All Emerson church members and friends are invited to attend one of six sessions during July and August to engage a new process—
To discover our strengths and dream what we can become
Simply plan to attend the one most convenient to you.
Why Visioning Sessions? Visioning allows us to look toward Emerson’s future and what the ideal Emerson looks like. Board member Katie Scott will guide us through this process using Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry creates positive dialogue with groups to build on what works well. It is based on strengths and helps us look toward the future. Katie (assisted in two sessions by Rev. Sam Schaal), will facilitate these groups to:
- Create opportunities to engage all church members
- Dialogue about Emerson’s strengths, successes, values and future
- Provide context for the church’s discernment process
In these sessions each participant will be encouraged to
- Define our strengths (discover), and
- Imagine what we could be (dream)
Church members will work side by side to create visuals of Emerson now and in the future. These visuals will be categorized and displayed in the Gathering Place (with all creators having the option to remain anonymous). These visuals will remind us of the purpose of the discernment process and to assist us in defining who we are and who we want to be.
What is discernment? Discernment is a process of study, inquiry, and reflection on the future of our congregation. In the June Emersonian we announced a process beginning in the fall to help the congregation discern staffing needs, understand church heritage, and improve governance to support staffing. Through these visioning sessions, we hope to create a foundation to understand who we are and what we hope to do, and to guide us as we move through the process.
Questions? Contact Board member Katie Scott at kolson112@gmail.com
