Integrating Year Fall 2016 Learning Circle

Integrating Year Fall 2016 Learning Circle

We have nearly achieved our goal of three staff people for every student!

The fall learning circle of the 2016-2017 Integrating Year started yesterday with two students entering their final year at CCS.  Josh Ward and Ian McLean have been classmates through their previous three theme years in the diaconal program, so they were able to dispense with name tags and introductory get-to-know-you games during the first day community-building session.  Instead, they dove into how they wanted to work together through the year, what they brought as gift to the circle and what they might need from each other to support their learning, and how best to structure the year so that they could pull together all that they’d been exposed to in the previous years and fill in the gaps of what they still might need to know before stepping out into the world of full-fledged diaconal ministry.

Integrating Year students Ian McLean and Joshua Ward

Filling out Ian and Josh’s circle (or line segment) were all the staff of CCS.  At one time or another every member of the staff joined the two Integrating Year students for discussion, reflection, and worship.

Ann Naylor’s absence was of course felt in the circle.  Ann played a key role in the planning and leadership of Integrating Year learning circles over the past few years.  Ann is on medical leave, but she was able to offer good advice to  CCS program staff, so her thoughtful attention to the process of integration will still be a part of this year for Josh and Ian.