Leadership is about teaching people how to process life biblically.
Dr. Dwight Peterson - WILD Director
Multi-Level Leadership Institute
A multi-level leadership institute, W.I.L.D. was established in 1984 initially to train youth pastors how to use the wilderness as a tool to grow their students. We quickly learned the transferability of the curriculum made it a powerful tool for developing leadership across disciplines. From ministry professionals to business leaders, thousands of W.I.L.D alumni are spread across the globe investing the dynamic tool set gained from W.I.L.D. into their organizations, their families and their own aggressive learning processes.
W.I.L.D. is built around the GROW System, our 4-level discipleship curriculum that grows leaders from the inside out… teaching them to leverage their own aggressive learning process into opportunities to impact the world around them by investing in others, with or without a traditional role.
We also partner with colleges and universities to offer college and graduate courses for credit in the context of W.I.L.D, exploding both the potential value of W.I.L.D to the participant and focusing the curriculum into a more structured and intentional format.
Individual Enrollment*
$525 pp
*Students that enroll for credit pay ONLY tuition to the Pilgrimage partner school at which they are enrolled. The school will pay the cost of W.I.L.D. to Pilgrimage from the tuition dollars paid by the student.
Organizational Enrollment**
2-5 Participants: $475 pp
6-9 Participants: $450 pp
10+ Participants: $420 pp
**Organizational discounts are available for WILD attendees from the same organization that register for the same WILD week. We believe in the exponential increase in integrative value cross-referencing provides when multiple students return from WILD
-- Level 1: Germinating --
Engaging the Spiritual Growth Process
Anchored by the Learning Cycle and the Transformation Model, the Level 1 curriculum is specifically targeted to grow and hone one’s eyes and ears for the work of God in one’s own spiritual development and learning processes. The effective leader must first be an active learner.
-- Level 2: Reproducing --
Relating for Spiritual Impact
In Level 2, the curriculum kicks the Learning Cycle up a notch into what we call the Ministry Cycle. This becomes a model for using the same core process as a tool for ministry that is not role-based and is on an individual (as opposed to group) level. The effective leader must first learn to invest their learning in others without the leverage of a formal role. Also includes FORMS (initiating meaningful conversations) and OIC (developing meaningful conversations).
-- Level 3: Outfitting --
Equipping Reproducers
The Level 3 curriculum builds a philosophy of role-based leadership on skills for enabling and growing effective Level 2 leaders. It introduces the Shepherding Cycle and CAST (integrative Bible study) while targeting increased skill with FORMS and OIC. We also introduce group leadership responsibilities to the dynamic. The effective leader must learn to intentionally develop next-generation leaders, not just followers of an agenda.
-- Level 4: Widening --
Cultivating a Culture of Growth
At Level 4, the primary aim is to develop, mobilize and mentor Level 3 leaders. This concept of mobilization sets itself apart from the management of multiple tiers of organizational bureaucracy. Our focus is on a model of multi-level ministry development that seeks to launch leaders who will launch others into productive ministry by embedding the approach into the culture of their organization.
WILD Leadership Philosophy
Dr. Dwight Peterson, WILD Director, introduces the Pilgrimage philosophy and approach to multi-level leadership development in the context of our Wilderness Institute for Leadership Development.
Participants can enroll with one of the following accredited partner schools for undergraduate or graduate courses designed to leverage the Wilderness Institute experience as the foundational course content.
If you are not already an enrolled student at a Pilgrimage partner school, you may enroll as a guest student. Upon course completion, you may transfer the course to your school of choice. Before enrolling for credit, verify with your school how the course you choose will transfer... whether it will fill a spot that moves you closer to graduation.
Students that enroll for credit with Pilgrimage partner schools only pay course tuition. The school will cover the event cost for WILD.
Undergraduate
Introduction to Accelerated Learning (3 credits)
Wilderness Leadership (3 credits)
Leading in Active Learning Environments (3 credits)
Graduate
Leading in Active Learning Environments (3 credits)
Organizations as Learning Communities (3 credits)
Post-Graduate
Developing Leadership Within the Organization (3 credits)