Transforming Center
Transforming Community

Make a Referral

We are always grateful for friends who refer friends to the Transforming Center! Our alumni are always our best source of referrals because they are uniquely qualified to identify those who are ready to embark upon a journey of leadership transformation. We hope this information will be helpful to you as you discern if a leader in your sphere of influence would be a good referral to a Transforming Community. 

We encourage alumni to refer someone from within their circles that might be ready for an invitation to Transforming Community.

 

Perhaps it is a leader who...
  • is already a member of your staff or a team — shared language and experience is incredibly helpful.

  • is running so hard you're concerned they will burn out — give them the opportunity to cultivate sustaining rhythms before you did!

  • has an experience of gender, race, or sexual identity that would enrich the lives of others in the next Transforming Community.

  • is cultivating a life of ministry — even if it is outside of a traditional church setting.

  • has been deconstructing their faith and are in need of a safe place to re-build.
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What makes a good referral?

    • Pastors and leaders who are currently in active leadership roles* that allow them to directly influence the direction of their churches and/or ministry organizations.

      *To be clear, we will continue to consider lay leaders who hold significant positions of leadership in their congregations and/or in their respective professions and thereby possess the potential to shape the direction of their churches or ministry organizations.
    • We continue to hold a high value in maintaining a gender balance. As you may have noticed in your community, having an equal (or close to that) balance of men and women within our community is one reason that our community experience is so rich! In many application pools, we receive many more applications from women than we do men (especially early on), this is one of the factors we consider in our discernment process.
    • Diversity Value beyond Gender Balance. We strive to have our communities reflect the rich diversity of God's Kingdom. To that end, we strongly encourage Christian leaders from every walk of life, every race/ethnicity, ministry context, age, ability, experience, socio-economic background, education level, geographic location, and faith journey to apply for this transforming journey.

How can I help a leader explore this transforming experience?

Here are some things we have noticed from years of accepting applications that will be helpful to consider in your conversations…

The podcast can be a great entry point for those not yet familiar with the Transforming Center.  Each season explores resources, themes and practices that are congruent with the Transforming Community experience. Here are some  seasons we recommend starting with:

Many pastors and leaders experience a lack of resources (time & money) This is especially true for younger leaders and those living & serving in communities with limited resources. It could be helpful to...

    • Considering contributing financially to a leader
    • Help them think through ways of raising money (through professional development funds in their churches or workplace, grants, crowdfunding)
    • Explain your process of making time and space for such a commitment, ask them about their barriers and concerns, etc.

Men often apply much later in the application process than women which means we have to waitlist great women applicants until we can achieve the desired gender balance. Here's how you can help:

    • Men – keep talking openly to other men in your life about your time in Transforming Community. Your willingness to share your experience is the most influential factor for men considering applying.
    • Women – think about the men in your spheres of influence and what might draw them to this experience. If they are interested, encourage them to apply early.