We encourage everyone to attend in-person as it will be a much better experience for you; however a combination of live-stream (church service) and zoom break-out rooms (open space workshop) will be available for those unable to attend in-person.
Free Event: We are asking everyone attending ONLINE ONLY to register in advance, so that we can organize breakout small groups. Please be certain to register ALL NAMES of those who are planning on participating.
For those joining online, please join the livestreaming worship service as you normally do for 10:00 am. When we go to our in-person breakout groups, you will join a zoom breakout group by clicking here:
Zoom Attendees:
Sun, May 29: ZOOM Break-out Groups for online participants
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82271770438?pwd=-txvxJF-okl36HsMcl0Ol0dt0G9ODu.1
Meeting ID: 822 7177 0438
Passcode: 212344
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FOR BOTH IN-PERSON AND ON-LINE PARTICIPANTS. Please read the following to learn about the process and what you can expect on Sunday, May 29, 2022
Congregants are invited to co-create with God our sense of strategic direction, as an act of community, as an act of faith, by naming the kind of world we want to be a part of (the Kingdom of God here on earth).
Everyone is to come with an open mind and be willing to be moved by discussions and the Spirit. This meeting is for real direction, real responsibility, real learning, real action on the issue(s) that we will say are important to us.
- Congregants can prepare themselves for coming:
- Ask yourself: “who is my neighbour?”
- Ask yourself: “is there a neighbourhood we should focus on?”
- Ask yourself: “what cause/need can St Andrew’s get its heart behind?”
The Worship Service
The Worship service on May 29 will go essentially as normal up to and including the hymn following the sermon. That is when things diverge!! We will then sing “Worship and Work Must Be One” followed by a time of Silent prayer reflecting on the question, “What do you think St. Andrew’s should get its heart behind?”
We will then shift from worship to work.
Introduction to the Open Space Process.
Congregants will be called to participate and contribute. In this process everyone is a leader. The process can feel like there is little structure, but there is essential structure, and the lack of boundaries helps the creativity. Open Space has been used to facilitate discussions among more than 2,000 people at the same time. As Presbytery Clerk in London Ont., Rev. Peter conducted every presbytery meeting this way for 5 years.
People will be invited to name a topic of discussion important to them. There will be breakout group discussions on the key topics raised by congregants. Everything named and discussed in this process will be considered important.
Examples are as follows: In thinking about what can St Andrew’s get its heart behind, causes may be identified as “poverty” or “immigrants” or “indigenous peoples”. A neighbourhood could be Kingsland, Haysboro, “south of Fish Creek, or even the Tsuu T’ina First Nation.”
People who want to see a discussion group created come forward, take a marker and write on a newsprint sheet a name for the topic. The person will go up on the chancel and say “my name is _____, and the cause I wish to talk about is ________.” The paper will be taped to the agenda wall. Rev. Peter will read out the topics and invite people to make a choice where they want to go.
In the break-out rooms there is a discussion of why we should get our heart behind this particular cause. This is naming the case for pursuing this issue and naming the motives for pursuing this issue. These are the most important elements we need. “What we do” can only be answered once we learn more about the need, talk to those involved in that need, talk with those who are in that need. That said, if the group has time, it can paint a description of how things might look if we are successful in the future. This is a “vision” of the future.
At the end of the discussion period, people are called back. A rep from each group will read off what they have put on the feedback sheet from their discussions.
Worship will be resumed with offering. In addition to the plates, the discussion group notes will be brought forward as well, and placed on the communion table. We give thanks for ALL the offerings of the day and will close with a hymn.
A small team will meet to collate the material and prepare a report which will go to R&R for reflection and recommendations to Session for next steps. A summary of the day’s discussions will be available for all.
Important Information about Open Space. The Four Principles for Open Space
“Whoever participates (in-person or online or in prayer) are the right people”. This acknowledges that the people best qualified or able to do great work on any issue are those who really care, and freely choose to be involved.
“Whenever it starts is the right time” recognizes that spirit and creativity don’t run on the clock, so while we’re here, we’ll all keep a vigilant watch for great ideas and new insights, which can happen at anytime.
“Whatever happens is the only thing that could have” allows everyone to let go of the could haves, would haves and should haves, so that we can give our full attention to the reality of what is happening, is working, and is possible right now.
“When it’s over, it’s over” acknowledges that you never know just how long it’ll take to deal with a given issue and reminds us that getting the work done is more important than sticking to an arbitrary schedule.
Taken together, these principles say “work hard, pay attention, but be prepared to be surprised!”
One Law: “The Law of Two Feet” ·
- You choose your participation: to contribute, to listen, to learn
You can:
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- Go to one breakout group for the whole time-period – “Bumblebees”
- Move between the rooms – “Butterflies”
- Listen only, make one contribution and leave, and move on
- If you are not contributing or learning, you have the right to leave
- You can stay in the sanctuary and await the feedback from discussion groups
- This simple rule makes everyone fully responsible for the quality of their own work and work experience.
Snapshot of the Morning
Time-Table
10:00a.m. – 10:40a.m. Worship
10:40a.m. – 10:55a.m. Process Explained, Topics Decided
11:00a.m. – 11:40a.m. Move to Break-out Groups
11:40a.m. – 12:00p.m. Report Back, Conclude Worship
Anticipated Questions
- Does this mean we will be dropping existing initiatives such as the Food Bank, school lunches, etc.? Not at all in the short-term, although initiatives may change and evolve over time.
- Can I attend online? Yes, but it will be a much better experience for you if you participate in person. It would be helpful but not necessary to register with the office in advance for online participation. You will not be able to join the break-out rooms being set up at the church, but online participants can discuss ideas together.
- If I cannot attend, but have a keen interest in a cause, can I submit it? Yes – you can video yourself presenting an idea in advance and it could be shown in church that day, or you can ask someone to present it for you, or you can email your idea to the church office.
- Will there be childcare available? Yes, there will be a church school celebration for the children followed by activities led by some of our teens in the Up High space.