As they announced in last Sunday’s mission moment, GBIO co-liaisons Mark Smith and Kathleen Hobson invite you to explore the idea of “growing together for good” and becoming a stronger, more connected faith community in a series of “relational meeting” sessions to take place right after church on Nov. 12 and 26 and Dec. 3.
Relational meetings are a fundamental practice of GBIO and all community organizing, and offer us a way to get to know one another more deeply than is usually possible during coffee hour or small-group meetings. They are not chit-chat, gossip, therapy, proselytizing, or asking for help with something. They are focused, face-to-face, one-to-one conversations in which two people try to understand one another at the level of values and beliefs. You want to understand not just what she thinks and feels, but why.
Please consider participating in one or more (ideally 2 or 3) of these relational meeting sessions, which will last about an hour. This is enough time for 2 one-to-one conversations. Anyone is welcome, not just the grown-ups.
Right after church on the days in question, participants will grab their coffee and snacks and meet in the vestry by 11:15 sharp. Mark or Kathleen will give a brief introduction and instructions. If it seems useful, they’ll ask for a volunteer and do a “fishbowl” demonstration. Then they’ll pair people up randomly by picking names out of a hat.
Each relational meeting will last about 20 minutes, 10 minutes per person. One person will start out asking the questions and listening—you might be given a specific question as a prompt—and then time will be called and you’ll switch roles. At the end of the session, participants will reconvene briefly to evaluate the experience.
To sign up, please click here, or find the link to the form via the home page of the UCW website (ucw.org). Alternatively, on the GBIO bulletin board in the Crocker Chapel you’ll find a large envelope and some index cards. Write your name on a card and slip it in the envelope. You may also get a phone call from Mark or Kathleen, or a member of their trusty “core team”: Carol Bascom-Slack, Kevin Johnson, Jaap Van Reijendam, and Nancy Zollers.