Discernment Session 1
Discernment Session 1 - Chebeague UMC, Sunday October 27th
As folks come in/get settled, have people write down their questions on one side of an index card, fears on the other.
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Share?
Talk about these sessions as a combination of educational awareness (so we all have the same understanding of terminology, history, events, etc) and prayerful listening to God’s hopes and dreams for this church.
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It is not about pushing our own individual agendas or thoughts or ideas - although each of us brings valuable information to the table - but about sensing God’s movement and figuring out God’s desires
Invite us to center in this space, light the candle reminding us of God’s presence with us - that God is the center of our lives and the center of the space between us
Introduction to Discernment - Gloria
Discernment Video: The Quaker Practice of Discernment <click
Go over “Courage’s Role in Discernment” Handout <click
Establish Guidelines: “Discernment Listening Guidelines” <click
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Each person read one statement
Pause for Questions
Educational Material - Melissa
Give out UMC Vocab Handout <click
Watch UMC Structure/Organization Video by Sara Ewing-Merrill <click
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and Paragraph 2553 <click
Pause for Questions
Silence
Go into silence to allow time to process all this information - take time to reflect and note your own thoughts and emotional reactions to the material - to sift what seems to be bubbling to the surface for you in the midst of this first session...what might be of God...and what might be your own leanings.
Discussion:
Ask: What did you hear in the silence?
Ask: Think back to the fears you listed at the beginning of our session. In what way might God have addressed those concerns during our time together?
Ask: What are you going to take with you to pray over before our next session?
Close with hopeful, empowering affirmations like:
Our local church is not being taken from us.
We are going to keep doing what we're doing, and be true to our values.
We are not going to surrender our values or abandon our local ministry.
We are going to decide whether to continue doing what we do within the UMC or separate from the UMC.