FAQs about P2M
- What’s the purpose of the cohort?
P2M helps Asian American church leaders discern and clarify their call to vocational ministry. Each member of the cohort will, with the guidance of the P2M leadership team, tailor his or her own discernment program. Cohort meetings and the secret Facebook group page will be opportunities to share one’s discoveries, counsel and pray for one another, and discuss webinar topics in depth. Should the participant choose not to enter vocational ministry, we believe we would have helped prepare a strong Asian American Christian lay leader.
- Who is the target audience of the cohort?
Our target audiences are (1) emerging leaders who are exploring the possibility of entering vocational ministry or (2) vocational ministry leaders who have had less than 3-5 years of ministry experience.
- How large are the cohorts?
Each cohort will be no larger than 12 persons. We will sub-divide the cohorts into emerging leaders and vocational ministry leaders. - Who will be leading the cohort?
Dr. Tim Tseng will be the cohort facilitator. The webinars will be led by experienced well-known Asian American leaders. - Are all cohort activities done remotely?
Yes. Because cohort members are drawn from across the U.S., all meetings will be conducted via video-conferencing. - Is the program new? How much will it cost?
The program is in its second year. We piloted it in the San Francisco Bay Area last year. And P2M is free! In fact, participants will receive a $200 grant with the potential to have it matched by other supporters. For 2017 and 2018, P2M will be funded by the Palmer Grant for Innovative Leadership Development and will be implemented in partnership with Rev. Florence Li of the American Baptist Home Mission Society and under the auspices of the Healthy Church Leaders Initiative of the Asian American Leadership Center (http://www.aaleadershipcenter.org ).
Requirements
- Apply on-line at bit.ly/p2m2017apply by February 28. The application will include a 15-minute interview with Tim Tseng. Email Tim at drtimtseng@gmail.com if you have any questions.
- Each cohort member must have video capability via computer or mobile devices.
- Each cohort member must sign up with a Facebook cohort group for on-going conversations and resource sharing.
- Each cohort member must identify a mentor who will meet with you at least once a month between April 2017-January 2018. The mentor should be able to observe you as you lead in your local setting(s). If you are not able to find a local mentor, we will help you find someone who can meet with you via telephone or video-conferencing. Your mentor should help you reflect on the development of your leadership skills (e.g., leading bible study, public speaking) and your self-care and personal growth in Christ.
- Each cohort member must participate in all five 90- minute interactive webinars where you will have a chance to listen and talk to recognized and experienced leaders in Asian American ministry and theology. The webinars will be conducted Saturday mornings [or Sunday evenings] (see tentative schedule below):
I. Leadership Self-care (March 18)
II. The Asian American Contexts (May 13)
III. Discipleship Jesus-Style: the Tumbler Model (June 3)
IV. Asian American churches in a multiethnic world – Leading congregations and organizations (September 9)
V. Public Witness (November 11) - Each cohort member must participate in seven cohort meetings conducted by video conferencing. These 45-minute meetings will be facilitated by Dr. Tim Tseng on Sunday evenings. The first will be held on March as a general introduction, the last in January as a wrap up forum. The other meetings will be conducted after each webinar to reflect on the webinar experience (see tentative schedule below)
- Each cohort member must provide a written or oral report by January 31, 2018
Asian American Leadership Center will provide the following:
- A $400 matching stipend (AALC will provide $200 to be matched by your congregation or supporters)
- Many of the resources for the webinar.
- A certificate in Asian American Christian Leadership.
- Opportunities for further mentoring and counsel (e.g., we will help you chart a seminary and ministry plan)
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
- March 12, 2017 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):
Introductory Cohort Meeting [45 minutes]
- March 18, 2017 (Saturday 11 AM Eastern; 8 AM Pacific)
Webinar I. Caring for the leader’s soul [Steve Wong, Grace Community Covenant Church, 90 minutes]
A. Stages of leadership
B. Spiritual direction of leaders
C. Peer coaching
Recommended Resources: Bobby Clinton, The Making of a Leader; Ken Shigematsu, God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God.
- March 19, 2017 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):
Cohort Meeting 2 [45 minutes]
- May 13, 2017 (Saturday 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific)
Webinar II. The Asian American Context [Rev. Dr. Daniel Lee, Director, Asian American Center at Fuller Theological Seminary, 90 minutes]
A. Some historical and sociological background about the Asian American contexts.
B. What to make of Asian American Christianity, especially in its evangelical contexts?
Recommended Resources: Erika Lee, The Making of Asian America: A History; Timothy Tseng and Viji Nakka Cammauf, eds., Asian American Christianity Reader, Jonathan Y. Tan, Introducing Asian American Theologies.
- March 21, 2017 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):
Cohort Meeting 3 [45 minutes]
- June 3, 2017 (Saturday 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific)
Webinar III. Discipleship Jesus-Style: the Tumbler Model [Rev. Dr. Grace May, Executive Director of WOW! 90 minutes]
A. Leading bible study: Interpreting and guiding others into God’s word.
B. Leading small groups: Mistakes to avoid, approaches that work with Asian Americans.
C. Making disciples one person at a time.
Recommended Resources: Gordon D. Fee, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible; Chris Surratt, Small Groups for the Rest of Us: How to Design Your Small Group Systems to Reach the Fringes; Greg Ogden, Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple.
- June 4 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):
Cohort Meeting 4 [45 minutes]
- September 9, 2017 (Saturday 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific)
Webinar IV. Asian American churches in a multiethnic world: – Leading congregations and organizations [Rev. DJ Chuang, 90 minutes]
A. The mission and purpose of the Asian American church in 21st century North American contexts.
B. The leadership dance – navigating different styles of organizational leadership (e.g., authoritarian, consensus-building, using assessments, inter-generational cooperation, gender, empowering next generation)
C. Public speaking and preaching
Recommended Resources: Eric S. Lane, Lessons in Belonging from a Church-Going Commitment Phobe; J.R. Woodward, Creating a Missional Church: Equipping the Church for the Sake of the World
- September 10, 2017 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):
Cohort Meeting 5 [45 minutes]
- November 11, 2017 (Saturday 11 AM Eastern, 8 AM Pacific)
Webinar V. Public Witness [90 minutes]
A. The biblical, theological, historical case for Christian public witness
B. Asian American Christians and public witness today
Recommended Resources: Donald Dayton, Rediscovering an Evangelical Heritage; Lisa Sharon Harper, The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right; Stephanie Hinnershitz, Race, Religion and Civil Rights: Asian Students on the West Coast, 1900-1968; Anne M. Blankenship, Christianity, Social Justice, and the Japanese American Incarceration during World War II.
- November 12, 2017 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):
Cohort Meeting 6 [45 minutes]
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January 21, 2018 (Sunday 8 PM Eastern; 5 PM Pacific):Final Cohort Meeting [45 minutes]
Healthy Church Leaders Initiative 