Brazos Societies are Ruled Communities that function as small renewal cells within the Church, inviting young adults to go deeper in their faith and become rooted for a lifetime.
|
THE STORY:
In 2022, Brazos Fellows' leadership was asked by a group of visionary Anglicans to begin thinking about how to equip other churches around the country to create and sustain similar faith-formation models in their own contexts. The Lord's hand seemed to be in the work, and The Brazos Societies Project was born. THE VISION: The Brazos Societies Project seeks to inspire and empower Anglican churches to establish communities of young adults who will discern their vocation as lifelong followers of Jesus and grow to maturity as members of the church by participating together in four foundational spiritual practices: common prayer, shared meals, theological study, and sabbath rest. |
THE BIGGER PARTNERSHIP:
In December 2025, the Lilly Endowment gave a $10 million grant to Trinity Anglican Seminary to launch an Anglican Formation Network (AFN). The AFN will work in concert with the ACNA and a handful of partner institutions to develop a strategic plan for forming mature, qualified leaders who will serve the church for years to come. As one of the partner institutions in the AFN, the Brazos Society Project will help the ACNA develop its approach to leadership formation of young adults. Now more than ever, the various institutions across our province (including dioceses, college ministries, parishes, institutes and training centers, and seminaries) must coordinate our efforts to raise up theologically and spiritually mature leaders. It is our conviction that local Anglican parishes must and will be a key part of this pipeline; Future leaders will best serve the church if key moments in their discernment and formation take place in their local parish. Toward that end, The Brazos Society Project has been providing resources and coaching to help churches develop their own discernment programs centered around foundational spiritual practices. Now, in partnership with the AFN, and thanks to the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, we plan to launch at least ten Brazos Societies across the ACNA during the next five years.
In December 2025, the Lilly Endowment gave a $10 million grant to Trinity Anglican Seminary to launch an Anglican Formation Network (AFN). The AFN will work in concert with the ACNA and a handful of partner institutions to develop a strategic plan for forming mature, qualified leaders who will serve the church for years to come. As one of the partner institutions in the AFN, the Brazos Society Project will help the ACNA develop its approach to leadership formation of young adults. Now more than ever, the various institutions across our province (including dioceses, college ministries, parishes, institutes and training centers, and seminaries) must coordinate our efforts to raise up theologically and spiritually mature leaders. It is our conviction that local Anglican parishes must and will be a key part of this pipeline; Future leaders will best serve the church if key moments in their discernment and formation take place in their local parish. Toward that end, The Brazos Society Project has been providing resources and coaching to help churches develop their own discernment programs centered around foundational spiritual practices. Now, in partnership with the AFN, and thanks to the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, we plan to launch at least ten Brazos Societies across the ACNA during the next five years.
|
THE SOCIETIES:
In 2024, two pilot societies launched: one in La Mirada, CA and one in Holland, MI. Presently two more churches are working toward launching societies in Fall 2026, and a dozen more are considering a future launch date. Each partner church creates its own name for its local society and customizes the details of the Rule of Life to its own context, retaining the core of what makes a Brazos Society transformational. We are actively seeking to partner with churches who are drawn to exploring this discipleship model. Please contact us to start a conversation! OUR APPROACH: The Brazos Societies Project operates on a gift model; there is no cost associated with becoming a Brazos Society. Just as Brazos Fellows exists because of the generosity of our supporters, so also we wish to give away this model to those whom it would serve. We hope each Brazos Society, in time, will do the same and 'plant' another society in a sister church. |
|
WHAT WE OFFER:
We have put together some start-up resources we'd love to share, and we offer free one-on-one coaching as well as a community of support for those beginning this work. The first step is learning more about the model and forming a discernment group in your church to pray about whether starting a society is a fit for you at this time.
We have put together some start-up resources we'd love to share, and we offer free one-on-one coaching as well as a community of support for those beginning this work. The first step is learning more about the model and forming a discernment group in your church to pray about whether starting a society is a fit for you at this time.
