Thrive is hosting a year-long learning community with churches in the BC, Washington, and Oregon regions. Beginning in spring 2024, churches will participate in the Thriving Essentials training for all church leaders including pastors, elders and deacons. Then, churches will have a group of people who work together over a year to make your church accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities. We’re excited to work towards creating churches where everybody belongs and everybody serves.
Below is a list of FAQs with specific information:
A church cohort is a group of churches who are committed to learning and growing in a shared ministry goal. Churches will learn from each other, problem solve together, and make changes that last long after the cohort finishes.
The churches in this cohort are committed to increasing accessibility and belonging for people with disabilities in their church. The first session will be a more broad leadership training called Thriving Essentials.
Christian Reformed churches and churches from the Reformed Church in America located in British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. Churches from any denomination are welcome to participate but the grant can only cover the cost for churches from the CRCNA or RCA.
Each team might include pastors, church staff, disability advocates, elders, deacons, worship leaders, leaders of youth ministry and children’s ministry. Churches are strongly encouraged to include people with disabilities on your team.
Each church must have at least 4 participants who are committed to the full 12 months of the cohort.
Churches will meet together on Zoom for an hour and a half: Proposed schedule is April, May, June, September, October, November, January, February, March. One in-person, overnight meeting will be held in fall of 2024.
Participants will also need to commit to meeting monthly with a coach, as well as meeting together as a church team to follow-up on their action plan.
This is a collaboration between Thrive of the CRCNA, Disability Concerns of the RCA, and Thriving Essentials (with funding from the Lilly Endowment.)
The cost is free for churches from the CRCNA and RCA. This cohort is covered by the Thriving Essentials grant from the Lilly Endowment. CRCNA and RCA churches will additionally have access to up to $1000 for a project to increase accessibility and belonging in their churches.