FRESH START_^® CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Fresh Start™ is comprised of modules to be used in group settings, formatted in PowerPoint for easy customization at the diocesan level; accompanying resources for clergy in new positions and for lay leaders in their congregations (both versions are entitled “Fresh Start in Your Congregation”); and extensive resources to help facilitators design and plan a Fresh Start program. Topics to be covered may be selected to meet the needs, interests and skills of a particular group of participants. The modules are available in both print and electronic formats, with new material posted on the Fresh Start web site as it becomes available.

Four modules are considered "Core". Three of these modules cover the three underlying principles upon which Fresh Start’s content is based: the theory of transition (“Transition”), the importance of relationship-building (“History-Sharing and Understanding”), and the need for self-care (“Family and Friends: Leading an Integrated Life”). The fourth, “Entering a New System” provides guidance on how to effectively become part of a new congregation.

The remaining modules offer a broad range of topics to stimulate learning and discussion. Some of the subjects addressed are based on theoretical models of topics such as leadership, conflict management, decision-making, and church size. Others provide a structured way to look at roles and expectations, while the remaining ones focus on relationships and self-care. These topics are meant to be a launching pad for conversation among participants in a diocesan Fresh Start group. While the modules introduce and impart important subject matter, it is the sharing among participants that creates a true learning community.

To be called Fresh Start, a diocesan program must meet the following standards:

• Be delivered and overseen by an individual trained through the national training program;
• Have a diocesan coordinator who maintains an on-going relationship with the national program, staying up-to-date on materials and supporting evaluations, etc.;
• Use Fresh Start material and methods;
• Offer the Transition module; and
• Be supported by the Bishop.

A clergy Fresh Start program is intended to include the newly ordained, clergy new to the diocese, first-time rectors and first-time assistants. Non-parochial clergy, vocational deacons, any clergy new to position, interims, priests-in-charge, and others are frequently included as well. To be called Fresh Start a clergy program must meet the above standards and:

• Involve the Bishop in at least one session with participants;
• Have clergy participation be considered a priority by the Bishop;
• Be designed as a series of periodic sessions offered over the course of at least one year.

As dioceses use the Fresh Start curriculum, they continually adapt the material to their unique needs. Feedback to the national program provides ongoing assessment of the curriculum and identifies the need for modifications or expansion of the topics.