The United Lutheran Seminary (ULS), the Center for Clergy and Congregation Wellness (CCCW) and the Oikos Institute for Social Impact (Oikos) have partnered together to create the Greater Philadelphia Cohort Discover and Dream Program. The purpose of this Cohort is to create a mutually supportive ecosystem for social impact that strengthens the Faith/Finance, Intellectual, Social and Human Capital of congregations in order to actively engage in social impact and transformational work in the under-resourced communities they serve. Participating congregations will be engaged in a developmental learning journey over the course of a two-to-three-year period. This scope of work is designed to help participating congregations meet several goals: 1) strengthen congregational articulation of their prophetic and missional identity; 2) expand congregational awareness of the local ecosystem in which they do ministry; 3) broaden congregational vocational imagination about how they may be called in relationship to the changing economic environment in which they do ministry; 4) develop intentionality and build capacity for strengthening the spiritual and emotional health of leaders, congregation, and community; and 5) facilitate greater access to tools, practices, and resources to support the congregation’s exploration of its vocation. The missions of the three organizations in this partnership work together to meet these common goals: ULS commits to changing the world through the transformative grace of God, inclusive hospitality, and radical welcome. CCCW provides a holistic, coordinated approach in order to support and nurture the spiritual and emotional health of ministry leaders, and to assist them in developing and implementing ways to engender that health in their congregations and other vocational contexts. Oikos helps faith communities harness the power of their assets to be a catalyst for communal transformation and economic renewal.
Fishing Differently
Philadelphia, PA
Local
Quintin L. Robertson