A Report from the Field - Another One - Short!

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Dear Jim,
looking at your first opportunity I wonder who the sponsor is and who
is responsible for planning the event. Is it the church council ? Is
there a planning group set up by the church council?
If there is clarity on the sponsor (the guys who will open the space)
and if there is a planning group (the guys responsible for clarifying
goals, theme and who they invite in the name of the sponsor) you have
a pretty good indication that the show can go on the road.
As facilitator, which I gather is your role in this even though you
seem to be part of the sponsor or even are more or less the sponsor,
all you then have to do with the planning group is to coach/accompany
them in 5 areas
-what is it you want to be different in the parish after the open
space (try a mind map)
-what could a title be that would capture that in some way (have each
in the group write down a provisional title, discuss it and find out
which has highest priority)
-who all needs to be invited to have some probability that what you
want to achieve under the most favored provisional title (make a list
with all people can imagine and then go through it with the question:
who is essential)
-now looking at all this, what should the title be
-get down to the nuts and bolts of invitation, finding a room,
getting the grub organized, etc.

I have tried this approach about 80 times with a unique title for
each event (look at my website, list of events) 100% satisfaction and
success every time.
Any shortcuts (like thinking up a title yourself) and you have
unneccessary potholes ahead.

Now this doesnt answer your question in any direct fashion, one added
piece: I have been involved with lots of parishes, groups of
neighboring parishes and hundreds of parishes in a whole state.

To your second opportunity: Nothing to add to Harrisons response.

Greetings from Berlin
michael
>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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Michael M Pannwitz
boscop
Draisweg 1
12209 Berlin, Germany
FON +49 - 30-772 8000     FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464
www.michaelmpannwitz.de

An der E-Gruppe "openspacedeutsch" für deutschsprechende open space-PraktikerInnen interessiert? Enfach eine mail an mich.

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