Open invitation to join a church cohort with the Thriving Congregations Initiative

AWAB and CBF have held two regional thriving congregations cohorts by invitation. Now we are opening up this opportunity for our final cohort to any AWAB church.

Your church would be in a cohort with 4-6 other churches. The program is coordinated and run by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Thriving Congregations Initiative. But, of course, your church does not have to be CBF. This is available because of the merger with CBF’s Affirming Network and AWAB.

It is a six-month process, with lodging, meals, and programming expenses paid (worth about $10,000 per congregation). You would be responsible for travel expenses.
 

Your church team will consist of at least one minister and a small leadership group from your congregation. The work will take place in your congregation, on Zoom, and in person (two in-person retreats). Professional leadership and support will be provided by an individual “wise guide” assigned to your church. 

The organizing thesis of this work centers on the belief that thriving congregations exhibit capacities around five key traits:

  1. Rooted Relationships
  2. Compelling Clarity
  3. Dynamic Collaboration
  4. Holy Tenacity
  5. Faithful Agility  

Given the changing world our congregations face, it is worth considering,

  • How are these traits feeding the shared life of your congregation?
  • Do we have what we need to thrive and follow God’s call as a congregation and in our community?
  • If so, is anything stopping us?
  • If not, how might this support us in that call?
 
In order to take part in this cohort, all of your team must attend the two in-person retreats held in Providence, RI:
May 30 – June 1 – Design to Thrive
November 7 – 9, Providence, RI – Faithful Experiments 
 
We will choose 2-3 congregations to join this cohort by March 31. 
 
More details can be found here. Contact Natalie Aho, natalie@awab.org, with questions.