Communitas Summer Workbook - Cohort 1

W O R K B O O K

S U M M E R

Cohort

THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES. THE FIRST IS 'WHERE AM I GOING?' AND THE SECOND IS 'WHO WILL GO WITH ME?'

- HOWARD THURMAN

WELCOME TO COMMUNITAS!

Communitas is a Young Adult Innovation Hub based at Yale Divinity School that seeks to create a working space for spiritual communities built by young adult leaders in congregations across the northeast While membership in the innovation hub will not be limited by race, ethnicity, or denomination, we will prioritize Black and Brown congregations in the greater New Haven area and the leadership of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) young adults Based on the idea of Communitas, which refers to a state of intense community where all members are equal and share in common experience, we are reminded of the ways that young adults are searching for and creating community and the ways that congregations have served as liminal communities to nurture people through many of the struggles and transitions of human life. Therefore, we have designed this innovation hub to help us approximate the best of communitas

RESOURCES

Participating congregations will receive the the following resources during their cohort season:

A Young Adult Coach for the Project

On-going Guidance & Support

Grant Funds for Innovation Initiatives

Training and Resources to Empower Innovation and Creativity

COMMITMENTS

To ensure success in the program, participating congregations will commit to the following:

Two-Year Cohort Involvement

Attending Up to Four In-Person Cohort Meetings Annually (additional virtual meetings may be scheduled)

Documenting Learnings Over Two Years

Advising Future Cohorts

COHORT TIMELINE YOUR TWO YEAR JOURNEY

JUNE 3, 2023

COHORT A LAUNCH MEETING

IN-PERSON MEETING AT YDS

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

DREAM & DESIGN TRAINING

IN-PERSON MEETING AT YDS

DECEMBER 2, 2023

EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT CHECK-IN WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FAIL WELL?

VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM

FEBRUARY 2024

EXPLORE AND EXPERIMENT SHARE-BACK SHARE UPDATES ON INNOVATION PROJECTS VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM

APRIL 2024

ASSESS AND ACT AGAIN TRAINING IN PERSON MEETING AT YDS

JUNE 2024

ASSESS AND ACT AGAIN SHARE-BACK IN PERSON MEETING AT YDS

SEPTEMBER 2024

DREAM & DESIGN TRAINING

IN-PERSON MEETING AT YDS

DECEMBER 2024

EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT CHECK-IN

MEASURING THE IMPACT OF INNOVATION

VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM

FEBRUARY 2025

EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT SHARE-BACK SHARE UPDATES ON INNOVATION PROJECTS

VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM

JUNE 2025

CLOSING CONFERENCE IN PERSON MEETING AT YDS

PLEASE REMEMBER...

THE FORMAT AND CONTENT OF THE GATHERINGS LISTED ABOVE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS WE MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE PROGRAM

Innovation requires flexibility Sometimes we liken It to building a plane while also beginning to fly It Not only do we learn as we go, but, In many ways, the learning Is found In the going. We are asking you to develop projects with your community that are responsive to the community Itself and we are building a program that Is also responsive to our community (that's you!). We will, of course, do our very best to provide regular updates and ample notice in the event of a schedule change

FOUNDATION BUILDING

The initial stage of our work together includes building the spiritual, attitudinal, and administrative infrastructure to center the experiences of young adults and to listen with them as they discern who they are and what kinds of communities they want to build and in which they want to be a part.

THIS INCLUDES

INNOVATION A FOUNDATION FOR

LISTEN

DISCERN IDENTIFY CULTIVATE STRENGTHEN

Listen to young adults from your community This could include hosting storytelling and sharing events with a select group of young adults including students, local activists, artists, and organizers Listen to young adults who are connected to your congregation, other communities, and to those on the margins.

Discern who your young adults are and what are your core values and the ways that you want to engage in this work. You will be helped in discernment through your summer work, along with the support and wisdom of your young adult coach, the advisory board, and Communitas staff.

Identify essential resources you already have within your congregation and community for ministry with young adults. Identify, also, areas for growth and training that will help you to become better educated about engaging with young adults We will provide training in design thinking and ministry innovation to aid you in this process.

Cultivate relationships with the young adults in and around your congregation. Cultivate, also, relationships with community partners in your area who are leaders and exemplars of agencies and communities already centering the concerns and work of young adults.

Strengthen and deepen relationships with internal partners, including your congregations' young adults, other congregational leaders, and member's of various ministry areas who will be essential to the successful implementation of your innovation project and continued ministry in partnership with young adults.

IDEA BOOK

idea (n)

any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity.

a thought, conception, or notion

a plan of action; an intention

I like to think of myself as a creative thinker, as one who can move quickly and carefully from an idea to concept to a plan and so forth But, in reality, most often my best ideas/thoughts never get realized or turned into a fully executed plan…and that is okay. Actually it is better than okay - it is how many of us operate, because we have way more ideas than we can ever know what to do with or have resources (energy, time, money, and so forth) to flesh out However, I was often reminded to always try to capture my ideas, because, at first glance, you cannot know which ones to pursue. Thus, over the years, I cultivated a practice of always keeping a notebook with me on my nightstand, in my backpack, a memo app on my phone, all for the purpose of being able to capture my many fleeting ideas.

WHY AN IDEA BOOK?

In many ways, this IDEA book serves a similar purpose. Our goal is not that every idea will turn into a realized/operationalized ministry or venture with young adults. Instead we want to cultivate practices of capturing ideas, listening to the Spirit, to ourselves, to our communities, and to young adults around us and of trying out a few things, and then learning some more

This IDEA book also allows us to share out initial thoughts about the ways we want to intentionally move through the next two years. Please know, however, that like most good ideas, this book is constantly in process, and it is less of a rigid guideline and more of an invitation to “try somethings and see if they work.”

Dr.Wright

INVITE & IGNITE

You will engage in an ongoing process of inviting and igniting young adults and your congregation to partner in ministry, beginning with forming your leadership team and selecting a young adult coach

DREAM & DESIGN

Together with your coach, your team will dream of w is possible in ministry with young adults and design project to that end We will walk you through the de thinking process and introduce innovation models d various trainings throughout the program.

EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT

we will help you begin exploring and experim new ways of doing ministry Grant funds will available to your innovation project to build c encourage risk taking. Together, we will try n and learn from failure as part reimagining mi

ASSESS & ACT AGAIN

You will engage in an ongoing process of assessing and evaluating your relationship with young adults and your efforts to partner with them. Your coaches will guide your self-assessment as you determine effectiveness and impact of a ministry innovation We will help you process your experiences and plan how you will commit to acting with and in support of young adults going forward

SUMMER WORK

Usethesummermonthsto takethefollowingsteps.We hopeyou'llgetcreativeand imaginativeonhowtodoso! Don'tbeafraidtotrythingsout andevenchangecourse.And, ofcourse,we'reheretohelp whenyouneedit.

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!

We need you to document all of your summer work! Take pictures, journal your thoughts and observations, etc. We will periodically collect this information along the way If you choose to host a listening session or conduct any interviews, please find guides for prep and debrief in the resource section of this book

DO NOT DESPISE THESE SMALL BEGINNINGS, FOR G0D REJOICES TO SEE THE WORK BEGIN

-ZACHARIAH 4:10

1. INVITE

Form your team.

Many of you have alre work of inviting a grou young adults to journe this process of forming of listening, dreaming launching ministries in with young adults in y For others, the first tas will be to form your co must include young a congregational leader that team (virtually or meets the needs of yo

The first gathering of y a significant one, whe together to pray, get t other, and get to know your journey together

The structure of the fir be flexible but we will suggestions/scaffoldin essential elements

How do we create spa lead together? One he comes from Another W simply the CARE mod hospitable space, Ask questions, Reflect theo together, and Enact th faithful step)[1]

[1] Stephen Lewis, Matthew Baker, Another Way: Living Change on Purpose, (Chali

2. IGNITE PRACTICE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

Pray for this work and for young adults in your community

Cultivate a series of practices that help you to be more intentional about keeping young adults and your own spiritual journey at the forefront of your lives

For example, you can take regular Girl Trek-esque prayer walks in your surrounding community, carefully observing and/or praying for the place you are, the ground you are walking on, the myriad ancestors who traveled this land before you and the many young people that you are discerning how to best partner with. Pray, walk, reflect, listening to a podcast by young adults, a special curated playlist, etc

GATHER YOUR TEAM

Gather at least monthly with your congregational team.

The gatherings of your local team provide time to begin to spark ideas together around what is at the core of your work already and the ways that you want to see it grow as you all journey together over the next two years.

3. DISCERN & DREAM

LISTEN

Listen to yourselves and to your young adults

You can do this by:

Hosting listening sessions with young adults

Interviewing a young adult

Going to a young adult venue or event (take young adult field trip)

Taking a community pilgrimage (walk your neighborhood)

DISCERN

Discern who your young adults are.

When you hear the question, "Who are your young adults;" what and who comes to mind? Part of the listening and discerning process is to help you narrow your focus on “your target demographic” and the scope of the work that you plan to do.

“Your young adults” could be the young adult members of your congregation. Your young adults could include those living around your church, but who are not at present connected to it (formally or informally). Your young adults could be from local colleges or teens who were part of your congregation, but are now off at college or starting life in other places

SUMMER WORK RESOURCES

The following section contains various activities and guides for your summer work. You won't need to try everything, but be sure to document what you do try. The following resources are collected from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's The 787 Collective Discernment Guide and Stanford University's Design Thinking Bootleg.

ASUMME A BEGINNER'S MINDSET

Design Thinking Bootleg, Stanford University

WHY ASSUME A BEGINNER'S MINDSET

We all carry our experiences, understanding, and expertise with us. These aspects of yourself are incredibly valuable assets to bring to the design challenge – but at the right time, and with intentionality Your assumptions may be misconceptions and stereotypes, and can restrict the amount of real empathy you can build Assume a beginner’s mindset in order to put aside these biases, so that you can approach a design challenge with fresh eyes.

HOW TO ASSUME A BEGINNER’S MINDSET

Don’t judge. Just observe and engage users without the influence of value judgments upon their actions, circumstances, decisions, or “issues.”

Question everything. Question even (and especially) the things you think you already understand. Ask questions to learn about how the user perceives the world Think about how a 4-year-old asks “Why?” about everything Follow up an answer to one “why” with a second “why.”

Be truly curious. Strive to assume a posture of wonder and curiosity, especially in circumstances that seem either familiar or uncomfortable.

Find patterns. Look for interesting threads and themes that emerge across interactions with users

Listen Really Lose your agenda and let the scene soak into your psyche Absorb what users say to you, and how they say it, without thinking about the next thing you’re going to say.

RESOURCE

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Design Thinking Bootleg, Stanford University

WHY PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW

Time with users is precious; you need to make the most of it! While you must always allow room for the spontaneous, blissful serendipity of a user-guided conversation, you should never abdicate your responsibility to prepare for interviews. Especially in following up with users (after testing, etc.), it is imperative to plan your interviews You may not get to every question you prepare, but you should come in with a plan for engagement.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW

1. Brainstorm questions

Write down all of the potential questions your team can generate. Try to build on one another’s ideas in order to flesh out meaningful subject areas.

2. Identify and order themes

Similar to “grouping” in synthesis, have your team identify themes or subject areas into which most questions fall; once you’ve identified the themes of your question-pool, determine the order that would allow the conversation to flow most naturally. This will enable you to structure the flow of your interview, decreasing the potential for hosting a seemingly-scattershot interaction with your user

3. Refine questions

Once you have all the questions grouped by theme and order, you may find that there are some redundant areas of conversation, or questions that seem strangely out of place Take a few moments to make sure that you leave room in your planning to ask plenty of “why?” questions, plenty of “tell me about the last time you ?” questions, and plenty of questions that are directed at how the user FEELS.

INTERVIEW FOR EMPATHY

Design Thinking Bootleg, Stanford University

WHY INTERVIEW

You want to understand a person’s thoughts, emotions, and motivations, so that you can determine how to innovate for him or her. By understanding the choices that person makes and the behaviors that person engages in, you can identify their needs, and design to meet those needs.

HOW TO INTERVIEW FOR EMPATHY

Ask why. Even when you think you know the answer, ask people why they do or say things The answers will sometimes surprise you A conversation started from one question should go on as long as it needs to

Never say “usually” when asking a question. Instead, ask about a specific instance or occurrence, such as “tell me about the last time you ______”

Encourage stories. Whether or not the stories people tell are true, they reveal how they think about the world. Ask questions that get people telling stories.

Look for inconsistencies. Sometimes what people say and what they do are different These inconsistencies often hide interesting insights

Pay attention to nonverbal cues. Be aware of body language and emotions

Don’t be afraid of silence. Interviewers often feel the need to ask another question when there is a pause If you allow for silence, a person can reflect on what they’ve just said and may reveal something deeper.

Don’t suggest answers to your questions. Even if they pause before answering, don’t help them by suggesting an answer This can unintentionally get people to say things that agree with your expectations.

Ask questions neutrally. “What do you think about buying gifts for your spouse?” is a better question than “Don’t you think shopping is great?” because the first question doesn’t imply that there is a right answer

Don’t ask binary questions. Binary questions can be answered in a word; you want to host a conversation built upon stories.

Make sure you’re prepared to capture. Always interview in pairs If this is not possible, you should use a voice recorder it is impossible to properly engage a user and take detailed notes at the same time

YOUNG ADULT INTERVIEW

Discernment Guide, The 787 Collective, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Interview one or more young adults outside of your church community (or maybe you want to do this together with a group of young adults).

The purpose is twofold:

To listen deeply to the fears, longings, and needs of young adults in order to get a clearer sense of how your church might be called to respond

To notice what it's like to engage with young adults. (Is it uncomfortable, boring, invigorating? Do you feel empathy or disinterest as you listen to these young adults?

This exercise might inspire you to have conversations with all kinds of young adults Suggested interview questions are below Feel free to modify them You don't have to ask them all Record answers if you are able (through writing or phone audio recording) for sharing with your team members or for your own further reflection Do ask young adults for permission to record After each field trip, take some time to reflect and debrief.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Where do people your age gather?

What are your favorite movies, television shows, books or podcasts?

Who is an older adult that you admire and would like to be like when you get older? Why?

If you were in trouble and needed help who could you rely on?

Do you have a community? If so, who is your community? If not, what kind of community would you like to be part of?

There are hundreds of Christian churches in our area What do you think the purpose of these churches is? Do you think they are meeting their purpose?

What do you think are the biggest fears of people in their twenties today?

What are the primary longings of people in their twenties today?

What social issues or injustices are you most concerned about?

What kind of person are you seeking to become? What/who do you need in your life in order to become that person?

What do older generations need to understand about people in their twenties? What do people in their twenties need from older generations?

Do you think most young people believe in God? Can you describe the God they believe (or don't believe) in?

Is there anything else we should know about young adults that we didn't ask? Or anyone else we should speak to?

POST-INTERVIEW DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

What feelings did I feel during the interview? What was it like to spend time with this/these young adults?

What stood out to me in the interview?

What needs did I hear?

What gifts were revealed to me?

Do I have a sense of God's movement or invitation at this moment?

YOUNG ADULT FIELD TRIP

Discernment Guide, The 787 Collective, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Either individually or as a group take a field trip to an event or gathering space where you are likely to encounter young adults. Possibilities Include free and low-cost concerts, coffee shops, festivals, art events, improv theaters, story telling events, and open mic nights. Hopefully you have gotten some recommendations from the young adult Interviews Observe or become a participant observer. After each field trip, take some time to reflect and debrief.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DURING YOUR FIELD TRIP

Who and what do I see? Smell? Hear? What music?

What is the energy level? Emotional tone? Demeanor of individuals?

Are they in groups? Single or mixed gender? Age difference?

What do you notice about those who are alone? What do you notice about the use of technology?

How are they connecting with each other?

What are they talking about?

How much money are they spending?

Are they responding to your presence?

What surprises you?

POST-FIELD TRIP DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

What am I like when I encounter young adults in this space?

What feelings did I feel during the experience?

How did this experience affect my stereotypes, prejudices, or assumptions?

What do I sense about the longings, fears, gifts, or spiritual yearnings of these young adults?

What could our church offer these young adults?

What is God's invitation to us as I encounter these young adults?

CULTURAL RESEARCH

Discernment Guide, The 787 Collective, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Listen to what young adults listen to. Spend some time with books, movies, podcasts, social media, etc. that might give you some insight into the life of young adults Do a little digging online You may have suggestions from young adults you interviewed.

Read about young adults, but proceed with caution. "Reading about" too often takes the place of all other information gathering and truncates discernment and empathetic observation. Here, we offer some suggestions you may want to put in conversation with your experience.

Two relevant pieces of particular interest to church people, written by two Harvard theology students Angie Thurston and Casper ter Kuile, can be found on the internet: "How We Gather" and "Something More." Communitas staff can provide additional book recommendations if you need them Check out YouTube for speeches and Interviews with authors as you make your choices

It is also very important to read and listen things about young adults and also by young adults. In our digital age, folks in their twenties are visible on social media and online Look for blogs or short form videos that may offer insight as you conduct your research.

ACTIVITY

MINE THE DATA

Discernment Guide, The 787 Collective, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Dig into the demographics of the community your congregation serves. Find out how many young adult people live there, what work they do, where they live, and anything else that can give you a bigger, more accurate picture than what you immediately see. You cities website may be a good place to start collecting demographics data Also, folks in your congregation who work In advertising, business development, social services, education, or other areas that rely on such data my be a helpful resource to you as well

Cami King, Assistant Director, Communitas