MID-ATLANTIC COMMUNITY CONVERSATION CIRCLES JANUARY 4-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 Participant Guide

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1 TOPIC: COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT Goals: 1. To reflect and share on the Accountability Report of the Mid-Atlantic Community Leadership Team 2. To prepare questions/thoughts/insights for the February Pre-Assembly Meetings Introduction Toward the end of its term, the Community Leadership Team, in accord with the Constitutions (#75), is responsible to provide the Community with an accountability of its work. The intent of the report is to engage members in a reflection on the life and mission of the Community. The preamble of the newly revised Mid-Atlantic Community Governance Plan speaks of shared responsibility and affirms the gifts and contributions of all members as well as the responsibility of members to fully participate in the life of the Community. It is in this spirit of shared responsibility that the leadership team offers you the enclosed accountability report. This is merely a starting point for deeper reflection and dialogue on all that has transpired over the past five years and projecting goals for the future. The report reflects not only the work of the leadership team, but the gifts and contributions of many constituencies within the Community. As is stated in the conclusion of the report, Only in the gathering of the Community for deeper reflection and discussion will this report be brought to fullness. The hope is that the reflection and dialogue in the Conversation Circles will prepare us to engage in mutual dialogue and reflection at the Pre-Assembly Meetings in February. The team looks forward to hearing your reflections on the many gifts, challenges, blessings and opportunities reflected in the report. In preparation for this Conversation Circle please: 1. Read and reflect on the Mid-Atlantic Community Leadership Team Accountability Report; 2. Reflect on the questions at the end of each section of the report; 3. Fill in the personal reflection sheet; 4. Share your reflections with your Conversation Circle; 5. Fill in the attached group response sheet and bring it with you to the February Pre-Assembly Meeting.

2 Topic: COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT Personal Reflection Sheet (For personal reflection) As I reflect on the accountability report 1. Where do I see myself reflected in the life of the Community over the past five years? 2. In what ways have I contributed to the building up of the Community? (For group sharing) 3. The section of the report that I found particularly challenging is.because 4. The section of the report that I found particularly inspirational/enlivening is because 5. The section of the report that raises the most questions for me is..because 6. Some of questions that arise for me are 7. Other signposts for the future that could be added are..

3 Topic: COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT Group Response Sheet 1. The section of the report that our circle found particularly challenging is because. 2. The section of the report that our circle found particularly inspirational/enlivening is because 3. The section of the report that raised the most questions for our circle is.. 4. Some of questions that arose for us are: 5. What other signposts for the future would your circle like to offer? (PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING THIS SHEET WITH YOU TO THE FEBRUARY PRE-ASSEMBLY MEETING)

4 Topic: COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT Prayer Leader: All: Leader: All: Antiphon: Side 1: Side 2: Side 1: Let us pray to the God who supports and nourishes us along the path of life. Let us thank God for the signs of care and loving providence that we find so reassuring along the way. God of hope, Accompany us along the way. God is with us on the journey of life. Dear God of pilgrims, We gather to praise and thank you. You are ever faithful and your love is everlasting. We have experienced your love in many ways As we have journeyed through life. We thank you for the Spirit you breathe into us, a wandering Spirit, For eyes that guide us, For feet that plod the paths, For occasional signposts when we have lost our way. We thank you for your love, which gives our journey direction and meaning. You bless us with divine restlessness. You prod us from our boredom. You urge us down roads we do not feel strong enough to travel. You support us with traveling companions who encourage us when we despair, who refresh us when we would sit down in discouragement.

5 Side 2: Side 1: Side 2: But, most of all, we thank you for your greatest pilgrim, Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He brightens our path; he opens our eyes. He remains with us in times of need. His journey led him to Jerusalem; There he strengthened us with a meal to enable us to follow in his footsteps. By his life, he teaches us to believe in you And to believe in life s greatest adventure. By his death, he shows us the meaning of hope when we seem to lose everything. And by his resurrection, he proclaims your love which renews the weary pilgrim. Send us your Spirit, so that we, your pilgrims, can have light for our eyes, strength for our beings, and companionship on our journey. Amen. Antiphon: God is with us on the journey of life. Reading: Each of us stands at the gate of tomorrow, facing the future. At times, we have walked in wonder and awe; at other times, we have moved along in the flood of fear. Looking back, we may recognize that amid the joys and struggles of this journey, we have been companioned by a graceful Presence that has held us together and led us on. This is not simply a journey through a string of days and years. Rather this is a sacred journey, one that is reverenced and surrounded by Mystery. Although we long for someone to translate the risks of this journey into logical explanations, we often find ourselves in the foreign land of faith. We stand on the edge of our hopes and dreams and ask in trust to be led and supported by a Love and Energy much larger than we can imagine. We ask to walk here in courage and integrity, as we attempt to discern the voice of God amid the cacophony of our doubt and fear. To risk the journey and face the the future is simply to walk in faith, for there are no words that capture the massive Mystery of God. We stand clothed in grace and showered with blessing. At times we see the flecks of light; at

6 other times we see only the shadows of the silhouette. But always, both in our knowing and in our unknowing, we are escorted into tomorrow by Love, who gives us everything we need. Doris Klein Song Suggestions: Be Still by David Kauffman I Am With You on the Journey by Kathy Sherman Come and Journey With Me by David Haas Or some other suitable song After five minutes of silent reflection, begin the Conversation Circle sharing using the personal reflection sheet provided. At the conclusion of the sharing, the group decides which of the points it wishes to record on the reflection sheet. Each person fills in the response sheet and brings it with her to the February Pre-Assembly Meeting. Closing Prayer Crossing over into the unknown. Crossing over from a secure land to one whose roads we have never walked. For all of us in transition who have bridges to cross, bless us, God of the journey Gift us with the desire to go ahead Help us to trust that the bridge will be strong And the risk will be worth it. Amen