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<font size=3>I would like to share a story of Open Space that I
facilitated last weekend at a Lutheran church in Toronto. This is a
church that actually is doing very well financially and spiritually and
in terms of membership. They had the laudable ambition of renewal while
things were still going well. They have a small mortgage from their
building expansion which they undertook in 1960. (Reduced to $280,000
from 1.5 million, mostly in loans from members). Lest they sound like
"moneybags" you should know that most of the money was loaned
and then forgiven by widowed members of the church. <br>
<br>
The organizing committee had the best organizers on it - amazing people
who wrote to the congregation, phoned them, made announcements in church
and "sold" their members on coming - each member who attended
understood that one of the givens was that only people who attended on
the first evening could come to the all day Saturday and only those who
had participated on the open space Friday evening and Saturday during the
day, could be part of the prioritization on Sunday afternoon. <br>
<br>
The whole open space was brilliant. The enthusiasm and mutual caring
built and built until they had identified their top issues on Sunday. I
had them voting with dots ("dotmocracy") for their issues,
having eliminated all those issues and recommendations which either were
duplications or things that individuals had already started to
execute!!<br>
<br>
A wonderful loving group with a big heart. I am very grateful and feel
very privileged to be a part of that.<br>
<br>
Blessings<br>
Esther<br>
<br>
At 12:23 PM 10/5/99 -0400, you wrote:<br>
>In a message dated 9/29/99 6:56:01 PM, cadams@cyberhighway.net
wrote:<br>
><<We expect 100-150 participants and I am a little nervous with
such a large<br>
>group. My groups at the College were under 50. Any
suggestions for handling<br>
>larger groups?>><br>
><br>
>Hi: Congratulations! As you know, the more the merrier, in Open
Space!<br>
>As you know, all the facilitator actions are the same for large
groups and<br>
>for small groups. You just have to hold more space!<br>
><br>
>To best deal with nervousness, my advice is to ask for help:<br>
>• Be sure you have a good logistics team that will manage ALL the set
up<br>
>details<br>
>• Plan for more - more space, more breakouts, more materials,
etc.<br>
>• Be sure the room is set up the day before so you can familiarize
yourself<br>
>with the space and the sound system, etc., without being under any
pressure.<br>
>• Ask a partner (preferably opposite gender) to hold the space with
you, even<br>
>if that person doesn't appear before the group. Ask one or two
others to do<br>
>the same in support of you two. Doing both of these things has
helped me a<br>
>lot.<br>
>• Transform your nervousness into fuel for your Intention. What
is it that<br>
>you dream this group will create through Open Space? Form a
clear intention<br>
>about this, and focus your attention on it whenever you are aware of
your<br>
>nervousness.<br>
>• And of course, pray for guidance! There is lots of help from
Spirit that<br>
>is waiting to use us to do our work in Open Space.<br>
><br>
>Remember: Fear is just a sign that you are stretching and learning
beyond<br>
>your comfort zone!<br>
>Jay<br>
><br>
><br>
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