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Engaging Faithful Innovation in Your Congregation
Discover what God is up to in your neighborhood - and how God is inviting you and your congregation to join in.
About this Course
Engaging Faithful Innovation in Your Congregation: Discern What's Next was designed to facilitate moving from passive observation to active participation, using simple yet profound spiritual practices to explore God’s activity in your community and congregation.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
Facing uncertainty in your congregation or discerning where God may be leading? Engaging Faithful Innovation in Your Congregation: Discern What's Next provides practical steps forward. Imagine a faith community where the subtle movements of God in our neighborhoods and lives are not just heard, but amplified—and not just by ministry leaders, but by the community as a whole. This course is more than just a learning experience. It’s a journey into the heart of listening, and a foray into experimenting with new ways of “being church” in the modern world. These skills of listening and experimenting have never been more crucial for spiritual leaders and everyday believers than they are today.
Engaging Faithful Innovation in Your Congregation: Discern What's Next is all about transformation through action; it introduces participants to faithful innovation, a powerful framework that can be used whenever you’re stuck or unsure of the next faithful steps. Here, you will learn to discern the voice of God in your local contexts, to see God’s work in the life of your congregation, and to notice God's presence in your everyday life. Together we will move from passive observation to active participation, using simple yet profound spiritual practices to explore God’s activity in your community and congregation. This course guides you in sharing these discoveries, reflecting on your actions, and discerning your next faithful steps. The cherry on top? It’s not all on the shoulders of the pastor or church leader alone. This program is designed to equip congregations and communities as a whole to step into faithful innovation, with ministers and congregation members alike leading the transformative process and practices together.
Modules
Welcome
Get oriented to the course, meet your instructor, download the interactive handbook, and more.
Introduction
In this module, you will:
- Understand what the faithful innovation process is.
- Pray regularly for this process.
- Start the pre-work to form a guiding team.
Listen to God
In this module, you will:
- Learn two practices to begin listening to God in and around your community.
- Develop skills in listening as a spiritual practice.
- Actively listen to God through Scripture and formulate questions to listen to God in your community.
Listen with Community
In this module, you will:
- Gain insight into how God speaks to us through our lives and the lives of others.
- Listen to others as a spiritual practice.
- Face any discomfort and build a culture of sharing stories in order to listen with God in your community.
Listen with Neighbors
In this module, you will:
- Discover the power of deeply listening outside of the walls of the congregation.
- Experience a spiritual practice to connect with your neighborhood.
- Use one of the included plans as a basis to start listening to your neighbors.
Act Through Experiment
In this module, you will:
- Be equipped with the knowledge of what a faithful action learning experiment is and how to do an experiment like this in your community.
- Experience the presence and work of God in your community as you listen and share.
- Get the tools to design an action learning experiment for your congregation.
What Might God be Up to Next
In this module, you will:
- Reflect on the experiment your community chose.
- Be prepared to take your next faithful step.
Completing the Course
Find out your next steps as you complete the course. You'll also be encouraged to submit feedback about your course.
One-time purchase
$55
With Faith+Lead Membership
$0*
Get a free public display license to use for group study.
$0*
*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month
- Modules:
8 Modules
- Format:
Self-Paced, On-Demand
- Access:
Lifetime Access
Get to Know Your Instructors
Alicia Granholm
Dr. Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead at Luther Seminary and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), M.Div. (Bethel Seminary), and M.A. in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).
Ready to Enroll?
Enroll in this on-demand course today or unlock free access to this and all Faith+Lead’s on-demand courses, plus more with a Faith+Lead Membership.
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$55
One-time purchase
- Access to this on-demand course
- Access the leaders guide for group study
- Access the course workbook for individual study
- A private, supportive online community
- Public display license for all on-demand courses and workshop recordings
- Access to 40+ on-demand courses
- Access every live and recorded workshop
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Access this on-demand course
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*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.99 per month
- Access to this on-demand course
- Access to all 40+ on-demand courses
- Public display license for all on-demand courses and workshop recordings
- Access all leaders guides for group study
- Access all course workbooks for individual study
- A private, supportive online community
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What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course
You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.
Know
Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.
Be
Do
Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.
Every Academy course is designed to
Help your growth in one of these core areas:
Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.
Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.
Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.
Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when I take an Academy course?
Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).
How long will it take me to complete a course?
Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.
What resources are available if I’m a group leader?
Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.
What do I need to know about the free private online social group?
The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.
What should I do if I have questions or problems with my registration?
Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.
What if I have a suggestion or request for a course topic?
The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.
Don’t see your question addressed?
Email us at support@faithlead.org for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!