

Brad Poorman July 6, 2006 Lay Leader Training 2 Lay Leader Training 3

Table of Contents Introduction...... 4 Religion and Technology...... 4 The Need for Lay Leader Training...... 5 Online Delivery of Lay Leader Training...... 7 Online Religious Programs Currently Offered...... 8 Comparison of Online Lay Leader Training Programs...... 8 Defining Communities of Practice...... 10 Communities of Practice can be Employed to Support Lay Leaders’ Development.....11 Summary of Review of Religion and Technology...... 12 The Research Context...... 12 Research questions...... 13 Method –Action research...... 13 Cycles...... 14 Cycle 1...... 14 Actions...... 14 Evidence/Data Collected...... 14 Resulting Cycle 2 Plan and Goals...... 16 Actions...... 16 Evidence/Data Collected...... 16 Resulting Cycle 3 Plan and Goals...... 17 Actions...... 17 Evidence/Data Collected...... 17 Resulting Cycle 4 Plan...... 18 Final Reflection...... 18 Reflection on the Process...... 20 References...... 22

Lay Leader Training 4

Introduction

Lay leaders have always played an important part in the United Methodist Church. The void that is being created by fewer people entering the ministry is increasing the demand for lay leaders. In addition the escalating competency level required to effectively perform lay leader functions in the church requires an adequately trained pool of dedicated and willing members. The lack of lay leaders is becoming a critical issue within many churches (Green, 2004). It can retard growth, and is one of the leading reasons for the failure of new churches (Aldrich, 2003, “Strong leaders”, ¶ 3).

I have served on many committees within the church and many times I have felt inadequate for the roles I have been asked to fill. One aspect that is often overlooked is the scriptural background that supports the job. It is one thing to be told how to perform a function; it is another thing to be told the need that the job fills, and quite a different thing to be told why you are performing the job.

So if lay leaders are vital to the churches continual success and proper training and preparation is essential, how will this growing crisis be addressed? An interesting development is the religious community has embraced the Internet and many of the faithful view it as a viable means to exchange religious ideas. At the same time the number, variety, and sophistication of online training courses have continually grown. This led me to ask if lay leader training could be effectively addressed with online communication tools?

Religion and Technology

The religious community has not ignored the potential offered by technological advances, particularly the Internet. Sociologist Brenda Brasher contends that just as the printing press did centuries earlier, the Internet promises to initiate a religious Reformation (Brasher, 2001) and science commentator Margaret Wertheim has argued Cyberspace has become for many a new location for spiritual yearning. Churches have created many online communities that effectively conduct religious studies. Surveys have shown the Internet has come to play a role in congregations and other religious bodies, and how persons of faith use the Internet to extend their congregational activities (Hoover, Clark, & Rainie, 2004).

Yet some religious scholars such as Quentin Schultze are concerned that the speed, enormity, and shallow materials available on the Internet distract people from deeper spiritual contemplation and therefore contribute to a more superficial life. He warns against informationism, a faith in the power of information to improve our lives often as an end in itself with little or no regard for the intrinsic value (or lack thereof) of the information. Schultze argues that the culture of the information age values efficiency, effectiveness, and speed, over truth, meaning, virtue, reflection, and depth. These digital age values encroach Lay Leader Training 5 on other aspects of our lives, increasing the distance between ourselves, others and God. (Shultze, 2004)

Several institutions have attempted to respond to the need for quality lay leader training by creating online training programs. They are generally offered by universities, but some denominations and commercial sites offer training in this area as well. These programs use various synchronous and asynchronous tools and delivery methods.

A growing segment within these online communities is the development of groups that come together because they share a concern, problem, or passion and interact on an ongoing basis. These groups have been labeled communities of practice. Churches have found value in cultivating communities of practice where their parishioners share and discuss ideas as they continue their faith journey. Online lay leader training programs have also attempted to utilize communities of practice with mixed results.

The Need for Lay Leader Training

There is evidence that The United Methodist Church acknowledges the need and understands the urgency and advantages to developing quality lay leaders. In a survey of United Methodist congregational development leaders, Anna Workman, director of congregational development for the United Methodist Church’s Virginia Annual Conference, was surprised that poor funding was not cited as the No. 1 cause of failed new churches. In fact, money wasn’t even mentioned. Instead, she heard grumbling, complaints and horror stories about poor leadership. “It was an awakening for all of us to see that every one of our fantastic failures had to do with leadership.” said Workman (Aldrich, 2003, “Strong leaders”, ¶ 3).

Rev. Craig Miller, director of new congregational development for the denomination’s Board of Discipleship says that Annual conferences now realize the importance of training their leaders and giving them the necessary tools to succeed. He says that conferences that have focused on developing a leadership pool for new and existing churches are the ones that have effectively turned their conferences around (Aldrich, 2003, “Strong leaders”).

The North Alabama Conference is a good example. In 1995, the conference held its first Academy for Congregational Development to improve pastoral and lay leadership for new and existing churches. The academy trains 30 people annually utilizing regional and national presenters, and has a waiting list. The program uses the latest technical resources and training materials to build leaders in congregational development (Aldrich, 2003, “Strong leaders”). Nine years after its inception, most of the Academy’s 270 graduates are involved in starting new congregations or revitalizing existing ones. They have helped develop a new paradigm for worship experience throughout the conference. During that time period, the conference started 31 new churches in a range of settings from rural to inner city and none have failed. 15 of the denomination’s 63 U.S. annual conferences now hold similar leadership training (Aldrich, 2003, “Strong leaders”). Lay Leader Training 6

Bishop Joseph Pennel of Franklin, Tenn., who retired from the active episcopacy in June, told the governing members of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry that he believes the lack of leadership in the United Methodist Church is the top issue facing the denomination in the 21st century. Bishop Gregory Palmer is the newly elected president of the board. Palmer leads the church’s Iowa Area and agrees saying the church has no greater need than well-prepared Christian leaders (Green, 2004). Echoing those concerns are the Rev. Jerome King del Pino, top staff executive of the board, who emphasizes the need for global leaders for a global church by asked what it would take to nurture leaders who have not only the spiritual and theological grounding, but the intellectual and practical skill to lead the Methodist Church in the increasingly complex 21st century. He feels the church is experiencing a crisis because of the confusion about the kind of leadership needed in the years ahead (Green, 2004).

That confusion led the denomination’s top legislative body, the General Conference, in 2004 to establish a four-year study commission to discuss and define the church’s understanding of lay, licensed and ordained ministry (Green, 2004). While awaiting the results from that study the 2004 General Conference felt the growing need required some immediate response so they created a new lay position that will be known as a Certified Lay Minister.

Del Pino is an advocate for a learned leadership and envisions a worldwide education pipeline that trains leaders with the spiritual, moral, and intellectual wherewithal to lead not only the church, but society during these times of profound change (Green, 2004). Dr. Bob Whitesel, a lecturer, author and consultant on church growth and evangelism points to the need for this training to produce a steady stream of lay leaders. He says the inability to replenish the lay leadership is easily one of the top reasons churches wither and die because it burns out church shepards. Whitesel identifies leadership training and prayer as the most common practices that lead to church growth. Leadership training acquaints people with what’s required for a task. Once they understand the requirements they generally realize it’s within their ability (Aldrich, 2003, “Getting Christians”).

Whitesel notes that as a church grows, it has a tendency to move leadership training to the back burner which results in a plateau in growth and eventually a reversal. He urges ongoing leadership training programs beginning with an “Introduction to Leadership” course. He believes we shouldn’t be “plodding and pleading” but should be “informing and training” (Aldrich, 2003, “Getting Christians”).

This need for lay leadership is not limited to the Methodist church. The Catholic Church has also determined there is a need for more trained lay leaders. Since 1965, the total number of Roman Catholic clergy members in the United States has dropped more than 48 percent. In that same period, the Catholic population in the United States has grown by 33 percent. More than 17 percent of parishes don’t have a resident priest. In response they have made a push to increase their lay minister programs. From 1985 to 2001 the number of lay ministry programs doubled to 314 nationwide and the enrollment tripled to exceed 35,000 (Arnone, 2001). Lay Leader Training 7

Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincinnati reflected on the parish of the future in an address in March to the Council for Pastoral Planning and Council Development of his archdiocese. He said the contribution of lay leaders will be crucial in the ministries of the parish and the church due to the shortage of priests which is even more pronounced in the small parishes. He believes the rise of lay ministries is a great sign of hope for the future, but cautions that these lay ministers require professional training (“Good News”, 1999).

Recognizing the problem, a group of U.S. Catholic bishops along with lay church and business leaders announced the formation of a group called the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management. Its goal is to help Catholic dioceses and parishes improve administrative practices including financial and human resource management by training effective lay leaders. (“New lay group”, 2005).

This emphasis by the Church has led more Catholic colleges to use distance education and online programs to train lay members to perform some ministerial tasks. The Satellite Theology Education Program at the University of Notre Dame offers six noncredit courses online. Students can download their course material, turn in assignments by e-mail, and participate in online chats. The program serves eight dioceses and has 300 participants. The program expects to add the Anchorage and Atlanta archdioceses soon, said Thomas Cummings, its director. He thinks nationally the market is approximately 100,000 and they can reach about 20,000 of them (Arnone, 2001).

There is some debate as to whether online courses fit as well with Catholic teaching traditions as more traditional distance learning techniques. The Loyola Institute for Ministry Extension at Loyola University New Orleans, the largest grantor of lay ecclesial-ministry degrees and certification in the nation, offers no online courses. Instead Loyola offers 51 lay ministry degree and certificate programs via distance education. Participants are divided into groups of 12 and meet weekly. Currently there are more than 800 students from 49 states and Britain participating in the program. An on-site instructor guides discussion and shows a video prepared by a Loyola professor (Arnone, 2001).

Online Delivery of Lay Leader Training

The United Methodist Church has recognized that the Internet and other communication technologies can be a useful tool in reaching people by including the following statement in its Book of Discipline which governs the denomination. “Information communication technologies can be used to enhance our quality of life and provide us with a means to interact with each other, our government, and people and cultures all over the world” (“The Book of Discipline,” 2004).

However endorsing a concept is often different from the reality of implementation. For instance, adequate connectivity is necessary to avoid frustrating the participants in any online program. Of the online faithful, 60% have broadband connections (Hoover et. al., 2004). Pastors that are comfortable with using the computer for online research or learning will probably be more likely to encourage their members to attempt online training. Nine of ten pastors have a personal computer at home or church and the typical pastor with a Lay Leader Training 8 computer spends 15 hours a week on the computer. In fact, 40 percent of pastors have more than one computer in their homes and connected pastors spend an average of 6.7 hours a week online (LaRue, 1999).

Having the capability does not guarantee interest if religious or spiritual people do not use the Internet for religious purposes. 64% of the nation’s 128 million Internet users have done something online that relates to religious or spiritual matters. These online faithful are slightly more active as Internet users than the rest of the Internet population. These 82 million people are devout and more likely to be connected to religious institutions and half go to church at least once a week (Hoover et. al., 2004).

When using the Internet for religious purposes, the online faithful seem most interested in supplementing their traditional faith practices and experiences. In surveys 28% of the online faithful said they had used the Internet to seek information about their own religious faith or exchange information with others (Hoover et. al., 2004). The religious reformation predicted by sociologist Brenda Brasher may truly be beginning (Brasher, 2001). Internet-based programs ranging from orientation classes to Bible study and online discussion groups are a growing trend among churches and other Christian ministries notes Julie Lewis, online technical coordinator for United Methodist Communications (UMC) (Elder, 2005). UMC says they believe a revolution bringing an increased use of Internet technologies to teach, train, and equip people for the work of ministry is coming in next few years (“Web as Ministry,” n.d.).

Online Religious Programs Currently Offered

There are examples of religious based online programs already in place that are not specifically directed to lay leader training. In 2003 UMC created a course that has already been used by more than 1,000 people to learn basics about the denomination (Elder, 2005) and Asbury Theological Seminary is a leader among seminaries educating United Methodists for the ordained ministry with online courses. Students can complete 2/3 of their master of divinity degree remotely (“Web as Ministry,” n.d.).

Some churches are also introducing Internet-based classes and programs. At Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, the Internet connection is so important that the congregation has a dedicated staff position to develop online resources. The church's 4,000 members can engage in Bible study and take Sunday school classes via the Internet. They have installed wireless access in the sanctuary to enable an interactive worship experience. At LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, one of the most popular programs is the online Bible studies by author Beth Moore says Andrew Young, Internet service coordinator at LifeWay (Elder, 2005).

Comparison of Online Lay Leader Training Programs

The following programs were identified while researching existing online and distance education programs aimed at lay leaders. The programs cover several Lay Leader Training 9 denominations and faiths. While most are associated with Universities there are several that are supported by denominations and one that is a commercial venture (see Table 1).

Table 1 Lay Leader Training Program Association

School/Organization Lay Leader Training Program Associated With Denomination WebSite Asbury Theological Asbury Online Institute Seminary Methodist www.aoi.edu Wesley Theological Wesley Ministry Network Seminary Methodist www.wesleyministrynetwork.com Wesley Theological Equipping Lay Ministry Program Seminary Methodist www.wesleysem.edu/layministry Continuing Lay Training (CLT) Nazarene http://clt.nazarene.org Wilke Institute For Discipleship Southwestern College Methodist www.institutefordiscipleship.org Lumicon Digital Lumicon Worship Resources Productions -UMC.org Methodist www.lumicon.org University of Dubuque UDTSLearning.net Theological Seminary Presbyterian www.udtslearning.net Weyerhaeuser Center for Faith www.whitworth.edu/FaithCenter/ClergyLay/Certificat and Learning Whitworth College Presbyterian es/LayMinistry.htm founder is Symmetry Lutheran www.symmetryorg.com The Academy for Spiritual Formation The Upper Room Methodist www.upperroom.org/academy United Methodist http://www.umcom.org/pages/news.asp? UMCOMM Training Center Communications Methodist class=1&Type=2&ID=932&product_id=0 Satellite Theological Education University of Notre http://step.nd.edu Program (STEP) Dame Catholic

Some programs offered certifications in various areas and others just offered an a la carte choice of courses. They use several different methods to deliver online courses. (see Table 2) Some programs offer several options to obtain the course information.

Table 2 Lay Leader Training Program Delivery Methods

Face-To- Mail Number of Number of Facilitated Un-facilitated Face Delivered Lay Leader Training Program Certifications Courses Online online Training Training Asbury Online Institute 2 4 Yes Wesley Ministry Network 4 Yes Yes Equipping Lay Ministery Program 2 35 Yes Yes Continuing Lay Training (CLT) 7 35 Yes Yes Yes Wilke Institute For Discipleship 7 Yes Lumicon Worship Resources Yes Yes UDTSLearning.net 1 16 Yes Weyerhaeuser Center for Faith and Learning 5 10 Yes Symmetry 1 Yes The Academy for Spiritual Formation 1 Yes UMCOMM training Center 6 Yes Yes Satellite Theological Education Program (STEP) 5 25 Yes Yes Yes Lay Leader Training 10

Besides the delivery of course content, a successful program should include ways to effectively communicate with the participants (see Table 3). Some of the sites would only allow access to these features if you were signed up for a course. Looking at the ones that did allow guests, most of the forums or chat rooms had very little participation which raises some concern. Chat rooms and discussion boards/forums are some of the primary tools used to encourage the kind of discussion necessary to allow communities of practice to develop.

Table 3 Lay Leader Training Program Features

Lay Leader Training Program e-mail Chat Rooms Forums Online Resources Asbury Online Institute Wesley Ministry Network Yes Yes Yes Yes Equipping Lay Ministry Program Continuing Lay Training (CLT) Wilke Institute For Discipleship Yes Lumicon Worship Resources Yes Yes UDTSLearning.net Yes Yes Yes Yes Weyerhaeuser Center for Faith and Learning Symmetry Yes The Academy for Spiritual Formation UMCOMM training Center Yes Satellite Theological Education Program (STEP) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Defining Communities of Practice

A community of practice is a group of people that share a concern, a passion about a topic, or a set of problems (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder. 2002). These people interact on a regular basis to deepen their knowledge and expertise in a given area, and even though they don’t necessarily work together, they meet because they find value in their interactions. During the time they spend together they share information, insight, advice, and help each other solve problems. They discuss their common problems, situations, needs, and aspirations as well as explore ideas, and act as sounding boards for one another. Learning together creates a social bond with other colleagues who share their perspective and understand their problems.

Knowledge should not be confused with information. Knowledge is the ability to use and apply information based on practice and experience. An expert has accumulated not only a wealth of information but also an accumulation of their actions, thinking, and conversations. The knowledge embedded in the community is dynamic and part of their ongoing experience. It is extremely valuable to the group and is preserved through stories, conversations, coaching and apprenticeships; the type of interactions that take place within communities of practice (Wenger et. al. 2002). Lay Leader Training 11

Communities of Practice can be Employed to Support Lay Leaders’ Development

The church is more than a repository of Biblical theology, or historical knowledge. It is a living embodiment and practice of knowledge that resides in the faithful. While this knowledge will never be fully understood, it can only be of benefit as a living practice (Scarborough, n.d.)

Communities of Practice can be cultivated to support the continued growth and development of expertise in lay leaders. Renee Elder states that besides offering enhancing options for online learning, the Internet is becoming an effective community-building tool. She cites examples of online discussion boards that offer an online interactive experience that includes discussions of faith, posting prayer requests, and searching for ministry possibilities. It allows the creation of community wherever there is access to the Internet (Elder, 2005).

Mark Stephenson, director of cyber-ministry and technology for Ginghamsburg says the most popular item right now is their Transformation Journal. The program features weekly introductory text and daily Scripture readings. In the online version, participants can write journal entries that are encrypted so they are only accessible by the author. The resource also includes a community forum where participants discuss topics with each other online (Elder, 2005). Jerry Warner, a member of the Ginghamsburg Web ministry team and a regular visitor to the church’s fellowship site comments that reading posts by others helps the team because they see themselves in the postings, which causes them to stop and reflect on their own relationships. He says that people are sometimes willing to share more of themselves online. It helps some people to say things they might not have the courage to say in person (Brown, 2005).

Another example of a developing community of practice is at the Church of the Resurrection, a United Methodist Congregation in Kansas City. The church has about 70 members, all in their 20s, who interact daily through an online discussion board (Elder, 2005). Online communities of practice work well when people are learning from others in the community. People enjoy asking for advice, helping others, learning news, and getting practical information that helps them in their spiritual lives (Brown, 2005).

However, success is not guaranteed. Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project has observed that many online communities fall apart when a small number of people begin to dominate the online conversation or extremists decide to force their views on the group. He believes they work best when lots of people participate and share their views and experiences (Brown, 2005). There are many other reasons that a community of practice may not succeed, particularly when used in an online environment. Distance and cultural differences can make it hard to develop the personal connection and trust that is necessary to establish an open dialog among the members. Other times factionalism may poison the group as disagreements turn into religious wars. Cliques can form, or stratification can occur within a group which causes it to split. At times they are just victims of their own success as growing too large can result in the members losing their identification with the group. Other times the group can become too close and outsiders do Lay Leader Training 12 not feel welcome, or their ideas are rejected because the group has become egalitarian or dogmatic about their methods or ideas (Wenger et. al., 2002).

However, if these potential problems are identified early they can be corrected before the community dissolves. There are also methods and techniques that can be employed that will minimize problems. Setting regular meetings establishes a rhythm to the community and keeps it in the member’s minds. Enabling personal information to be shared so people can get to know one another can also help. Setting up regular conference calls or face-to-face meetings can facilitate building relationships. Online threaded discussions can generate interest and interaction and develop a private space for the community. Relating to and feeling responsible to other community members is a strong force for increasing participation and aliveness within a community of practice (Wenger et. al., 2002).

Summary of Review of Religion and Technology

This review indicates that online training programs for lay leaders has been an effective way to addressed the shortage of lay leaders in the United Methodist and Catholic Churches. Surveys show that there is a robust community of the online faithful that will use the Internet for serious religious study and reflection. Online lay leader training is currently offered and is accepted as an effective way to deliver courses. These training programs are offered by several denominations with most programs being associated with universities; however there are a few commercial ventures. These programs vary widely in their method of content delivery and the communication tools used. Attempts to build communities of practice appear to have been more successful at individual churches than at online training sites. While there are potential pitfalls, they can be minimized by incorporating good practices that will help nurture these communities of practice to maturity.

The Research Context

Having personally felt the need for this kind of training as well as having others express the same desire made me realize this research was needed and timely. My search for how I could use online tools to provide educational training and support for lay leaders began with discussions with Dr. John Russell, President of McMurry University. He was searching for ways McMurry could strengthen its ties to the Methodist church. He had also mentioned that some sort of lay leader training was needed because when he served on church committees at times he didn't feel qualified or prepared. Rev. Ava Berry, District Superintendent of the Abilene District had also had a discussion with Dr. Russell about how she saw a need for training to meet the new Certified Lay Minister position that had been approved by the General Conference of the Methodist Church. They decided to create a committee to investigate possibilities to address those needs. I discussed my action research idea with both of them and since it seemed to tie in well with their goals I was invited to join the committee for their first meeting.

The committee was made up of the Dr. John Russell, McMurry University President, Ava Berry, United Methodist Church Abilene District Superintendent, Brad Lay Leader Training 13

Poorman, Vice President of Information Services, Tim Kennedy, McMurry University Chaplin, Dan Eppley, McMurry Religion Faculty, Greg Kennedy, pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, and later Rev. Dan Solomon, Bishop in Residence at McMurry University. In addition as speakers and facilitators were chosen they were asked to join the meetings.

This committee has strong local Methodist and McMurry connections. As such they felt the initial audience for this training conference would primarily be from Texas and New Mexico.

Research questions

The research question that I originally discussed with Dr. Russell and Rev. Berry was:

How can the use of on-line tools provide educational training and support for the development of a learning community to help meet the need for trained lay leaders in the United Methodist church and establish a community of practice for those lay leaders to support their continued growth and development of expertise in effective lay leadership?

I felt that if I could help create an online training program that incorporated face to face meetings with synchronous and asynchronous online learning tools that an effective lay leader training program could be developed. In addition I felt that creating a ongoing support system centered on an online community of practice web site would encourage lifelong learning. The site would also give emotional and practical support for the attendees after they completed the course. I felt this combination could help produce lay leaders with the background and confidence to take on any leadership role they were asked to fill.

Method –Action research

I used action research as a method to investigate the use of technology in the training of lay leaders (references list your books or other references here). Action research is a methodology that pursues action and research at the same time, Action to bring about change in a community, organization, or program, and Research to increase the understanding of the researcher. Action research is an effective way for me to offer my expertise in technology in service to my church members in our community of practice.

In most cases action research uses a participative cyclic process that includes planning, action, data collection followed by interpretation of the results and reflection which leads to better understanding and based on that understanding planning for another action cycle begins. (Dick, 1999) By using action research cycles I hoped to be able to learn what should be included in a lay leader training program, how that program should be implemented, what online tools should be Lay Leader Training 14 incorporated, and how the ongoing support web site should be set up. I will report the outcome of my action research in a set of 3 cycles.

Cycles

Cycle 1 When I began this process I expected to build a site where courses were offered, requirements for certifications set, and certifications granted for lay leadership. I expected that professors from McMurry University and possibly seminaries to contribute courses. I thought that an extensive resource library could be built. I thought the library could become the repository of lectures from various speakers on topics relating to lay leadership. I believed the most effective model for online education was one similar to the Pepperdine program which would involve an initial face to face meeting followed by course work done primarily online. I hoped that online communities of practice would then develop among the students and continue after the certifications had been earned. I expected to demonstrate why this method was preferable, that the committee would agree, and then proceed to develop the training around this model.

Actions. Evidence and data for my first cycle was collected during a series of committee meetings where the program was being formulated and the role of online tools in the program was being defined. I had accumulated considerable information on other lay leader training programs for my Literature Review and was asked to share that research with the committee at the first meeting.

Evidence/Data Collected. At the first meeting Dr. Russell began the meeting by discussing how he felt committee assignments within the church were made without any training or scriptural support for those placed in lay leadership roles. He also expressed his desire for stronger ties between McMurry and the Methodist Church.

Ava Berry discussed how she had originally envisioned McMurry offering the newly created Certified Lay Minister training. However, there had been delays from the national church committees in determining the curriculum requirements. This is partially due to concerns at the national level that this certification will present a way to become a pastor without having to attend seminary. Dr. Russell added that with the current indecision on the program he was not interested in pursuing that at this time.

I presented the various online programs I had researched during my Literature Review. I gave details on what they offered, the tools they used, pricing, and other information on each program. With that background information the committee discussed what McMurry was going to offer. After checking for conflicts with several known summer functions it appeared that July 7-8 might be a possible date for the conference. Lay Leader Training 15

The discussion then turned to how to organize and deliver the programming. I presented what I saw as successful models in the programs I had investigated. I also said my experience was that some face to face time at the beginning of the program helped develop a camaraderie and familiarity that resulted in more openness in later online discussions. Dr. Russell supported the face to face meetings and said he felt we wanted the participants to be on the McMurry campus at some time during the program.

There was a concern that the short time frame would prohibit the development of an online program by this summer. There was also a strong feeling that the first program in particular needed to be of high quality, and that rushing the development of online programs would put that in jeopardy. This concern coupled with Dr. Russell's desire to have the participants on campus led to a decision to offer the program in a conference format with ongoing discussion, support, and reflection offered online after the conference.

Discussions of format were extensive with considerable time spent discussing the amount of time that should be devoted to disseminating new information versus sharing time and discussion. In addition there were discussions about the program topics which centered primarily on major church committees; however the exact topics would be decided at the next meeting. It was decided that we needed a church leadership guru and after tossing around several names we decided to ask Bishop Dan Solomon, Bishop-in-residence at McMurry to head the lay academy.

At the second meeting Bishop Solomon asked several insightful questions that forced the committee to better define what the program was going to offer. The consensus seemed to be that the goal for the lay leader academy would be to change a person's thinking about their leadership role and help them develop a scriptural answer to the question “Why am I doing this?” For example, the academy would help the participants discover answers to questions such as “What is the purpose of worship?”

Ava Berry added that she believes that interactive experiences lead to growth. You need the experiential component to change attitudes. I added that I felt it was hard to change entire congregations by just a few people having a weekend experience. I felt it took time to for the attendees to reflect on the experience and internalize it. Also the program needed to make a commitment to offer continuing support to encourage the attendees after they leave. That is why the online component is critical. Ava Berry agreed that online groups should be formed for ongoing development and reflection. Bishop Solomon said it is easier to acquire new data than to acquire new attitudes. He also felt we should focus on the desired results and then work backwards.

It was suggested that the academy offer 4-5 tracks. The following tracks were identified as possibilities:

Worship Finance/Stewardship Lay Leadership Mission/Outreach Lay Leader Training 16

Heritage/Connection Pastor Support Youth Conflict Resolution

Discussions were held concerning who could serve as discussion leaders or facilitators of these groups. The Academy for Faithful Ministry was proposed as a name for the conference and accepted. Very little discussion was held concerning any online component.

Resulting Cycle 2 Plan and Goals After reflecting on these meetings I decided I will adjust my goals and use what I have learned from cycle 1 to develop a site that is more supportive of the goals of the committee and determine how I can gain the support of the committee for a site that concentrates on building a post conference, ongoing, online support site?

The data collected in my cycle 1 made me realize that offering online courses was too ambitious of a plan and did not fit with the vision of the other committee members. However the idea of online communities of practice still seemed possible. I expected I could gain support from the committee for an online support community for lay leadership. I expected that I could gain that support by engaging certain members of the committee in individual discussions where I could better explain the concepts I proposed to incorporate in the site.

Actions. Evidence and data for the second cycle was collected during additional meetings where the program was refined and the role of online tools within the program was further defined. I gathered initial impressions from a few committee members before the meeting and then during the meeting I laid out my ideas for the Academy’s support site and listened to the committee’s feedback and suggestions. During the consultation meetings I gathered input on the best development option for the support site.

Evidence/Data Collected. Before the third committee meeting I visited with a couple of the members individually to ask their thoughts on the role the online component should play. We had some good conversations and their ideas were pretty much in line with what I had planned. The group facilitators had been invited to the third meeting and much of the discussion centered on what they were expected to do. However during the meeting one of the members I had met with commented on how important she felt the ongoing support was to the success of the program and asked me to brief them on possible ways to offer that support. I laid out some ideas such as discussion boards, chat rooms, personal blogs, and resource areas. There was considerable discussion on the support topic. The committee members discussed the various tools and whether they saw them as useful in this particular application. Many on the committee had never used any of the communication tools so they were unsure how they worked. There were a couple of comments that led you to believe there were still concerns that this form of communication was somewhat impersonal. We Lay Leader Training 17 also discussed the role the facilitators were going to play in post conference online support. A pre-conference site was also discussed to facilitate the distribution of information and as an avenue to sign up for the Academy.

I also met with some knowledgeable colleagues about the objectives and parameters that had been developed over the three committee meetings. I wanted their opinions on what development option would best meet those objectives. After discussing the options and considering the audience we will be dealing with they felt it was important to have a single interface. It would be confusing if the attendees had to go to three different web sites to access all the features. A best of breed methodology did not seem to be the logical approach and therefore some trade-offs would have to be made. After considering the needs, cost, and flexibility the consensus was that Moodle seemed to offer the best overall solution.

Resulting Cycle 3 Plan and Goals My next step will be to develop a beta site and get feedback from the committee concerning what layout, format, and features would be most effective for the Academy for Faithful Ministry. Based on my previous two cycles I felt I had a better understanding of the committee’s expectations. However, since most of the committee members were not very familiar with these forms of communication I expected considerable changes may yet be ahead for the project. My goal was to develop a beta site that would be distributed to the committee along with a questionnaire to document feedback. I hoped to gain additional feedback from our next committee meeting.

Actions. I built an informational page for the Academy for Faithful Ministry using Moodle. I concentrated on making it clean and easy to navigate. Since Moodle is primarily a Course Management System I tried to use a template that did not look like a course delivery page. I then set up the community building page trying to minimize the course look as much as possible on it as well. I added forums, chat rooms, and quick polls. Afterwards I began development of a tutorial and training section to help beginners. Evidence and data was collected in the form of feedback through surveys and meetings to help me improve the site.

Evidence/Data Collected. Not wanting to repeat earlier mistakes I asked a few members of the committee that had shown strong support for the community building plan to view and comment on the site. I wanted their feedback to determine if there were any glaring errors or major misunderstandings on my part before releasing the beta to the entire committee for review. I didn't receive any negative comments, only a couple of minor questions on how it would be utilized.

Based on the positive preliminary responses I sent an email to the committee members with a link to the site and some brief instructions. I told them I would like for them to try the site with minimum instruction so they could view it as a newcomer. I also included a link to the survey site where I gathered their feedback. All of the responses indicated that most of the features they would expect were on the page. They also indicated Lay Leader Training 18 that the layout was easy to navigate. There were no recommendations of items to add. There were some cosmetic suggestions on where to locate items to make them more prominent, as well as suggestions on different pictures that could be used.

At the fourth committee meeting the beta test site was discussed. The site was well received and most of the feedback dealt with content and wording. One potentially major suggestion was the need to include a way for those wishing to attend to pay online. The committee also agreed that I needed biographical information for the facilitators and descriptions of the breakout sessions. They set a deadline of March 31st for getting me this information.

Because of a nagging concern about the quality of the feedback I got from the committee in my survey I decided to consult instructors at the University who had taught online courses. These instructors were familiar with online course management systems having used both Blackboard and Moodle. I trusted them to give me an honest appraisal. They had several comments about layout, content, and options I had chosen to implement, but were generally complimentary and saw no major stumbling blocks.

The committee had also chosen to hire a person to work with us to develop the mail out brochure. I suggested I should work with her to integrate our marketing look and feel. She also designs web sites and McMurry has used her in that capacity before. I had been impressed with her previous work. I asked her to look at the site before we met. She emailed me back and said that she went to the site expecting the worst, however she was pleasantly surprised. She went on to say that she was impressed with the layout and functionality of the page and she was going to incorporate it into the brochure.

Resulting Cycle 4 Plan My cycle 3 led me to ask whether potential attendees thought it would meet their needs. To get this feedback I wanted to assemble a focus group of potential attendees but the impending date for the Academy required the site to be fully functional so people could sign up. I adjusted my plan to review the effectiveness of the post Academy support site and what improvements could be made. I therefore plan to survey all attendees approximately two weeks after the Academy to determine if they have visited the site and why they have or have not participated in discussions. I will also survey those that have been active in the site to determine what improvements could be made to create an environment more conducive to the development of their communities of practice.

Final Reflection

In cycle one I had planned on the Certified Lay Minister curriculum being a cornerstone of the program. However that was dropped early in the first meeting which meant I would have to concentrate on the second portion of the program, general lay Lay Leader Training 19 leadership training. I had planned on offering both of these as online programs. When that was set aside by the committee as not feasible for a program that would be offered this summer, I felt my action research project had been gutted and questioned its viability as a project. Shaken, but not deterred, I decided to try and get a better understanding of exactly what my role would be in this revised lay leadership program.

I was frustrated with the lack of progress on the online component. I began to analyze why the online component was receiving so little attention when the committee seemed so receptive and interested during my initial presentation. I also began evaluating my position and role within the group. I questioned whether I had any credibility or standing within the committee. I initially believed I was going to a main player on the committee but in some ways I was an outsider in this context. While they all knew me, the committee had a larger bond in that they are mostly members of the clergy. Contributing to that perception I was introduced to the committee as the technical expert and therefore my input and opinions were viewed with a narrow scope.

I also tried to analyze their reluctance to embrace this method of communication. I realized that as professional clergy they interact daily with people on a very personal level. Their experience is with face to face encounters where they rely on their well developed observation skills to read people and know how to react. I believe their resistance to online training is partially due to a fear they will not have that connection. That takes them further outside their comfort level than I originally anticipated. Therefore while they understand the advantages, they are not ready to depend solely on that medium to communicate their message and interact with others.

As the originator of the committee and the person that invited me to participate I also tried to figure out why Dr. Russell did not articulate stronger support for my proposed plan. I remembered that one of Dr. Russell’s main goals was to reinforce the connection between McMurry and the Methodist church. He had stated that one way to achieve that is to bring the people to the McMurry campus. I believe he felt my original plan stressed the online component more than the on campus component and therefore he was not as supportive as I expected him to be.

After listening to the depth of the discussions I became aware of the importance the committee placed on meaningful content. As I listened to those involved and concerned people discuss issues they felt were vital to the future of the church the concern they expressed was very thought provoking. I realized while my contribution was important the primary focus was the change they were trying to produce in people’s thinking and actions.

As I began cycle two, my original concept had changed drastically as a result of participating on the committee. I have gone from a site dedicated to offering courses, to one dedicated to ongoing support. I have gone from developing the primary delivery system to being a support function before and after the Academy. By listening, remaining flexible, and reacting to the needs expressed by the committee I was able to devise an acceptable support plan. Lay Leader Training 20

I had overestimated the support I would have for my original plan and therefore did not spend the time laying the groundwork or building support before the meeting. After coming to that realization I needed to go back and revise my approach in order to build support for the new plan. My standing within the committee as the technical consultant made it necessary to gain support from other members. I found by working more closely with a few committee members I was able to generate some allies to help convince the committee. The effectiveness of this approach gave me insight into how to deal with the committee in the future.

The committee now supports the building of a website whose focus will be ongoing support for those who attend the Academy and to encourage the development of Communities of Practice. To accomplish this I will include features that encourage interaction with others such as discussion boards/forums, chat rooms, and resource areas. I built the site using Moodle and created a pre-academy informational and sign up website.

By the end of cycle three, I felt very positive about the introduction of the beta version even though it left me with plenty of work to do revising the site. However I had a nagging question about the quality of the committee feedback. Those concerns were relieved when the online instructor group confirmed the basic content and functionality. The marketing and website developer also blessed the design and layout. Overall, I feel pretty good about the site functionality, but the site is nothing without the people. I need to turn my attention to participation. How do I ensure the participants will come to the site once they return home? What activities do we need to offer to make sure they become engaged? These are potential future cycle questions.

Reflection on the Process

I learned a lot about being a member of a startup community of practice. I found myself working within a community of practice whose mission was to create the Academy for Faithful Ministry, which itself had a community of practice component. The committee members had varied backgrounds as ministers, academicians, and technology professionals, but shared a common passion about providing lay leader training. Each member brought different perspectives, backgrounds, and skills to the group.

A community of practice is made up of individuals and therefore is a living entity that grows, develops, and hopefully matures. There were growing pains as relationships developed and our roles evolved over time. As with any living entity you cannot dictate the development of a community of practice. Not only observing, but participating in that process was a learning experience. I learned there is a difference between reading about how to set up a community of practice and living inside one where you are actively participating in the process. The complications are heightened when you have a passion for and a vested interest in the outcome. I expected to be recognized as an expert due to my online experience and research. However, that proved to be an erroneous assumption as many members more highly valued religious expertise. I had to try and reflect on what was best for the Academy while dealing with the emotions I felt personally. Rejection, frustration, and panic were all present at various times in the process. Lay Leader Training 21

I learned that no matter how good the idea, you still have to take the time to build a consensus. By discussing my ideas with the individual committee members I could have worked towards building a consensus. Listening to their concerns and reservations could have given me insight into how to revise my plan and presentation. Basically I learned the value of politics. Politics is a word loaded with negative connotations. But politics is basically the practical process of making decisions and allocating resources in an environment of divergent interests and limited resources (Bolman and Deal, 2003).

In Reframing Organizations the authors discuss the political framework that exists in organizations (Bolman and Deal, 2003). I recognized how this impacted my project and the actions I took and didn't take.

Networking and building coalitions is a part of politics (Bolman and Deal, 2003). J. P. Kotter suggests there are 4 basic steps for exercising political influence (Kotter, 1985):

1. Identify relevant relationships 2. Assess who might resist, why, and how strongly 3. Develop, wherever possible, relationships with potential opponents to facilitate communication, education, or negotiation. 4. If step three fails, carefully select and implement either more subtle or more forceful methods.

I went into the first committee meetings without a firm grasp on the relationships among the committee members. In earlier discussions Dr. Russell and Rev. Berry seemed enthusiastic about my original ideas and I expected the rest of the committee to be as well. Dr. Russell did not to dictate the form or content of the Academy to the committee and instead allowed the committee to develop its own ideas for the Academy. Because I did not anticipate any resistance, I did not prepare for it. After analyzing what happened in the first meeting I responded by trying to develop personal relationships and open lines of communication with key members by meeting with them individually. It is easier to develop relationships when you don’t allow yourself to demonize those with opposing views, but instead recognize that we are all individuals and therefore have different ideas.

Even though it wasn’t what I originally wanted I believe the committee made a wise choice by limiting the scope this first year. It would have been too much to undertake in the timeframe we had to work. Quality matters more than quantity in this first year. We need to establish the Academy’s reputation and have the participants become advocates.

I believe this experience has given me insight into working within communities of practice that will help me as I try to nurture the Academy for Faithful Ministry communities of practice. These first three cycles are just the beginning as we prepare for the first Academy. There will be many more cycles because there are many potential questions to ask as we refine and improve the Academy over the years. Lay Leader Training 22

References

Aldrich, M.W. (2003). Strong leaders make churches grow. United Methodist Communications. Retrieved November 7, 2005 from http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=5781 Aldrich, M. W. (2003) Getting Christians up from their pews: growing lay leadership in the church. United Methodist Communications. Retrieved 11/3/2005 from http://archives.umc.org/interior_print.asp?ptid=1&mid=5398 Arnone, M. (2001, Oct 19). Catholic colleges use distance education to train lay ministers. Chronicle of Higher Education, 48, 8, 34. Asbury Online Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2005 from http://www.aoi.edu/index.html Bolman, L.G., Deal, T.E. (2003). Reframing organizations: artistry, choice, and leadership, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Brasher, B. E. (2001). Give me that online religion. Hoboken, New Jersey: Jossey-Bass Brown, V. (2005). Online Communities Connect Christians in Cyberspace. United Methodist Communications. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://archives.umc.org/interior_print.asp?ptid=20&mid=6476&pagemode=print Continuing Lay Training. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2005 from http://clt.nazarene.org Dick, B. (1999). What is action research?. Retrieved June 5, 2006 from http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/whatisar.html Kotter, J.P. (1985). Power and Influence: Beyond Formal Authority, New York: Free Press Elder, R. (2005, Oct 24). Online study is growing trend among churches. United Methodist Communications. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://archives.umc.org/interior_print.asp?mid=10134&pagemode=print Good News for Parish Ministry. (1999, May 29). New York: America, 180. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.americamagazine.org/editorials/Edsvol180.htm#ed990529 Green, L. (2004). Church’s future depends on developing leaders. United Methodist Communications. Retrieved November 3, 2005 from http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=2&mid=5830 Hoover, S.M., Clark, L.S., Rainie, L. (2004). Faith Online. Washington D.C.: Pew Internet & American Life Project. Institute for Discipleship. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2005 from http://www.institutefordiscipleship.org LaRue, J.C. Jr. (1999, Mar/Apr). The Wired Pastor. Your Church. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.christianitytoday.com/yc/9y2/9y2080.html Lumicon Digital Productions. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2005 from http://www.lumicon.org/index.asp New lay group formed to improve church management. (2005, Mar 28). New York: America, 192, 11, 4. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.americamagazine.org/catholicnews.cfm? articleTypeID=29&textID=4087&issueID=525 Lay Leader Training 23

Satellite Theological Education Program. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2005 from http://step.nd.edu/ Scarborough, T. (n.d.). Review of communities of practice by Etienne Wenger. John Mark Ministries. Retrieved November, 11, 2005 from http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/14164.htm Schultze, J. (2004). Habits of the High-Tech Heart, Living virtuously in the information age. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academics. Symmetery. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.symmetryorg.com/index.html The Academy for Spiritual Formation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://upperroom.org/academy/ The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. (2004). (Section 162). Nashville, TN: The United Methodist Publishing House UDTSLearning. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.udtslearning.net United Methodism 101. (updated 10/14/05). United Methodist Communications. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.umcom.org/pages/news.asp? class=1&Type=2&ID=932&product_id=0 Web as Ministry: Discipleship. (n.d.). United Methodist Communications. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=4842 Wenger, E., McDermott, R., Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Wesley Ministry Network. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2005 from http://www.wesleyministrynetwork.com Wesley Theological Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.wesleysem.edu/layministry Weyerhaeurser Center for Faith & Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.whitworth.edu/FaithCenter/ClergyLay/Certificates/LayMinistry.htm