Cultural Toolboxes for Flourishing Congregations
Katie Steeves, PhD Assistant Professor of Sociology, Trinity Western University
and Leadership Team Member, Flourishing Congregations Institute
Check out this short 5 minute video as part of our February weekly video series on Culture Building.
Recommend Resource
Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies
by Ann Swindler
Culture influences action not by providing the ultimate values toward which action is oriented, but by shaping a repertoire or "tool kit" of habits, skills, and styles from which people construct "strategies of action." Two models of cultural influence are developed, for settled and unsettled cultural periods. In settled periods, culture inde- pendently influences action, but only by providing resources from which people can construct diverse lines of action. In unsettled cultural periods, explicit ideologies directly govern action, but structural opportunities for action determine which among competing ideologies survive in the long run. This alternative view of culture offers new opportunities for systematic, differentiated arguments about culture's causal role in shaping action.
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Upcoming Events
One Conference
(A Global Leadership Network Canada event) February 2-3, 2023 Calling All Canadian Church Leaders! The world has changed, and the Church is changing with it. Join us in Calgary, Alberta for One Conference. We will be digging into some of the most pressing and difficult leadership challenges, while also inspiring new ideas that will shape renewal and spiritual impact in Canada.
Transformational Coaching
(A NEW LEAF event)
Wednesdays from Feb 8- Apr 5, 2023
1pm - 3pm Eastern (online)
Join for weekly online training sessions, and expect to invest an average of an additional 3 hours per week in developing this skill. This breaks down as approximately 1.5 hours completing the required readings, and 1.5 hours engaging with your peer coaching partner via Zoom or video chat.
Forming the Next Generation: Restoring Families to Their Missionary Identity
(A Divine Renovation event)
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023
1 PM Eastern | Noon Central | 10 AM Pacific Strong Catholic families are needed in our parishes and society more than ever. As Saint John Paul II once said, “the future of humanity passes by way of the family”. But the reality is, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to pass on the Faith to the next generation in a secularized world.
Property Strategy Course for Church Board Members
(A Trinity Centres Foundation event) Dates TBA This TCF online course is a series of toolkits, aimed at supporting church board members. TFC's hope is to educate faith communities across Canada as they leverage strategic partnerships and government programs required to build the financial sustainability of their properties. In repositioning these properties towards the many charities who need space, new structures will also allow faith communities to remain in their communities and see new seasons of growth.