QUEST

Welcome to the Quest missional apprenticeship program! This hands-on approach to missional leadership development has two tracks that work together over a three year timeline. The Church Leadership Track is for those who see their future ministry occurring primarily within an existing church context. The New Ventures track is for those who see themselves starting a new missional ministry or starting a new church. The Church Leadership Track and the New Ventures track both include six components:

  1. Ministry and personal assessments throughout the course
  2. Individual assignments
  3. One-to-one sessions with a ministry guide (twice a month)
  4. Peer learning networks
  5. Practical ministry involvement (on-going for 9 months, October through June)
  6. Weekend leaning experiences (two a year)

LEARNING PRINCIPLES BEHIND QUEST

  1. Creating substantive change in individual apprentices.
  2. Engaging apprentices in the learning process as full partners assuming primary responsibility for their own choices.
  3. Creating and offering as many options for learning as possible to create successful experiences for the unique needs of each apprentice.
  4. Assisting apprentices to form and participate in collaborative learning activities.
  5. Defining the roles of apprenticeship guides by the needs of the apprentices.
  6. Quest leadership and its apprenticeship guides succeed only when improved and expanded learning can be observed and the learners become active participants in missionary living that contributes to kingdom building and the development of multiplying churches.

COHORT MODEL

The Quest missional apprenticeship program is based on a cohort model of education. In our cohort model, apprentices will journey together through the three years of the program with the same group of people in their specific track.

Some of the major benefits of the cohort program include:

  1. Apprentices know at the beginning of a program exactly when their program of study will end.
  2. Apprentices know when they will take learning weekend experiences and with whom.
  3. Journeying through 3 years of life, ministry and learning with the same group of people increases the opportunity for shared learning, ministry collaboration, networking, accountability and peer coaching.
  4. Apprentices build relationships with people who have similar goals.

Quest is built upon the foundation apprenticeship training ("learning by doing”) modeled so well by Jesus, our Master Teacher. Therefore, hands-on participation in ministry is an essential ingredient in each Quest participant’s growth. Your ministry involvement will be guided by your Quest guide. To qualify as your Quest ministry experience, your ministry involvement should entail (4) four to six (6) hours per week including preparation time. Once a month you will evaluate your ministry experience with your coach. Your coach will assign appropriate exercises and share insight from his or her own ministry experience in the skill development areas selected.

The focus of your ministry experience will be unique each year:

  • Year One: Church-based ministry involvement
  • Year Two: Community-based involvement
  • Year Three: Multiplication of ministry involvement

Ministry Guide SESSIONS

You will meet with your Quest coach guide once or twice a month for at least an hour. During your sessions you and your guide will discuss your assignments. This one-to-one interaction with your guide is a key component to your growth as a leader.

You will also have the opportunity to meet with your peer network group three times throughout the Quest Year; October Session #2, February Session #2 and April Session #1. You will help each other through sharing of ideas, coaching, accountability, group discussions based on your learning’s, and through supporting and encouraging one another in ministry. Peer networking groups will be based on geographical location and will be determined by the District Office. Each peer network group will have a point person that will plan the meeting times and location. These peer networking sessions will replace your session with your ministry guide.

Weekend Learning EXPERIENCES

In addition to completing your assignments and meeting with your guide, you will complete two weekend learning experiences each year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. In year one the apprentices in the Church Leadership Track and the New Ventures track will participate in the same Weekend Learning Experiences. In year 2 and 3 both tracks will participate in a common learning experience and a track specific learning experience. (See the Weekend Learning Experience Map below) These learning experiences will be offered in a condensed 10 hour format, typically conducted Friday evening and all day Saturday. These weekend experiences will include pre weekend reading, active participation and post weekend written projects. The weekend experiences will primarily be taught by qualified leaders within our district.

Here are the six areas of study for the Weekend Learning Experiences:

  1. Missional Ministry – Both tracks in the fall of Year 1
  2. Spiritual Formation Retreat – Both tracks in the spring of year 1
  3. Personal and Ministry Development – Both tracks in the fall of year 2
  4. Creating a Discipleship Culture (CLT spring of year 2) or Leadership Skills for New Ventures (NVT spring of year 2)
  5. Strengthening Your Knowledge of the Bible – Both tracks in the fall of year 3
  6. From Here to There (CLT – Spring of year 3) or Launching Missional Communities (NVT – spring of year 3)

ROLE OF THE QUEST GUIDE

The success of the Quest Apprenticeship Program will be greatly influenced by the effectiveness of the mentoring provided. This one-on-one interaction will customize the Quest participant’s learning experience and provide valuable guidance in applying principles to practical ministry settings. The ideal arrangement would be a same gender pairing of Quest participant and Quest Guide.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR GUIDES

  • A fully devoted follower of Christ.
  • An active member of a CCD Alliance church.
  • A mature Christian leader who models consistent spiritual disciplines and is committed to the process of guiding a Quest participant in self-discovery through asking high yield questions.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF GUIDES

  • Participate in a one-day Quest training event provided through the CCD office.
  • Meet with a Quest participant at least bi-monthly (twice a month, October – June).
  • Cultivate a caring relationship with the Quest participant, praying regularly for him/her.
  • Guide the Quest participant through the following Quest program components:
  • Spiritual Disciplines Growth
  • Ministry Fit Assessments
  • In-the-Field Ministry Experiences
  • Participate in a phone check-in appointment with a mentor coach approximately once every 6 weeks.
  • Complete an evaluation form, reporting on the Quest participant’s progress at the end of each Quest year (May).

TUITION PAYMENT

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