TRAINING
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The Forge Chicago is designed to Help Birth and Nurture the Missional Church. We desire to assist individuals, missional communities and existing churches to be missional in their local context.
Join the network to find out about upcoming events and training opportunities with Forge Chicago.
FORGE CHICAGO NEWS
We joined others from across the United States for a few days in the suburbs of Chicago to learn from gifted teachers such as Darryl Gardiner, Deb Hirsch, Alan Hirsch, Kim Hammond and many more during the annual Forge America Tribal Gathering.
Forge Chicago Alum, Kim Dougherty sharing her story during the Forge America Tribe Gathering in January 2012
A Forge Residency is a one year journey designed to connect the resident to the resources, people and learning necessary to equip and encourage him/her to live and lead on mission in his/her local context.
Now is the time to read through the Residency Details and Apply !
ABOUT US
Forge Chicago seeks to foster key paradigm shifts necessary to stimulate a distinctive missional theology, discipleship and church in the Chicago area. Find out why and how we do that:
Forge was founded in Australia by Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things to Come with Michael Frost. Forge came to America and specifically to Chicago in 2010.
We are driven by five key educational philosophies:
The Church in the Western context is in crisis. The statistics are alarming: in the last fifty years the church has experienced a position of trended decline right across the Western world.
It is estimated that the prevailing models of evangelistic churches at their best can reach 40% of the American population. But probably 90% of evangelical churches spend the majority of their time and resources improving these models of church and vying for the same 40%. There is a great need to develop a new way of mission and church in the 60%. This is precisely what Forge exists to do. Forge aims to focus its energy on developing leadership that can understand the missional challenge adn proactively develop strategies, approaches, and teams to be able to take the church onto new and uncharted ground.
Forge brings together denominations, networks, seminaries and faith communities of all kinds as it trains people to live on mission, lead missional communities and create missional movements.
Forge Chicago offers multiple venues for training including, but not limited to:
There are several principles and practices that ensure a culture within Forge that aligns with our mission and Educational Philosophy:
ONE YEAR FORGE RESIDENCY
The Forge Residency is our main training venue. As a Forge Resident you experience one year of missional leadership formation as you receive coaching, practical education and journey with other practitioners from your region in a learning cohort. It is designed for those who already have full-time emploment and want to be trained for mission in his/her local context.
Video of Michael Frost
describing the Residency
After the Residency, a Forge Resident will have:
InfoPacketCoverLetter.pdf
2011 Residency Details.pdf
Forge Residency Application 2011.pdf
SPECIAL EVENTS
Periodically Forge Chicago hosts events highlighting a local or national speaker. These events give exposure to the type of training one would receive during a Forge Chicago Residency, as well as provide an opportunity for local leaders to learn from some of the best voices on missional theology and practice.
NO EVENTS CURRENTLY
FORGE CHICAGO TEAM
Eric Lerew, Director
eric_forgechicago.com
www.ericlerew.com
Eric grew up in Michigan and attended college at Ferris State University. After a powerful encounter with God he started following Jesus and introducing his fellow students to Christ. As his friends' lives were changed, there was no doubt what he wanted to do. He is still passionate about helping people experience the authentic Jesus of the Bible and works with churches and leaders to start communities among those who would never consider attending a traditional church. In addition to being the Forge Chicago Diretor, he is an elder and missional coach at Fusion Church in Lake Zurich, IL after stepping down from his role as Lead Pastor in October 2011.
Hannah Seppanen, Associate Director
hannahseppanen_forgeamerica.com
Hannah has a heart to help the Church move beyond itself and follow Jesus outside its walls. This desire sparked in high school when she worked with a church in the inner city of Detroit that planted itself in a neighborhood, bringing God's Kingdom restoration to the people who lived there. This and many other experiences gave her glimpses of the Church being missional and hope for what Church could be. She serves as the Associate Director of Forge Chicago and is an elder in her local faith community, Fusion Church .
Roland Kuhl
rgkuhl_sbcglobal.net
www.imissional.org
Roland is Lead Pastor of North Suburban Mennonite Church in Libertyville, IL. Roland has pastored churches in Canada and the United States and has engaged learners to think missionally at numerous seminaries including Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary where he served in administrative and faculty positions. He writes a blog entitled Missional Matters and a missional resource website at www.imissional.org .
Mark & Katrina Willis
godgrown_gmail.com
www.godgrown.net
Mark longs to see a vibrant family of Jesus Christ in close reach, culturally and geographically, to every person in Chicagoland. He completed a Masters of Divinity degree at the Graduate School of Theology with Abilene Christian University in early 2008. He has been working either on staff with church groups or cultivating simple expressions of church families since 2001. Currently, Mark works as a missionary in Chicago. He is known for his strength in connecting, coaching and encouraging Christians throughout the region.
Katrina partners with Mark and delivers creative services out of her studio in Chicago. She completed a BFA from ACU in 2005. Just after graduation, she began serving in higher education with the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning. While there, she applied her creative project management experience and developed deeply with the team in Design Thinking to discover and implement innovative practices in higher education. She is known for her loyalty, her high quality hand-made portraits and her fresh websites.
Troy Cady
troybcady_gmail.com
www.twitter.com/asimpleprayer
troymarbles.blogspot.com
Troy is a coach to church planters, a team builder, an actor/director, a writer (sort of), a father, a husband and an air-guitarist. He spent twelve years in Europe church planting with Christian Associates and is currently perfecting the art of frying eggs. He hopes he never gets too serious and his dog stops eating used tissues. Read his blog at troymarbles.blogspot.com and his daily prayers on Twitter.
CONTACT FORGE CHICAGO
General Contact Information:
info_forgechicago.com
847.476.2355
Mailing Address:
Forge Chicago
PO Box 592
Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Connect Online:
HANNAH'S NEWSLETTERS
Thanks for taking the time to read my latest newsletter! Please also read a letter from the Fusion Leadership about their perspective on the upcoming changes in my life.
Oct 11 Newsletter.pdf
Letter from Fusion Leadership.pdf
Archived Newsletters:
May 2011 Newsletter.pdf
August 2010 Newsletter.pdf
INFO GATHERINGS
We invite you to gather with other risk-takers in your area to connect and also find out more about the Forge Residency. Here are details for gatherings coming up in the next month:
Chicago
Tuesday, August 2nd, 7-9 pm
Overflow Coffee Bar
1550 S State St
Chicago, IL 60605
Directions
Northwest Suburbs
Monday, August 15th, 7-9 pm
The Relationship Center
109 S Main St
Wauconda, IL 60084
Northwest Indiana
Details Coming Soon...
West Suburbs
Helping to & the Missional Church
If you're on mission,
we'd like to journey with you!
Michael Frost
What is Forge?
Forge Mission Training Network founded by Alan Hirsch seeks to be a midwife to the missional church, helping give birth to the missional church anywhere it is appearing.
