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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"
id="role_document"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Hi, Ray (and hello, dear Brendan)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Ray wrote:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><i><font size=2 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;
font-style:italic'><I will be holding open space for a religious community
of men gathering for chapter to focus on direction for renewal.</span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><i><font size=2 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;
font-style:italic'>I would appreciate any wisdom, and experiences to learn
from as I prepare for this adventure…In the chapter I am working with,
there will be a time to analyze and reflect on the state of the congregation
and then we will move to open space to let people begin to explore the positive
potential for the future as the community embraces the challenges/opportunities.></span></font></i></p>
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style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Ray – I have
opened space for Catholics, Episcopalians and various other faith communities.
I find that faith communities enjoy and benefit from Open Space just as much as
anyone else – it’s a good fit, even in religious organizations
where there people are used to receiving top-down direction. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>I have done Open Spaces with faith communities where the event has
started and ended with prayer and song; in one case, delightfully, the planning
team for the event wrote a prayer that was specifically about/for the work
about to be done in Open Space. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>In another congregation the Pastoral (strategic) Plan born in the
Open Space was translated into many languages and shared in each church’s
service, along with a Pastoral Planning Prayer. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>In another, closing included a segue into Mass, and in another, I
found out that while I harmonize when being invited to sing with the
congregation, not all congregations *<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>do</span></b>*
harmony ;o) (Lisa dances to the beat of a different drummer…again…).
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Once, when the design included prioritizing, the planning team
designed a ‘mark the topics you feel should move forward’ process
with breath work before the dot-voting (to release and be filled with a power
and wisdom greater than themselves) and a hallelujah chorus to celebrate each
group decision (there were 3 decisions to be made so this process repeated 3
times). </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 color=black
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Once, when participants got anxious just before a situation where
they were to prioritize, I felt I needed to ask the group if they were people of
faith – did they truly believe that the right thing would happen if they
gave themselves over to the greater wisdom. (I don’t know if I did that
for me or for them though – I am sure they would have done just fine
without my jewels of wisdom…)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>So: design it,
prepare for it, and facilitate just the way you would any organization, and as
with any organization, use the inspiration and ideas of the organization’s
planning team to see if weaving in bits of code and culture (such as song,
prayer, lighting candles, or breath work) helps to invite and frame the Open
Space for that community. Let me clarify – don’t feel that
extra warm-up or intro things are necessary for the Open Space to work – it
will work if it’s been chosen as the right tool for the job and is
thoughtfully prepared for. What I’m saying is if the culture
traditionally frames its work and coming together as community in a way that
involves ritual, you may wish to design in time for ritual in the open or close
of your day(s).</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Take care,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Lisa</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>___________________________</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold'>L
i s a H e f t</span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=ES-MX style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>O p e
n i n g S p a c e</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><a
href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net"><font color=black><span lang=ES-MX
style='color:black'>lisaheft@openingspace.net</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><a
href="http://www.openingspace.net"><font color=black><span lang=ES-MX
style='color:black'>www.openingspace.net</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
</div>
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lang=ES-MX style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
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face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
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