Using Porterbrook Learning material in your church
There are two methods for using Porterbrook Learning material: Local Groups and Learning Sites. Which one you choose for your church will depend on the resources you have available, and how much you are able to put into running a training programme.
Local Groups are a great option for churches who want to select a module or a set of modules from a stream to study together. Local Groups are essentially churches or small groups who go through Porterbrook Learning modules together at their own pace. This method of study is a great option for churches looking for low-maintenance in-house training. Local Groups are great places to test out the material if you are thinking of one day running a Learning Site.
Learning Sites are more like schools. They are not closed to just one local church, but are opened up to the entire region and advertised on the website. Learning Sites are part of the Porterbrook Network co-operative which means the full Porterbrook Learning curriculum is available to them, and they can contribute material themselves which then also becomes accessible to the co-operative. Learning Sites set the agenda for how the course is run, whether that be distance learning, lectures, or seminars.
Porterbrook Network provides Learning Sites with all of the material in PDF format for issuing to students, and in word docs for editing. We also provide logos and other material and information which Learning Sites are free to use. Decisions about the way Learning Sites run their course, the fees charged to students, and marketing is all up to the Learning Site.
There is no fee for joining the co-operative and being given access to the material. Learning Sites are simply asked for 20% of income generated to be donated centrally to put back into developing the material, the website, and for other central administration costs.