Synodal Leadership Formation

A new initiative, created in response to Pope Francis’ call for the universal Church to become a listening Church that practices synodality.

Pope Francis has “widened the tent” of leadership. We created this course in partnership with three other leading Church formation organizations to provide current and emerging Church leaders with access to the tools and resources to lead in a synodal way. We hope you will consider being part of this new initiative at Leadership Roundtable, created in response to Pope Francis’ call for the universal Church to become a listening Church that practices synodality.

The first cohort was underwritten by a foundation, allowing us to offer a full scholarship to 20 participants.

Course Overview

In this Synodal Leadership Formation course, you will gather with other Catholic leaders to engage in dialogue on six areas of leadership. You will have the opportunity to practice utilizing the principles of synodal leadership and learn how to apply spiritual discernment in your decision-making. Additionally, you will experience synodality as an inclusive form of leadership and learn ways to integrate it into your ministry and organizational culture. The course will be co-facilitated by Fr. Kevin Kennedy, senior leadership director, and Lisa Metcalfe, director of services and programs, of Leadership Roundtable.

Desired Outcomes

Through the Synodal Leadership Formation course, participants will:

• Experience ways to lead through utilizing the principles of Encounter, Listening, Discernment, Participation, and Accountability
• Integrate principles of synodal leadership into their organizational leadership culture
• Experience this leadership formation and possibly replicate the curriculum within your own network.

Session Topics

• Introduction to Synodality — using the skills of synodality, including Encounter, Listening, Discernment, Participation, and Accountability
• Active Listening — understanding one another more fully through listening while withholding judgment
• Communal Discernment and Participatory Decision-Making — experiencing the movement of the Holy Spirit to guide our conversations in a group
• Paths to Transformation — becoming aware of our biases and assumptions for greater clarity in communication
• Adaptive Leadership — reflecting on how leaders can address complex challenges and create new ways of approaching them
• Building Bridges Across Diverse Communities — understanding the implications and the rich contribution of diversity and cultural differences

Participant Commitments

• Time — Six (6) two-hour online sessions and about two hours of preparation between sessions totaling 24 hours over 12 weeks, such as watching a video, reading an article, or keeping a journal.
• Preparation — Between sessions, you will be given an article to read (or a video to watch) and to write some notes about your experience of synodality.
• Engagement — Each two-hour session is an opportunity for discussion, prayer, and discernment. These sessions will be held online in a group setting and, as a participant, we ask that you contribute by reacting to the material, questions, and small group exercises. We ask you to also arrive at the Zoom session on time and have a means of taking notes to use for different activities.
• Cost — There is no cost to participate, thanks to the generous support of a Catholic foundation, which has underwritten the course. As a participant, we ask that your contribution be a commitment to attend no less than five of the six sessions and a willingness to provide feedback about your experience.

Course Dates/Times

Dates and times for future cohorts are not yet available. Check back soon!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Fr. Kevin Kennedy at kevin@leadershiproundtable.org.