"Workshopping Workshops"

Last week, I wrote about the importance of Diocesan conventions and the need to recognize why we as clergy and lay leaders are one fish among many. It’s tempting to focus only on the life and ministry within my congregation and to care only for the needs of my flock. While the people that I serve do take priority, I was ordained for the whole church, which means that every community matters to me. 

That is why the time that we take away from our faith communities to be among others should be of value. There should be moments of instruction and formation that challenge us, inform us, and equip us for where we are serving and whom we are serving. Our diocesan convention last week was a spiritual gift to me and so many others. It was an opportunity for us to worship as one diocese and one body in Christ. There’s something special about giving and receiving communion with those we don’t often see or have the opportunity to work with.

But today I want to comment on a phenomenon that I have seen not just at diocesan conventions but in other instances when deaneries or parishes gather for similar fellowship. I’m talking about workshops.

My mind tends to focus on patterns that I experience over time. For example, if I am having the same experience with an individual over the course of several days, weeks, or months that I am prone to examine the patterns of our interactions. If we seem to be arguing over the same points again and again, then there might be something deeper that needs to be addressed. Conversely, if I notice that we are growing closer as we feel more secure sharing details of our lives or spiritual experiences, then I can see that we are indeed becoming spiritual friends.

The pattern that I am noticing among the workshops that I attend is leading me to believe that we might need to change how we do instructional formation at large gatherings. This does not mean that the presenters are not effective teachers, or that the material is not valuable, just the opposite. In my experience, the presenters and material have been incredibly valuable, but something is being lost.

There are two critiques that I wish to offer on how we are crafting and presenting workshops during our larger fellowship gatherings. The first is that too much information is being given in one sitting. The human mind and attention span can only receive so much information before it becomes overwhelmed. There is a science to the way that we learn, and thus there is also a science to the way that we teach. My experience over the last decade within the life of the church has been that the presenter seeks to give as much information as possible, so that they leave nothing on the table. And I am just as guilty of this. I have followed this model of teaching when holding workshops because I thought it was effective and that it was just how the Church taught in a larger setting. 

"And I am just as guilty of this. I have followed this model of teaching when holding workshops because I thought it was effective and that it was just how the Church taught in a larger setting."

What they are teaching is relevant and essential. A good example of this is a workshop I attended on the topic of how the size of a congregation will often dictate its sense of mission. The presenter had a large amount of data, complete with slides and a handout. After the presentation, I made it a point to approach the presenter and thank them because what they had taught had changed the way that I understood not just my own faith community but the church as a whole. But my critique remained. There was just too much information to absorb in one session, and even though they had been given an hour and a half, it was still not enough. This only gets worse when presenters have had only 50 minutes, which does not include time for questions and comments.

Someone pushing back on this critique might say that the presenter is there only to give a glimpse, a sample of the information they aim to teach. They cannot teach you everything there is to know about their topic in one weekend, much less over the course of one workshop. It is incumbent upon those attending the workshop to follow up and complete the work they have been called to do with what they have been given. I agree. After attending a workshop, it is up to us to continue the necessary work and use the resources provided as a basis for further investigation. But this leads into my next critique and suggestion.

"One-session workshops do not provide adequate space for continued learning or for the preparation to receive what is going to be taught."

One-session workshops do not provide adequate space for continued learning or for the preparation to receive what is going to be taught. Now, more than ever, we are seeing that the most effective style of teaching is collaborative and relational. This means that when we learn in a group setting, listen, and share with others how we are assimilating the information being taught, we become more effective students and co-facilitators. 

Imagine for a moment that a diocese or conference wanted to ensure individuals were ready to receive what was going to be taught. They formed a group months in advance for anyone attending the conference to join. Materials would be given in advance along with a reading list. Perhaps the facilitator would discuss topics or guide a group within the diocese to learn about this topic. It would give the presenter a strong idea of where the group and perhaps the larger context were heading, along with their understanding of this knowledge. It would also give those in the working group an opportunity to prepare their faith communities to come ready to learn and eager to participate. The workshop would not be a presentation of every bit of knowledge that can be fit into an hour and a half session. Instead, it would be the culmination of the group's work and a statement of direction for what was next. The presenter would equip the group to continue its discernment and exploration of the topic by giving more resources and answering questions.

If this model sounds familiar, it's because it is. I am currently working on my Doctor of Ministry. The model of learning has integrated online learning, individual-directed study, and intensive workshops. The collaborative learning model, which encourages both the facilitator and the student to invest their energy over a longer period, has been effective not only in transmitting information but also in creating a community of learning. My colleagues and I are fully invested in the material and one another.

I am not asking for every diocese to hire college professors to conduct workshops. Rather, I am inviting us to ensure that people are truly learning and being equipped by what is being presented. We need to respect the science of how people learn. I consider myself a lifelong learner. I want to grow in knowledge and faith. I want my faith community to grow in its experience of learning, not just through me, but through the larger teaching ministry of the diocese and the Bishop. My hope is that we can take this opportunity to acknowledge the gift that we have received when guests come and share what they are passionate about with us, while also recognizing that their presentation should be just one part of a larger plan of learning that will ultimately equip the faithful. As disciples at the feet of Christ, we owe it to one another to do more than just absorb information; we should build a collaborative community of learning.