Every work of renewal
begins with a dream...
What dreams do you have?
OVERVIEW
We take seriously the reality that we have a God who speaks to us, and who gives us dreams of His Kingdom so that we might cultivate this world in ways that reflect His character and embody His glory. And we have seen first-hand the power of a community that shares this common vision and passionately collaborates toward that end, enlivened by the Spirit—the very breath of God. We are bringing people together to cultivate their ideas in a community that seeks the Spirit’s renewing power to turn dreams into reality.
The Dream Forum invites and encourages people to bring forth their ideas, their dreams, their visions. Through a process of curation by both qualified experts and the community as a whole, 8-12 individual Dreamers will be selected to form four-person “Dream Pods”, together receiving access to potential funding, as well as connections and resources to spur one another on and move from idea to the appropriate subsequent stage of development over the course of a communal 6-month journey.
And while the creation of the next world-shaping venture or thriving non-profit may be an outworking of this, it is not our primary goal. Rather, our hope is to encourage listening—listening to the Spirit of God, in community, as He invites us to take up the calling we’ve received—a calling to reimagine and remake our world with love.
Hear more from our Dreamers first-hand: Why a Dream Forum? and #InsidetheDreamPod.
KEY INFORMATION
OBJECTIVES
Cultivate kingdom-inspired ideas focused on rebuilding and renewing diverse areas of society towards greater cultural flourishing.
Equip dreamers with resources and a community committed to unleashing the dreams they’ve received into this world.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
This Forum is open to anyone who is inspired by a dream to change our world for the better.
DREAM FORUM TEAM
Goldenwood in partnership with the Two Tunics Legacy Fund.
KEY DATES 2024
- Application Submission Deadline: Apr 30
- Dreamer Notification: May 6
- Dreamer Commitments Due: May 11
- Dream Pod Retreat (in-person, Princeton NJ): June 7-9*
- Dream Pod Monthlies (1.5 hours, Thurs eve 7:30-9p EST, virtual): July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12, Oct 10
- Two Trellis sessions (two-weeks of listening practices built into your daily routines): June 9-22 & Sept 29-Oct 12
- Dream Forum (virtual, multi-part event): Nov 7, 14 (RSVP)
* The opening in-person retreat will be held in Princeton, NJ and will be a required part of this year’s Dream Cultivation journey.
EVERY CITY NEEDS A “DECELERATOR”
While there are plenty of accelerator programs, this “decelerator” intentionally guides people to slow down in community and discern God’s voice calling forth new things in a noisy world. Mobilize your community by launching a Dreamer cohort with us! Together, we can initiate a DreamForum in your local context, building connections and resources across smaller communities while connecting to a broader cross-city movement.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM?
Everyone has a dream. We want to hear yours! As more and more dreams are unearthed through this communal process, we can see more clearly God’s heart for the pain points of our world
embodied in the diversity and uniqueness of the dreams shared, and make connections for continuing cultivation.
2024 TIMELINE
Prospective Dreamers: Please review the process, including all key dates above, prior to applying. Scroll down to find an overview of the application and the submission form on this page. Watch the video below for an introduction to the Dream Forum.
All dream proposals must be submitted by midnight on Apr 30 using the online form below.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “DREAM”? The concept of a dream is quite broad as they can happen while we sleep or while awake. They manifest in various forms, like visions, ideas, or stories. Yet, what the dreams we’re seeking have in common is that they have been seeded in our imagination by God’s Spirit to reveal aspects of God’s Kingdom. Although the precise significance of these dreams can take time to understand, they nevertheless ignite within us a sense of joy, excitement, purpose, and the hope of possibility as they enliven us with the reality of God’s abounding love and grace.
A selection panel reviews all submissions and curates the final group of Dreamers. All Dreamers commit to journeying together for 5 months (from June – Nov 2024), creating intentional rhythms of stillness and listening for greater spiritual discernment and dream cultivation.
For the first time, the Dreamers will articulate their dreams in a broader communal setting, with the opportunity to be matched with members of Goldenwood’s Dream Forum Committee and Advisory Board for ongoing coaching and collaboration.
This dynamic gathering will provide the Dream Pods with feedback and wisdom from a broader community committed to Spirit-led renewal so that they might be launched forth with encouragement, new insights, and prayer.
Starting with an in-person retreat together, the newly formed “Dream Pods” will begin a 6-month process of dream cultivation, capturing their dream stories and refining their narratives with coaching and guidance from our Cultivation Committee and the Goldenwood team.
This communal journey includes rhythms of stillness and listening to God for themselves and for one another, spiritual direction, business coaching, and dedicated resourcing from the broader Forum network.
The Dream Pods will spur one another on clarifying milestones and collaborating on next steps, receiving access to potential funding and connections to move from the idea stage to subsequent stages of development.
Dreams aren’t just to be kept to ourselves but to be shared–that others might come alongside these dreams for continued development, mutual encouragement, and collaborative resourcing. Join us to hear how God has been cultivating the Dreamers + their Dreams over the last six months. Bring your skills, connections and resources alongside to participate in the Newness God’s Spirit is releasing into our world.
We’re extending this year’s Dream Forum across two nights and featuring six Dreams per night to create more space for honoring these incredible Dreamers and nurturing generative connections. Together, in Spirit-led community, we can cultivate new vision to help bring beauty, justice, and restoration to our world.
ARE YOU READY TO DREAM?
Deadline to Submit: Apr 30, 2024 Please review the Dream Cultivation timeline and key dates above. After submitting your responses using the form below, you will be notified around May 1. To update your submission, please resubmit all information.
Dreams, by definition, defy definition, yet what they often have in common is that they help us experience what is presently unseen. They come to us or are given to us, and we have to decide what we do with them. We know that some dreams come from God’s Spirit, and while it may be hard for us on our own to discern which dreams are from Him, community can play an important part in affirming this divine origin. We hope that the Dream Forum Submission process begins to set the stage for this larger work of communal discernment and dream cultivation.
We desire to cultivate a dreaming community that experiences the joy of embracing God’s invitation to be active citizens of His Kingdom in this world, bridging the realities of heaven and earth until they are finally and irrevocably united with the return of Christ. The following affirmations excite us about God’s work in the world and the potential of dreaming together:
- We take seriously the reality that we have a God who communicates to us, and who gives us dreams of His Kingdom, that we might cultivate this world in ways that reflect His character and embody His glory.
- We are looking for dreams that affirm God’s generosity and abundance even in the midst of apparent scarcity.
- We discern that God values things that our society may not, and He rewards those who live according to that faith.
- We know it takes courage and conviction to expand and develop the space where dreams confront our reality.
- We rest in the assurance that the future is determined not by our past, but by the promise of a new city that is to come.
- We believe dreams are meant not just for the individual but many times are intended to be shared in community, that together we might glimpse the possibility of renewing change.
- We trust that God’s Spirit mystically bonds individuals together to orchestrate a communal work of grace that is greater than the sum of its parts.
As you bring forth your dream, we encourage you to trust the Spirit’s leading, knowing He may take you to unexpected or perhaps unconventional places. The questions below are designed to help you explore your dream further, so even if what you have right now feels like a mere spark, dive in a bit further. There are no correct answers; instead, we hope you delight in the process itself as you listen to God for clarity and discernment.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@goldenwoodnyc.org. We look forward to hearing your dreams!