You’re doing ministry that doesn’t fit the boxes.
Maybe you’re a chaplain, a church consultant, a podcast host, a church planter. Maybe you’re ou’re pastoring a traditional congregation - but finding ‘Cage Free’ ways to share ministry together. Maybe you’re doing all of this at once!
You ARE a pioneer!
You see the changes in the church and you’re already responding!
The cost of being early: you’re working without a map. And often without a net. It’s lonely.
Substack Seminary is where we provide the tools - and the colleagues - to help build both the map and the net.
Here’s how:
(Most) weekly articles on Future of Church themes (available to all subscribers).
Paid subscribers join us for (fun and lively) Conversation, live streamed (most) Thursdays at 3:30pm Eastern.
Participants (‘Enrolled’ subscribers - subscribing at the founding level) join us for a year-long collaborative workshop, with rolling admission by Quarters.
What we do at Substack Seminary
Substack Seminary runs in Quarters — four per year (each quarter lasts for an intensive seven weeks), each built around a single theme.
New enrollees are admitted at the start of each Quarter, and each participant cycles through all four Quarters no matter where they begin.
There are about three weeks between each Quarter - participants still have access to the community space and there will still be livestreams, but everyone gets some breathing room.
During a Quarter, the weekly rhythm looks like this:
Monday: You’ll receive an email with the week’s topic and questions to consider about your own ministry. You’ll also get a weekly form to share your thoughts and questions with us — you’ll get a copy too — and to keep track of your interactions.
Wednesday: A blog post on the week’s topic goes out to all subscribers - free, paid, and enrolled.
Thursday, 3:30pm Eastern: We host a livestream on the topic with our Guest Practitioner and one other member of the leadership team. (Livestreams are available to paid subscribers and enrollees.)
Once a month, we run a deeper-dive livestream featuring a participant’s ministry - either inviting them on live or using their work as a case study.All week: Enrolled participants have access to the community space hosted by Free Range Priest - for conversation, resources, and connecting with other members.
Ministry partners: We’ll introduce you to one or a few other participants to be your support group during the Quarter.
We encourage you to meet at least twice - to share your homework, and to talk honestly about how things are going in your ministry, and receive helpful advice and critiques that might need to be addressed..
Your participation
We’re building a space for collaboration and support, so we’re asking you to participate actively:
Like/comment on blog posts and livestreams.
Engage in the group chat on Church Center.
Share posts from Substack Seminary, and tag us from your own Substack.
Fill out the weekly topic form - this tracks your answers week by week and sends you a running copy so you’re building your own ministry roadmap as you go. It also tracks your participation.
Meet with your partner/small group.
Sign - and abide by - the Substack Seminary Covenant.
You earn points for participation. Complete a Quarter and you earn a token. Four tokens - one per Quarter - means you’ve completed a full year of Substack Seminary. There will be prizes!
Community events:
Once a month, we run a slightly longer livestream spotlighting one member’s ministry, either inviting them on live or doing a case study of their work. This is where the community gets to see each other’s callings in action.
Once a year, we celebrate together. One big Google Meet — the whole Seminary, all Quarters, all cohorts!
Writing for Substack Seminary
Participants who are ready can pitch an article with a Substack Seminary byline: highlighting their ministry, their learnings, or their take on the Future of Church.
They may also be invited to participate in the live stream Substack Seminary Conversations.
This is where collaboration and networking meet development and training.
Ready to be all-in?
Upgrade to the Founder level (‘Enrollment’) and become a Substack Seminary Participant, and join the year-long development, networking, and training community for ministers.
We take on one theme per Quarter and admit new enrollees four times a year on rolling Quarters (so if you start at Q2, you’ll get Quarters 2, 3, 4, then 1, and so on…)
During the Quarters - we’ll have weekly topics, homework, check-in with your ministry partner(s), and chats.
When the year is through you’ll have built your own roadmap for your ‘Cage Free’ ministry - and be part of a community that’s building the Future of Church - together.