Registrations for the Winter Formation Groups have now closed. Check back later this year!
Answers to frequently asked questions and instructions on how to register your group for the training can be found below.
Q: How and how often do new Formation Groups launch?
A: New Formation Groups are launched quarterly with the first official launch in January of 2020. Formation Groups are kicked off by a full day (9am-3pm) training at Trinity’s Westside location, attendance at which is required to receive the curriculum and begin your group. This training is both instructive and immersive in nature—you will learn how to run a meeting as well as experience your first group meeting with your group members.
Q: Is there a cost to participating in a Formation Group?
A: Yes. The cost is $50 per group participant. This covers the curriculum as well as lunch at the kickoff training.
Q: How are the nine months framed? Is there a specific curriculum?
A: The curriculum is divided into seven movements, which address the following guiding questions:
- What is the “good life” and where do I start in order to “get there”?
- What has formed me and why do I seek transformation?
- What are the core strengths and weaknesses of my personality, and what makes me thrive?
- How do I harness the help that comes from the Holy Spirit?
- What does it look like to surrender my expectations and my pain?
- What does it mean that my transformation is “for the sake of others”?
- How do I sustain the good life?
Group members will prepare for meetings by engaging various pre-selected resources as they walk through this roadmap together.
Q: Is there an application process to participate in a Formation Group?
A: No. However your group must register for the kickoff training and everyone in your group must attend the training in order to begin.
Q: How are Formation Groups put together?
A: Having previously established connections with group members tends to promote more depth and authenticity in sharing and makes it more likely that members of this group will forge deep spiritual friendships that outlast the duration of the formal group itself. Therefore Formation Groups are put together by you! We ask that you find 3-4 other people who want to go through this process with you and are able to make the required commitments. These could be old friends, folks from your community group, folks you serve alongside on Sunday mornings, or friends that don’t even attend Trinity. Please ensure that all of your group members are able to attend the kickoff training and that all of you can agree on a regular meeting time and location.
Q: What if I’m having trouble putting a group together?
A:While we don’t form the groups ourselves, we are happy to take your information as we build an index of others looking to create a Formation Group. Simply email Jason Faulkner and he’ll get in touch with you from there.
Q: Who leads our Formation Group?
A: Your group will decide on two co-leaders from within your group. The co-leaders will be responsible for driving the meeting schedule and taking the lead on meeting facilitation, and they will also be your group’s connection back to Trinity’s pastoral staff for support. So keep these responsibilities in mind and consider the natural giftedness of the members of your group as you set about to decide on leaders.
Q: What kind of commitment are we talking about?
A: We are asking folks who are interested in Formation Groups to consider very carefully their margins and competing commitments. The success of a Formation Group is a direct function of the shared commitment of the group members throughout the 9 months. Your participation in a Formation Group will most likely require something in your schedule to give in order to make room for this new commitment. In addition, the biggest challenge for Formation Groups tends to be the scheduling of meeting times that work for all group members’ schedules. So when you are putting a group together to participate, make sure to have the conversation about a meeting schedule before registering your group.
Q: Outside of the two monthly meetings, what is my time commitment?
A: Preparation for each meeting will typically involve reflecting on short readings or a podcast, or practice of a specific spiritual discipline. Plan to budget 60 – 90 minutes for meeting prep. In addition, attendance at the Formation Groups kickoff training is required to get your group started. The date of the next kickoff training is listed above, and these kickoff trainings are offered roughly once a quarter.
Q: Okay, I’m in! How do I get started?
A: First, make sure you have:
- Put your group of 4-5 folks together
- Designated the two leaders of your group
- Committed to a bimonthly meeting schedule
- Confirmed that everyone in the group can attend the next kickoff training
Then, have one of your group leaders register your group to attend a training. At the training, we will walk through the first two group meetings, so it’s mandatory that everybody in each group attends the training.
If you have any further questions about Formation Groups after reading this FAQ, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jason Faulkner. Thank you!