The six learning circles are offered in a circular rotation each March/April and October/November over the course of three years. Each circle is 10 days long. New students join the rotation as they enter the program. DLM identity is an overarching theme that is addressed in each learning circle.
Organizing Community (October 16-26, 2023)
- Governance & polity in the church
- Congregational models (development and re-development)
- Administration (including time management)
- Context and social analysis of community (eg. Outreach, evangelism)
- Working in team
- Belonging to Larger/wider Community (eg. Ministerials, relationships in wider community)
Leading in Community (March 4-14, 2024)
- Leadership models
- Modeling effective leadership in various ministries
- Transformative leadership
- Missional Leadership (including evangelism & outreach)
- Prophetic leadership
- Conflict resolution
Living Diversity in Community (October 14-24, 2024)
- Pluralism/multi-faith and Inter-cultural and ecumenical understandings
- Justice in theological understandings (Understandings of charity & justice-making)
- Social issues (eg. Gender, racism, sexuality, etc.)
- Right relations & reconciliation
- Advocacy & Solidarity
Caring for Community (March 17-27, 2025)
- Ecology and stewardship
- Pastoral care
- Pastoral Occasions & Contexts (eg. Birth, marriage, funerals; nursing homes, prisons, hospitals)
- Ethics
- Boundaries in ministry
