Opening the Silence: Meeting Community Inreach

Workshop # 28
La Verne Shelton

We will practice tools for Meeting Community Inreach by sharing our individual practice of testimonies of Equality, Peace, Integrity, Simplicity, and Community. In worship sharing, story-telling, writing,  and exercises, Friends with any level of experience with testimonies will also learn about giving and receiving as channels of Divine love.

Percentage of time:
Worship/worship-sharing 30; Lecture 0; Discussion 5; Experiential 65

Open to all

Expectations:

I expect participation from everyone present, on the whole.  However, people are free not to address any particular request that comes before the group, without having to defend themselves.

Objectives:

To incorporate in their toolbox a design that has proved fruitful for meeting inreach

To practice Quaker tools of deep listening, plainly speaking about our experiences, and holding a conversation in prayer in a small group of three or four

To practice intentional self-empathy and empathy for others

To become more deeply aware of similarities and differences of our experiences in living Quaker testimonies

To practice writing about these experiences in an accessible manner

To contribute to care and counsel around testimonies in their home meetings upon their return

Preparation:

If possible, participants should read Brian Drayton’s Members One of Another, PHP 373 beforehand, and/or expect to read it in the course of the week

Members should bring their journals, or a means of writing they find congenial.

Some familiarity with Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication Model is helpful, but not required.  Participants who wish to do so may consult Nonviolent Communication by Rosenberg.

Content:

Five Quaker Testimonies: Equality, Peace, Integrity, Simplicity, Community will be the center of the work Monday through Friday.

On the opening day there will be an introduction, some brief discussion about we each understand our practice based on testimonies, as distinct from following a creed, and sharing about individuals' experiences: whether they have any knowledge of other meeting community members' attitudes towards and practice of testimonies; how that comes about; and whether they feel their meeting meets their own needs of belonging, shared values, spiritual transformation, and/or service? On the last day of the workshop time will be allowed to share about what they might take back to their meetings on these aspects of being "Members One of Another" (Reading of this pamphlet will be recommended)

Format for Monday through Friday:

(This is still in composition and will vary somewhat from day to day.)

Centering Worship

Sharing on a question briefly answerable (such as "What are your current feelings? What current needs are being filled/ not being filled?)

Exercise in small groups such as Nurture and Support Groups

Worship sharing in larger group from queries or a brief quotation from Quaker Literature

Queries and Quotations will be a mix of personally focused and meeting focused.

The two-and one-half hours we meet each day will be similar to a single inreach session of the sort I am giving in Madison.