The Porterbrook Network

What is Porterbrook Duluth?

Porterbrook Duluth is a rich theological training program that helps Christians learn how to serve Jesus and his people better — whether they are church leaders, church planters, or everyday Christians wanting to deepen their theological understanding and become more mission-focused. The programs are flexible and are designed to be integrated with your actual life in whatever context you’re serving.

At its core, Porterbrook Duluth is a two-year church-based theological training program. It is biblical, practical, relational, contextual, accessible, flexible and affordable. The structure is built around a monthly course module where we process through 4 different key areas of ministry and theology: Character, Bible and Doctrine, Church, and World.  We take 9 unit self-study courses and process through them using a monthly gathering, online community support around the world, relational dialogue with 2-3 others from your church context, and strategic assignments that help you fully grasp the material.

Who is it for?

Church planters, pastors, missional community leaders, aspiring leaders, and Christians desiring theological and missiological formation. Porterbrook Duluth is ‘theology for everyone’.

Learning Philosophy

Let’s face it, most of us have a desire to learn. But we often find it hard to commit the time and focus required for traditional degree programs. And though self-study programs have become popular, they require a degree of discipline and motivation that many of us just don’t have. We believe the hybrid approach of a supported learning community is the solution. In this approach, a basic self-study curriculum is supported by a monthly relational dialogue over the material with one or two fellow students, an online community network, and a monthly half day gathering to bring it all together.  We believe this structure will help you stay on track, apply your learning to your particular context, and benefit from community with other students who are applying the same material. The program requires 25-30 pages of reading and about 5 hours of study each week.

For Churches and Christians Throughout Northern Minnesota

Rock Hill Community Church hosts and oversees the Learning Site for Porterbrook Duluth – which means we’re responsible for administering the program and delivering the content in a way that’s consistent with the Porterbrook Network’s aims and goals. But the beauty of Porterbrook is that you are responsible to apply it to your own context. If you can gather 3-4 people from your church or geographic area who want to participate, you can form your own cohort and focus on applying the material to your ministry and mission. This makes Porterbrook a “one-size-fits-all” sort of program. You’ll get the benefit of historically rich, biblically sound, gospel-centered and mission-driven content, along with the flexibility and freedom to work out that content in your particular God-given ministry.

If you are a church leader who’s interested in partnering with us to train and equip your own leaders, we are happy to help you create local church-based learning cohorts of your own. Please contact us.

Pricing

 Fees for the program are $600 per year, which includes all course content, all seminar fees and instructional costs, and a delicious lunch on the monthly seminar days. Yep, that’s just $1200 for a full two-year theological education program! Limited scholarships are available for those with financial need. Fees are due every four months ($200) when receiving your study materials.

2011 Calendar