hero default image
Lifelong learning programs—continuing education, peer cohorts, non-degree programs, and the like—aim to meet people’s desire for fresh insight and improved skill sets in a time of rapid change.
Helen Blier is president of the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry (ALLLM) and director of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary. This Q&A is adapted from a March 2024 Compelling Preaching grantee gathering workshop.
All grantees are engaged in the business of lifelong learning.
They’re doing cohorts and non-degree education and continuing education—and all of that is lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is how we continue to feed people’s curiosity, need for connection, and desire to improve their skill sets, whether or not we formalize it.
I think the accent on lifelong learning is more pronounced today because the preparation degree programs offer for a practical art like ministry can never cover everything a minister will need to know.
Life is changing more rapidly than ever, so there’s a constant need to pivot and rely on each other for wisdom in navigating what we’re called to do.
And we find now that lifelong learning opportunities for people doing ministry have become as varied as the locations of ministries themselves.
Last winter, the Association of Theological Schools published enrollment statistics for various degree programs in its member schools.
The MDiv has been in steady decline since 2004–05, and between fall 2022 and fall 2023, MDiv enrollments dropped 5%.
But this data has a bright spot: non-degree programs—lifelong learning.
We’re seeing a proliferation of these programs. ALLLM, the association I represent, has been digging into the qualities and characteristics of lifelong learning programs and their leaders.
Here are a few we’ve identified:
At its best, lifelong learning in traditional theological schools or other institutions can provide feedback back into the system to help create more resonance and relevance in the curricula and degree programs.
Developing and executing a sustainable lifelong learning program involves more than a dozen elements:
But I’ve got a secret for you.
These points are what ChatGPT spit out when I asked it to tell me how to develop and execute a sustainable lifelong learning program.
Why did I do this?
Because you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, there’s a lot of wisdom already out there that you can rely on. And that’s part of what lifelong learning does—it provides opportunities for people to draw on each other’s and their own wisdom.
Another reason I used this ChatGPT example is to remind you that plug-and-play doesn’t work alone.
AI-based resources give you a kickstart in thinking about your program.
But neither ChatGPT nor I can tell you how to build a perfectly sustainable program in your unique context.
You take this as a starting point.
When designing and implementing a lifelong learning program, you must think about backward design—what’s the goal you want to start with?
You have to ask: Who’s your audience, and what are their particular needs? You have to ask questions about accessibility, what resources you have in-house, and what is and isn’t your job.
Four key points are worth digging into: mission, needs assessment, delivery methods, and infrastructure.
To build a sustainable and relevant program, you must start with the mission question: What are your goals? How does this intervention that you’re developing actually fit in? What are you trying to accomplish? What is your job?
I see many anxious institutions trying to scramble for things that are not their job and inconsistent with their mission.
You can’t use pricy certificate programs to bolster a dying MDiv program—you can’t leverage the institution’s financial stability on the back of the lifelong learning program.
If the institution is having that much financial difficulty, there are other things that you need to look at.
When asking yourself about your program’s mission, have your end in mind. Be super clear and realistic about what you’re trying to do. Mission alignment is crucial for sustainability.
What’s important to know about a needs assessment?
Ask yourself whether people actually want or need what you’re trying to offer. For example, if you’re offering a costly certificate program, have you determined whether anybody wants this from your institution?
In short, be clear on what problem you’re trying to address and who your audience or constituency is.
What should grantees ask themselves about delivery methods?
Think about your educational strategy: Is it a degree program? Is it a certificate? Is it online? In person? Is it synchronous and asynchronous? Think about who your intended participant pool is, and see how to create the most attractive, appropriate, and winsome point of access.
You also have to engage in good adult learning theory. What constitutes good adult learning? At least three things:
What about infrastructure?
I see a lot of folks trying to do impossible tasks in impossible situations. It’s common for an institution to have a degree program with 20 full-time faculty and a vast business and facilities infrastructure. And they get maybe 30 students a year.
Then, they have a lifelong learning program—a continuing education program—that is staffed by one person but reaches 500 people yearly.
The allocation of resources is often extremely uneven, along with sometimes competing economic models. You would never expect a degree program to be a profit-generating arm—because you’re a nonprofit, an educational institution.
So why do you have high financial expectations for this lifelong learning program, which is another way of fulfilling your institution’s educational mission?
Think about what infrastructure you are providing to make the program happen, and consider whether the people leading the effort are qualified to do the work and are adequately resourced.
Anything else to add?
Be realistic about your timeline. You must do a lot of fact-finding to do a good needs assessment and get a sense of how best to address your intended constituency.
And know what support you have in place to ensure sustainable development.
When planning for sustainability, you have to right-size your intended program based on what you’ll be able to support through the project’s lifespan.
Does that mean beginning to do some of the fundraising work? Does it mean governance changes at the institution so that this can be part of how it sees itself fulfilling its mission?
These are the high points to think about when developing a program.
A wonderful read for those working with clergy or training to be clergy is Caring for Clergy by Thad Austin and Katie Comeau.
My hot take from the book is twofold:
ALLLM is beginning to articulate best practices and characteristics of good lifelong learning programs and leaders. It provides opportunities for conversation, peer learning, support, and webinars.
The coordination program is grateful to Helen for sharing these insights. If you’d like to learn more about ALLLM’s resources and events, visit www.alllm.org. You’re also welcome to email questions to Helen at blierh@ctsnet.edu.
This article first appeared as a private blog post for Compelling Preaching Initiative grantees. Republished with permission.
