Core Team Orientation

This course is designed so that approved City Leaders who have done the Interest level course can share their knowledge of Serve the City with potential Core Team members. (It may also be used by established City Leaders to orient new Core Team or Board members.)  It contains some of the same basic lessons as the Interest level course, with modules on Distinctives of Serve the City, and Serve the City Structure and Practice.

Core Teams should expect to:

• Go through the lessons at the same pace. This could be done either individually online or together as a group in person. It is recommended that students watch the lesson videos and then read back over the lesson text to review. (In some cases the videos  are different from the lesson text — these are indicated). All the lessons can easily be done in a one-month time frame.
• Discuss pertinent topics using the questions at the end of each lesson. This may either be done together face-to-face as a group, or online in a conference call, after having finished each lesson or module. Alternatively, the City Leader may choose to set up an online forum to discuss topics.
• Download the documents for future use and discussion. The modules are based on pertinent documents that each Core Team member should keep for personal reference.
• Do a Warm-Up Serve together. This is a simple project that the team members will do to gain experience, to build their relationships, and perhaps to begin to develop partnerships for the future.
• By the end of the course, each person decides whether or not they will commit to the Core Team for the next phase of Starting. This is usually a one year initial commitment—though we would hope that most will find their STC participation compelling enough to continue for longer than that!

City Leaders should let their Network Coordinator or National Director know when their Core Team group starts and finishes this course, and has done at least one Warm-Up Serve.