FAQs | ECM

COHORT FAQs

How is the ECM Cohort organized?

This graphic shows how a parish team is assigned to a coach and then grouped together with other parish teams into a cohort.

What are the prerequisites for a parish Team being accepted into the ECM Cohort?

All Team participants must complete the ECM Online Course (Level 1) to be eligible for the Cohort (Level 2). Teams are composed of 3-6 ministry leaders and key parishioners, including clergy and young adults.

Not sure who you should include on your Team and ask to complete the course? We are happy to prayerfully walk you through the process. Contact us or apply today.

What if my parish has more than 6 people who have completed the Online Course and want to be on a Team?

While we limit the Team to 6 people, it is wonderful and vital that more people than the core Team care about ECM. These additional people can be a bridge to helping transform ministry parish wide. We encourage Teams to include parishioners who have also completed the Online course in their Team Meeting W/out Coach.

What does a typical month in the ECM Cohort look like?

A typical month for Team participants is listed below. All trainings and meetings are virtual over except where noted:

Week 1: Summit or Webinar (all ECM Cohort participants)
Week 2: In-Person Team Meeting (without Coach), Reflection Homework due
Week 3: Cohort meeting
Week 4: Team meeting (with Coach), Applied Project due

How much time can participants expect to devote to the ECM Cohort?

Every ECM Cohort runs from September to May. Parishes and ministry organizations apply the year before the start of their ECM Cohort to have time to prepare, pray, and work through through the Level 1 prerequisite, the ECM Online Course.

During the actual Cohort, participants will meet 3-4 times a month, with a typical weekly time commitment of around 1-2 hours. Saturday Summit are from 11am-4pm ET. Webinars and Cohort Meetings run from 8:15pm to 9:15pm ET.

How are Coaches assigned?

Your Coach is a trained facilitator who will offer encouragement and support as your Team and Cohort prayerfully work through this transformational process. We pair up Teams with Coaches prayerfully, considering parish characteristics and time zone.