October 2023: Grace²

Grace October 2023 Grace<sup>2</sup> flyer

Set-up

all round tables in cafe. every table has:

copy of 2005 long and short list
copy of 2011 creed

single words on cards derived from 2005:

creative
participatory
risk
holistic
minimal exclusion
curation
consensus
low permission threshold
freedom of speech
hospitality
outward impulse (mission?)
high quality

single words on cards derived from 2011:

Christian
community
inclusive
healing
risk-taking
hospitable
creative
responsible
equal
sharing
engaged

blank cards
sheets of paper
pens

instructions asking:

are they the right words?
enough - are there more?
are there things from the 2005 ethos that we want to bring forward?
if so how do they change?

put up sheet screen and small projector - richard has laptop/connector to suit. slideshow - will need to export to powerpoint and pdf [steve]

Order of service

intro [steve]

Grace weekend in 2005 - dreaming/future of Grace process - following from our 10th birthday in 2003 and realisation that we had to plan for the long term
at the time monastic rules were being revived by neomonastic communities rule not a Grace word - ethos not rule
abbot guards the rule - facilitation group is our abbot

ice breaker [mike]

mike’s picture cards - pick one that says what grace means to you and explain why

ethos introduction [steve]

2005 and 2011 ethoses
have both ethoses up
explain how they are different

table section:

aim - to get a new ethos list
maybe long and short list
that captures who we are now and what we aspire to be going forward
to remind us of who we hope to be and how we hope to act

words to begin:

Gather round old tables with wine and share
your visions and make your proposals
Make wise proposals
Make foolish proposals
The old tables have heard so many foolish proposals
You will never surprise them

Take the visions and dreams out of your heads and into shared holding
No one person carries the whole vision
And even together we fail and we fail marvellously
The Everlasting Arms catch what honestly falls
Or they don’t
But there is no other way to really live, but to step out in the faith that they will anyway

Find new shapes together
And spend yourselves bravely in the shared adventure
It will cost more to hold back
And there will be no new shapes apart from the shared endeavour

[david benjamin blower]

give tables time to discuss and develop
stick the chosen word cards on paper - for each word, write short explanation of why, what does it mean

bring together in a single assembly - to edit together
a central big table
all gather round

intention to ‘unveil’ the final version at 30th

Ethos confession

Ethos confession (2005 ethos)

doors liturgy [mike]

Doors liturgy (2005 ethos)

this is the old ethos version - use it for the last time. a new doors liturgy will be unveiled at the 30th service.

cafe

bring food and drink out
encourage continued discussion

Photos

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In small groups around tables discussing the words from the 2005 ethos and 2011 creed.	Mike brought his post-punk singles and Risk game from the 2005 ethos-making weekend.	Green is the 2005 ethos, orange is the 2011 creed.	Steve Goble and Greg got Bibles out to look up references to grace.	Some things appear in 2005 and 2011 lists - must be significant.				The big table with all the words and comments that the congregation thought were important for the new ethos.