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GROW. LEAD. SERVE. CONNECT. COMMUNITY OF CHRIST YOUNG ADULT LEADERS’ RETREAT Facilitators’ guide and curriculum for implementing a retreat designed for young adult leaders and ministers in the Community of Christ

08 Fall

GROW. LEAD. SERVE. CONNECT. 2

This program and materials were designed and developed by Rachelle Smalldon of Steer Empowerment Consulting. Numerous sources were utilised in the research and development of this curriculum design and presentation. The intellectual property of authors has been respected by fully researching and referencing the original source where it has been available. Reproduction and altering of this material is allowed under the discretion of the Community of Christ, but must include the following statement, name, contact info and logo on the powerpoint or any copies (original or alterations) of the curriculum:

This program and curriculum were originally designed and developed by Rachelle Smalldon of Steer

Empowerment Consulting. This curriculum, handouts, and presentation is provided for Community of Christ Young Adult Ministries Team and for the use of young adult ministers and

leaders of the Community of Christ. These materials may have been altered by them to suit their audience and purposes.

If you have any enquiries, please contact:

Rachelle Smalldon

Steer Empowerment Consulting 778-877-6781 | steerempowerment.com


Welcome to your Young Adult Leaders’ Retreat This retreat curriculum and facilitators’ guide is built around the theme GROW. LEAD. SERVE. CONNECT. because these topics are essential elements of any effective retreat. This curriculum is what was used at the Young Adult Leaders’ Retreat held March 6-8, 2015 presented by the Community of Christ Young Adult Ministries Team. At this retreat, the theme was used to promote a sub-theme of creativity in ministry and young adult leadership. The purpose of this retreat was to provide opportunities for Community of Christ Young Adult (YA) Leaders to develop their personal (GROW) and leadership skills (LEAD), come up with creative ideas and develop a plan for implementation into their own young adult ministry (SERVE), and build a community of support for their roles as YA Leaders (CONNECT). It is up to you, the retreat facilitator, to determine the best way to implement this theme and these elements in a way that works for your intended participants and your retreat objectives. These sessions can be used as is, or manipulated to achieve various other objectives or session elements. Feel free to use these elements and this layout as a guide for other retreats for young adults with alternative curriculum designed for them (and not specifically for YA leadership). Facilitator Notes: Retreat facilitators should be aware of the following assumptions made in this curriculum: § It is assumed the facilitator will have this curriculum available at every session to refer to § It is assumed that the venue where this retreat is held will have tables and a chair for

each participant to use during the sessions § It is assumed that whenever you need to have the “Retreat Presentation” (powerpoint) in

a session that you will also have a computer, projector, speakers, and screen available and connected to show the powerpoint presentation.

§ It is assumed that the time allocated for each element of a session will be considered and altered to fit your own program and schedule. Do what works best for your retreat, these are only suggested lengths of time and may not be appropriate for all group sizes or schedules.

Rachelle Smalldon Steer Empowerment Consulting 778-877-6781 | steerempowerment.com


CONNECT: Opening Session

Welcome and Introduction – 30 minutes Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to introduce the leadership for the weekend, announce any necessary information that participants need to know (logistical or other), and to give a synopsis of what participants can expect from the weekend and an outline of the schedule. Session Materials:

§ Retreat Powerpoint (ensure the videos for this session are embedded in the powerpoint)

§ Any handouts or information participants will need for their enjoyment of the retreat (ex. Printed schedules, maps, venue notifications, etc.)

Introduction video

Promo Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHfr70Ef7k0

Welcome to the retreat – Retreat Director and Session Facilitators § Purpose and goals of the retreat § Introduction of staff and roles § Retreat logistics and schedule (facilities, meals, instructions) § Any other necessary info for the weekend

15 minute break Creativity and Connection Activity – 60 minutes Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to understand what creativity is and to begin to practice being creative. The other objective of this session is to get to know each other, foster relationships and build a community of trust and acceptance for this retreat, where participants feel comfortable expressing their creativity without judgment. Session Materials:

§ Retreat Presentation (ensure the videos for this session are embedded in the powerpoint)

§ 4 pieces of paper and 2 markers per person § For the team event:

§ Each team will need: 1 random prop, a slip of paper with a movie genre and the name of a song on it)


Facilitator Instructions: Introduce the sub-theme of “Creativity” for the weekend. (5 minutes)

§ Ask people to share what being creative implies to them § Share the connection between thinking creatively and offering creative ministry. Share

how creative thinking and creative leadership can make a difference in the lives of people and in the church organization.

Creativity Warm Up (5 minutes)

§ Give each participant 4 pieces of paper and 2 markers (ideally different colours) § Show the video: Creativity Warm Up Activity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ETuec0n4Y (alternatively just instruct participants to do the activity shown in the video)

Creative Introductions (15 minutes - 5 minutes drawing and 10 minutes sharing with large group)

§ Have participants do one more drawing, this time drawing their self portrait (using both hands again). Their portrait can look or be anything they want.

§ Have participants share their self portraits with the group identifying: o Who they are and where they are from o Why they are here at this retreat o 3 aspects of the drawing that they feel represents them

Creative Connections (35 minutes – 25 minutes group work and 10 minutes presentations)

§ Split the group into small teams of 4-5 people per team § Assign each group a song title, a genre of movie, and a prop (For example: Star Wars

theme, Romantic Comedy, Banana) § Each group must come up with a 3 minute advertisement to sell their prop. Their

advertisement should be in the genre given and must include the song somehow. § Give the teams 25 minutes to come up with the most creative advertisement. § When the teams come back, have each team present their advertisement to the

group. (Additional idea: have extra staff serve as judges. Offer points for creativity, funniest, best actor, etc. Give the winning team a prize.)

10 minute break to prepare for evening meditation


A Creative Meditation – 30 minutes Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to allow time for winding down and reflection at the end of the day. The other objective is to allow time for creatively connecting with God. Session Materials:

§ The video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUFjTOM32g (either this can be shown to the group, or the facilitator can read aloud the script while music plays in the background)

§ Each person will need a piece of paper (or their own journal) and a pen § Candles and a dimly lit room to create an atmosphere for quiet reflection and

meditation Facilitator Instructions: Meditation:

§ Light a few candles and dim the lights to create a quiet, meditative atmosphere. § Ask participants to find a spot where they are comfortable and with space from each

other. Ask them to remain quiet and enter a time of meditation and deep thought. Make sure everyone has a pen and paper or a journal beside them.

§ Before you begin, make any announcements or final things that participants need to know for the evening or before the first session tomorrow (ex. If there is a quiet hours, or what time breakfast is and where). This will ensure they have all the information before they leave the last session of the evening but will not interrupt their creative thoughts at the end of this session.

§ Share the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUFjTOM32g (or alternatively read the script, slowly with intentionality, from the video as soft music plays).

Creativity is limitless. It is your own walls that limit you. Approach this weekend as if there are no limits. Let your creative ideas flow. Do your best to put aside your fears, insecurities and boundaries. Do your best to push your limits, your understanding, your goals. You will gain as much as you put in to challenging yourself. You will go further than you believed you could if you choose to invest in yourself.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do. They things you didn’t try. Than the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Dream big. Assume the sky is the limit. What will you do with it?

§ Ask participants to spend a few moments in silent prayer. You might give focus to their prayer by indicating these topics, allowing a good length of space in between for people to pray without interrupting their thoughts:

o Praying for Divine guidance for the needs of the people they offer ministry to.


o Praying for their own discernment of God’s hope for the gifts they have to offer. o Praying for openness of mind and spirit.

§ Have participants spend the last part of this meditation free-writing about their hopes, ideas, and dreams for anything that came up for them in their prayer time or any of the following if they need inspiration (keeping in mind the sky is the limit).

o Let them know there is no time limit to this creativity and they are free to stay as long as they wish. Encourage participants to write for at least five minutes or longer. (Note: it would be a good idea to have one or two staff stay around until the last person leaves to ensure that person has support if needed.)

o The idea is to write freely and continuously for the time allotted, without boundary or limit. There is no right or wrong thing to write. They should write down whatever comes to mind and continue to let the thoughts flow:

§ What they hope to get out of this weekend § Ideas they have for their young adult ministry § Personal goals for their own individual growth § What is going well and/or what could be improved in their connection with

God or the church


GROW: Your Creative Genius

Your Creative Genius - 75 minutes Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to understand what creativity is and how individuals can tap into their own creative thoughts and begin to take existing methods and ideas and implement them in creative ways. It’s about thinking differently and not just accepting things as they are because that’s the way they’ve always been. This session will help individuals understand their own personality and strengths and begin to discover how they can use these aspects of their individuality to create positive change. Session Materials:


§ Each person will need a piece of paper (or their own journal) and a pen § A whiteboard or poster board for taking group notes

Facilitator Instructions: To prepare for this session:

§ Read the Facilitators’ Notes for the video: 6 Characteristics of Truly Creative People (or better yet, watch the video to prepare for your discussion)

Creativity and Innovation (5 minutes)

§ Show the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXJUDyqobbM § Re-cap: What is creativity, what is innovation

o Creativity – idea generation. Any time you come up with an idea – you are being creative. Creativity is a thinking process. Creativity is making something out of nothing.

o Innovation – creativity implemented. Innovation is putting ideas into practice. Innovation is a productive process. It adds value to the idea.

Your Creative Engine (20 minutes) Video: 6 Characteristics of Truly Creative People – Tina Seelig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgCdsERkqrc

§ Ways to increase your imagination – o Framing and re-framing problems

§ 5+5 = ? OR ? + ? = 10 § if you don’t question the questions you’re asked you’ll never come up with

innovative solutions o Connecting and combining ideas


§ un-useless inventions – putting things together in surprising ways (Ex. shoes with umbrellas)

o Challenging assumptions § (ex. creating a sweater out of dirty socks)

Your Creative Engine/Assessment

§ Take participants through the six elements of the Creative Engine (as explained in the video)

§ Have participants complete the Creative Engine assessment evaluating their own creativity potential within themselves and their external factors

Reflect - Large group discussion (5 minutes)

§ Share a time where you were asked to take something that already existed (an idea or thing) and transform it into something else.

§ What experiences have you had putting original ideas into practice? § What ideas have you seen innovated in the church context? What went well in this

example? What might have been better? Think. Group. Share. (15 minutes)

§ Give each participant a piece of paper and a pen (or they can use their journal) § Ask each participant to spend 5 minutes writing out their thoughts on creativity:

§ How do they feel about the idea of being creative? § What about their own personality will help them in creative processes? § What creative ideas (related to your role) have you come up with but not done

anything about? § After the 5 minutes writing, ask participants to find a partner and share for 5 minutes § Have each person share with the other:

§ What is one idea you’ve come up with that you would like to see implemented in your young adult ministry context?

§ What about your idea do you think will work well? What about your idea would be even better if ___________ happened?

Large group discussion (10 minutes)

§ Remind the group about the atmosphere of confidence in this learning opportunity. To be confidential and respectful of the personal ideas and sometimes insecurities shared. We are asked to be vulnerable with each other, so please respect that each person is moving out of their comfort zone in being willing to share.

§ Have one person from each group summarize the discussion they had with their group.

§ Write the key words shared from each group on a whiteboard or poster board on the wall. Put a tally next to key words said more than once. (Keep these boards up throughout the retreat)

§ Write the words under the headings: § Ideas § Idea strengths § Idea wish list (list negative comments in a positive statement)


Group Reflection (5 minutes) § Discuss what tends to serve as barriers to idea implementation (from the wish list).

List these on a separate poster board or column on the wall under the heading BARRIERS TO CREATIVITY.

Overcoming barriers to creativity (5 minutes)

§ Introduce the “4 Barriers” of New Ideas that serve as barriers to creative thought. § Ask participants to give examples of times when they’ve faced each gremlin.

§ Discuss what opportunities and creative ideas we can come up with to overcome our own barriers to creativity (from the list made in the previous activity)

§ Tactics for overcoming fear and creativity blocks Brainstorming as a Creative Process (15 minutes)

-‐ Three universal rules of brainstorming: o The sky’s the limit – share every idea no matter how outrageous

§ Impossible ideas give rise to other more reasonable ideas o No evaluation allowed – save critical and negative comments for later

§ Don’t dampen the creative spirit o Stay focused – limit yourself to ideas related to the topic

§ Don’t discuss which ideas can or will be used – save that for later

§ Ask participants to spend 10 minutes with teams from their area (ideally people they can continue to work with after the retreat, or two individuals from different areas can work together to have someone to share with) about creative ideas they would like to play out at home following the rules of brainstorming and working on overcoming barriers to creativity.

o Note: This brainstorming will be used in the SERVE sessions later on and the outcome of the brainstorming will be something they will be asked to put into action. It may be helpful for participants to know that going into this activity.

Session Closing (5 minutes)

§ Bring everyone back to the larger group to close the session § Re-cap the session objectives and how they were accomplished § Allow time for people to ask any questions or confirm anything they are still unsure

about


LEAD: Creative and Innovative Leadership

Creative and Innovative Leadership - 75 minutes Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to understand how creativity works in organizations, the impact leaders have on creativity and innovation, and how we, as leaders, can influence creativity processes within the Community of Christ. Session Materials:


§ Each person needs a piece of paper (or a journal) and a pen Facilitator Instructions: To Prepare for this session:

§ Read the Facilitators’ Notes on the following articles (or better yet read the actual articles):

§ How to Kill Creativity § Innovation: How Leadership Makes a Difference § Cultivating Organizational Creativity in an Age of Complexity

The Creative Leadership Effect (3 minutes)

§ Play the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EF0ziuZO50 § Following the video, share this with the participants:

§ This is you. This is what we are striving for. This is what we want to help you become. The tips, tools, and thoughts we will explore during this session are intended to help you think about how you can lead more creatively, and in turn encourage a culture of creativity and innovation in the places and with the people you lead.

Creative Leadership (5-7 minutes) Small group discussion:

§ Split the group into small teams of 4-5 people § In teams, ask participants to share:

§ How do you see creative leadership being played out in a group or organization they are a part of?

§ How is your creativity, or the creativity of the group, impacted by the leader? Creativity in Organizations (3 minutes)

§ Facilitate a large group discussion based on these questions and ideas (taken from the Facilitators’ Notes for How to Kill Creativity):

§ Creativity gets killed more than supported because organizations are trying to maximize their business imperatives: coordination, productivity, control.


§ This is not a bad thing but their must be room for creativity in business imperatives. Creative ideas must also work with business goals.

From the article:: How to Kill Creativity

3 Components of Creativity (taken from the article “How to Kill Creativity”)

§ Discuss these three components, determined in the article to be essential elements of creative people

§ Expertise § Creative Thinking Skills § Motivation – external and intrinsic

Your Creativity Component (10 minutes)

§ Give each participant a piece of paper and a marker § Ask them to write the title “MY CREATIVE COMPONENT” on their paper

o Have participants write on their paper (in any way they choose): § Their EXPERTISE – areas they are knowledgeable about


§ Their CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS – how they tend to solve problems or make decisions

§ Their MOTIVATIONS – what external and intrinsic motivations drive them § What, in each area, might be even better if ______ ? (ie. It might be even

better if I had this creative thinking skil…. (a wish list or goal identification) Leadership (10 minutes) – see chart on next page

§ As a large group, discuss what the purpose of leadership is and what creative leaders do differently.

§ Leadership Skill by Leader Level (chart from p.4 of Innovation: How Leadership Makes a Difference)

§ Ask participants to summarize: What is the role of these different types of leaders regarding creativity? (see chart)

§ Apply this to Community of Christ. Give an example of each type of leader in the Community of Christ context.

§ Where do you fit? Knowing your own leadership place will help you gain a better understanding of how to work effectively within the organization (i.e., how to get things gone, ideas passed, within the organizational structure.)

Your Leadership Style (15 minutes)

§ Now that you can see, perhaps a bit more clearly, where you sit within the organization in regards to creativity, we can begin to move forward in identifying how you might show creative leadership in the Community of Christ.

§ THINK. PAIR. SHARE. § Have participants spend a couple minutes brainstorming their current role in the

church. (5 minutes) § What leadership role(s) do you play? § How would you describe your leadership style? § What do you feel you are doing really well? (strengths) § What do you feel could be better? (sub-strengths) § List 3 ways you could make an effort to support creativity in your role

§ Have participants find a partner (someone from a DIFFERENT area than them) (5 minutes)

§ Share with your partner about your current leadership role(s) and how your own leadership style, strengths and sub-strengths can lend themselves to positively impacting the people you lead or work with.

§ Share what ideas you have for encouraging a culture of creativity and innovation

§ Have people come back to the larger group and ask one person from each pair to share what ideas they came up with for encouraging a culture of creativity and innovation in their leadership area (5 minutes)


LEADING SELF LEADING OTHERS

LEADING MANAGERS

LEADING FUNCTIONS

LEADING ORGANIZATIONS

Ideating and Creating

Innovation Project Leader

Connecting and Championing

Managing Innovation Portfolio and Pipeling

Shaping Culture and Strategy

• Seeking and generating novel solutions and approaches • Participating on innovation teams • Pushing Across Boundaries and Systems

• Leading group Innovation processes • Effective team leader and flexible project manager • Finessing resources from outside their unit

• Supporting and protecting the innovation team from other parts of the organization • Building a case for grass roots innovations • Facilitating constructive cooperation between groups working on similar opportunities

• Helping develop an innovation strategy that bridges silos • Initiating strategic and structural changes to Accommodate promising innovations • Managing pipeline of new products, processes, and services to ensure right mix of innovation bets—including managing inherent competition for resources

• Setting innovation strategy for the organization • Shaping culture to support innovation where “new, different, and disruptive” ideas are supported throughout the organization • Finding ways to view concepts not filtered or “de-risked” by many layers of management. • Modeling behavior • Communicating the vision of innovation

From the article: “Innovation: How Leadership Makes the Difference”, p. 4 How Leadership Supports or Kills Creativity (from “How to Kill Creativity”) (10 minutes)

§ Review what managerial practices affect creativity. They fall into six general categories: challenge, freedom, resources, work-group features, supervisory encouragement, and organizational support.

§ For each, have participants share a short example of when they’ve seen this work well and where they’ve seen this creativity killer played out.


5 Recommended Practices for Developing Innovation Leadership (from the article: “Cultivating Organizational Creativity in an Age of Complexity” ) (10 minutes)

§ Facilitate a large group discussion outlining the 5 Recommended Practices for Developing Innovation Leadership. These are effective ways that young adult leaders can provide creative leadership to the people they lead and within the Community of Christ.


§ Re-cap the session objectives and how they were accomplished § Allow time for people to ask any questions or confirm anything they are still unsure

about


LEAD: Leading Innovation

Leading Innovation - 75 minutes Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to understand effective practices for leading and navigating change initiatives within organizations in order to better be able to implement innovative ideas. The objectives are meant to be considered for their validity and use within the Community of Christ. Session Materials:


§ Each person needs a piece of paper (or a journal) and a pen Facilitator Instructions: To Prepare for this session:

§ Read the Facilitators’ Notes on the following articles (or better yet read the actual articles):

§ Innovation: How Leadership Makes a Difference § Cultivating Organizational Creativity in an Age of Complexity § Navigating Change: A Leader’s Role § You Can Teach Someone to Be More Creative

Large Group Discussion to introduce the topic (5 minutes)

• Leading innovation is not the same as coming up with creative ideas. • Innovation leadership is needed to overcome challenges and transform ideas into

action • Without leadership, ideas are not pursued or acted upon

Group Discussion on Navigating Change (20 minutes)

• Navigating change effectively requires both: • Change leadership:

• Inside-out process • Involves the phases of change and associated emotions • Focuses on beliefs, mindsets, practices, behaviours • Enlisting people in change and keeping them committed

• Change management: • Outside-in process • Focuses on structures, systems, and processes

§ Change Leadership Operates at 3 Levels:

§ The questions at each level can help leaders get a well-rounded grasp on how change can influence them, others, and the organization with which they work. It


helps to think about these questions when considering how to overcome barriers to change and how your leadership will be most beneficial within the culture and structure of the organization.

§ Self. How do I deal with change? What is my current change challenge? What is my role as a change leader and what do I need to do differently? What is my default leadership style when faced with driving significant change? How do my change style preferences impact those around me? How do I ensure we have leadership capability for change throughout the organization

§ Others. How do I help my people through change, especially when they have no control or choice? How do I understand— and respond to—the different perspectives, feelings, and responses people have to change while achieving alignment with organizational aims? How do I build relationships and persuade supporters, detractors, and fence-sitters to get onboard with the changes I am tasked with?

§ Organization. How do I lead change in the context of the larger organizational culture and political realities? How do I forge a network of change agents throughout the organization? How do I influence up, down, and across the organization? How do I ensure that change is right for my team as well as right for the organization? How do I ensure we have leadership capability for change throughout the organization?

§ Ask participants to consider how this can benefit their roles within the

Community of Christ. At each level, who and what do they need to be considering that is specific to Community of Christ culture?

Leading Change

§ 1. People navigate change from a continuum of change style preferences. § Conservers accept the current structure, systems, and processes § Originators like to challenge current structures, systems, and processes § Pragmatists tend to focus on getting the job done

Ask participants to think of someone they know that exemplifies one of these style preferences. Ask them to share (without giving names) how this person expresses this style

§ 2. Leaders need to navigate change through four phases. § Discover. § Decide. § Discern § Do.

§ 3. Stability AND Change is a powerful polarity. § Ask participants to give an example of what could happen if stability and change

did not coexist?


§ 4. Persuasion skills are essential. § Ask participants to define influence and explain how it might be positively and

negatively used in leading change.

§ 5. Resilience is required. § Ask participants to discuss why resiliency would be important in Community of

Christ leadership.

Leading and Teaching Creativity to Others (30 minutes) Tips for Teaching Creativity

§ Give lots of feedback. § Provide training in creative thinking. § Assign people to tasks they love. § Help employees develop expertise.

Innovation Coaching

§ Participants will begin to consider how they can make a positive difference by using a creative leadership style to lead innovation within their organizations. They will do this by helping each other through Innovation Coaching.

§ Some general tips for coaches: § Your role is to help your Creative Leader tap into solutions and creative

ideas for overcoming barriers. You are a listener and guide who asks powerful questions. Your role is not to provide answers or advice.

§ Practice only using open-ended questions (cannot be answered with yes or no)

§ Have participants get with a partner and designate one person as the “Innovation Coach” and one as the “Creative Leader”. (10 minutes each and then switch roles)

§ Have the coach guide the Creative Leader through the following questions § Why is it important for you personally or your organization to be more

innovative? § How will being innovative enable you to solve your business dilemma? § What could be possible for you personally or for your organization if you were

able to transform your business dilemma into an innovative vision? § What do you believe to be true about your organization or this dilemma? § What causes you to believe that? § What if you were to think differently about that? § For this to happen, what could you start letting go of that isn’t essential to your

possibility? Large Group Discussion (5 minutes)

§ What was the coaching experience like for you? § As a creative leader, what helped you to think more creatively? § As a coach, how did you feel about your ability to guide creative thinking? § What insights or enlightening moments came out of that session for you? § What will you take away with you to implement in your own leadership?


Navigating Change within the Community of Christ (10 minutes)

§ Discuss with the group the recommended questions for leaders to ask church leadership about the processes for implementation that they are meant to follow

§ If you have concerns with this process, find out how you can go about raising those concerns in an effective way

§ Understand it is complicated but don’t give up. § Consider the “Things to Consider” list before approaching your leadership. Ensure you

are on board with your own vision and committed to it before you go through all the work, and avoid coming across as un-reliable by backing out of your initiatives.

§ FOLLOW THROUGH!

Ask Mission Center leaders who are present to share what would be helpful for them when people come up with new ideas or want to implement innovation in their areas.


§ Bring everyone back to the larger group to close the session § Re-cap the session objectives and how they were accomplished § Allow time for people to ask any questions or confirm anything they are still unsure

about


SERVE: Implementing Creative Ideas

Implementing Creative Ideas (90 minutes) Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to share ideas and concerns with leadership in a supportive environment. Participants will show their understanding of the process for generating ideas and putting them into practice. Participants will be able to practice these techniques and apply their ideas to their ministry within the Community of Christ. Session Materials:


§ Each person needs a copy of the handout “SERVE PROJECT” and a pen Facilitator Instructions: The SERVE sessions are based on the implementation of the concepts and practices presented in the GROW AND LEAD sessions. Review the curriculum from those sessions so you can assist participants in navigating the different processes and techniques for implementing creative leadership. As the facilitator, your role is to offer support, be available to answer questions, and check in on group work to ensure they are on task and succeeding in the assignment. Roundtable Networks (30 minutes)

§ Have participants gather around tables in teams of 5-6 people who are from different areas, ages, experience

§ Allow participants 30 minutes to go around the tables and each share their response to one of the following with the other members of the team offering their support, experience, insight and ideas to the person.

o Right now I am struggling with [this area] of my young adult ministry o Right now I really want help with doing [this] more effectively o If I could have any support or tool to help me be a more effective young adult

leader, it would be [this]. This would help me because … o Another question I would like to ask the group is …

§ Once everyone at the table has had time to share, if there is time left, have them go around again.

§ Let them know these groups will be part of the Closing Connections session tomorrow to offer more time for support but to also utilize the time between now and then to ask questions and offer ideas with each other.


Intro to the SERVE PROJECT (60 Minutes) § Have participants get into the same groups that they were in for the brainstorming

activity at the end of the GROW session. § Have teams begin to put their ideas into action using elements of creativity and

innovative leadership. § In this first SERVE session they will be asked to:

§ Assess their Creative Engine § Determine how they will execute creative leadership § Determine how they will develop innovation leadership § Consider how they will navigate and implement the change process § What the organizational protocol is for implementation (ie. In Community of

Christ) § Give participants this entire session time to go through the SERVE PROJECT document

and map out their processes as a team. Be available for help and answering questions. § If participants finish early, have them go over their plan for any gaps or to add

anything else that will be important for implementing this project in their areas.


SERVE: Turning Ideas into Action

Turning Ideas into Action (60 minutes) Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to allow participants the opportunity to develop their ideas further (following SERVE Session 1) and utilize a team approach to develop a plan for carrying these ideas out following the retreat. Participants will work together to determine the next steps for executing their plan once they return home. Session Materials:


§ Each person needs a copy of their “SERVE PROJECT” handout and a pen § Each person needs a copy of their “SERVE PROJECT – ACTION PLAN ” handout § Each team needs a copy of the “THINGS TO CONSIDER IN PLANNING” handout

Facilitator Instructions: The SERVE sessions are based on the implementation of the concepts and practices presented in the GROW AND LEAD sessions. Review the curriculum from those sessions so you can assist participants in navigating the different processes and techniques for implementing creative leadership. SERVE PROJECT – ACTION PLAN During this session, participants will have a chance to develop an action plan for their creative SERVE PROJECT. This time can also be used to finish the SERVE PROJECT handout or to go deeper and more specific in developing their action plan. As the facilitator, your role is to offer support, be available to answer questions, and check in on group work to ensure they are on task and succeeding in the assignment.


CONNECT.: Fun and Friends

Fun and Friends Connections (90 minutes or more) Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to spend time relaxing from intensive sessions and enjoy building relationships with each other. Organize a fun activity that gets people moving around, being silly, and just having a good time. At the YA Leaders Retreat in March 2015, we organized a life-size “Guess Who” board game where teams had to guess who the person was and what they were wearing (according to the rules of the board game Guess Who? . The sky is the limit – just provide fun, friends, and connections with each other.


GROW. LEAD. SERVE. CONNECT.: Closing Session

Retreat Wrap-Up Time (60 minutes) Session Objectives: The purpose of this session is to wrap up the weekend with a summary of learning opportunities and connecting what we’ve done here at this retreat to our future endeavours. Participants will have the opportunity to re-connect with their SERVE PROJECT team and solidify their action plans and next steps. They will also have the chance to meet with their support networks from the Roundtable Networks activity and extend support and prayer to each other. You may also like to use this session as a closing worship integrating songs and other worship elements that relate to the theme and your retreat experience. Session Materials:


§ Each person needs a copy of the handout “SERVE PROJECT” and “SERVE PROJECT – ACTION PLAN” and a pen

Facilitator’s Instructions Share the video: https://vimeo.com/24302498 - 29 Ways to Stay Creative Welcome and Summary of the weekend

§ Share a short summary of the weekend’s objective and topics discussed. § Ask participants to share what they learned about themselves this weekend. § Ask participants to share how they have developed as a leader this weekend. § Ask participants to share what they are excited about for the future of their young

adult ministry. § Ask participants to share some highlights of the weekend.

SERVE PROJECT CONNECTIONS

§ Have participants get into their teams for their SERVE PROJECT § In their groups, participants should share:

§ Contact information and solidify your plan for your first connection times after the retreat

§ Solidify your action plan or determine how you will finish it § Be sure to determine how you will hold yourselves and your team accountable § Share your hopes for your project

Support Networks

§ Have participants get into their support network groups § In their groups, participants should share:


§ Contact information and decide how your support network can best offer support to each other after this retreat

§ Any last Ideas or comments you have that came up after the session yesterday § Offer a prayer of blessing for another person in your support network

Evaluation § Explain the evaluation process for the retreat (if you have one) § Participants will need to know where they can find the evaluation form and a due date

for completing it § Be sure to share that you are looking for honest and helpful feedback that will help

improve future events. Their feedback is essential to your future success. Recognition

§ Take time to thank the other staff, leaders, cooks, and anyone who contributed to the weekend planning

§ Thank the participants for making the effort to being there and participating. Closing Prayer

§ Ask someone from the group to offer a closing blessing for the group before everyone leaves to go home.


REFERENCES: Resources used in this curriculum

Resource References

• Article: “Coaching for Innovation” by Janey Sernack from the International Coach Federation

• Article: “You Can Teach Someone to Be More Creative” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic from the Harvard Business Review

• Article: “Navigating Change: A Leader’s Role” by David Dinwoodie, William Pasmore, Laura Quinn, and Ron Rabin from the Center of Creative Leadership

• Article: Innovation: “How Leadership Makes the Difference” by David Magellan Horth and Jonathan Vehar from the Center of Creative Leadership

• Article “How to Kill Creativity” by Teresa Amabile in the Harvard Business Review • Article: “Cultivating Organizational Creativity in an Age of Complexity” from IBM by

Daniel Roddy and Barbara Lombardo • Book: Experiential Worship: Encountering God with Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength (Quiet Times for

the Heart) by Bob Rognlien Video Resource References • GROW. LEAD. SERVE. CONNECT. – YA LEADERS’ RETREAT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHfr70Ef7k0 • Creativity Warm-Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ETuec0n4Y • Creativity and Innovation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXJUDyqobbM • 6 Characteristics of Truly Creative People – Tina

Seelighttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgCdsERkqrc • The Creative Leadership Effect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EF0ziuZO50


This program and materials were designed and developed by Rachelle Smalldon of Steer Empowerment Consulting. Numerous sources were utilised in the research and development of this curriculum design and presentation. The intellectual property of authors has been respected by fully researching and referencing the original source where it has been available. Reproduction and altering of this material is allowed under the discretion of the Community of Christ, but must include the following statement, name, contact info and logo on the powerpoint or any copies (original or alterations) of the curriculum:

This program and curriculum were originally designed and developed by Rachelle Smalldon of Steer

Empowerment Consulting. This curriculum, handouts, and presentation is provided for Community of Christ Young Adult Ministries Team and for the use of young adult ministers and

leaders of the Community of Christ. These materials may have been altered by them to suit their audience and purposes.

If you have any enquiries, please contact:

Rachelle Smalldon

Steer Empowerment Consulting 778-877-6781 | steerempowerment.com

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