Barnabas File

Last week I was on campus at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas.     Two Doctor of Ministry cohorts were there to attend the residency seminars that are part of their semester studies.     Dr. John Park, director of the program, was teaching “Embracing Design Thinking” to the 2017 cohort which started January 2017.     Dr. Terrell Carter and I taught “Understanding Yourself and Others” to the cohort that began in January of this year. Although the groups had some interaction during breaks, over meals and in chapel worship, their primary interaction took place within their own cohorts.  Each cohort has developed a high level of trust, even the group that just began in January.   Studies have shown that ministers thrive in intentional communities of practice or peer learning groups.  Many denominations such the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship encourage and facilitate the development of these ongoi...