What is a cohort?

The SOULNET movement is a growing network of "cohorts" that seep into the very fabric of society to inspire social and spiritual transformation. Here's more on what cohorts are and what they do:

COHORTS
cohort |ˈkōˌhôrt| |ˌkoʊˈhɔrt| |ˌkəʊhɔːt|
noun
1 [treated as sing. or pl. ] an ancient Roman military unit, comprising six centuries, equal to one tenth of a legion.
2 [treated as sing. or pl. ] a group of people banded together or treated as a group : a cohort of civil servants patiently drafting legislation.
• a group of people with a common statistical characteristic : the 1940–44 birth cohort of women.
3 a supporter or companion.
• an accomplice or conspirator : his three cohorts each had pled guilty.
ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French cohorte, or from Latin cohors, cohort- ‘yard, retinue.’ Compare with court .

What is a cohort in the SOULNET movement?
A cohort is a small group of people who meet for the purpose of inspiring and encouraging one another to live under the Lordship of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. They are committed to the practices of worship, discipleship, and mission.

Where do cohorts meet?
Cohorts can meet anywhere, anytime as long as the environment allows for fulfilling the purpose of the cohort.

Who makes up a cohort?
At its barest minum, a cohort consists of at least 3 people: a host, a facilitator, an information manager. These make up the 3 basic functional leadership roles of a cohort. You can assume that these functions can be fulfilled by even 1 or 2 people. But it’s best to have a minimum of 3 people to start a cohort so that the experience can be that much richer.

What do cohorts do?
When a cohort gathers they are committed to doing three things:
1. Worship: Cohorts can use a variety of means through which they can connect with God. The goal is to create an awareness of God’s presence in the group. This can happen through sharing communion and/or singing and praying, thanks-giving, reading personal poems, listening to a worship cd etc.
2. Discipleship: Cohorts inspire and encourage each other to live under the Lordship of Jesus by the power of the Spirit. This is facilitated by a series of core discussion questions(a):

[1] What do you feel God is doing in your life this week?
[2] What particular challenges have you faced or are facing this week? How can we apply the gospel in this?
[3] If any, share what God has been showing you in the Bible this week(b).
[4] How can we pray for you today?

(a) Cohorts can ask each other any one or all of the first 3 questions but should always ask question [4] and pray for one another. The goal is to discover and encourage what God is already doing in the lives of each cohort member and then celebrating that and/or applying the gospel to it.
(b) A Bible reading program can be implemented by the each cohort. A suggested reading schedule can come from the leadership cohort.

3. Mission: Cohorts should organize around a specific mission to demonstrate Jesus’ compassion, justice, and mercy. Examples of this are: volunteering in a local soup kitchen, visiting shut-ins, collecting and distributing clothes for the homeless, collecting toys for sick children etc.

**When a new person joins a cohort, they will be paired up with a learning coach to walk them through this new and exciting experience as a follower of Jesus. The learning coach models what following Jesus means and seeks to guide and encourage new people in the ways of Christ (worship, prayer, meditation, serving, and participation in the cohort).

Cohorts are based around these 5 Organizing Principles or Ways of Being:
1. Be active: Learn by doing and reflecting.
2. Be responsible: Take responsibilty for the mission and self-organize.
3. Be involved: Stay on mission by being involved in the cohort, celebrations, and community.
4. Be gracious: Include new people and expand each group.
5. Be genuine: Connect, discover, and encourage one another.