So Seth Godin is offering a 6-month apprenticeship that starts in Januray next year provided that he finds the right people. After reading the description of the program, I must say it’s a dream opportunity. Interestingly, it also has the elements of discipleship. I mean, listen to this…

Here’s the program I’m interested in creating:
One hour a day of class/dialogue
Four hours a day of working on my projects
Three hours a day of working on your personal project
Five hours a day of living, noticing, doing and connecting [emphasis mine]

That last line is what jumped out here. He’s got a 12 hours work day divided out and over 40% of it is dedicated to “living, noticing, doing and connecting”! If he’s putting that kind of emphasis on that, I can only image it applies to the other 7 hours of the day. Let’s keep looking at the application…

The program I’d like to do is not an internship. You don’t get paid, you don’t do scut work, you are not on your own. This is guided quest, one that delivers value to you (from the learning and the doing) and to me (from the teaching and from the work you’ll produce.)

He’s called it a guided quest.

In running internships, I’ve tried to take a hands off approach. “Here,” I say, “this is the goal, these are the tools, shout if you need me.” The idea is that people with motivation ought to be able to push themselves if they just have the opportunity.

I’ve discovered that this doesn’t work nearly as well as I’d like. It’s simple: if it were easy to change, people would do it. It’s the pushing and the coaching and the daily expectations that help the change occur.

So that’s my obligation this time around. To create enough expectation and support that you actually achieve what you set out to do. It’s a lot more work for me (sort of scary, actually) but I’m willing to try. Which raises expectations/effort for you (a lot).

Are you seeing the level of investment he’s willing to make? He will be an integral part of your life and in all aspects, in coaching you and teaching you. Most jobs and personal levels of investment look more like the internships he’s described.

Seth Godin’s got discipleship (apprenticeship) figured out. He’s got community figured out (read Tribes). He’s got a lot of things figured out that many Christian’s don’t. We all have something to learn from him.