Learning Circles

Six weeks of communal learning this January and February

LEARNING CIRCLES

Racism isn’t a single act or expression. Racism is in the air we breathe. It is embedded in all our systems and structures – including the Church. Dismantling racism happens when we interrupt our values upholding white dominance and practice the transforming values to create conditions for equity.

  1. Pernicious Dualism → Expansive Inclusivity
  2. Scarcity → Abundance
  3. Drive to Dominate → Responsible Interdependence
  4. Disposability → Inherent Worthiness of All Living Beings
  5. Secrecy → Transparency
  6. Competitiveness → Collaboration and Cooperation

Walk alongside others for six weeks this winter as we unpack these values one at a time, listen to one another’s challenges, explore opportunities for transformation together, and support one another in this kin-dom work. 

Learning Circles will be led by trained NEXT Church Antiracism Facilitators.

Read More about Equity Pricing

LEARNING CIRCLE DETAILS

  • Learning Circles will be held once a week for six weeks in January and February (Learn More about specific circle dates and times below).
  • Circles will meet for 75 minutes via Zoom.
  • Participants will learn about 6 values (from Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training) that uphold white dominance and the transforming values which serve to interrupt those patterns.
  • Participants will support and be supported by peers in ministry in similar contexts and/or lived experiences to begin to notice these patterns in their midst.
  • Spaces are limited to keep the circle experience small.
  • Cost is $99 per participant (with a $49 equity pricing for People of Color)

MOVING TOWARDS IMPACT AT NEXT CHURCH

NEXT Church commits to learning alongside participants. Facilitators will listen to the members of the circle to better understand the challenges and success of this work. They will share broad themes and learnings with NEXT Church Leadership Team who will imagine impactful ways to accompany leaders in ministry and utilize these learnings to shape NEXT Church’s future.

JOIN A LEARNING CIRCLE

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Learning Circles have begun meeting and are now closed for registration.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CIRCLES

SOLO PASTORS

**This Learning Circle is filled.**

This learning circle is for pastors who lead a congregation with or without other staff, but are the only pastor at the church. Solo Pastors bear the unique challenge of leading congregations through difficult conversations and change as the main agent of transformation.

Thursdays @ 12:00pm EST//9:00am PST

January 12, 19, 26

February 2, 9, 16

Rev. Brett Pinder is ordained in The United Methodist Church. Brett is a climber, kayaker and hiker. Currently he serves as lead organizer and convener for an ecumenical cohort of churches in Southeast Portland, OR and pastors at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Previously, he served as the Methodist Chaplain at the University of Maryland in College Park.
Brett has been involved with NEXT Church for years through community organizing training, becoming an antiracism facilitator, coaching, and attending the annual National Gathering.


Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia (she/her) is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and founder of Courageous Spaces, inviting others to co-create spaces for disruption, transformation, and change. In addition, she works for NEXT Church as a coach and as the Coaching Training Coordinator. Larissa has dedicated her life and career to racial and gender justice. She is interested in the ways that the intersections of all parts of one’s identity can be embraced and celebrated. This work brought her to all levels of denominational leadership, including service as the Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly of the PC(USA), a member of the General Assembly Committee on Representation, and mid-council leadership in presbyteries located in NJ and PA. She has served congregations in Chicago (IL), Greenwich (CT), Queens (NY), and throughout NJ. Most recently, Larissa’s work has brought her to More Light Presbyterians and Princeton Theological Seminary. Larissa has been hired by NEXT Church during this time of transition to lead the organization strategically forward.

ELDERS AND LAY LEADERS

**This Learning Circle is filled.**

This learning circle is for Elders, Deacons, church members, and lay leaders. (Pastors and paid church staff, this one isn’t for you!) Church members are the heartbeat of their congregations and the real movers and shakers when it comes to systemic work and change.

Thursdays @ 7:30pm EST//4:30pm PST

January 12, 19, 26

February 2, 9, 16

Shani McIlwain (she/her) wants to live in a world free of intolerance, racism and hate. You will find her a multi-tasking type, working not only as a best-selling author, but also as a group facilitator and an executive coach that leads individuals and groups in faithful and transparent conversations of dismantling racism and white supremacy.

Shani is the current Moderator for National Capital Presbytery. She is a Ruling Elder at Faith Presbyterian Church (Washington, DC), serving on CPM, Spiritual Formation, Co-Chair for the Young Adult Volunteer Board, Co-Moderator of Black Presbyterians United, and a NEXT Church Leadership Team member.

Jen James (she/her) is on staff for NEXT Church where she coordinates and supports NEXT Church initiatives including the National Gathering, Cultivated Ministry, antiracism trainings, facilitation and coaching. She is a facilitator, trained coach, and Educator-at-Large working with congregations in the National Capital Presbytery and beyond to help church leaders vision, assess, and strategically transform ministries. She holds a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and will gladly tell you she went to seminary because she loves learning, not to be a pastor like everyone else! When she’s not working in the church world, Jen is offering unsolicited political commentary, wrangling her twin boys, and conjuring up a new house project with her husband, who is a Methodist pastor.

PEOPLE OF COLOR

This learning circle is for church leaders of any kind who is a Person of Color (white siblings, please sit this one out). This will be a space to unpack the values in a space of mutual support and solidarity.

Fridays @ 1:30pm EST//10:30am PST

January 13, 20, 27

February 3, 10, 17

Rev. Veronica Cannon (she/her) is a talented and spectacular coach and facilitator due to her tremendous listening skills and ability to assist people in progressing toward their goals. She is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament and uses her skills with the church she currently serves in the Charlotte Presbytery. It is her greatest desire to people and organizations live their best lives in fulfilling ways. If you are looking for someone who is skilled in journeying alongside you, she is the woman for you.


Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia (she/her) is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and founder of Courageous Spaces, inviting others to co-create spaces for disruption, transformation, and change. In addition, she works for NEXT Church as a coach and as the Coaching Training Coordinator. Larissa has dedicated her life and career to racial and gender justice. She is interested in the ways that the intersections of all parts of one’s identity can be embraced and celebrated. This work brought her to all levels of denominational leadership, including service as the Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly of the PC(USA), a member of the General Assembly Committee on Representation, and mid-council leadership in presbyteries located in NJ and PA. She has served congregations in Chicago (IL), Greenwich (CT), Queens (NY), and throughout NJ. Most recently, Larissa’s work has brought her to More Light Presbyterians and Princeton Theological Seminary. Larissa has been hired by NEXT Church during this time of transition to lead the organization strategically forward.

YOUNG ADULTS

This learning circle is for church leaders, of any kind, in their 20’s and 30’s. The voices of young adult leaders are critical to the work of justice and freedom within the Church as primary change agents. This learning circle centers those voices

Wednesdays @ 1:00pm EST//10:00am PST

January 11, 18, 25

February 1, 8, 15

Yena Hwang (she/her) is a minister member of the National Capital Presbytery. Yena’s life goal is to pollinate authenticity with Love, Intention, Vulnerability, and Empathy (LIVE). She holds a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Louisville Seminary. She is an ICF trained leadership coach. She has served as a minister in congregational contexts, as well as various levels of leadership positions in the PCUSA. Yena is one of the co-creators of a podcast about faith and life from the perspectives of three minoritized women in ministry called: Frequently Unasked Questions (FUQ), which is found in Spotify, Apple Podcast, and more.

Jen James (she/her) is on staff for NEXT Church where she coordinates and supports NEXT Church initiatives including the National Gathering, Cultivated Ministry, antiracism trainings, facilitation and coaching. She is a facilitator, trained coach, and Educator-at-Large working with congregations in the National Capital Presbytery and beyond to help church leaders vision, assess, and strategically transform ministries. She holds a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and will gladly tell you she went to seminary because she loves learning, not to be a pastor like everyone else! When she’s not working in the church world, Jen is offering unsolicited political commentary, wrangling her twin boys, and conjuring up a new house project with her husband, who is a Methodist pastor.

ACROSS THE POLITICAL DIVIDE

This learning circle is for church leaders who are serving in churches whose congregation is divided politically. These leaders have the challenge of trying to move the needle when there are strong opposing forces at play.

Wednesdays @ 2:00pm EST//11:00am PST

January 11, 18, 25

February 1, 8, 15

LeAnn Hodges (she/her) is the mother of three school-aged boys, wife and daughter of teachers, sister of a social worker, granddaughter of small town farmers, lover of creativity, former engineer, grateful pastor of a spunky little church in metro DC, ICF trained coach, and beloved child of God. She is passionate about helping people live into the fullness of their calling (hello enneagram 2!) and joyfully participating in the sorrows and celebrations of life. As a former engineer, LeAnn embraces a systems approach to leadership, and has worked with a family systems trained leadership coach for over 10 of 20+ years of ordained ministry. She believes the greatest challenge and opportunity for the church today is to engage in the work of dismantling the culture of white supremacy and to proclaim and reclaim the gospel of the one who came to decolonize empire only to have been colonized by an institution that too often uses religion to control and oppress those Jesus came to liberate.

Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia (she/her) is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and founder of Courageous Spaces, inviting others to co-create spaces for disruption, transformation, and change. In addition, she works for NEXT Church as a coach and as the Coaching Training Coordinator. Larissa has dedicated her life and career to racial and gender justice. She is interested in the ways that the intersections of all parts of one’s identity can be embraced and celebrated. This work brought her to all levels of denominational leadership, including service as the Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly of the PC(USA), a member of the General Assembly Committee on Representation, and mid-council leadership in presbyteries located in NJ and PA. She has served congregations in Chicago (IL), Greenwich (CT), Queens (NY), and throughout NJ. Most recently, Larissa’s work has brought her to More Light Presbyterians and Princeton Theological Seminary. Larissa has been hired by NEXT Church during this time of transition to lead the organization strategically forward.

LGBTQIA+ Leaders

This learning circle is church leaders, of any kind, who identify as LGBTQIA+. (Straight and cisgender allies, please sit this one out!) This learning circle will explore the distinct intersection between LGBTQIA+ rights and dismantling white supremacy, while also holding the unique challenges of being a leader at the center of this conversation.

Mondays @ 2:00 EST//11:00am PST

January 9, 23, 30 (no meeting on MLK Jr Day)

February 6, 13, 20

Rev. Brett Pinder (he/him) is ordained in The United Methodist Church. Brett is a climber, kayaker and hiker. Currently he serves as lead organizer and convener for an ecumenical cohort of churches in Southeast Portland, OR and pastors at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Previously, he served as the Methodist Chaplain at the University of Maryland in College Park.
Brett has been involved with NEXT Church for years through community organizing training, becoming an antiracism facilitator, coaching, and attending the annual National Gathering.

Rev. Martha Spong (she/her) is a United Church of Christ pastor and an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC). In her coaching practice, she works with individual clients and small clergy groups. Martha has been a facilitator/coach for NEXT Church’s Antiracism Practices, Leadership Development, and Enneagram and Leadership cohorts. An iEQ9 Integrative Enneagram Accredited Practitioner, she offers individual Enneagram coaching as well as trainings for church staffs and leaders.

A writer of preaching supports, adult curriculum, and devotionals, Martha’s books include “The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle” and “Denial is My Spiritual Practice.” She co-founded RevGalBlogPals and was Executive Director from 2013-2020. Martha has served congregations of diverse size and situation, in Maine and Pennsylvania, as both a settled and intentional interim pastor. She lives in Mechanicsburg, PA, with her wife, Kathryn Johnston, a Presbyterian Church (USA) pastor.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS AND YOUTH LEADERS

This learning circle is for those who serve in Christian Educator roles or Youth Leader roles. These are the leaders on the ground doing the essential work of faith formation and are critically important when it comes to modeling and teaching transforming values to others.

Fridays @ 12:00pm EST//9:00am PST

January 13, 20, 27

February 3, 10, 17

Susan Thornton (she/her) serves as the Consultant for Spiritual Formation and Communication for the Presbytery of Los Ranchos. She has been taking part in and also leading conversations on racial justice for decades and currently moderates the Association of Partners in Christian Education’s Diversity Task Force. Her diversity, equity and inclusion work is grounded in Dr. King’s vision of beloved community. Susan strives to always be a learner, on journey of understanding and becoming. A gardener and avid reader she shares her home and her life with her majesty, CoCo, the chocolate cocker spaniel.


Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia (she/her) is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and founder of Courageous Spaces, inviting others to co-create spaces for disruption, transformation, and change. In addition, she works for NEXT Church as a coach and as the Coaching Training Coordinator. Larissa has dedicated her life and career to racial and gender justice. She is interested in the ways that the intersections of all parts of one’s identity can be embraced and celebrated. This work brought her to all levels of denominational leadership, including service as the Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly of the PC(USA), a member of the General Assembly Committee on Representation, and mid-council leadership in presbyteries located in NJ and PA. She has served congregations in Chicago (IL), Greenwich (CT), Queens (NY), and throughout NJ. Most recently, Larissa’s work has brought her to More Light Presbyterians and Princeton Theological Seminary. Larissa has been hired by NEXT Church during this time of transition to lead the organization strategically forward.

RURAL MINISTRY

This learning circle is for leaders, of any kind, serving in rural ministry contexts. Conversations about race, antiracism, and white supremacy are not the same in rural contexts as they are in urban (or even suburban) contexts. Church leaders in rural settings are challenged to still move the needle while nuancing all conversations around race.

Thursdays @ 2:00pm EST//11:00am PST

January 12, 19, 26

February 2, 9, 16

LeAnn Hodges (she/her) is the mother of three school-aged boys, wife and daughter of teachers, sister of a social worker, granddaughter of small town farmers, lover of creativity, former engineer, grateful pastor of a spunky little church in metro DC, ICF trained coach, and beloved child of God. She is passionate about helping people live into the fullness of their calling (hello enneagram 2!) and joyfully participating in the sorrows and celebrations of life. As a former engineer, LeAnn embraces a systems approach to leadership, and has worked with a family systems trained leadership coach for over 10 of 20+ years of ordained ministry. She believes the greatest challenge and opportunity for the church today is to engage in the work of dismantling the culture of white supremacy and to proclaim and reclaim the gospel of the one who came to decolonize empire only to have been colonized by an institution that too often uses religion to control and oppress those Jesus came to liberate.

Jen James (she/her) is on staff for NEXT Church where she coordinates and supports NEXT Church initiatives including the National Gathering, Cultivated Ministry, antiracism trainings, facilitation and coaching. She is a facilitator, trained coach, and Educator-at-Large working with congregations in the National Capital Presbytery and beyond to help church leaders vision, assess, and strategically transform ministries. She holds a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and will gladly tell you she went to seminary because she loves learning, not to be a pastor like everyone else! When she’s not working in the church world, Jen is offering unsolicited political commentary, wrangling her twin boys, and conjuring up a new house project with her husband, who is a Methodist pastor.

ANY CHURCH LEADER!

**This Learning Circle is filled.**

This learning circle is for any leader serving in the Church! This circle will bring a diverse perspective not bound by contexts or lived experiences which broadens the conversation and challenges comfortable perspectives. 

Thursdays @ 2:00pm EST//11:00am PST

January 12, 19, 26

February 2, 9, 16

Jesy Littlejohn (they/them) is the quirky mohawk-ed person, an ICF trained coach, an Elder in the PCUSA church, and serves on Staff at National Capital Presbytery and Oaklands Presbyterian Church. Jesy is committed to Anti-Racism work with every fiber of their being, and understands that this is not a box to check on a to-do list but a complete systemic disruption and life-changing way of being, thinking, and praying. They approach this work with the privilege of a white, queer lens, AND uses that privilege to call out white supremacy when and where they see it. They are constantly working to reform themselves (which is very PCUSA of them) and go where God is calling them however uncomfortable it may seem.

Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia (she/her) is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and founder of Courageous Spaces, inviting others to co-create spaces for disruption, transformation, and change. In addition, she works for NEXT Church as a coach and as the Coaching Training Coordinator. Larissa has dedicated her life and career to racial and gender justice. She is interested in the ways that the intersections of all parts of one’s identity can be embraced and celebrated. This work brought her to all levels of denominational leadership, including service as the Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly of the PC(USA), a member of the General Assembly Committee on Representation, and mid-council leadership in presbyteries located in NJ and PA. She has served congregations in Chicago (IL), Greenwich (CT), Queens (NY), and throughout NJ. Most recently, Larissa’s work has brought her to More Light Presbyterians and Princeton Theological Seminary. Larissa has been hired by NEXT Church during this time of transition to lead the organization strategically forward.

EQUITY PRICING

People of Color will labor in a more costly way as participants in the Learning Circles.

Because of this, the participation cost for People of Color in any circle is $49. Use “Equity4POC” as the coupon code at checkout.

***

Because church budgets and personal budgets come in all shapes and sizes, stipends are available for anyone for whom cost is a barrier.

Please email us to request a stipend.

Questions about the Learning Circles? Email Jen James.