A Report from the Field - Another One - Short!

[Jim Metcalf]

Dear Brian and all fellow adventurers in Open Space!
I am struggling with two opportunities.
The first is for my own congregation, a pleasant, unchallenged group of
Lutherans. I am planning an Open Space event for them, with the
encouragement of the council, to plan activity for the months September
2002 through May 2003. I am working on wording for a theme, with this as
the current idea: "Working Together in Faith: September 2002 -- May
2003". I am not entirely satisfied with this expression, however, and
would welcome your input.
The second opportunity involves a neighboring congregation, and begins
next week. They are planning to spend several million bucks on some
project or other, but there is no enthusiasm for the work. They happen
to be an hundred plus year old congregation in the heart of the
downtown, surrounded by a new medical research facility, and are
neighbors to various government and private office buildings. This is
not your residential neighborhood church! Members commute to
participate. Their pastor's problem is that he does not know why they
lack energy for this project, although intellectually everyone is lined
up behind it. He has called a two hour meeting of the congregation this
coming Saturday, and has asked me to lead it. I am proposing an open
forum in which members can toss out some ideas, and from that I want to
generate an Open Space meeting some time later. I would like to hear
your thoughts on this also.

Eagerly waiting,

Jim


-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Fr
Brian S Bainbridge
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2002 5:09 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: A Report from the Field - Another One - Short!

Dear Harrison and Judy
I liked the list of topics you shared with us, Judy.  Very interesting.
For the record - and from a pragmatic way of helping space and Peace to
grow - I opened space for one day for about 150 parishioners at a
neighbouring Melbourne parish last Monday, which was a public holiday -
Queen's Birthday.
They generated some 116 wall topics and just 50 workshop sessions.
The highest scoring included:
Building stronger parish//parish elementary school links
The Church needs young people ; Young people need the Church ; making
the two meet.
Welcoming to the parish and schools new parishioners and new families.
Spiritual care & visitation to sick and elderly confined to their homes.

Care for the people who feel isolated.
Building parish community.
To know we are Christians by our love - to each other within our
community by our example.
Community - merging all groups - of all ages, all types of families -
individual/solo/divorced, etc.
Keeping the young in and bringing them back to the Church.

And the spirit growing in the group was something marvellous, too.  As
always.
Just some of the more important Action Outcome summaries generated - to
help keep peace and grow peace in this part of our world, too.
Cheers and blessings,   BRIAN.

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