Over the past few years CCX has gathered its Pioneers in Learning Circles to support each other and grow in ministry. But what is a Learning Circle and how do you run one? Pioneer Enabler Phil Hoyle unpacks the structure and features of this unique process of learning through community.
By Phil HoyleApril 2022
As its name suggests, the aim of a ‘Learning Circle’ is for each participant to learn and – since there is no hierarchy in the group – for everyone to contribute to the teaching.
The best way to run a Learning Circle is to first go along to one and get the feel of it. As I describe it here, it will capture the nuts and bolts, but probably not the spirit. If you’d like to join a Learning Circle, email us.
Here is an overview of how a Learning Circle takes shape.
Practitioners
The first thing to note is that everyone who comes to the Learning Circle should be a practitioner. They don’t have to be a leader, or be very experienced, but they should be actively pioneering in some way. This is because Learning Circles are based on shared learning from experience.
Roles
A Learning Circle requires two roles – a host and a facilitator. These roles can be filled by the same person, but I would suggest the process is at its best when two people take on these two roles.
The Host
The host’s job is to set the session in the context of community – that means that everyone has had the opportunity to share food and conversation with each other and experienced hospitality.
This is key as, too often, we put learning in the context of ‘business meeting’ or ‘lecture setting’, whereas we think that learning between practitioners is best achieved as a community activity, gathered around a table.
The food need not be a full meal (though it can be), but we value the idea that at the centre of Christian faith is a meal, and that sharing food together is a real relationship developer.
After the group has eaten, still around the table, we would open up the circle for our time of learning.
The Facilitator
This is where the facilitator’s role comes into play. They are not the teacher, expert, or authority in the room – the word ‘facilitator’ simply means ‘a person who makes things easy’ and that is really their role.
The facilitator is there to keep conversation flowing, and to make sure that everyone gets to share.
The facilitator could be the same person each time, but I’d advise that it is a role which is passed around the members of the circle.
The Process
The facilitator invites the members of the circle to offer a live felt need or question that someone is wrestling with in their context – it may be an issue of resources, or relationship, it might be a point of theology or practice.
When someone brings the question or situation, they are invited to talk about it with everyone listening to them in an active way – that is, listening intently to what they are saying, the way they are saying it, and the words they use.
If there is more than one felt need, the facilitator can decide in which order to take them: one or two for the session is enough.
The facilitator will then invite people to contribute thoughts, ideas and relevant experiences that may help with the issue at hand.
Each person then shares as they feel led.
The facilitator, during the sharing, will be making sure that no one person speaks for too long. Each person should share their thought or experience without contradicting or criticising someone else’s contribution.
So, “I’ve found that..” is encouraged, as opposed to “I disagree with that…”.
If someone makes a point that is not obviously linked with the issue, the facilitator can ask in what way the sharer is relating their point to the issue at hand.
The initial sharer can join in the discussion as they wish, filling out detail or reflecting on what they’ve heard.
When the circle has finished sharing, the facilitator may want to recap some of the main points, or make links between what’s been said.
The facilitator then asks for a moment’s silence for everyone to reflect on what has been said, before inviting people to simply state an idea or phrase they heard in the discussion that was particularly helpful, challenging, or illuminating.
People can take notes if they wish – but confidentiality and anonymity are to be observed.
If there’s time, the facilitator can then open up the circle for another question from the group, or if not, the facilitator can choose to end the session with another moment of reflective silence, or a prayer.
In terms of implementation, the agreement in the Learning Circle is that ideas, experiences, and thoughts are shared openly, with no expectation that the initial sharer has to take them forward in their practice, and conversely, that the initial sharer understands that if they do follow a piece of advice it is their choice to do so, and the circle is not responsible for the outcome!
We’ve found that Learning Circles help our participants hear great ideas and address issues in their contexts, as well as empowering them to help others learn from their experience.
If you want to know more, contact pioneer@ccx.org.uk
