The 2021 EMERGE Apprenticeship Pathway Cohort launched the year with a retreat on Feb 21 and 22. With the restrictions a few days after lockdown, the venue needed to move from Mount Martha to Syndal Baptist but the enthusiasm and engagement wasn’t at all diminished as 10 participants from 8 churches made a great start to the year.

The aim of the pathway is to help develop missional emerging leaders. There are 4 components of the Apprenticeship Pathway experience –

• Context where are a participant must be involved in leadership. This year’s participants are all engaged in paid or internship ministry opportunities in local Baptist Churches in areas such as generations ministry, worship and media.
• Community that is developed and shared within the cohort as participants share their lives and journeys.
• Coaching in that every participant needs to have a leadership companion or coach with whom they meet monthly
• Curriculum that Kim Smith and Bill Brown among other leaders explore with the cohort around leading self, leading others, leading ministries and living and leading missionally.

One of the team building exercises for the retreat was the assembly of a couple of bikes that will be donated along with some accessories to children at a local school who would not normally be able to afford a bike. The cohort did test out the bikes out but they will also be checked by a bike expert! 😊

For more information about other tracks of EMERGE such as Next Steps or Leader Retreats check the link at https://www.buv.com.au/events/emerge/ or chat with Bill Brown on 0407821784 or Kim Smith on 0418377094