on-site training forums

Printer-Friendly Version

Here is some information about our on-site training forums. If we don’t answer your question please contact us.

Why do you offer on-site training forums?

It is one of the ways we help Christians to build and sustain Biblical, multi-ethnic community.  Visitors to our website can learn a great deal browsing through our free resources or by taking an online course but we believe the best way for most people to learn is through face-to-face discussion and interaction in our on-site training forums.

Why do you call them “forums” instead of seminars or workshops?

When people think of “training seminars” it usually conjures up a certain image in their minds…  an expert in a suit presenting a lecture while trainees take notes.  That’s not us.  We don’t approach our efforts with the mindset of, “we are the experts on how to build biblical multi-ethnic community and we are going to train you in how to do it right”.  There are many people that have more knowledge and experience then we do.  Plus, a “take notes” approach may be a good way to teach people how to make widgets but its probably not the best way to address the very delicate and intricate issues involved with building biblical, multi-ethnic community.   We have found that people learn more naturally and effectively when they are in an interactive and relational environment where they can ask questions and share their perspectives.

What is the difference between a “forum” and a “session”?

We use “forum” to refer to the whole training program.  We use “sessions” to refer to the individual meetings/classes within the training forum.  For example, one forum could include six training sessions.

Do all of the sessions have to take place in one day?

No, the host organization can determine the timeline that works best for them — having all sessions on one day or spreading them out over a period of weeks.

What are your training forums like?

We seek to our make our forums…

  • biblical - Scripture is central to all of our forums
  • fun – we incorporate movies, group exercises, etc. (depending on the time we have available)
  • relational – we focus on developing individuals rather than “delivering a message”
  • discussion-oriented – we believe people learn best when they can share their thoughts, questions, frustrations, etc.
  • relevant – we try to keep the content on the “bottom shelf” and talk about the issues that people are really wrestling with rather than abstract concepts or hypothetical situations
  • applicable- we want everyone to walk away from each training session with several things they can apply immediately in their lives

Who can host an on-site training forum?

Just about anyone who wants to help build biblical multi-ethnic community – churches, parachurch organizations, Christian colleges, etc.

Who leads your on-site training forums?

It depends on several factors including the location and preferences of the host organization.  Whenever possible, we try to have at least one of our ReNew staff and/or speakers team members present to help with the forum.  Sometimes this is not possible or the host organization has leaders who are equipped to lead the forums — in those cases, we can provide coaching (by phone or email), materials, etc.

Can two or more ministries “co-host” a training forum?

Absolutely!  The more the merrier.

How do you determine what topics to cover, how many meeting to have, etc?

Our first step is to meet (or talk on the phone) with the leadership hosting the forum.  We provide them with a variety of topics that we could potentially cover (see below).  Through prayer and discussion we determine what topics would be the most effective, how many meetings, etc.

What topics can you cover?

Whenever possible we seek to correlate the topics of our on-site training forums with the topics of our online training courses. Why?  Because the content of the online courses is developed by pastors, authors, professors, etc. with a great deal of knowledge and experience on developing biblical multi-ethnic community.  It also makes it possible to “mix and match” on-site and online training.  For example, an organization could cover half of the course on “first steps for effectively building multi-ethnic community” in an on-site forum and then take the rest of the course online.  Also, if a member misses one of the forum meetings he/she could catch up on the content by taking the online course.

The topics for our on-site and online courses are currently being developed — we plan to have them available by spring of 2009.  If you would like to be notified when they are available, please subscribe to our New Culture Newsletter.  Here are some of the topics we hope to cover:

  • the biblical mandate for building multi-ethnic community
  • first steps for effectively building multi-ethnic community (for organizations which are just beginning)
  • principles for those in the dominant culture
  • the art of “meeting in the middle”
  • acknowledging and enjoying cultural differences while maintaining unity
  • understanding and overcoming ingroup bias
  • understanding and overcoming stereotypes and racial bias
  • essential principles for thriving in a multi-ethnic environment
  • Biblical decision-making and “power sharing” in a multi-ethnic community
  • cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution
  • principles for sustaining multi-ethnic community
  • ministering as multi-ethnic community (locally)
  • ministering as multi-ethnic community (overseas missions)

How much do the forums cost?

We are in still in the process of determining the cost… we hope to keep it around $10 per person per session (with a minimum of $100 per session if fewer than 10 attend).  For example, if there are five sessions in the forum it would cost $50 per person for the entire “training forum”.  This is obviously WELL below what a typical secular diversity training program costs ($100+ per person).  We will also offer group discounts, etc. If you would like to be notified when the prices are available, please subscribe to our New Culture Newsletter.

Why not provide the forums for free?

We would love to — our goal is not to make a bunch of money on our training programs (this should be obvious by our very low prices) but, there are a variety of expenses we must cover in order to keep the lights on.

Can students receive any type of college credit for the courses?

Not currently — but, this may become an option for some courses in the future.  On the upside… if the courses were accredited then we would likely need to charge 10-20 times more! (ouch) Our courses are primarily designed for young adults, ministry leaders, lay leaders, etc. that do not necessarily need the courses for college credit.

Do students receive any type of certification?

We provide students with a “ReNew Certificate” showing they have satisfactorily completed the course — it demonstrates to existing and future ministry leaders and employers that you are committed to building multi-ethnic community.