Membership Process as Spirit-led Eldering

Workshop # 54
Margery Larrabee

The goal of this workshops is to look at how a Spirit-led eldering process can be integrated with the process of becoming a member and to offer support and direction to those discerning their relationship to the Spirit and to the Meeting. Includes helpful and exploratory questions, worship sharing, role playing, discussion, and stories.

Percentage of time:
Worship/worship-sharing 25; Lecture 5; Discussion 25; Experiential 45

Adults only

My expectations for the week are:

• That individuals will have an understanding of the place that the spirit-led eldering process has in the membership process.  

• That participants will grow an understanding of who we each are, both shadow and substance.

• That we grow in a sense of working from a spiritual consciousness within ourselves and calling forth that of the Spirit in others.  

• That we come to realize that Spirit-led eldering flows out of a sensitivity to inner guidance and spiritual perception.  This kind of sensitivity can help an applicant make the choice that is right for them.  

• That we will learn to ask hard and difficult questions with love, realizing that this exploration is primarily for the awareness of the applicant.

• That we will discover that in the membership process, we may well have opportunities to acknowledge a person’s gifts, delight in their creativity, call forth their courage and in other ways be present to them.

• That each of us we will get a sense of the courage that it can take for any one involved in the membership process to be faithful to the Spirit, clear and honest in sharing where they are.

A list of the specific areas or topics:

• The nature of the spirit-led eldering process.

• The unique and various aspects of the eldering process that enrich the membership process.

• The nature of the individual both substance and shadow.

• What the generic call is for each of us.

• How engagement in this experience requires each of us to grow and to deepen and strengthen our faith if we are courageous enough.

• What the experiences have been for each of us in becoming a member of a faith community.

• What is it that we yearn for?

A rough description of the format:  

About 25% of the time we will be in worship, allowing for numerous, spontaneous times as well as the formal times.  Perhaps 5% of the time will be in presentation, sharing information, telling stories.  25% of the time would be spent in discussion.  45% of the time will be experiential, which will include role playing, various exercises, worship sharing, journaling, guided meditation, etc.  It is all integrated and variable depending on how the Spirit moves.  As much as possible we will practice our learnings at the workshop.

Suggested reading includes:

The Pendle Hill Pamphlet #392, published in October, 2007, “Spirit-led Eldering” by Margery Larrabee.  Friends Journal article on Spirit-led Eldering, 10/05.  Also, read relevant passages of your Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice.  Other readings that you may encounter on these subjects.

Items to bring:

Bring any items that would help create beauty in our setting.  
Relevant literature you might wish to share.
Journaling material.  
Bible.