KINGDOM COLLABORATION
Students
Mentors
Faculty
Partners
Countries
Continents
Through our innovative and empowering approaches to partnership, we have developed a first-of-its-kind platform for theological education on which kingdom-minded organizations from around the world work together to develop contextually appropriate journeys of theological education that are affordable, accessible, relevant, and faithful.
Since its inception, the network has created amazing new opportunities for collaboration.
Through an innovative educational philosophy, revolutionary financial model, and student-centered operating practices, the network has expanded to include individuals spread out across six continents, dozens of ministry training organizations and seminaries, and hundreds of churches, nonprofits, and businesses. Currently the network includes educational programs in Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese.
A key aspect of this network is the Kairos Project, a fresh expression of theological education designed around context, community, and customization. As a philosophy of education that empowers the student, the Kairos Project creates new opportunities for integrating competency-based theological education, experiential learning, and traditional learning experiences. Because it opens the door to new ways of thinking about the development journey for students, Kairos enables schools, churches, ministries, and businesses to work together in extraordinary ways
The Kairos network is rooted in the biblical principle of collaboration that we see in 1 Corinthians 3:9. We are mere “co-workers in God’s service.” The focus is on working with others to make known the Kingdom of God.
With collaboration as a guiding principle and a desire to ensure education is affordable, accessible, relevant, and faithful, participants in the network are committed to embodying values through a common set of practices. This way of being creates a vibrant system of theological education.
The practices are:
We work together because partnership and collaboration are essential aspects of Christian community. Competition has no place in the Kingdom of God. Members of this network do not worry about maintaining a competitive advantage or growth at the expense of relationships.
In order to work together, we must be willing to share information with each other openly. What one partner learns is shared freely with others.
By sharing the resources God has entrusted to us, we extend the reach and impact of our work. Rather than creating “walled-off” systems we control, we create a collaborative environment that wisely stewards God’s resources.
The educational journey is measured by movement toward outcomes rather than the accumulation of credits. While collaborators in the Network may use the credit hour for a variety of traditional purposes, we are committed to creative ways of reducing the power of the credit hour in measuring or documenting learning.
Theological education flows from the local church rather than being something handed down to it. Rather than creating a bridge between the academy and the church, the Network integrates the church and the academy in new and life-giving ways so that both are edified in the process.
Discipleship is not something that happens in a strictly linear fashion, which means theological education must find ways to embrace the inherently organic nature of discipleship. At its core, theological education is an intense journey of discipleship and must be equally as organic.
A great benefit of the Network is the opportunity for integrated and game-changing innovation. Each of us sees the need for continued innovation and all of us have the opportunity to learn from each other along the way.
Technology is seen as an important tool in the development of people and in the operational structures of institutions. Members of the network are always looking for ways to enhance and optimize processes and experiences through the use of leading technology. Through collaboration we are able to decrease the cost of such technology.
As a Network, we engage in an ongoing process of continuous improvement which requires ongoing change, development, and assessment. This means partners can expect change to take place and should be ready to give voice to how the Network could improve.
Partners embrace a posture of humility. While partners may hold particular theological views and may seek to work within particular contexts or people groups, all of which is very important, all partners practice theological and communal hospitality while encouraging those they serve to do the same.
Members of the Kairos Network typically fall within one of four categories: Legacy, Integrated, Collaborating, and Operating.
Legacy partners are institutions that have ceded management and governance to Kairos University. Like a school within a university or brand within a larger company, legacy partners become part of Kairos University. Their heritage, unique identity, and stakeholders are preserved. Legacy partners join Kairos because they feel the best way to fulfill their mission is to partner with a community committed to a similar vision.
Integrated partners are an increasingly common partner in Kairos. They leverage most aspects of Kairos while continuing to be separate legal entities with their own governance, institutional authority, and management structures.
The most common partner in the Kairos Network, Collaborating Partners work with the Network in several different ways ranging from sharing courses, degrees, and human resources to leveraging the Kairos Project to provide affordable, accessible, and accredited journeys of education built around the unique expertise of the partner. Many options exist within this category which means an organization’s participation in the Kairos Network can often be customized to fit its needs.
Finally, Operational Partners are related to many of the back-office functions of education. In some cases, it means sharing costs with another organization or working together to provide a service to students. In other cases, it means finding ways to reduce costs by sharing services or software packages.