Kaleidoscope Winter Institute

February 25–29, 2008

As a result of inquiries from people who wanted to come to our Summer Institute but knew that there would be a conflict in their schedules, we have decided to continue offering a Winter Training Institute at the end of February in Los Angeles. This year's event began on Monday morning and ended on Friday afternoon.

The Institute covered the basic material from the two courses we offer in the summer:

Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community
Model and Processes for Community Transformation

The program was more intense than the Summer Institute, without the one-day break in-between the two courses. The cost (which will probably be the same for the 2009 session) was $600 per person (for both modules, or $300 for just one module). This includes food; lodging at the Cathedral Center Retreat Center in Echo Park is available for $45 per night, as well.

We recommended that you plan on arriving on Sunday, Feb. 25 and leave on Saturday, March 1. You will want to stay until 5 p.m. on Friday in order for us to cover all the course material.

The program was more intense than the Summer Institute, without a one-day break in between the two courses. There were evening classes on Monday and Tuesday. Therefore, we recommend that you do not plan any personal outings on those two nights. The evenings of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are free.

FIRST COURSE | FEB. 25–27 | Mon. 9 a.m.–Wed. 12 noon | $300

Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community

In a fast-changing and diverse world, what skills do leaders need to practice in order to create a more inclusive environment in which people of diverse backgrounds and experiences are welcome and no one person or group is disadvantaged? In this foundational workshop, the Rev. Eric H. F. Law will guide participants through a practical and spiritual journey toward becoming competent leaders in a diverse changing world.

Topics to explore:

What is Culture and why are there cultural differences?
Cultural Differences and their Impacts on our leadership
Theological Reflection on multicultural leadership
Skill, models and processes for building inclusive community
Developing a spirituality for leadership in a diverse, changing world
Training Modules I-VII of the Kaleidoscope Institute basic training

Who should attend?

People involved in small group ministries – bible study, youth ministry, adult forums, discussion groups.
Chairs of committees and commissions
Religious educators
People who have read Eric Law’s books and want to get a hands-on, in-depth experience in putting the theory, method, spirituality to practice.

SECOND COURSE | FEB. 27–29, Wed. 12 noon–Fri. 5 p.m. | $300

Models and Processes for Community Transformation

The Rev. Eric H. F. Law will share from his experiences in working intensively with over 300 churches in the U.S. and Canada over the last 10 years. What methods and processes work and what do not work for churches that find themselves in diverse fast-changing communities?

He will discuss the impacts of cultural differences, specifically in communication and power perception, on church planting, revitalization, shared facility, cross-racial appointments, and cluster ministry development. How we can enable local churches to analyze their situations (their church culture, local community and social contexts) and move toward faithful and constructive change?